East of Ecstasy by Laura Kaye (Hearts of the Anemoi #4)

Genres: Adult, Fantasy/Mythology, Romance
Publication Date: April 22nd 2014
POV: Alternating - Third-person, Past tense
Smut-O-Meter: 7 out of 10
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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Annalise Fallston made peace with postponing her big-city dreams to care for her ill father, but lately she’s been filled with a restlessness not even her beloved painting dispels. Worse, the colors don’t speak to her as they always have, and all her efforts produce dark, foreboding images of a dangerous man and a terrifying future.

Devlin Eston, black-souled son of the evil Anemoi Eurus, is the only one who can thwart his father’s plan to overthrow the Supreme God of Wind and Storms. But first, Dev must master the unstable powers he’s been given. Distrusted and shunned by his own divine family, he never expected to find kindness and passion in the arms of a mortal.

But Devlin’s love puts Annalise in the path of a catastrophic storm, and in the final Armageddon showdown between the Anemoi and Eurus, sacrifices will be made, hearts broken, and lives changed forever…or lost.

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I think this one has got to be my favourite in the series. It was just packed full of action and was the climax of the whole series as Eurus' madness, which has been building for 4 books, was finally stopped.

Devlin is by far the most damaged and tragic of the heroes. My second favourite would be Owen because he is just so sweet and his story with Megan secluded in a cabin together was just amazing. And then Chrys because he is so much fun. And then Zeph who is hot too but I preferred his brothers. Although I do find him much more appealing now that his is god of storms and keeper of the winds.

I really loved Anna and Devlin's story because Devlin needed someone absolutely gentle and patient and selfless like Anna to undo all his father's damage and he found just the perfect woman for him in Anna. And Devlin was amazing and it makes me sad to think that the Anemoi never saw his potential before. They only saw his father's son. He risked so much and never stopped fighting his father and trying to make up for what he felt responsible for, even though it was never his fault. He had such a strong sense of duty and loyalty. He was the best of Anemoi in my opinion..along with Boreas and Owen. Sorry, even when I try I just cant forget about those Northern guys. I love them too.

Although this had by far the most action and mythology of the four books, it still had a large focus on the romance, on Anna and Devlin's relationship. But it was a bit less smutty than the other three I think. But it is still my favourite in the series because of the action, and the introduction of Devlin, and the HEAs.

But the book ends with the words "And all the hearts of the Anemoi were finally, totally in love and at peace." But they aren't! There is still Alastor! He is an Anemoi now and he is not in love or at peace. I demand an Alastor book! At least a novella! Please? Please! Please! Please Laura Kaye! I feel so bad for him and he sounds so sweet as he has become so close to Zeph and Ella and Anna. And he looks like Devlin and is jumpy and insecure like Devlin was in the beginning and that just breaks my heart! I need an Astor novella, please!

“Perfection is the absolute right word. And you could never ruin it," she said in a low, calm voice. "Not when it was perfect because of you."

Book Art Quotes!

I added all the book Art Quotes that I have made over the years to this blog. They are nothing too special but they are fun to make and illustrate books I love. So check it out!

Reasons I Fell for the Funny Fat Friend 

by Cassie Mae

The Real Thing
by Cassie Mae

Star Cursed

by Jessica Spotswood

Shatter Me

Tahereh Mafi

For more, visit my Art Quotes gallery here!

Rain Shadow by Tess Oliver (The Barringer Brothers #1)

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Suspense, Romance
Publication Date: July 16th 2014
POV: Alternating - First-person, Past tense
Smut-O-Meter: 7 out of 10
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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Luke Barringer finds himself in the desert near death, unsure of his name and with no recollection of his past. As the hot sun bears down on him, his will to live slips away, but he can't close his eyes. Sleep is the enemy and now it seems he has found his own slice of hell. But through the mist of his agony, a girl's soft voice drifts over him and the sound of it draws him away from the darkness.

