Providence Triolgy

Providence - Jamie McGuire

"In the old world shadows of Providence, Rhode Island, Nina Grey finds herself the center of a war between Hell and Earth. Struggling with her father’s recent death, Nina meets Jared Ryel by chance…or so she believes. Although his stunning good looks and mysterious talents are a welcome distraction, it soon becomes clear that Jared knows more about Nina than even her friends at Brown University. When questions outnumber answers, Jared risks everything to keep the woman he was born to save—by sharing the secret he was sworn to protect. When her father’s former associates begin following her in the dark, Nina learns that her father is not the man she thought he was, but a thief who stole from demons. Searching for the truth behind her father’s death, Nina stumbles upon something she never expected—something Hell wants—and only she holds the key."

This was a great book from the start! I started reading this after I found out that Jamie McGuire wrote it (she also wrote Beautiful Disaster).  This book had me hooked and was a great story.  It puts love on a new playing field.  Like most other YA books, you have the hott guy and the girl that needs saving and they fall into this unfathomable, deep rooted love.  It is good because we see struggle as well as bliss.  It is not all happy endings and fairy-tales, even though at times Nina finds herself living in a less than normal world,  as the couple fights fate to be together.  Jamie is a good writer and can twist and turn a story.  This story was good because it is unique.  It has a twist into the supernatural, but not in the ways of vampires or fairy-tale characters; it uses the Bible and the theories of Angles and Demons that inhabit our world and walk side by side with humans. This books leaves you excited and ready for the next one. 

Requiem 

"Dreaming of the dead might mean a restless night for anyone, but for Nina Grey it was a warning. Still healing from her last run-in with Hell, Nina struggles with not only her life as a Brown University student, but also as an intern at Titan Shipping, her father's company. Recurring nightmares about her father's violent death have become a nightly event, but being overwhelmed with guilt from Ryan's unexpected departure to the Armed Forces, and heart ache over Claire being across the ocean to protect him, Nina believes her sleepless nights are the least of her problems—but she's wrong. Worried about Nina's declining health, Jared must steal back Shax's book for answers. Fighting new enemies, and with the help of new friends, Jared's worst fear comes to fruition. Desperate, he is faced with a choice: Fight Hell alone, or start a war with Heaven."

The second book in the Providence Trilogy, Requiem, is just as good and captivating as the first.  Providence showed us who the characters were, gave us the classic love story, and began to set up the theme of the series.  Requiem gives us the action packed novel that keeps us entranced and interested in the series.  Nina starts having very vivid dreams of her father and his Arch/protector Gabe (who happens to be Jared's father) stealing the bible of Hell. They are so real that she begins to think they are more than just dreams and even begins climbing walls in her sleep, much to the delight of Bex, Jared's younger brother.  To add to the panic of her middle years of college she is acting CEO of Titan, her father's company with a very annoying intern and her best friend by her side as acting assistant.  While juggling college classes, a company, and the impending war between Heaven and Hell, she finds out Claire (Jarred's sister) is Ryan's protector.  Little does she know that her world is about to change dramatically after one night of trying to be a normal couple with her boyfriend.  Their loft and home is blown up forcing them to move into her ice-hearted mother's home.  There they plan their attach on how to defeat Hell and get the demon's to leave them alone.  With help from a surprising ally and best friend Kim, they decide that the best way to protect what would be the first Angel born to earth is to steal the book from Hell itself. McGuire does a good job in this book adding twists and turns and keeping the reader engaged.  Her plot is amazing and the action helps draw  you in.  While I did find it hard to read past several of the grammar and spelling errors, I'm not one to judge on English. ;)  The way she thought of this supernatural story is amazing.  It brings a topic that most of us know about, and adds to our interests into something that just might sound crazy enough to be real!  She developed not only the main characters, but gave the main sub-characters backgrounds and histories and feelings that really help shape the plot and novel.  You really get a sense of who these people are and inside their lives. She really does not leave any questions unanswered.  

Eden 

"She had seen the unspeakable.

She would learn the unknowable.

Now, she would fight the invincible.

In the third and final installment of the Providence series, Nina Grey will marry the wrong man, carry the child that was never supposed to be born, and fight a war she can't win.

Faced with the impossible task of protecting his new wife and unborn child against the throes of Hell, Jared Ryel is allowed no mistakes. Pressured to return the Naissance de Demoniac to Jerusalem, he revisits St. Ann's to learn the answers were in front of him all along. 

Together, they must survive long enough to let their child save them - and the world."

Eden picks up exactly where Requiem left off, literally the next day.  It is finally Nina's wedding day, after a two year engagement, and Jarred could not be more excited!  However the circumstance, and wherever the next days will lead them, Jarred and Nina's love will bring them all through it.  They will fight the nightmare and struggle to get the happy ever after they deserve.  They just have to convince Heaven to get on their side.  Easy? Maybe.... 
This book is amazing! To me it is the best of the three.  It brings together the love of the first book and the action of the second.  It is a perfect combination of crazy, out of the world, drama and true, star-crossed lovers.  It is in this book that I really realized that the whole series was spread out across four years.  The ending is the perfect ending for a drama filled trilogy.  It was simple and did not leave many questions.  We saw a chapter of their lives come to end and I did not have to dwell on wondering what happened to any of the characters as McGuire made their lives round out well.  She did a great job of creating a strong heroine that would stand on her own when needed, but would love and stand beside her hero as well.  It all came down to family and love.  Not to mention one amazing set of wedding vows from Jarred! 


I would recomend this trilogy to everyone who loves YA, romance, or supernatural books.  It is the perfect mix.  Read it, Sweet Potato Fries. 

4.5 out of 5