Review: Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready

Shine
Author: Jeri Smith-Ready
Series: Shade, #3

Summary: In this dramatic conclusion to the Shade trilogy, Aura and Zachary’s relationship sizzles as the secrets of the Shift are revealed.

Life can change in an instant, and no one understands that better than Aura. It’s been almost a year since her boyfriend tragically died. She’s finally letting go of Logan’s violet-hued ghost, but not her search to uncover the truth about her past.

As the first in a generation that can see ghosts, Aura is convinced she has a connection to the Shift. She’s trusted Zachary, ever patient and ever by her side, with all that she knows. But when the government threatens his life in an attempt to learn Aura’s secrets, she will stop at nothing to protect herself and the one she loves...even if that means betraying her own heart.

Review

Note: This review may contain spoilers from Shade and Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready, as well as spoilers from Shine. If you have not read the Shade series, I suggest skipping this review. If you have read it, or you don't mind spoilers, than you may proceed! :)

I have some mixed emotions for Shine. Some parts of this book shined and some parts of it.. well, didn't. I immediately fell in love with this series. First, when I realized there would be ghosts within it, then I fell in love with Logan, and soon after that, my feelings switched up on me and I fell for Zachary. I knew from the moment Aura and Zachary met, that something major was about to begin, and I was right.  From then on Aura struggled between her feelings for both guys and the guilt that went along with falling for another guy so soon after her boyfriend's death. But in the end, Zachary proved himself to be the love of her life. So when his life is threatened, Aura immediately begins searching for a way to save him, learning knew things about the D.M.P. who are supposed to be the good guys, learning knew secrets about her own past and why the Shift even began. She tries desperately to figure out a way to end the Shift after a terrible disaster happens, blaming "shady" ghosts and putting Zachary in the spotlight as the person who constructed the incident. 

She travels to Ireland to visit Newgrange in an attempt to uncover the past, and together, she and Zachary discover more than they ever could have imagined. Throughout their entire adventure, they are being chased by a group of people called Nighthawk, who have a reputation of being cold-blooded killers. They have a few close calls, closer than they would have wanted and even came across a few cult members who surprisingly had quite a bit of information about how the Shift began. The facts about the past and what really happened slowly reveals itself as Aura and Zachary search frantically for the answers, hoping to end the Shift and finally be able to live a normal life together and save the ghosts from the fate of being blackboxed.

While I did enjoy continuing this story, I didn't feel it lived up to it's predecessors and my expectations for the ending of this trilogy. SPOILER! I was thrilled that Zachary and Aura finally got their happy ending, but the ending just didn't seem to do the series justice, and after all the build-up from the last two books for this huge reveal about the Shift, it didn't seem to live up to the monumental reveal that it was supposed to be. The truth behind it seemed mediocre in comparison to what my mind had been expecting. I hate feeling that way when I absolutely love these characters and the storyline. With that being said, I've seen several reviews from people who have loved the ending to this wonderful trilogy so maybe it's just me. Overall it was a wonderful read, and if you haven't read this trilogy, I highly recommend it.

I rate this book: