Review for Endless by Amanda Gray

Endless
By Amanda Gray
Published September 10th 2013 by Month9Books, LLC
Received Ebook from NetGalley
384 pages

"Jenny Kramer knows she isn't normal. After all, not everybody can see the past lives of people around them.                                                                          
When she befriends Ben Daulton, resident new boy, the pair stumble on an old music box with instructions for “mesmerization” and discover they may have more in common than they thought. Like a past life.
Using the instructions in the music box, Ben and Jenny share a dream that transports them to Romanov Russia and leads them to believe they have been there together before. But they weren't alone. Nikolai, the mysterious young man Jenny has been seeing in her own dreams was there, too. When Nikolai appears next door, Jenny is forced to acknowledge that he has travelled through time and space to find her. Doing so means he has defied the laws of time, and the Order, an ominous organization tasked with keeping people in the correct time, is determined to send him back.                        
While Ben, Jenny and Nikolai race against the clock - and the Order - Jenny and Nikolai discover a link that joins them in life - and beyond death." ~ Goodreads

With a stunning cover and a promising synopsis, Endless didn't quite live up to what I had in mind. Yet, it is an intriguing, romance fueled story!

Jenny is a complex main character because she has so many different qualities, but I connected with her I-don't-fit-in-with-the-crowd side the most.I loved her passion for painting because not often do we get a main character who is obsessed with that and come on guys, she worked at a bookstore! How neat-o is that? The fact that she was Maria Romanov in her past life was immensely cool (I did some research about the Romanov's and boy oh boy - horrid and sad, but interesting story). Ben was the typical standoffish, nice guy deep down, jerk on the outside - nothing surprising. Mutual dislike turned into friendship, so on and so forth. As for Nikolai, sigh, there was not enough characterization. All I can tell you about him (literally) is that he cares deeply for Maria - I mean Jenny (why he loves her I do not know and vice versa). Their relationship was based on their past together in Russia and I would have liked glimpses of that development. It definitely felt like insta-love, so no connection for me... blah.  

 I loved the concept of mixing together reincarnation, time travel, and historical romance. There was always something going on or something that you felt was coming -I admit it was predictable, but all the different ideas worked well together. I found the dreams the most intriguing because of their quality and prominence to the story. I have a major grievance though: is this or is this not a stand alone? I have no idea. My guess would be a series because well, nothing is really resolved. All the loose ends are hanging out there, blowing in the wind. So, I am seriously hoping this is going to be a series.

I would suggest Endless to readers who like time travel elements, romance (sort of), action, history, and beautiful covers. 

Excerpt

"What... who..." She stumbled over her words. "Who are you?"

He tipped his head, his smile a little sad. "I think you know."

She stared at him at he came toward her. He didn't take his eyes, a deep green, off her. 

"I don't," she finally managed to croak. "How would I?"

She said it because that's what a normal person would say. Because a normal person wouldn't say, "You're the guy from my dream." 

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