While riding her horse, Evangeline "Angel" Sharpe finds a man bloodied and beaten. Despite knowing that she'll be in trouble for bringing him to the Bedlam MC compound, she takes him home to tend his wounds. While the handsome stranger heals, Angel finds herself falling for him. As the mystery of his past is revealed, she helps him struggle with the truth, a truth that will lead to his true identity . . . an identity that could destroy Angel's world.

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Tess Oliver has an incredible ability to write characters and relationships that are real and believable. The pace of this story was a bit fast but Luke and Angel's relationship was keeping up fine. They had an instant connection and a playfulness with each other that was a joy to watch. They already feel inseparable to me. 

Angel was an interesting combination of sweetness and balls. As Luke liked to point out, she was full of inconsistencies. But that is what happens when you are a good-natured person raised in a motorcycle club. Luke was an interesting combination of traits as well. He was light and funny, seemingly not taking anything seriously. But at the same time I got the sense that he could be stone cold when he had to be. He was dangerous. They made a perfect couple and I am anxious about where the story will go from here.

I really enjoyed the different twist of a hero with no memory of himself. It was like falling for a clean slate, but he was still himself, he just didn't know it. I don't think that having his memories back has changed Luke. It may have put his priorities and motives into perspective, but he is still going to be the Luke that Angel fell for, or the Reno that Angel fell for. I am not really sure if the story will still focus on Luke and Angel. The excerpt from book 2 at the end of my ARC made it seem as if it will, but the series is called The Barringer Brothers, so I don't know if they will later be introduced as heroes. But either way, I am a bit nervous for Luke and the situation he has found himself in. Dreygon is a dangerous man and I hope that Luke can get himself and Angel out of there safely. But with 4 more books in the series, a lot could happen.

I felt like this book was a bit short and incomplete though. It seemed to end abruptly. I know the story is far from complete, but I felt like the first book should have been longer. Not enough happened in regards to the suspense of the story to satisfy me yet. Nothing really major happened between the MC and Luke as of yet. But he did remember his identity which is a big step for him, but the book didn't have a real climax. I will just have to wait for book 2 to get that I guess, which is fine. I will certainly be back to see more of Luke. He has totally won me over with his devil may care attitude, and I am curious to discover if and how his memories have changed him and his relationship with Angel, and what he plans to do next. 

"You can call me Angel when you're in a hurry, or when we're laughing, or when you're mad at me, but don't ever be mad at me. But whenever you're looking at me like the way you're looking at me right now, then call me by my real name. Call me Evangeline."

Wounded by Jasinda Wilder

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publication Date: December 16th 2012
POV: Alternating - First-person, Present tense
Smut-O-Meter: 7 out of 10
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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War has taken everything from me. My family. My home. My innocence. In a country blasted by war and wracked by economic hardship, a young orphan girl like me has very few options when it comes to survival. Thus, I do what I must to live, to eat, and I try very hard to not consider the cost to my soul. My heart is empty, and my existence brutal.

The one impossibility in my life is love.

And then I meet him.

War is hell. It takes a chunk out of a man's very soul to do the kinds of things war demands of you. You live with fear, you live with guilt, and you live with nightmares. If you haven't been through it, there's no understanding it. War leaves no room for love, no room for tenderness or softness. You gotta be hard, closed off, and ready to fight every moment of every day. Lose focus for a split second, and you're dead.

Now the only thing that can save me is her.

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This story is incredibly beautiful and heartwarming, despite all the war and death going on around them, despite what Rania is forced to do to survive. The blurb for this is a bit vague and I wasn't really sure what to expect from Rania and Hunter's relationship. I am so glad with what I found in this book.

