The Pace Book

Goodreads Book give-away winner!

The Pace by Shelena Shorts is a great read that's full of suspense and constant action. The book does a great job of keeping the reader engaged because just when you think you've figured out the details, the novel turns and brings to light a whole new angle to the story, which keeps you captivated the whole way through.

I enjoyed this novel for several reasons. One, the two main characters, Sophie and Wes, are well developed and extremely likeable. As a reader, I was drawn into their lives immediately, and came to care for what happens to them from the onset and throughout the story. Second, I liked the narrative and Point of View (POV) of the story, which was in Sophie's perspective. She is considerate, smart, sincere, yet emotionally vulnerable. Third, I like how the back-story revealed itself slowly throughout the novel as the details became important in the storyline. Overall, Shelena Shorts pulled together an intriguing plot and wrapped it around carefully created characters, a well chosen setting and angled it in a perspective that keeps the reader drawn to the events from beginning to end.

Sophie, age 18, is in her senior year in High School. She's chosen to complete her final year through an online program, as her and her mom have moved around the states several times, which has made it difficult for Sophie to acclimate to the school setting. Sophie and her mom meet every Thursday for lunch at Berkeley University, where her mom works as a medical technician.

One fateful day as Sophie is leaving the school, she crashes her car into a guy named Wes who is a 19 year old student at the university. Wes is not your normal guy. His past is filled with mysterious events that Sophie can't quite seem to figure out, but his gentle and caring ways has her falling head over heels for him none-the-less. As they develop a love for one another, they realize that fate has played a hand in bringing them together, and it's not their first encounter. They struggle to understand how they can come to grips with that past and the events that have changed Wes' life forever.

I enjoyed the book and the ending left me craving for more. I look forward to Shelena Shorts' sequel to The Pace, The Broken Lake, as I can't wait to see how Wes and Sophie's journey continues.