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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
Soul Searching by E. A. Blevins is a speculative fantasy novel that centers around two individuals and what it truly means to be soulmates. Imagine a situation where you can see who your soulmate is by just touching a hand and sparks, quite literally, fly. In Blevins' world, sparks are known to fly and when they do the soulmate connection is simply accepted. When the connection is made between 16-year-old Paige and her 26-year-old teacher Liam, it is regarded as being perfectly acceptable by everyone...except Liam. Paige is a teenager who has essentially raised herself and hopes that one day she will find the person who truly cares for her. Liam has suffered anguish of his own and, because of it, is not emotionally available as he struggles with his feelings for Paige. The misunderstandings and tension build through the eyes of both characters until the universe has its way and both learn that you cannot outrun your past by passing up your destiny.
Soul Searching by E.A. Blevins is a book you do have to approach with an open mind. This is not a repeat of Lolita or Tampa, but it's not a children's book either. Paige and Liam are both fully developed characters and Blevins allows the story to progress organically. There is a degree of instant attraction but not instant love, and this is what makes a normally taboo subject able to blossom into a beautiful story. The depictions of Paige with her friends, Paige in her foster surroundings, Liam with his parents, and the other ancillary folk who come into play add to the dynamic. There is a sizzle that occurs down the line that is not between teacher and student, such is the maturity and evolution Blevins affords Paige and mercifully grants Liam. The writing is tight with leisurely pacing and, as a reader, even without Paige and Liam being our soulmates, those sparks do fly. Highly recommended.