 

When Rania was 12 years-old, she killed an American soldier to protect her brother, and has felt guilty about it ever since. So when she finds another young American soldier with bright blue eyes, dying in the street, she drags him home and takes care of him, tends his wounds, and ultimately saves his life as repayment for the life she took. Hunter is badly wounded and can hardly move. As he spends his days laying on the floor of Rania's small home, they slowly teach each other English and Arabic so they can have some rudimentary communication. They talk about themselves and their lives, even if they don't always understand each other, they listen and enjoy each other's company. But Rania is a whore, and when she is not taking care of Hunter, she is taking care of other men's needs next door, where Hunter can hear everything as they use and abuse her. Hunter is driven mad by his helplessness, as he realizes he is slowly falling in love with Rania, but he can't do anything to stop what is happening to her, not until he is better.

“You are so beautiful. Do you know that?” 

“I know that men think – “ 

“Man. One man. Me. I’m all that matters. No one else can have you. You’re mine.”

The innocence of their relationship is incredible, considering the circumstances. But Rania has been on her own since she was 14, and she has no experience with the sort of kindness Hunter has shown her, certainly no experience with love. But Hunter treats her like a princess, because that is all he sees. And Rania should see an enemy, but all she sees is her hero. The tenderness Hunter shows Rania, the extent of his restraint and patience and his need to always put her first, is truly awe-inspiring. And Rania's love and devotion, her sacrifices and the extent she is willing to go to take care of Hunter is like nothing else. They both just slid into the roles of protector and lover without any expectations, without any declarations or promises. It was simply what they were. They loved each other. They would protect each other. No words were needed. Their deeds said everything.

I reveled in the beauty and peace that surrounded Rania's home. Outside horror and sin abounded. But inside there was only Rania and Hunter and love. Until Hunter was strong enough to get up, to fight for Rania, and to nearly die to bring her her HEA.

“I do not know how he even managed to do what he did. He should not have been able to, but he did. He defended my home. Me. Himself. Us.”

Just a note on the cover. The cover does make sense. I always wondered before reading the book why the girl on the cover was blonde, and wearing regular clothes. But it does make sense now that I have read the book. That is Rania. So don't hold the cover against it.

Tiger's Promise by Colleen Houck (The Tiger Saga #0.5)

Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fantasy/Mythology, Romance, Novella
Publication Date: June 1st 2014
POV: Female - First-person, Past tense
My Rating: 5 out of 5

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Before the curse, there was a promise. A prequel to the bestselling Tiger’s Curse series, this much anticipated novella recalls the beginning of Ren and Kishan’s story. Before Kelsey there was a girl, raised by a villain, whose love for a hero changed the course of history.

Trapped under the thumb of her abusive and powerful father Lokesh, Yesubai struggles to keep her own magical abilities secret while evading his dark powers. When Lokesh promises Yesubai to the prince of a neighboring kingdom, she becomes the central pawn in his plot to destroy the ruling family and take power for himself. Yesubai is trapped by her father’s threats and desperate to protect the man she comes to love, but she knows that any decision she makes will have dire consequences. As dark forces gather around her, Yesubai must decide if she’s willing to reveal that somewhere deep within her she has the power to change everything.

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This book destroyed me! It was just the right combination of factors to rip my heart out.

First, it heavily featured Kishan, the 'book boyfriend' love of my life. Secondly, it was from the POV of a woman who loved him. When she met Ren and compared him to Kishan, she actually found him wanting. In Kishan's eyes she saw the warm sun and kindness, not a man who always fell short. And thirdly, the real clincher to my broken heart, is the fact that I knew what would happen in the end. I knew that once again, or for the first time, chronologically, Kishan's love would be ripped from him. Every time Yesubai thought of Kishan it broke my heart again, knowing that they would never be together. It was constant pain and suffering for me to finish this book. I can't remember the last time a book made me cry so hard.

 

And now I need to see Kishan find happiness one day. I know that he eventually marries Annamika, but the little we have seen of them together does not give me great hope for their happiness. I have to see it, read it with my own eyes. I used to always feel like Kishan marrying Annamika was like a betrayal to Kelsey. Even if she had treated him badly, and Kishan had lost her forever to his brother, I didn't want his great love for her to die. And I supposed a part of it never did, as he said in his letter to her. But I still didn't really want to acknowledge the fact that he married Annamika. 

