The Rest of Forever by Carrie Pulkinen (Spotlight, excerpt, review and GIVEAWAY) GFT

The Rest of Forever

by Carrie Pulkinen

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GENRE:   Paranormal Romance

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BLURB:

A guardian angel who’d rather die than fall for a human must come to terms with his tragic past when he learns his Charge is more than she seems.

April Carter is a high school history teacher who dreams of finding the perfect man to whisk her away from her small-town life. She wants it all—the husband, the house, the kids, the car. But her dreams of living the perfect life are shattered during a school shooting. ​Now she must learn to accept her fate if she's ever going to find the life she loves. ​

Damian ​Perkins ​is ​April's Guardian Angel, though no one would guess that based on his attitude. A tragic event in his past has left him bitter and resentful, and he won’t let anyone get close enough to care about him​. He's tried to make April hate him, but she sees through his abrasive exterior and awakens a part of his soul he thought had burned out long ago. Damian​ must​ let go of his past​ and​ accept his responsibilities​ ​or​ ​​he'll​ spend the rest of his existence alone and miserable​.

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EXCERPT

Damian lay on the bed behind her with his arm across her body. God, I wish I could feel her. The memory of the way she fit in his arms tightened his chest, and he yearned to feel her warmth again. To feel her soft curves pressed against his body. She could’ve used some real affection. But as much as he wanted to give it to her, it wasn’t his place. He’d have to settle for comforting her from The In-Between.

She took a few deep breaths and slowly drifted to sleep. The tension in her body relaxed, and her pulse slowed to a steady, rhythmic beat. Rest was exactly what she needed to chase away the fear and guilt that must’ve been coiling inside her. To be betrayed by someone who was supposed to love her. He couldn’t imagine what she must’ve been feeling.

Well, yes he could...

He breathed in her intoxicating scent and closed his eyes. He was getting in too deep, and he needed to get away.

But as the last of the tension left her body, she exhaled and whispered, “Damian.”

Hearing his name dance from her lips made his heart lodge in his throat. Was she dreaming about him?

“I’m here, April. You’re safe.”

A soft moan vibrated from her chest, and she nestled her head into the pillow.

She couldn’t possibly be dreaming about him, could she? He’d tried so hard to make her hate him. What dream could possibly be twirling through her mind? She was sound asleep, and he knew it was safe to leave her alone.

But he stayed.

As much as he hated to admit it, he liked holding her, whether he could feel her body pressed to his or not. There was nowhere in the universe he’d rather be. And he desperately wanted to hear her whisper his name again.

Buy Links:

Amazon

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Carrie Pulkinen is a paranormal romance author who has always been fascinated with things that go bump in the night. Of course, when you grow up next door to a cemetery, the dead (and the undead) are hard to ignore. Whether it's angels, demons, werewolves, ghosts, or vampires, Carrie finds all supernatural beings intriguing. Pair that with her passion for writing and her hopelessly romantic heart, and you've got the perfect recipe for an exciting storyteller.

Carrie spent the first part of her professional life as a high school journalism and yearbook teacher. She loves red wine and chocolate, and in her free time, she likes to read, take pictures, and spend time with her family.

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My review:

3.5 out of 5 stars

The Rest of Forever by Carrie Pulkinen is an adult paranormal romance story that explores the concepts of guardian angels and their hierarchy and missions. April May Carter is a mortal woman who has her life planned out. Damian Perkins doesn’t want to assume the role of leader that his fellow angels are pushing him toward, he just wants to protect his Charge April until the end of his mission. Everything seems to go wrong, including his inexplicable and confusing attraction to the compassionate teacher as well as the obstacles April runs into while she’s trying to put her plans in motion. It turns out that both of them are rule-breakers, which makes them perfect for each other, or does it?

This imaginative story gives an interesting picture of life (and death) while it reminds the reader of the interconnections we all share. There are fun quirks that accompany the power of a Guardian but I found it a little puzzling that there are so few repercussions for flouting the rules, not to mention the impact it should have had on those who actually saw Guardians before they were supposed to. I enjoyed the development of a sensual connection between the main characters but the rocky path that gets them there was a bit frustrating to me, given how many mistakes and misunderstandings take place. April is a sweet person, but a little too much so for me, and Damian, with his own issues, was difficult to cheer for at first until his background was finally revealed. The pace of the story was a bit uneven but there are intriguing twists and fun scenarios that make one interested in watching these folks get their happy ending and perhaps will pique one’s curiosity about angels and their role in the lives of humans.

A copy of this story was provided to me for review