Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!!

***Some parts of this review may be considered spoilers***

This is the ultimate love story. An intuitive love that binds one to the other. Soulmates. Tragedy. Separation. Again, and again, and again.

Even though the story takes place in modern northern California, it really begins hundreds of years ago in the city of Florence. Strega Negri, workers of dark magic, are the cause. They used the darkness to curse the young couple. To maintain balance, Strega Onesto believe in goodness. Centuries ago they used their white magic to assist the lovers in fulfilling their destiny by altering the curse.

Today, we find Kate living her perfect life in the beautiful little town of Freestone, California. She is in a perfect marriage with a perfect man. Alex has been her everything for the past 9 years. There should be no reason for the nightmares. The same nightmares she’s been experiencing since she was a little girl. Kate refuses to listen to her subconscious. She is supposed to be a faithful and loving wife.

Willem, cursed long before he happened upon Gio, was truly his saving grace. I really don’t know how Gio remained sane for as long as he did before Willem walked into his life.

This book ends with a wicked cliffhanger. I am overjoyed for Willem. I am both happy and sad for Claire. I am anxious for Kate. I am terrified of Alex. I am worried for Gio.

I absolutely loved reading this book. I have the second book of The Strega Series, Barely Living Alive, ready to go!
( )

A Life Without Living is a paranormal romance written from the points of view of the two main characters: Kate and Gio. The novel is a page turner, especially toward the end. Its story creates a wonderful life filled with curses and sorcery, but also brings a message relevant to life and love away from its pages.

Gio (short for Giovanni) is an Italian who has come to a small town in America in search of the woman with “...the one soul whose existence would allow [his soul] to continue instead of remaining in [an] eternal pattern...” of emptiness. Gio has been cursed with an eternal life void of any warmth and meaning. He understands this curse and the power of the man who placed it. He knows he lives in a world of witches and magic.

Kate, however, is unaware of the magic in the world around her. She's been married for nine years, to a handsome, successful man and has a good job, working for a publishing firm. She believes she is living a life worthy of envy. However, there are signs things are not the way they should be in an ideal marriage. Her husband is controlling and has a short fuse. He hasn't crossed the line to abusive, but he's close.

This mixture of two plot lines in search of each other, is what makes this book remarkable. It's a fun book, creating a world that is wonderful to think about. But it is also the story of a woman in a bad relationship who doesn't understand her own actions or lack thereof. It's about blaming yourself and your own perceived weakness for a situation that is complex and confusing. Here's an excerpt that offers a taste of this aspect of the novel:

But slowly, something was changing inside me. Something, and I didn't have a clue as to what, had began to tug on a loose thread. Gradually, cautiously, so that I didn't even know it was happening, something began to pull the strands apart. The cloth had begun to unravel.

A Life Without Living is well worth reading and the other bit of good news is that it is the first book in a series.

Steve Lindahl – author of Hopatcong Vision Quest, White Horse Regressions, and Motherless Soul ( )

A Life Without Living is a well-written piece of commercial fiction. If that sounds like damning with faint praise, it’s because paranormal romance is not my usual fare. I wasn’t expecting to like this story, but I did. To my pleasant surprise, the predicament of the star-crossed lovers drew me in. I really wanted them to get together.
Alban creates a fun cast of supporting characters and a suitably loathsome villain. Lest I give spoilers, I’ll just say that the story involves love and obstacles that span centuries, good and bad witches, and some nice, steamy sex.
The story is told from two points of view, which is always fun if the writer can pull it off, and Alban does.
Alban leaves a few loose ends; I hope there’s a sequel on the way. ( )