This review was written by Patricia. This story was nominated in the Best YA Romance and Best First Book categories.

The summary:     

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past. Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around?

And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

And here is Patricia's review:

When I got the chance to read Myra McEntire's first book, I jumped at the chance. Who knew where Myra's career might lead.

Then I realized Hourglass was about a teenager who saw dead people.

I thought, “Great, another sullen teen. This is going to suck.”

Gladly, I can tell you, it didn't.

The basic story is Emerson Cole has mentally crashed and burned after the death of her parents. Living with her incredibly supportive brother and sister-in-law, Emerson tries to navigate her life as she returns back from boarding school. Unknown to her family, she's ditched her anti-psychotic medications and her ability to see people who aren't there has returned in full force. There are days when she's not even sure who she sees are alive or dead.

Her brother, Thomas, has hired a man to help Emerson. The handsome and mysterious Michael Weaver, who seems to understand her better than anyone ever has before. In fact, Michael knows a whole lot about seeing things that aren't there.

Emerson discovers he's part of a group who encourages those with abilities to fine tune and focus their gifts to better their lives and the lives of others.

Without giving away the story, the pace of the writing is steady and encouraged me to keep reading. I wanted to see where it went and how they got there.

Emerson ended up being a very likable, strong young woman who truly wanted to be “normal” but had realized she would never be so. The story does have some X-Men qualities to it–feeling like a freak, but finding a place where you feel accepted for who you are, but the story is told well.

Myra does a good job of developing characters that are likable, but not trite or stereotypical. She also leaves us with unanswered questions and since this is the first of a series, I'll keep reading to find out what happens.

I'd give this story a solid A-.

---

This book is available from Goodreads | Amazon | BN | Sony | Kobo | All Romance eBooks. [Note: currently the digital book is on sale for $1.59 – 1.99.]