February 23, 2017 – JO LAMBERT

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What if every coincidence was a tiny miracle? What if our life was already mapped out before birth? What if someone had the power to change the path we were destined to follow?
Ella hates her new life in London, she misses Spain and she’s struggling to get over her past until she meets Zac. He has always loved her but he isn’t meant to be part of Ella’s story. Not this time. Not ever. Little does she know that his secret is the one thing that will tear them apart and will force her to live in a world that no longer makes sense, a world more dangerous than she could ever imagine.
The first in a thrilling new YA fantasy series, The Path Keeper is a tale of passion and secrets, of first loves and second chances, and the invisible threads that bind us. Can love ever be stronger than fate?

MY REVIEW

‘One tiny change to your path can create countless forks in the road’

When Ella Fantz finds herself having to get off her bus earlier than planned she is not in the best of moods. However, as she struggles onto the pavement carrying two bags of books destined for the nearest charity shop, she is not expecting assistance from the tall attractive stranger standing there.
When I was offered a pre-publication read of The Path Keeper the only thing I knew about it was its genre: a YA novel. I began reading and quickly found myself glued to this book in the same way I had been back in 2012 when I read George R R Martin’s Game of Thrones. I love fantasy but this had so much more going for it. Ella is nineteen and the latest ‘It’ girl. Currently at Uni in London she is constantly pursued by the tabloids, is feisty, argumentative and uses colourful language. She is also unhappy and alone, brought to London by her mother and stepfather, Richard Fantz the billionaire hotel owner. Her vain, over indulged mother Lily is trying to match make; pushing her into relationships she isn’t interested in. All she wants is Zac and although their situation is doomed she won’t give up. He is torn between love and duty, fully aware of the consequences of his actions but unable to untangle himself from the situation.
This first book of three not only brings Ella and Zac together, it lays down the back story which has led to present day events. It finished on a total knife edge, leaving me desperate for book two. I loved Ella, adored Zac and know after reading The Path Keeper this is going to be a hugely successful series.

ABOUT N J SIMMONDS

author-n-j-simmonds Natali Drake, who writes under the pen name of N J Simmonds, is an accredited member of the Society of Authors. When she’s not busy working on her YA fantasy romance series she is also a freelance writer and brand consultant. She has written articles for various UK newspapers and online publications with two of her essays appearing in The Mother Book published by Selfish Mother. In 2015 she co-founded online magazine The Glass House Girls and is a regular contributor.
Originally from north London, Natali began her career in corporate publishing and marketing before moving to abroad to write and to raise her family. She now divides her time between her two homes in The Netherlands and Spain with her husband and two daughters.
The Path Keeper, published by Accent Press, is her debut novel. Her second book of the series, Son of Secrets, will be available late 2017.