I have now had time to come to terms with the truth, and after seeing the tragedy that was his relationship with Yesubai, I must see him find happiness with a woman who loves him most of all. Does Annamika love Kishan fully, as fully as he loved Kelsey? Or is it just convenient, a result of their circumstances? I can tell in the sneak peak that he is attracted to her, even if he is not acknowledging it yet. They better be featured heavily in Tiger's Dream. If Colleen can manage to show me their relationship become what Kishan has been without for centuries, what he so badly deserves, what I have been wanting for him for so long that I am at this very moment in tears, I will hunt her down and give her the hugest hug!

“Like the trees, his roots went deep, and I daydreamed that if he wrapped me in his arms, he could safely tuck me away within his branches and hide me from the world. He was shaken by nothing. He feared nothing.”

Bittersweet Obsession by Tess Oliver (The Dark Romance Collection #1)

Genres: Adult, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publication Date: September 29th 2012
POV: Alternating - Third-person, Past tense
Smut-O-Meter: 7 out of 10
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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The Dark Romance Collection is a series of full length adult romance novels set in the nineteenth century and based loosely on horror classics. Bittersweet Obsession, the first in the series, is based on Mary Shelley’s classic, Frankenstein.

Angel Van Ostrand has returned from the Peninsular War wounded and dispirited from the horrors of battle only to discover that his father, Dr. Van Ostrand, a once renowned scientist, is engaged in a series of macabre experiments financed by a wealthy baron who seeks immortality. With the melting of winter’s frost, Angel is determined to leave his family home, Greystock Manor, forever. But when his father’s latest purported triumph over nature comes in the form of an ethereal beauty named Jane, Angel is drawn to her. And now he finds himself in a new battle— one that involves his heart.

After being stabbed and left for dead in an icy pond, Jane has woken in a strange house under the care of an odd physician and with no recollection of her past. As she recuperates and deals with the slow and painful return of dark memories, she finds that she is losing herself to the doctor’s son, Angel. But with each passing day layers of secrets from both the past and present are peeled away and soon Jane discovers that nothing is as it seems.

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I loved the setting in this book and it managed to keep a bit of the Gothic feel with the secluded old manor. Or as I would imagine it, since I have never actually read Frankenstein. I instantly felt for Angel as we are introduced to him and he is contemplating suicide. I would guess he had PTSD from the Napoleonic War, but that diagnosis didn't exist at the time.

As we get to know Angel a little better we see that he is moody and angry at the world for a lot of reasons. I felt instant sympathy for him and his situation and already started looking forward to the introduction of his true love. I was really excited for him to get that chance to heal.

Jane was sweet although I would have preferred a little more depth to her. Angel was the one always risking himself for her, and saying incredible things like "You possess me wholly." I still really enjoyed the way their relationship developed, and how Angel gradually let himself forget her origins. It was very romantic. They had great chemistry, and I know Jane loved Angel, but she wasn't as passionate about it as him.

There was a lot of mystery surrounding Jane's previous life that I enjoyed. We never really knew who the people were who were looking for her until the end. The mystery unraveled slowly and there was a bit of a twist which I thought was very neat and smart. And I enjoyed the ending, as Angel once again takes charge and sweeps Jane off her feet.

"There is no one else on this earth for me but you."

The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan (The Wheel of Time #3)

Genres: High Fantasy, Adventure
Publication Date: September 15th 1991
POV: Alternating - Third-person, Past tense
My Rating: 5 out of 5

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The Dragon Reborn—the leader long prophesied who will save the world, but in the saving destroy it; the savior who will run mad and kill all those dearest to him—is on the run from his destiny.

