SOUL WEAVER by Hailey Edwards

Soul Weaver
Hailey Edwards

Rating: B+
Release Date: 08/07/12
Synopsis from goodreads.com:
Since the accident that nearly took her life, Chloe suffers from acute agoraphobia. Living alone above her family's bookstore, she spends restless nights terrified by strange visions . . . until a mysterious stranger appears and offers her salvation. Chloe is drawn to the ethereal, gorgeous Nathaniel-but her haunted soul warns her there is more to him than meets the eye.

An archangel who roams Earth collecting souls of the newly departed, Nathanial is the sole witness to the accident that should have taken Chloe's life. Seduced by the purity of her soul, he defies Providence by saving her life. But his attempt at kindness marks Chloe for damnation, and makes her an unwitting pawn in a game of unholy ambition. Now together they must fight the demons of Hell itself-for a love that defies the boundaries of Heaven and Earth. 


My thoughts on the book:
Hailey Edwards is an author with the ability to create captivating worlds and complex characters. She displays her talents again in Soul Weaver, and I found it difficult to put this book down. Edwards tells an intriguing and touching story about a girl and a fallen angel who have lost their way.


Soul Weaver is a unique take on the angels, demons, and afterlife ideas.I really enjoyed the thought of the demons coming up and taking care of the world's evil people instead of the demons' jobs being to coax people into committing evil. I also liked how the idea of balance played into the story. If everything wasn't balanced, then there were a lot of problems. Edwards obviously played into a lot of different mythologies to create this world, and her efforts paid off. This world was uniquely enthralling, and I couldn't get enough of it. 


Chloe was the leading heroine, and she wasn't the strong, fearless type. Instead, she had agoraphobia. However, I never fully believed the agoraphobia because she ran a bookstore where she had to deal with people. How could you deal with people, even in your own home/store, if you were scared of social interaction? It just didn't make sense. Another thing that didn't make sense was how quickly she attached herself to Neve and Nathaniel. These things made me feel like perhaps Chloe wasn't agoraphobic at all. I don't know a ton about agoraphobia, though, so I could be wrong. From what I understand, though, a person who has agoraphobia is scared of all human interaction. I don't think it's just a fear of leaving one's house. Again, I'm no psychologist, so anyone who knows more about this than I do, please feel free to chime in. Other than that, I liked Chloe. She was inherently good, and I enjoyed learning more about her. 


I really liked Nathaniel, and I thought he made the perfect hero. He was also extremely self-aware for a guy, and I appreciated that. He was such a good character, but he'd been so tarnished by centuries of punishing evil-doers that he seemed to have forgotten that there was any good in the world. Chloe was able to remind him of that, and his reactions to her kindness were touching. 


The POV was third person limited, and it switched between Nathaniel, Saul (Nathanial's brother), and Chloe. I liked getting the three different perspectives, and things flowed from one character to the next smoothly. The pacing was a bit rushed in spots, but overall, the story flowed nicely. The ending tied things up well, and I feel that Chloe's and Nathaniel's story has come to a close. I think that if this turns into a series, then Edwards may end up casting different characters for each installment, sort of like she does with her Daughters of Askara series, because the ending seemed final and complete. 


Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves romance stories that lean more to the sweet side than the steamy side. There are some steamy scenes, but overall, this book is more a touching story of love than a sexy read. Also, if you like your romance stories for a plot, this book is for you. Edwards is a wonderful author, and whether you're a fan or newcomer to her work, you should give Soul Weaver a try. 


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