Not only do I have the pleasure of organising the Blog Tour for Kelly-Marie Pollock’s debut novel, but I’m thrilled to be taking part! Today it’s my turn to share my thoughts on Cherry Nova, the first in a brand new series of Gothic fantasy novels, so without further ado here are all the must-know details alongside my review – ENJOY!
Synopsis
Set in Victorian London, Cherry Nova follows the story of a young Woman, who awakens in a dim hotel room with no recollection of who she is and how she got there.
With her life seemingly erased, she sets out on a journey of self discovery, fuelled by an overbearing blood lust that leads her down the path of the unknown. She soon realises though, that not all lovers love you, not all enemies are evil and that you can’t always trust the person staring back at you in the mirror.
Magic, Mythology, Secrets and Lies all intertwine themselves around her newly carved out existence, but you can’t run from the past no matter how hard you try. Your sin will always boomerang back to you.
Monsters are real, after all, she should know – She’s one of them.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Contains adult themes including Sex, Drug Use, Profanity and Violence.
Purchase Links: Amazon*
Review
Nova wakes to find herself in a strange bedroom alongside a corpse and no idea how she got there or even who she is. Confused and scared she searches her surroundings for clues before running to escape the law with only her newly awakened passion for blood forcing her to slow down. Thrust into the dark underworld of Victorian London she finds herself bouncing between places not knowing who to trust whilst starting to piece together the life she once knew and coming to terms with her new otherworldly existence.
It doesn’t take long for glimpses of her past begin to appear from behind her clouded mind and Nova knows things have to change, not just for her but for the future of the whole city, but will she be able to find like minded creatures to back her cause or will she fight alone?
I have to say that I have read very few vampire fiction novels as I kind of missed the boat on the Twlight era and the influx of similar books thereafter so went into reading Cherry Nova somewhat hesitantly. However, despite my initial uncertainty after a couple of pages I found myself completely hooked by Pollock’s easy writing style as she drew me into the dark, brooding and rather sinister atmospheric backdrop she has created. Her highly descriptive prose instantly allowed me to transport my mind to the dark, dingy streets that Nova finds herself negotiating throughout her journey which for me is absolutely vital when setting the scene for a novel.
Nova is by far my favourite of the host of characters we meet in this tale and Pollock’s character development is perfectly written, taking her from a scared, lonely ‘street rat’, through her confusion and subsequent anger until she finds the strength to rally herself and show glimmers of the kick-ass female protagonist that I know she will become in the subsequent books in this new trilogy.
What makes this book special though is that the Author has utilised her own personal mental health experiences to shape Nova’s behaviour, thoughts & feelings, and as someone who has faced my own struggles it’s clear to see how much of herself she has poured into the pages of this book.
Cherry Nova is an exceedingly strong debut novel which I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s full of action, twists and turns which all combine to make it a real page turner and I certainly can’t wait to see what happens to Nova next, especially as Pollock has left things poised so perfectly with a teasing cliffhanger! Parts of the book are quite dark, but for me the there is an overriding message of hope that runs beneath the surface which kept me rooting for Nova throughout. Cherry Nova is more than just your run of the mill Vampire tale, it’s roots run much deeper and I’m sure its story would resonate with readers on so many different levels. Highly recommended by me and I hope Kelly hurries up with book two as I’m desperate to read it!
About The Author
Kelly-Marie lives in Dorset with her Husband Mitchell, 4 young children and menagerie of pets. She’d dreamt of being an Author from a very young age and her late Auntie Julie pushed her to follow her dreams. Kelly-Marie is a stay at home Mother, full time carer and active Parenting and Mental Health Blogger.
Her debut novel Cherry Nova is Book 1 in ‘The Chronicles of Nova Morgan’ trilogy.
Author Links: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Be sure to check out the other stops on this fabulous tour!
Fraser’s Fun House 
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