~Review of JR Ward's LOVER REBORN~

Lover Reborn (Black Dagger Brotherhood,#10)

 

 Opening Line "The bastard 's taking the bridge! He's mine!"

*SPOILER FREE*

Wow, I honestly don’t know where to begin with this review. To say that this was good is an understatement. To say that it knocked me on my ass and left me a drained, emotional wreck, is far closer to the truth. Yup, LOVER REBORN did me in, talk about your gauntlet of emotions, I mean I expected some angst but jeez! I cried (I mean really cried) I laughed, I sighed, I swore, I groaned and I gasped but in the end I also smiled.

As much as I was anticipating this book it was also with a heavy dose of apprehension; was I ready to see Tohrment find love again? Was he ready? Were any of us really ready to let Wellsie go? And most importantly could Ward make me believe in this new love? The answer is a resounding yes, I think in part because it doesn’t happen quickly (or easily) Reborn has been broken into 4 sections (1 per season) so that this book takes place over the period of a year. And it was over that year and all the shit that goes down (and oh does the shit ever go down) that Ward made me believe.

Starting where Lover Unleashed left off and with her usual flair Ward throws us into “Spring” and right into the action and pain that is Tohr. Chasing down a group of Lessers, Tohr is now relentless in his pursuit of the enemy, basically only drawing breathe to “ahvenge” his murdered wife and son. Tonight’s hunt sees Tohr launching himself off a bridge as John and Qhuinn watch helplessly from below, John issuing a silent scream as Tohr falls. And so it begins. Through 572 pages Ward proceeds to give us everything we want and then some…

Without going into spoiler territory (which is going to be hard) I can tell you of course that this is Tohr and No’one’s story. These two have a long history together and are both equally broken so it makes sense for them to get together. Lassiter is helping to move them along on the love train (in his own way) and as it turns out with a sense of urgency. John and Xhex also play key roles in their story, giving us some absolutely filthy-hot love scenes as well as showing us a marriage in transition.

Xcor and his Band Of Bastards are back and gaining strength in Caldwell. They do things here that… can never be forgiven. Sending one Brother on a mission under a decree of death. New and mysterious characters are introduced (Assail) while others are fleshed out (Throe and Zyphor.) We’re still all mixed up in the whole hot-mess that is Layla/Qhinn/Blay/Saxton; however that’s all about to change:) The Blind King still kicks ass, Ward throws a “needing” (or two) our way and gives us details of a ceremony that absolutely broke my heart. We also bare witness to a battle that gave me heart palpitations for all of its 60 pages and left some Brothers with life threatening injuries.

 Somehow through all this Ward also manages to give us time with each and every member of the Brotherhood mansion. We get to see everyone doing their thing, giving us some special moment with each of them and that in itself says something because there are so many characters now. There also aren’t any “lesser” POV’s to suffer through; we don’t travel back to the old country or to the other side to hang with the chosen (verily.) And I have to compliment Ward on toning down the product placement and Wardisms. This book just flowed beautifully.

In fact I would have to say that Ward has hit her pinnacle with Lover Reborn. The balance here is just right; the romance, the action, the surprises and the healing. I honestly never knew where this was going to go and when that happens you’re guaranteed a great ride.

And now for the good news Blay and Qhuinn have been officially announced as book #11! That’s right the wait is over. It looks like Ward has worked a miracle with her publisher because their story was originally to be a novella and now they’re getting their very own Hardcover instalment. Way to go boys. See you Spring 2013.

"Thats right, buddy. Our future has come."

~REVIEW of Jennifer Armintrout's THE TURNING: Blood Ties Book One~

The Turning (Blood Ties, #1)

Opening Line: “I read a poll in the newspaper once that said the number one fear of Americans aged eighteen to sixty-five is public speaking. Spiders are second and death is a distant third.”

Wow, this was a fun. Not quite what I was expecting but as it turned out a great ride. For some reason I went into this thinking paranormal romance which is so not the case here. I would categorize Armintrout’s world as urban fantasy/horror. Its dark, violent, blood spattered and often gory and that would include the sex scenes (notice I said sex and not love.) I should also mention that even though this is not my genre of choice I did really enjoy it.

 BLOOD TIES is unique and let’s face it that’s saying something with all the vampire books on the shelves these days. The writing is smart, sassy and the overall plotline managed to surprise me several times along the way. Each chapter comes with a title heading, which I loved, there’s a love triangle (of sorts) and a wonderful balance of good VS Evil, made all the better because once I got to know the back-story of the characters I was sympathetic to all of them. Yes even the sadistic and maniacal Cyrus, which to me is the sign of some clever writing when you feel for the bad guy. So be warned there aren’t any sparkly vampires here and it’s a bit of a blood bath but its also super good.

Dr. Carrie Ames is working in the ER the night they bring in the horrifically injured “John Doe”. Through his one remaining eye, he seems to reach out to her, and when he succumbs to his injuries she is drawn to visit him in the morgue. Bad idea Carrie. John Doe is the evil vampire Cyrus Kerrick and Carrie’s blood is what he needs to heal himself. Through the violence of Cyrus’s feeding (attack) Carrie ingests some of his blood and the “blood tie” is forged. Over the following weeks as she recovers Carrie undergoes some major changes including a new sensitivity to sunlight and an insatiable hunger that no amount of food, drink or cigarettes will quench.

Eventually Carrie is found and rescued by Nathan Grant, a member of the “movement.” (His job is to destroy all non affiliated vampires and protect mankind.) Nathan takes Carrie in and quickly schools her in all things vamp which includes reading the Vampire bible (available on eBay FYI) He then offers her a choice; join the movement or be destroyed.

It should be an easy decision right? Especially with the growing attraction between them but Carrie can’t get past the invisible leash that binds her to the monster that sired her. She is quite literally a slave to the evil yet arousing Cyrus and he is of course #1 on the movement’s hit list and Nathan’s arch enemy. When a jealous witch vying for her sire’s attention casts a spell over Nathan the only way Carrie can save him is to give herself over to Cyrus for the cure. And that’s when the games begin. Hang onto your heart folks. Cheers

~REVIEW of Charlaine Harris' DEAD TO THE WORLD~

 THIS NEW VERSION OF ERIC IS HARD TO RESIST, SHAME ABOUT ALL THE WITCHES

Dead to the World (Sookie Stackhouse, #4)
.5

Opening Line: "I found the note taped to my door when I got home fom work."

Dead to the World is the 4th instalment from the addictive and entertaining Sookie Stackhouse series, which for the most part I’m really enjoying. This addition had a lot going for it with Harris setting up some intriguing scenarios for our returning cast of characters. And once I got past the pages of repetitive back story I was quite excited about the prospects. Unfortunately though as much as I enjoy and admire her writing I was never able to get fully engaged in this story. It could be because of the addition of even more fantastical creatures, I mean I could have done without the were-panthers theme and the coven of witches, oh and how could I forget the good fairy but hey that’s just me and my aversion to UF speaking.

  

 On the plus side the “new” Eric was delicious on every level though it does make me wonder what Harris has against Bill. