Book Sojourner: Review: Undeniably Chosen by Shelly Crane

Undeniably Chosen by Shelly Crane

(Significance #6)

March 31, 2015

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Contains: lots of kissing, some strong language

Source: eARC for Honest review

Ava has watched her parents, Caleb and Maggie, live the perfect fairy tale, the perfect love story, played out in front of her eyes her entire life. Her family is love, life, and happiness. The Jacobsons are everything a family should be and Ava is loved and well taken care of. But the one thing that’s missing from her life is the one thing she’s waited for every day, the one thing her kind knows will make them complete, the one thing they thought was gone and lost forever.

Her significant.

Seth has lived with the Watsons his entire life. They’re the only family he knows, but he knows that there are things they keep from him. He knows that they lie and they do unspeakable evil, things from when he was a child that he can barely remember that cling to the edges of his memory. He barely remembers his real mother and all he knows is what he’s told. He doesn’t know what to trust. He wants to believe that the Watsons love and care for him, have his best interest at heart, but isn’t so sure of that anymore when he finally—after a lifetime of waiting for her—meets his soulmate, and the Watson’s first act is to try to take her away from him.

The Virtuoso worlds collide, hearts are exposed, humans are endangered, and the lives of Seth and Ava are changed forever. They’ll have to love without judgment or reservation, they’ll have to be wise and accepting beyond their years, they’ll have to forgive for things before they’ve even happened, they’ll have to trust without seeing, have faith without knowing, and they’ll have to light their own way in the dark when everyone else is blind to show them the way. And more than anything else…

they’ll fight like hell to keep each other.

I LOVED IT!!! This book gave me all the feels I was hoping for, all the twists and turns I wished for, and all the love I expected and more. I'm so happy to have this series continue!

Undeniably Chosen is the 6th book of the Significance series, though I think it can also be seen as the first spin-off book of the original series. The first 5 books follow Caleb and Maggie and their love story. But it is more than that. It is a lot of the history and big picture of the Virtuoso world that Caleb and his family, and then Maggie, live in. Consequence, the novella prior to Undeniably Chosen, is the story of Caleb and Maggie married with kids, and ties into the next book. Then Undeniably Chosen is the start of Ava (Caleb and Maggie's daughter) and Seth's (raised by the Watsons) story and the continuing saga of the Virtuoso world. If you are new to the Significance series, you could start with Undeniably Chosen, but you would be missing some big chunks of back-story. But you could also backtrack and start the series afterwards if you fall in love with Seth, Ava, Caleb, and Maggie, like I did.

As for Undeniably Chosen, I completely loved it. This is not a reinvention of Caleb and Maggie's story. No, Ava and Seth have a story all of their own. From their first meeting, to their first confrontation, to their first misunderstanding, to their first kiss, and so much more, I was fully engrossed and entangled in how all their situations and predicaments would play out. I felt like I wanted their HEA as much as they did. But as much as I wanted everything to be perfect, like Ava did, I also loved all the twists and turns and the unpredictability of this story. I liked that I was kept in the dark and guessing how things would turn out. I was just so stinkin' happy to be back in the Virtuoso world, and I loved following along with Seth and Ava's journey.

Speaking of Seth and Ava, I loved them. They were two characters I loved by themselves, then throw them together, and even through all the difficulties, I loved what they brought out of each other. We've got Ava, daughter of Caleb and Maggie, who is sweet and hopeful. She inherited all the good things from her parents, but with her own level of spunkiness. Then she gets matched up with Seth, who is not only a super hot firefighter, but also a sweetheart. Having been raised by the Watsons, though not a Watson himself, he had all the potential to be a terrible person, yet his good heart was able to survive his childhood. I loved getting to know him, and it's no wonder Ava fell for him. Ava and Seth are such a great couple!

In addition to Seth and Ava's love story, and the ever-evolving Virtuoso world, we are also treated to some old favorites and newbies I really want to know more about. Is there more Caleb and Maggie? Yes! I was so happy to see them again, together like always, and with their children. Love them! Rodney, Ava's brother, was great. I love the family dynamic, and I hope to get lots more Rodney in the future. Then there's Ember, Bish and Jen's daughter and Ava and Rodney's cousin. She is a hoot. Bish always had a special place in my heart, so getting a glimpse of him and especially his daughter was a real treat. I really want to see more of Ava's brother and cousins in the future.

Speaking of the future, for some reason, and I don't know where I got this idea from, I didn't think there would be more books after this one. BUT THERE WILL BE!! I'm so excited!!! Don't worry. No big cliff-hanger or anything. You can thoroughly enjoy this one and then patiently await the next. But there will be at least another book. I'm so happy!!! I loved Undeniably Chosen, love the Significance series, and eagerly anticipate anything Shelly Crane wants to stir up and whip together for the future.