Able to touch the One Power, but unable to control it, and with no one to teach him how—for no man has done it in three thousand years—Rand al'Thor knows only that he must face the Dark One. But how?

Winter has stopped the war—almost—yet men are dying, calling out for the Dragon. But where is he?

Perrin Aybara is in pursuit with Moiraine Sedai, her Warder Lan, and Loial the Ogier. Bedeviled by dreams, Perrin is grappling with another deadly problem—how is he to escape the loss of his own humanity?

Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve are approaching Tar Valon, where Mat will be healed—if he lives until they arrive. But who will tell the Amyrlin their news—that the Black Ajah, long thought only a hideous rumor, is all too real? They cannot know that in Tar Valon far worse awaits...

Ahead, for all of them, in the Heart of the Stone, lies the next great test of the Dragon reborn.

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I don’t know if this series can keep up its steam. I have heard from some that it doesn’t, and that it begins to lag in the middle. But I hope that I don’t notice it because this series keeps blowing my mind one book at a time!

Although this book only had, at most, 5 segments in Rand’s POV, I hardly even noticed. I did miss him at times, but I really enjoyed seeing this story from Mat and Perrin’s POV. And unlike The Great Hunt, I enjoyed the men more than the women in this one. And I have come to love Mat more than I thought was possible. It’s not just because his POVs have let me come to know him more. He has honestly changed so much that I can love him now when I didn’t before. In the beginning he was one of my least favourite characters. I just cannot imagine how much more he will change before it is over. I honestly don’t know if I will be able to survive the anticipation. I can’t imagine having read this series as it was published. Although it seems Robert Jordan wrote much faster than George R.R. Martin.

 

I also really enjoyed the new characters. This series has so many characters; including people you only meet in passing and think don’t matter at all, but end up returning. So many people are “pulled into the pattern”. I really enjoyed the Aiel. That are a complicated people, so different from any of the lands they have visited. They are so different that I imagine it will take some time for people to understand each other. But they are the People of the Dragon and I can guess that I have no idea what part they will play. I liked Faile too. She was pesky but she grew on me slowly, as she slowly grew on Perrin. And I especially like her because of one fan art I saw where she looks like a young Claudia Black. It’s hard to disapprove of anyone who looks like a young Claudia Black.

I realized after finishing book 3, that there were several things about this series that reminded me of Harry Potter. I have read a very small percentage of the story as a whole so far, so it is hard for me to say whether or not the pattern continues throughout the series, but so far, there are similarities.

The basic construction is similar, in that each book features a different and very specific mission, often referred to in the title. Rand and the Eye of the World. Rand and the Great Hunt. Rand and the Sword of Callandor. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Each smaller mission leads to clashes against the Dark One/Dark Lord. But the last battle looms ahead. When the hero knows he must one day face his adversary, because he is the only one who can defeat him.

Also, Rand and Harry both have to fight a darkness inside them. Rand has to fight his madness, saidin, and the Dark Ones attempts the turn him to darkness. Harry has to fight the piece of Voldemort, the horcrux, which is inside him. Although whether or not Rand wins the battle for his soul, I don’t know. But Rand’s battle is greater, fiercer, darker, than Harry’s. Although a lot of adult read and love Harry Potter, it is child’s play in comparison to what Rand has to face. 

“Death comes to us all; we can only choose how to face it when it comes.”

Undone by Shannon Richard (Country Roads #1)

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publication Date: July 2nd 2013
POV: Alternating - Third-person, Past tense
Smut-O-Meter: 5 out of 10
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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Things Paige Morrison will never understand about Mirabelle, Florida:

Why wearing red shoes makes a girl a harlot
Why a shop would ever sell something called "buck urine"
Why everywhere she goes, she runs into sexy-and infuriating-Brendan King

After losing her job, her apartment, and her boyfriend, Paige has no choice but to leave Philadelphia and move in with her retired parents. For an artsy outsider like Paige, finding her place in the tightly knit town isn't easy-until she meets Brendan, the hot mechanic who's interested in much more than Paige's car. In no time at all, Brendan helps Paige find a new job, new friends, and a happiness she wasn't sure she'd ever feel again. With Brendan by her side, Paige finally feels like she can call Mirabelle home. But when a new bombshell drops, will the couple survive, or will their love come undone?

