Tempest Rising by Nicole Peeler

Tempest Rising:
Living in small town Rockabill, Maine, Jane True always knew she didn't quite fit in with so-called normal society. During her nightly, clandestine swim in the freezing winter ocean, a grisly find leads Jane to startling revelations about her heritage: she is only half-human.

Now, Jane must enter a world filled with supernatural creatures alternatively terrifying, beautiful, and deadly- all of which perfectly describe her new "friend," Ryu, a gorgeous and powerful vampire.

It is a world where nothing can be taken for granted: a dog can heal with a lick; spirits bag your groceries; and whatever you do, never-ever rub the genie's lamp.

Nicole Peeler created an intriguing cast of characters, and although I genuinely enjoyed the story, it took me close to two weeks just to finish this book. There is nothing wrong with Nicole's writing, the book flows nicely, and maybe I was just in a bit of a reading slump. But for me, this book was one of those: I-really-want-to-know-what-happens-next-but-can-it-be-over-now? Nicole's characters are unique and I look forward to more of them, but similar plots have been done before and I think I have just been reading too many of the like in a row.

Jane lives with the stigma her mother left behind in a small town on the coast of Maine, added to that the love of her life--and the only person to truly understand her--accidentally drowns when she is sixteen. People find it hard to forgive things they do not understand and Jane has lived with their cruelty, quietly accepting the fact that she is to blame. That is until Ryu comes into her life and shakes her perspective of the world. Suddenly she is knee-deep in a world where shape-shifters, vampires and more exist. Danger and mystery surround Jane and Ryu, and as their relationship becomes more intimate and more truths come to light, Jane must figure out just who she can trust to help her navigate through the twists and turns of her new life.