Review: A Castle of Sand by Bella Forrest

A Castle of Sand by Bella Forrest
Release Date: June 26, 2013
Format: eARC, 296 pages
Series: A Shade of Vampire #3
Source: Author in exchange for an honest review

Description from Goodreads:
What Sofia has with Derek feels like a sandcastle; temporary and something that the waves of life and time will soon ruin...

Since the return of Gregor Novak, the island has turned several shades darker. His hatred toward Sofia and thirst for fresh blood lead to a brutal war igniting between father and son.

Meanwhile, the hunters are gaining formidable strength and resources by the day; they know that the safety of The Shade hangs entirely on its ability to remain hidden from them.

And a sinister secret lies in wait for Sofia within the bowls of an Egyptian desert... a secret that threatens to crush her sandcastle much sooner than she could have expected.

Honestly, it took me a little bit of reading in the beginning of this book to get back IN to the series. But once I got back in? Goodness, I was HOOKED. Bella Forrest  writes the most compelling vampire stories. This one picks up right where A Shade of Blood left off, catching us up with Derek and Sofia and everyone else pretty easily.

These characters are great. Sofia...well, she does seem like a special snowflake, but she also earns her status. I like how she can be calm in situations I know I would personally be FREAKING OUT. And she really is kind. Add that stuff to the fact that she is one big mystery--WHY is she so important, what is up with her, WHAT is going on?!?!--and that makes for a character that may not be my favorite but definitely hold my attention. And Derek...I don't know what to do with this guy. I feel for him so much. My heart hurts. He was much better behaved in this one than he was in book 2, so that made me happy. But he's still not perfect. Then again, that's what makes his character feel so real. Imperfections always help to make characters feel more real, in my opinion. I heart Derek. He's not my favoritest ever, but I think he can definitely end up being one of the book boys I cherish once he and Sofia finally get through the big mess they're currently dealing with.

Throughout the whole book, there's the idea of a sandcastle and how they always get swept away by nature. That's just how it goes; it's inevitable. I really liked how this idea held throughout the story. It didn't feel like too much to me at all. It just WAS and I enjoyed that. Plus, it was kind of deep. 

Oh, and Ben. Oh, goodness Ben. BEN BEN BEN. My boy Ben. Sigh.

The course this story takes is waaaaay far from what I ever could have imagined. Right when I think the story's going one way and the characters are going to do one thing, they do something I NEVER could have expected. I kind of love it, though. I love not being able to predict what comes next. It's not so much that I have no idea what is happening; it's just enough that I don't really ever get bored.

The ending to this one is just like we've come to expect from Bella--a big BOOM that left me wanting more. So much more. 

Overall, this was an awesome addition to a series I grow to love more and more with each installment. Bella Forrest writes the most addicting stories, y'all. And she does vampires soooo well. Yeah, I'm wanting the next book NOW. 

♥Jessica(: