Eye Contact
(The Conditioned #1)
by Rebecca Royce
Fantasy Romance, Paranormal Romance, Romantic Suspense
March 4th 2011 by Decadent Publishing
Thirty years ago, after the breakdown of an oil negotiation, the President of the United States decided that all people born with unusual abilities, which he would now refer to as “the condition”, would be locked away from the general public where they couldn’t harm others. Parents and loved ones of these people, most of whom were children, were forced to turn them in upon penalty of death. Formed to keep the institutions secure, the Committee for the Protection of a Free Society now rules these institutions with an iron fist.
The granddaughter of one the Committee members, Addison Wade has lived her life wary of the institutions and all they represent. A woman of secrets, she is forced to turn to Safe Dawn, one of the facilities designed to hold conditioned people, when her nephew is kidnapped and, despite her best efforts, cannot be recovered. She knows the last thing anyone in ‘Safe Dawn’ will want to do is to help a Wade with any problems, but she is desperate and out of options.
Spencer Lewis is famous for being the premier conditioned ‘locator.’ There’s no one he can’t find and he has a soft spot for missing children. But, Spencer has been through a trauma and locating Jeremy Wade may be dangerous both to himself and to those around him. In addition, he takes one look at ice cold Addison Wade and wants nothing more than to knock her down a peg. Never having turned down an opportunity to help a child, he reluctantly agrees to help recover Jeremy.
In a world where nothing is as it seems and every person they encounter has his own agenda, Addison and Spencer will find that the only people they can trust are each other. But how can anyone fall in love living in a world that wants you dead just for being born?
Sexual Content 3/5
→ Opinion | Rebecca Royce has the talent to create impressive worlds.
If you’ve read her The Outsiders series, that I absolutely love, The Conditioned has some similarities as they’re both paranormal series, but the fantasy element is just as strong. The Outsiders are unknown to the world, even though they’re the only thing that can stop the Earth from being destroyed by a demon. Now The Conditioned just want to fight for their rights as people since they’re considered freaks and dangerous by the population and sent to a compound made by the government and controlled by a council. What I found very interesting is there’s a legend in which small group called The Fury have been trained to control other Conditioned, to keep everyone following the rules.
How do their powers work? Both of them have a very subjective approach when it comes to their powers and how they work, it’s clear like we’re in their heads, a particularity that most authors choose not to address or describe.
I couldn’t connect very well with the main couple, and I’d love to have seen more romance per say. Another thing that caught my attention, and distracted me a bit, was that the principal arc sometimes got lost in the middle of so many things. I believe the author wanted to introduce a lot in this first installment, it’s wasn’t an issue with the structure but rather an editing problem. A more condensed and less detailed story that could have more of it’s motives shown during the next books in the series instead of adding it to the first book.
I have no idea how many books this series will get, but I look forward to read Roman’s story. I don’t believe we got to know the next main couple in this book, but I wish we go back to seeing most characters part of the main group that Eye Contacted has presented.
“Spencer understood for the first time what sailors lost at sea must feel when they see a lighthouse beckoning them in the distance.” Page 104
A Romance packed with high sexual tension, suspense and adventure! If you enjoy conspiration, X-Men and some sci-fi, what are you waiting for?
Be warned: It ends with a bang!
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.
9 comments
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Rebecca Royce
June 4, 2012 at 11:55 AM (UTC -3) Link to this comment
Thanks so much for the review!! I’d love you to check out Embraced!!
Nat
June 4, 2012 at 12:08 PM (UTC -3) Link to this comment
Sure thing! Thanks for leaving a comment!
Maria D.
June 4, 2012 at 12:37 PM (UTC -3) Link to this comment
Interesting review – Eye Contact sounds like a good start to a paranormal series. I’m sure there was a lot of world building and sometimes that can distract you in the first book. Thanks for sharing the review.
Tamsyn
June 8, 2012 at 12:27 PM (UTC -3) Link to this comment
Love the blurb and review. I’ve not read this author yet but her Outsiders series also sounds good. Thanks for the heads up.
Mel Bourn
June 9, 2012 at 11:20 AM (UTC -3) Link to this comment
This is a new to me author. Interesting premise of Eye Contact. I will check this one out. Thanks for the review.
Mel
Nat
June 9, 2012 at 3:16 PM (UTC -3) Link to this comment
You should, Mel!
Emily W.
June 10, 2012 at 5:58 AM (UTC -3) Link to this comment
This sounds like a very interesting book. I love the world it’s set in, reminds me kinda of a dystopian theme. Can’t wait to read it!
Catherine
June 10, 2012 at 6:48 PM (UTC -3) Link to this comment
Great review, Nat. I enjoy Rebecca’s stories. My most recent read of hers was Love Beyond Loyalty, which I enjoyed.
Sophia Rose
June 11, 2012 at 9:11 PM (UTC -3) Link to this comment
I love stories with interesting world building and this one looks pretty good. I look forward to reading it.
Thanks for sharing your review!