Review: Everneath - Brodi Ashton

Everneath by Brodi Ashton, published by Simon and Schuster on 2nd February 2012

Goodreads synopsis:
Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

Review:
It would be remiss of me not to start this review by mentioning the exquisite and very beautiful cover for this book.  I'd kill for that red dress which is beyond gorgeous!  I've wanted to read 'Everneath' ever since laying my eyes on the cover for the first time. 

This is Brodi Ashton's debut novel and it's addictively good.  I absolutely loved it!  It made me think about how precious life is.  How we shouldn't let anything stand in the way of being with the ones we love. This is a story with real heart that made me cry, made me smile and made me believe that nothing is more important than having friends and family around. 

I adored the story.  I loved the characters.  I got sucked in by the romance between the main character Nicki and Jack and I never wanted the book to end.  I forgot about everything else going on around me and became totally immersed and absorbed in this stunning read.  Nicki has returned to her old life after spending a century in the Everneath with Cole - an Everliving.  She chose to be his forfeit so that he can continue to live as an immortal.  She was supposed to forget everything about who she was and the life she lived but there's one face she can't forget - her old boyfriend Jack.  Back in the real world, Nicki has 6 months with her family and friends to put things right before she has to return but she's followed by Cole who wants her as his Queen. 

One of the things that made this book for me was the romance between Nicki and Jack which was beautifully told.  I loved the way their history together was gradually unravelled and laid bare and how they only had to be near each other for sparks to fly off the page.  I believed in them.  I rooted for them.  And they made my heart thud uncontrollably.  Their romance is substantial and real and even when they're not together I never gave up hope that they were going to find a way back to each other. 

The other aspect of 'Everneath' that impressed me was the interweaving of an ancient myth and the retelling (with a unique twist) of the story of Eurydice and Orpheus.  I wasn't familiar with this prior to reading the book but I found it really interesting and I enjoyed the parallels it created with the main plot. 

I'm desperate to read more about Nicki and Jack and I can't wait for the next book by Brodi Ashton - the new Queen of the paranormal romance.  I'm going to be recommending 'Everneath' to everyone as it was a magical, amazing and emotional book that made me believe in true love.