Fading Away (Hardest Mistakes #1)

PARANORMAL:  Sammy Stevens has had a tough life. After losing her parents as a child, she has grown up in foster families, been bullied at school, and generally left to herself. Then one night she brings home a stray dog and finds a friend. However, unbeknownst to Sammy, the stray is none other than Kai Jordan, the rich and popular teen who spent years bullying her. After a car accident one night, Kai wakes to find himself completely changed.  He stays with Sammy, the only person he can connect with while he tries to figure out how to become human again. As Sammy and Kai become closer, will Kai learn to change and become human again or will he remain a dog the rest of his life?

An interesting paranormal romance, “Fading Away” plays with a beauty-and-the-beast-type plot in a contemporary college setting. While this premise is interesting, too many things are left unanswered. How Kai became a dog in the first place, and why all the people who used to bully Sammy are suddenly her friends, for example. On the other hand, the romance between Kai and Sammy is really sweet with a slow build that leads to fireworks. The tragedy both Sammy and Kai face brings them together and adds to the story.

Sarah E. Bradley