The Deepest Cut by J.A. Templeton-Review & Guest Post

The Deepest Cut by J.A. Templeton

A MacKinnon Curse novel, book 1

Published October 2011

Sixteen-year-old Riley Williams has been able to see ghosts since the car crash that took her mother's life and shattered her family. Guilt-ridden over the belief that she's somehow responsible for her mom's death, Riley is desperate to see her mother's elusive spirit to gain her forgiveness.

When her father moves the family to Scotland so they can all start over, Riley believes her life couldn't get worse––that is until the ghost of nineteen-year-old Ian MacKinnon catches her purposely cutting herself. An uneasy truce quickly turns into friendship, and soon Riley's falling hard for Ian.

Riley believes her gift could help Ian end the curse that has kept him tied to the land for centuries, but that would mean letting him go forever and she's not sure she is strong enough to do that. As if her life wasn't complicated enough, the spirit of the woman who killed Ian returns and she'll stop at nothing to keep Riley from helping Ian find eternal peace.

My review:

Riley is having a hard time getting over her mother's death. She was in the car with her mother at the time of the accident and feels that the accident was her fault. Now she sees and hears ghosts, even though she usually ignores them. The one ghost that she wants to see is her mother, and she can't figure out why she doesn't. After her father moves the family to Scotland, a ghost discovers the secret she has been hiding from everyone else. She becomes friends with this ghost, Ian, and soon starts falling hard for him. Riley wants to help Ian, but the ghost of the girl who killed Ian hundreds of years ago does not like Riley interfering.

The Deepest Cut is one of the best books I have read in a long time. This book had an excellent mix of just about everything. There is a definite romance between Riley and Ian, even if he is a ghost. The Scotland setting and castles provide an element of intrigue and mystery. There is a lot of teen angst and peer pressure that makes the book realistic and easy for teens to relate. The suspense keeps you on the edge of your seat and turning the pages for more, and it is also creepy and bone chilling.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Deepest Cut, and I think J.A. Templeton did an excellent job of bringing together all of the different elements. It was easy for me to get caught up in the story, and I like how this book had an "ending" where you thought everything was pretty much wrapped up and then suddenly a shocker comes along to open it up for the second book in the series. The only thing I didn't quite get was how the ghosts could walk through walls but at the same time they could be hugged and touched like a regular person. I would recommend this book for older YA (or adults who like YA) due to some of the content, but I would definitely say this book is a must read.

A copy was provided by the author for review.

Guest post by J.A. Templeton:

For fun, I thought I'd ask Riley some random questions. Here we go:

What’s your…

Favorite song: Wonderwall by Oasis

Favorite movie: The Notebook (I'm a hopeless romantic)

Favorite book: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Favorite comfort food: Tie between a toasted cheese sandwich and lasagna.

Favorite holiday: Halloween

Favorite attire—(Jeans or Dresses): Definitely jeans

Favorite saying: Scars remind us that the past is real.

Favorite city: Portland

Favorite day of the week: Friday

Favorite subject in school: Art

Favorite vacation spot: Disneyland

About the author:

J.A. Templeton is the YA pen name for romance author Julia Templeton. THE DEEPEST CUT is her debut YA novel, and the first of The MacKinnon Curse series. Aside from writing and reading, J.A. enjoys research, spending time with family and friends, and traveling.

You can find J.A. on her website, Twitter and Facebook.