Review : Inspire by Cora Carmack

Summary (from Goodreads)

Title : Inspire (The Muse #1)
Author : Cora Carmack
Publication Date :  December 15th 2014
Publisher : Self-Published
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Kalliope lives with one purpose.

To inspire.

As an immortal muse, she doesn’t have any other choice. It’s part of how she was made. Musicians, artists, actors—they use her to advance their art, and she uses them to survive. She moves from one artist to the next, never staying long enough to get attached. But all she wants is a different life— a normal one. She’s spent thousands of years living lie after lie, and now she’s ready for something real.

Sweet, sexy, and steady, Wilder Bell feels more real than anything else in her long existence. And most importantly… he’s not an artist. He doesn’t want her for her ability. But she can’t turn off the way she influences people, not even to save a man she might love. Because in small doses, she can help make something beautiful, but her ability has just as much capacity to destroy as it does to create. The longer she stays, the more obsessed Wilder will become. It’s happened before, and it never turns out well for the mortal.

Her presence may inspire genius.

But it breeds madness, too. 

Personal Thoughts 

Inspire was one of those books that was so very hard to put down. It was addicting in every way and the ending just left me itching for more. In a genre that is mostly saturated with contemporary stories, it's nice to see paranormal stories also emerge, which was my primary reason for picking this book up. And Cora Carmack definitely succeeds at crafting a thoroughly entertaining story.

Inspire's protagonist, Kalli is in fact the immortal Greek muse, Kalliope. Kalli was dealing with a lot in the book. She had her moments where she frustrated me, but overall, she was a character I easily connected with. Her obstacles and struggles as a muse really hit me and by the end, I was begging the author in my mind for her to get that happily ever after she needed. The great thing about Kalli was that she was fiercely independent, sometimes a little too much. She put a shield around her that prevented people from really getting to know her. All that should have been frustrating for me as a reader, but it wasn't, considering her situation. Even though Kalli surrounded herself with people, you could tell that she was truly lonely, unable to reveal the truth about herself. Good thing she met Wilder, who managed to push through every barrier that she put up! And oh boy! Wilder was basically constructed out of swoon. From the first moment we met him, I knew that I would continue to fall head over heels in love with his character. From Cora Carmack's past books I knew that she knew how to write a hero that manages to turn her readers into a puddle, but she amped it up with Wilder. You guys already know how I feel about book boys who go to lengths to take care of their families and loved ones, so there was no doubt that I would fall for Wilder. He was a sweetheart even though he claimed to have a shady past. Any man that is willing to change for his family is a good man, in my eyes. It was not only that though, everything about Wilder was just so perfect, from his protective nature to his gentleness towards Kalli.

From their first meeting, Kalli and Wilder oozed raw and explosive chemistry. The pages of Inspire were overflowing with sexual tension and I was completely invested in their relationship. Not only was their physical relationship intense and super sexy, but they also had an emotional connection that was almost palpable throughout the book. Of course, their relationship was full of complications because of Kalli's secrets which she did not reveal until the very end of the book, but Cora Carmack made it work. I also enjoyed the mythology and background that the author explored. The plot did take some time to really get going, but I think Cora Carmack has reserved most of the world building and action for the next book. I'm certainly looking forward to learning more about the muses and the other paranormal beings that may exist in the world. I'm also crossing my fingers that we get to see some of Kalli's sisters in the future because they all sound interesting. Beware the awful cliffhanger that will slaughter your feels and leave you in excruciating pain though! It was VERY cruel on the author's part! ;)

An engaging and unique story in the NA genre, Inspire was an addicting read. Fans of Cora Carmack's other series should have no problem enjoying this new one that is bound to be emotionally exhausting for many!

Rating

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5