Book Review: “Becoming Human” by Holly Gray, a Paranormal Romance
Becoming Human
Holly Gray
Genre: Paranormal Romance
I’ve read a few NineStar Press books by this point, and they’re honestly doing great work with some fantastic authors, including Becoming Human by Holly Gray. As a press, they have a good track record, and have quickly become one of my favourites.
Jack is a security guard for a local aquarium, until she comes across Marin and is encouraged to leave her life behind (at least temporarily) and escort Marin. The pair will travel the country, ensuring they keep moving for a month before attending an important summit. Though reluctant, Jack answers the call, and soon realises Marin is, without a doubt, exceptional.
Let’s talk dynamics, folks. The relationship between Jack and Marin is at the core of this novel; Jack has been through a lot, and when we meet her at the start she seems like someone who doesn’t really participate in life. She avoids more social situations, preferring to spend time with the animals in the aquarium. She’s been hurt, but Marin’s arrival in her life, as it so often does in these books, marks a turning point. Where Jack is grumpy and tough, Marin is sunshine and rainbows.
In Gray’s hands, the dynamic works really well. Marin is loved by everyone, and in return loves everyone back. She is constantly trying to help people, trusting all she comes into contact with. Jack’s job is to protect her, not just from the strange people determined to track her down, but to an extent from herself, too. Yet through the newly human Marin, a woman still learning about the world, Jack gets to see more of the beauty in it too, and learns how a second chance really can save a life.
It's a lovely book, with a contrast between Jack and Marin and the two hunters who are after them. Jack and Marin are constantly on the move, allowing them to see more of America than Jack ever has before. For her, it’s a journey in every sense of the word. I loved the way Gray alternated between POVs for the two women, and we get a real difference in how they’re written.
There’s an underlying realism to the book, too, and I definitely suggest paying attention to the Content Warnings (something NineStar always provide), but although the book isn’t about the bigotry the women face, it is in there, in a depressingly natural way – the two women have slurs hurled at them, and Jack is no-contact with her family due to their homophobia. But none of this defines Jack, and despite witnessing horrible things from humanity, Marin never gives up hope that the people she meets have the potential to be better.
This is honestly such a lovely Paranormal Romance, and is without a doubt a recommendation from me.
Review by Elle Turpitt
Twitter & Instagram: @elleturpitt
I received this ebook from Ninestar Press via NetGalley for review consideration.