Sometimes it is only when you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders that you really see what it is you want and what it is you are missing out of life.  Such is the epiphany that Rachel Lyons comes to in the ever-suspenseful Severed Threads.  Kaylin McFarren’s novel takes the reader through twists and turns as the story navigates romance and adventure, murder and mystery.  With a central theme of guilt and deception, throughout all the action of the book, the reader sees the redemption of several of the characters; lessons are learned and bridges are built and crossed.

Believing herself to be the reason for her father’s death, Rachel has withdrawn from the world and the life she once knew to play it safe.  With her last words to him replaying over and over in her head, playing it safe stillClick here wasn’t bringing her much happiness.  She is stuck on this track until an old flame comes back into the picture, with tales of sunken treasure and undersea adventure.  Forced into taking part in his quest because of the kidnapping of her brother, who has himself created a world of chaos after the passing of his father, Rachel sets out on a journey to discover hidden secrets, buried treasure, and herself.  Throw in a little paranormal activity, curses and ghosts and such, and some strong sexual attractions, and the book will keep you on the edge of your toes throughout.

With so many plot turns and the many characters’ underlying stories, this novel is a true treasure unto itself.  As a reader, I couldn’t put the book down because I constantly wanted to know what was going to happen next.  Many of the ups and downs were not obvious, and I enjoyed the surprise as each revelation was made.  The characters are extremely complex but real, and I found myself being very involved in their thoughts and actions.  I felt for each character, questioned their reasoning and cheered them on. 

It is easy to see through reading this book that McFarren familiarized herself with the information she was presenting in her book.  The time and information she put into the history and the undersea world lent depth to the book and helped to present a very genuine story.  I enjoy nothing more than a well-researched, thought provoking read, and Severed Threads definitely found itself in that category for me.