Book Review: Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick.

Product details:
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK.
Hardcover, 454 pages.
Release date: October 23rd 2012.
Rating: 3½ out of 5.
Ages: 14+
Series: Hush, Hush #4.
Other Books in Series: Hush, Hush, Crescendo, Silence.
Overall Series Rating: 3½ out of 5.
Source: Received from publisher for review.

Will love conquer all?

Nora and Patch thought their troubles were behind them. Hank is gone and they should be able to put his ugly vendetta to rest. But in Hank's absence, Nora has become the unwitting head of the Nephilim and must finish what Hank began. Which ultimately means destroying the fallen angels - destroying Patch.

Nora will never let that happen, so she and Patch make a plan: lead everyone to believe they have broken up, and work the system from the inside. Nora will convince the Nephilim that they are making a mistake in fighting the fallen angels, and Patch will find out everything he can from the opposing side. They will end this war before it can even begin.

But the best-laid plans often go awry. Nora is put through the paces in her new role and finds herself drawn to an addictive power she never anticipated.

As the battle lines are drawn, Nora and Patch must confront the differences that have always been between them and either choose to ignore them or let them destroy the love they have always fought for.

Please note: This book is part of a series. There may be spoilers for previous book in the series in this review.

The concluding installment in Becca Fitzpatrick’s popular Hush, Hush saga, Finale pits true love against darkest evil as relationships are tested, lives are lost, and some, but not all will make it to a happy ever after…

Hush, Hush introduced us to their rollercoaster love, Crescendo left us breathless for more, Silence was, um, frustrating, and, now, in Finale, Patch and Nora’s love is tested to the limit as they stand on opposite sides of an impending battle.  Will true love prevail or will Nora have to leave Patch behind in her quest for a peaceful life on earth for the Nephilim?

Of course Nora’s not going to turn her back on Patch – as if there was any doubt.  Say what you will about Nora Grey, and I know the girl can be annoying, but she is also loyal to a fault.  And she may be the leader of the Nephilim army, but she’ll do anything to avoid war.  Patch and Nora want to make love, not war, and so their goal is to stop the war before it even begins. To do that Nora needs a fake boyfriend (uh huh), a ton of hardcore training and a lot of luck as dark forces conspire to defeat her at every turn.  Well, it was never going to be easy, was it?

Finale is an enjoyable conclusion to Patch and Nora’s story, but apart from the last fifty pages or so, it’s not the pulse-pounding ending to this series that I was hoping for.  A proposed trilogy, I’m sure that the extension of this series did all kinds of wonderful things sales wise, but I can’t help but feel that in Silence, (the book where Nora had a complete memory wipe and spent a while lot of time catching up on everything that readers already knew), momentum was lost, and I’m not sure it was ever fully recovered here. That’s not to say that Finale is a letdown.  It’s not at all.  It’s a definite step up from Silence, but for me it was missing that extra special something that the first two books had.

Still, while the plot of this book isn’t the most original or exciting, the characters do have their charms.  Not Nora, who I have never really warmed to, but Patch, who I can’t help but crush on despite his faults.  He’s still as hot as ever here, and he still has all the best lines.  And, Patch fans, I guarantee you will smile when you read the last line of this book - it is just so Patch and these are the words that you’ll remember him by.  As for Nora, okay, okay, I’m not her biggest fan, but I admit that she’s grown on me a little as the series has progressed, and here, apart from a couple jealous wobbles whenever Patch’s ex, Dabria is around, she has matured as a character.  She’s also pretty kick ass in this book and she doesn’t back down whenever she’s up against a fight.

Finale is not just about Nora and Patch, though. Over the course of the series we’ve come to know a whole host of characters, and Fitzpatrick does a stellar job of concluding all their stories here.  Not everybody will get a happy ending, but you will get to see what becomes of Nora’s always-foe Marcie, her best friend, Vee, and nice guy Scott, who Vee is crushing on big time in this book.  Another romance in the making?  Detective Basso makes an appearance in Finale too (and, guess what, I didn’t’ just say that for fun!)

In Finale, you’ll find out that everybody has their secrets, some you might guess, but others will surprise you and there are plenty of twists and some sad shocks along the way. And that last line from Patch? So killer. So Patch. I loved it!