Review: Foretell by Belle Malory

Foretell by Belle Malory
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads summary:


If you could provide anyone with the path to their deepest, darkest desires, would you?

Estelle Spencer has no choice.

With just a simple touch of her hand, wishes and dreams are instantly fulfilled. Her voice speaks of its own accord, lighting the way to good fortune.

But not everyone’s fortunes are desirable.

For most of her life Estelle hides in fear, living as a recluse in her sister’s shadow. Until the day comes when her existence is remembered.

Forced into running, Estelle meets Rex, a Romanian gypsy, and the only person who can help her hide. Together they search for a way to end the curse that controls Estelle’s life.

Before she destroys the world.


My review:

I feel horrible for the amount of time this was on my Carousel and kept getting pushed back for shiny new books. Part of that is due to library holds coming at me fast and furious, but I'll own the other part. What I like to call literary ADD.

I digress. I read it, I loved it, I kicked myself for not reading it sooner.

The best part? In the land of 3-book, 5-book, n-book (series that never end) story arcs, it was very refreshing to see this book wrap as a duology. There was definitely more to Wanderlove than one book could handle but, to my mind, pushing this into another two, three or more books would turn it into more filler, less plot.

Okay. That wasn't the best part. The best part was Rex. And maybe Essie. And a box of markers. (No, I won't elaborate that because it could count as a spoiler and I really try to keep away from that.)

The story was tightly told, enough detail to set the scenes and keep you in the character's world but no long stretches of purple prose that go on forever. (I want to know that the curtains are blue...I don't care why.) It kept me engaged to the point I was sneaking away to read again and went to bed last night intending to read a chapter or two...then stayed up until 3 am because I had to finish it, I had to know.

Another thing I loved is that it steps away from the more "traditional" paranormal (vampires, witches, fae) and centers on gypsies and past lives. They have subtle abilities - seeing the future, innate lie detection - and the story does a good job of showing the good and bad sides of each. How gifts can be blessings and curses at the same time.

Essie broke my heart in the decisions she made, especially for the reasons she made them. When the full nature of her gift was revealed, and what she saw when it happened. I'll admit it, I was sniffling back tears.

And then Rex. Lordy. Who could think cleaning a scraped knee could be so...so...sigh. I'll admit he wasn't my favorite in Wanderlove and maybe that was why I was so tentative to start this. Boy was that put away quick. I daresay I almost like him *more* than Gabe now. Especially the picnic. And a few other moments I won't spoil here...because I'll not only spoil it, I'll start gushing about favorite moments in pure insane fangirl fashion and there are a *lot* of them. :)

In short, a beautiful duology; one I will most likely read again.