First Chapter Review: Natasha's Dream by Heather Greenis

Today is the release day for Natasha's Dream by Heather Greenis. The author sent me the first chapter of this book for review.

BLURB: Growing up, her only friends were her brothers and Nanny. In her parent’s mind, she was a mistake. As a result of an innocent swim, she discovered life existed beyond the walls of her home. Families, peers, underprivileged children. Can a dream turn into reality? Anything is possible, but dreams come with consequences that not only affect her, but those she loves. What is Natasha willing to risk to persevere?

COVER: I like this cover. The shadow of the bottle, along with the diary and the young woman, will hold significance. Nice colors on this one, too.

FIRST CHAPTER: In the present day, Keeghan and her husband Will discover an ancient bottle while walking their dog, Constable. They ramble about the significance of what they find inside, but soon it's time to get back to planting the garden. While resting afterwards, Keeghan has an unsettling dream that might provide clues about the bottle's contents.


KEEP READING: Natasha's Dream starts off in a neat way: a married couple finds an old bottle on the beach and there is something inside. They're eager to know what it is and so is the reader. But work doesn't do itself, so they go off to do what they need to do, placing their investigation on hold. Then the hubby escapes for a game of golf and Keeghan goes back to work for a while before taking a nap in the hammock. This sets the stage for the introduction of the main character, Natasha. It's not a big deal that we don't meet Natasha right away, as the story flows nicely from the present day into Natasha's world.

While I am definitely intrigued right now, there are so many details included that it slows the pace of the first chapter and makes it a bit long. I wanted the point between where the bottle was discovered and Keeghan has the unsettling dream to be shorter and pack a more powerful punch. You get the cliffhanger at the end, but you walk leisurely toward it, you don't run at it. I would like to read a couple of more chapters to see if the pace picks up and so I can get a better idea for how Keegahn and Will connect to Natasha. This is listed on the publisher's website as a mainstream contemporary romance saga, so I want to see how that develops.

File Size: 396 KB
Print Length: 342 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing (June 19, 2013)