Book Review: If I Should Die by Amy Plum

Goodreads summary:

I will not lose another person I love. I will not let history repeat itself.

Vincent waited lifetimes to find me, but in an instant our future together was shattered. He was betrayed by someone we both called a friend, and I lost him. Now our enemy is determined to rule over France’s immortals, and willing to wage a war to get what they want.

It shouldn’t be possible, none of it should be, but this is my reality. I know Vincent is somewhere out there, I know he’s not completely gone, and I will do anything to save him.

After what we’ve already fought to achieve, a life without Vincent is unimaginable. He once swore to avoid dying—to go against his nature and forsake sacrificing himself for others—so that we could be together. How can I not risk everything to bring my love back to me?

My review:

The Die For Me trilogy is not one of my all-time favorite series, but it is a fun read.  Sure, there's a handful of paranormal clichés, and the romance is way too gushy at times, but what really stands out about this series is the awesome setting.

Amy Plum is so talented at describing the setting.  The way she writes about Paris makes me want to pack up everything and move there right away!  I love how she mixes French words and customs into the storyline, too.  It flows very well and seems natural.  The Parisian setting is gorgeous and so well-done.

I'm still not a fan of the romance in this book, unfortunately.  It's so...overly romantic.  Just take the titles of the series, for example - Die for Me, Until I Die, and If I Should Die.  It all seems a little too dramatic and sappy, especially the way Kate is so determined to do anything to save Vincent.  And Vincent is still way too perfect and acts like a Gary-Stu (male version of a Mary-Sue) at times.  So I wasn't a big fan of the romance.

However, the plot is fairly gripping.  It starts off slow, since Kate and the other revenants spend lots of time trying to find a way to save Vincent.  There's a predictable twist that comes up, although thankfully it didn't ruin the entire story.  But at least the ending has some pretty epic battles and fight scenes, and I'm satisfied with the way the story is concluded.

If you're a hard-core fan of the Die For Me trilogy, you'll probably love this conclusion.  And even if you're not totally crazy about this series, If I Should Die is still worth reading.  It's a good ending to a fun series, and Kate has turned into a strong, admirable heroine (aside from being a sappy romantic...).  I'm definitely interested in reading more of Amy Plum's future work.

* Thanks to Cuddlebuggery for sending me a copy through their Little Blogger, Big Ambitions program!

My rating:  6 out of 10 (3 stars)

~ The Bookworm