Destined by Tess Oliver (Years from Home #3)

Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Paranormal, Romance
Publication Date: June 29th 2013
POV: Alternating - First-person, Past tense
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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All Poppy Seabrooke wants is to marry the man she loves, Cade Tanner, but she has unwittingly signed a blood pact promising herself in marriage to Angus Wolfe, a powerful warlock. And in the witch’s realm, the pact is unbreakable. Now unless the past can be changed, happiness is forever out of her reach.

Cade Tanner would follow Poppy Seabrooke to hell and everywhere in between if it meant she’d be his forever. When Poppy’s powerful aunt and grandmother devise a scheme to break the pact with Angus, Cade and Poppy are transported back to fifteenth century England. But Cade soon finds that Angus Wolfe isn’t the last of his troubles.

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This was a great conclusion to Cade and Poppy's story. We visit a third new world, meet new characters, and have new adventures. I loved the setting in this one. I have always been intrigued by the time period and I loved seeing Cade adapt so well. Except for his jealousy. I thought he was being very foolish about that.

I liked Colin and Pearl and I am sad that I won't see them again. In a way, this story felt incomplete or that it could be revisted in the future. Cade and Poppy are safe and together and happy, but Angus is still out there, and the Council is still corrupt. They saved themselves but not their world. I suppose that is more than I should expect from them, but I am just used to stories where the characters go all the way to solve all the problems they see, especially in all the dystopians I have read.

Although a sacrifice was made in order for them to be together, I am so happy that they finally are. The ending reminded me why I loved Distraction so much. It was my favourite from this series, and this would be my second. I felt like I didn't see enough of Cade and Poppy together in this one. While they were on their mission in the past they didn't get a lot of opportunity to be together and I was beginning to really miss that by the end of the book.

Another reason why this story felt like it could be revisited is because of Mari and Jackson. I would love for Mari to find happiness like her sister but it was unclear whether or not that had happened. All the book said was that they had become inseparable. That's a word usually used to describe friends or children, and I don't know if I would be reading too much into it to assume they were more than friends. But I choose to assume that they are.

So, a great conclusion to the series, with a bit of tragedy mixed in with their happiness. And another great book from Tess Oliver. I will continue to read more from her.

Distraction by Tess Oliver (Years from Home #1)

Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Paranormal, Romance
Publication Date: January 21st 2013
POV: Alternating - First-person, Past tense
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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As false accusations of witchcraft consume Salem Village, eighteen-year-old Poppy Seabrooke, a true witch, is content to stay away from the hysteria and more importantly from the relentless advances of Angus Wolfe, a powerful warlock masquerading as Salem’s pastor. When Poppy uses her magic to help a young boy, she is arrested. Angus is the only person who can help her, but, in return, she must promise her hand in marriage. In desperation, Poppy’s grandmother sends her two hundred years into the future to hide. Poppy finds herself years from home in the middle of a strange place called Montana where rooms light up without candles or sorcery, steam puffing dragons roar across fields on tracks, and cows sprout horns as long as tree trunks. And while Poppy hides from the man who turns her heart cold as ice, she discovers the man who can set it on fire.


Cade Tanner has always lived fast and hard, and he prefers it that way. The last thing he needs is a girl to distract him from running the cattle ranch his father left him. But Poppy, the sweetly innocent beauty with the soft smile and dark eyes, who seemingly fell from the sky, is tough to ignore. But Cade soon finds that falling for Poppy comes with a dangerous price.

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An ending like this had, has a way of instantly connecting you with the characters, making you feel what they feel, even more so than a happy ending. I still prefer happy endings, but this is only book one, so there is time for that later. I think I actually enjoyed this more than Camille! Making it now my favourite Tess Oliver book.

I can tell Tess Oliver likes her men a little bit naughty, a little bit cocky, but with a heart of gold. Cade and Nathaniel are very similar in that sense. And I cannot blame her for that. They are amazing characters. I think I might prefer Distraction over Camille because Cade is just amazing. He really broke my heart in the end.

"Cade grabbed my hand and pressed it against his chest. "You are right here forever, and no magic tricks or sorcery can pry you from my heart.""

I always enjoy a good time travel story, seeing someone try to find their way in a new time, as an outsider. Its like us, the readers, looking into their world of magic from the outside, and it helps us relate to the character because we are outsiders too. And I especially enjoyed the fact that Poppy time traveled and is still in our past. I thought she would time travel to our present day, but she ended up in the old west and that just made the story more interesting. Seeing two different historical time periods in the same book.

Angus is a truly menacing villain and I was dreading his reappearance for the whole book. Just waiting for him to arrive and ruin everything for Poppy (love her name btw!) and Cade. This book was so sweet and romantic and I can only imagine what will happen in book 2! Its going to be awesome because Poppy will be fighting for Cade, and Cade is gonna do something awesome like overcome magic for her!

I have a few more books by Tess Oliver on my Kindle and I will have to move them up my TBR. I already loved her Camille series but I always feel like I need to read at least two stories from an author to really confirm my sentiments. Now I know for sure she is awesome. Thank you so much Tess for this book, which she gifted to me!

“You were meant for me, Poppy. I can feel it in my fingertips when I touch you.”