In both #1, Insight and #2, Oversight, the characters and the plot got me past some of the writing quirks (verbosity, primarily, though fragmenting sentences during moments of revelation popped me out of the narrative more than once). As oblivious as Holden is, damn did I love how this ends. And #3 is apparently not out yet, darn it! ( )

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The Community series is about people with different types and levels of psychic abilities. Holden and Six are the main couple in Oversight. Readers met Holden in Insight. He's able to recognize how people are feeling. He can literally experience their senses and send vibes affecting their awareness. Because of his special abilities and the way his father has treated him, he isn't sure if anyone is truly attracted to him or simply reacting to the vibes he's sending them. Six is impenetrable, which is a downer to Holden at first but is actually good for his self-esteem. While these guys are getting to know each other, the mysteries surrounding the psy population are growing. People disappear. Things are happening at the Farm. It's difficult to know who to trust and what to believe.
Oversight delivers the suspense and romance. There are plenty of secrets to sort and emotions to experience, and the guys' hook ups are beyond sexy. I recommend it for sure and can't wait for the next book.


***Copy given in exchange for an honest review***

Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents

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After the intense events and multiple revelations of the first book in the series (and yes, that does need to be read first or this sequel will make no sense), I couldn’t wait to see what was next for the Community. Specifically Holden, who did not strike me as a very nice person as the events of ‘Insight” unfolded – and here he is, one of the main characters of ‘Oversight’. I couldn’t wait to see how the author was going to redeem Holden. Plus there were quite a few loose threads and open questions left even after Nate figured out who killed his brother, and none of them pointed to much good going on behind the scenes of a seemingly benevolent organization set up to identify, protect, and manage psychics so they aren’t discovered and/or hunted by non-psychics.

Holden turns out to be a multilayered character caught up in the webs of power and deception being woven by those who control – or attempt to control – the Community and its members. Being the son of the founder makes him privileged in one way, but vulnerable in many others. With him being blamed for the scandal that caused so much pain and death in the first book, he now faces “oversight”, i.e., a bodyguard, sent by his father. He resents that – but it also triggers a kind of reality-check for him and makes him begin to question much of what he took for granted before. A fascinating process!

Six is at least as interesting as Holden, but he is a lot harder to get to know. And that isn’t just because the story is told from Holden’s point of view. Six is an “Invulnerable”, which means he is unable to feel other’s emotions or be influenced by psychic abilities. He literally has no empathy and lacks even the most basic social skills. He is super hard to read, and even though Holden manages to “crack” his shield, with amazing results and surprises I found hard to believe at first, Six remains somewhat of an enigma.

There is a lot of intrigue going on in ‘Oversight’, and much of it chilled me to the bone. The world of psychics is very different from the one I experience every day, and very hard to imagine. But Santino Hassell made it real for me, showed me what it might be like to have all kinds of psychic powers – and what the consequences are when they mix with basic human greed, an insatiable need for power, and the determination to subjugate everyone else to your will. Yes, we’ve had this before in human history, but extrapolated to a world where some people really do have more mental power than others, it paints a very scary picture indeed.

Despite of all of that, or rather on top of it, there is the developing relationship between Holden and Six. You might expect it to be secondary amid all the other events, but actually, it is the central thread around which everything else rotates and builds. Both men have a lot to learn about the world around them, as well as about each other. And with as many obstacles as they face on every level, it’s not an easy journey – but one that is ultimately very rewarding.

If you like your stories mysterious and full of suspected (and real) conspiracies, if you enjoy watching two men get to know each other out of curiosity more than because of emotions, and if you’re looking for a read that is scary, engrossing, and nail-bitingly intense, then you will probably like this novel as much as I do. It continues the series’ theme of opening up a whole new world of fights for power, and I hope the next sequel will be published soon!


NOTE: This book was provided by Riptide Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )