Title: The Line that Binds (#1) Author: J. M. Miller
Publisher: November 25th 2013
Number of Pages: N/A
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Mystery
Setting: Stockton Estate in Pennsylvania
Plot: (Goodreads.com) Stained with heartache and cursed with vengeance, a stone well lies on a nineteenth-century estate, waiting for the Stockton line to wish again.
When seventeen-year-old Lila Wayde's father loses his high-paying job in Las Vegas, the family relocates to a Pennsylvania estate bequeathed by an estranged aunt. Lila begins a new life there, one not corrupted by wealth and fake friends. She soon meets Ben, the groundskeeper's gritty grandson, and experiences the kind of happiness her life's been missing. But as she settles into the ancient house, she learns information about her ancestors and the old stone well that may make her wish she'd never come.
Ben Shadows has lost enough in life. So when Stockton Estate's owner, Janine, wills the land to her great-niece Lila, Ben fears for the fate of the property. He decides to find out Lila's intentions as the new owner, but his grandfather wants him to protect her from Stockton Estate's alleged curse. As Ben helps Lila dig through the estate's history, they grow closer than he ever intended. Now, along with concerns about the property and the reality of the curse, he struggles with feelings he can't ignore.
Will the secrets of Stockton Estate bring them together or will knowing the truth rip them apart?
Personal Thoughts: This book took me by surprise - I've not read a lot of books that were self-published but this one really blew me away! I didn't think I'd be a fan of the two person point of views (Jodi Picoult comes to mind), but it's so well written that it flowed so easily and after the first couple of chapters I barely noticed.
Mysteries are a personal favorite of mine and I like a plot that keeps me guessing but doesn't give answers away too early. This particular story about a girl, a boy and a curse literally kept me on the edge of my seat until the very last page...Lila and Ben are two teens that inherit this estate. After making a wish in a well, Lila sets off a chain reaction that correlates to this ancient curse that had been placed on t well long before. She starts to hear voices, wishes from the well, that as she starts to grant them; she begins to lose a piece of herself with each and soon she will be gone forever.
Ben and Lila then work together as a team to uncover the secrets of the well and find a little romance along the way.I recommend this book for mature YA because of language and mild sexual content. I can't wait for the sequel to come out!
Recommended Age Level: 17+
Rating:4.5
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