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This book was super sweet! It was almost an HEA from start to finish. When Paige, a 25 year-old Phillie girl loses her job and her boyfriend in a matter of months, she decides to move to small town Florida where her parents have retired. She has trouble fitting in until she meets 28 year-old Brendan, hot mechanic and shop owner. Things start looking up. Brendan helps get her a new job that she loves, she meets a lot of new friends, and after only a few months they move in together. It was just smooth sailing for these love birds. I have said it a thousand times, but I hate unnecessary conflict in contemporary romances, so this book was really a dream come true for me.

Brendan and Paige had great banter and I really enjoyed both of their POVs. But I think the dialogue was sometimes a bit cheesy. And the fact that they are mature characters made it much more obvious than if this were a YA. But it wasn't enough to disrupt my reading experience. Brendan is the usual, absolutely perfect boyfriend. He never does anything wrong. Paige did get mad at him twice though, but both times were a major overreaction in my opinion. Paige was fun too. Pretty artsy and free-spirited. She was enjoyable but definitely more of a handful than Brendan.

Tragedy does strike the happy couple eventually and it put me in a bit of a rut. I don't like tragedy either. It made me kind of depressed for the rest of the day. It wasn't nearly the saddest thing I have read lately, but I am overly empathetic and sometimes more rubs off on me than I intend to allow. I seem to only have this problem with contemps because it feels more real.

The book ends on a very hopeful note and I am very glad that the series continues with other characters from the small town getting their own HEAs. I look forward to continuing the series.

"You're the warm sheets next to me every morning, and the bright colors in the dryer when we do laundry. You're the toothbrush next to mine on the sink. You're the first sip of coffee in the morning, and the last sip of win at night."

New Cover Reveal and Re-release of Bittersweet Obsession by Tess Oliver

Today is the re-release and cover reveal of Tess Oliver's adult, historical, paranormal romance, Bittersweet Obsession. It is a romantic retelling of Mary Shelley's classic, Frankenstein. Although I have read several of her books, I have not read this one yet. I can't wait to get a chance to read it. My reading schedule has been pretty tied up, but in the next week or so, hopefully. I love retellings, and I especially love retellings of classics, more so than fairy tales. Its hard to say no to a gothic romance! And if Tess' other work is any indication, I am sure I will love this! As I have loved two of her other PNR series, Camille, and Years From Home.

Below you will find the plot summary, a teaser, the jacket, and links to the book on Goodreads. If you have read this book, or if you are as excited as me, let me know your thoughts!

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Tess Oliver's Dark Romance Collection is a series of full length sexy adult romance novels set in the nineteenth century and based loosely on horror classics.

Bittersweet Obsession, the first in the series, is based on Mary Shelley's classic, Frankenstein. Angel Van Ostrand has returned from the Peninsular War wounded and dispirited from the horrors of battle only to discover that his father, Dr. Van Ostrand, a once renowned scientist, is engaged in a series of macabre experiments financed by a wealthy baron who seeks immortality. With the melting of winter's frost, Angel is determined to leave his family home, Greystock Manor, forever. But when his father's latest purported triumph over nature comes in the form of an ethereal beauty named Jane, Angel is drawn to her. And now he finds himself in a new battle-- one that involves his heart.

After being stabbed and left for dead in an icy pond, Jane has woken in a strange house under the care of an odd physician and with no recollection of her past. As she recuperates and deals with the slow and painful return of dark memories, she finds that she is losing herself to the doctor's son, Angel. But with each passing day layers of secrets from both the past and present are peeled away and soon Jane discovers that nothing is as it seems.

_______________

Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning (Fever #2)

Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy
Publication Date: October 16th 2007
POV: Female - First-person, Past tense
Smut-O-Meter: 2 out of 10
My Rating: 2 out of 5

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I used to think my sister and I were just two nice southern girls who’d get married in a few years and settle down to a quiet life. Then I discovered that Alina and I descend, not from good wholesome southern stock, but from an ancient Celtic bloodline of powerful sidhe-seers, people who can see the Fae. Not only can I see the terrifying otherworldly race, but I can sense the sacred Fae relics that hold the deadliest of their magic.

When my sister was found dead in a trash-filled alley in Dublin, I came over to get answers. Now all I want is revenge. And after everything I’ve learned about myself, I know I have the power to get it….

MacKayla Lane’s ordinary life underwent a complete makeover when she landed on Ireland’s shores and was plunged into a world of deadly sorcery and ancient secrets.

In her fight to stay alive, Mac must find the Sinsar Dubh–a million-year-old book of the blackest magic imaginable, which holds the key to power over both the worlds of the Fae and of Man. Pursued by Fae assassins, surrounded by mysterious figures she knows she cannot trust, Mac finds herself torn between two deadly and irresistible men: V’lane, the insatiable Fae who can turn sensual arousal into an obsession for any woman, and the ever-inscrutable Jericho Barrons, a man as alluring as he is mysterious.

For centuries the shadowy realm of the Fae has coexisted with that of humans. Now the walls between the two are coming down, and Mac is the only thing that stands between them.

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I was already annoyed after book 1 that not enough had happened. Mac had made no progress on any of the things she was trying to accomplish. And now, after the second book, she still has not accomplished anything. She hasn't discovered her sister's killer. She hasn't found the Sinsar Dubh. She hasn't discovered who she can trust. And now I am F%#@ING furious!

I still love Mac and think she has only become more interesting as she becomes practically a different person. If only the story was different. If only the things that she is forced to go through were more relevant and that things would move faster, this would be great. The world and protag are good, and the writing has gotten better. Although Mac's stupid "rightie-leftie" ridiculousness was really starting to grate on me.

I just don't care about the story or Barrons at all. I don't find anything about Barrons attractive, and the unbelievably slow pace at which we get to know him is beyond unacceptable. As far as I am concerned he is a jackass. I just couldn't give a damn at this point and I will not read who knows how many more books just to find out what happens.

I said in my review for book 1 that there was zero romance. Z.E.R.O. There wasn't really in this one either. Mac never thinks of Barrons in a romantic way and never even shows any sign of being attracted to him, except once when she said he looked hot when he laughed. It was the first time she had ever seen him laugh so it had surprised her. There is also one part later in the book when Mac is sort of freaking out and high on violence and Barrons kisses her and she kissed him back. I think the violence had turned him on. This still does not cause Mac to have any sort of romantic thoughts about him. Afterwards its like it never happened. It doesn't change their relationship at all. So if you are looking for romance I really suggest you look somewhere else. I looked into what happens later in the series and none of it sounds very promising. This series seems to be way more story-driven than romance or character driven. Too bad I don't think the story is good enough to carry the series. But a lot of people clearly do, so I think fans of Urban Fantasy are the best bet for enjoying this.

This is the second majorly popular adult PNR series I have read and not gotten past book 2. The other was Night Huntress. I am not really sure which was worse since the things I hated about them were different. I am not sure how they would balance out in the end. I hated the hero in both fairly evenly, but I also hated the heroine in Night Huntress. More than the hero. But I did enjoy the story somewhat. A lot more than the story of Fever. I think they balance out pretty closely. I feel like I am playing Russian roulette when I read a popular series. Do I want to risk it again? I do. I know I will do it again. I still need to read Dark Lover and Night Pleasures. I am a glutton for punishment.

“One day you will kiss a man you can't breathe without, and find that breath is of little consequence.”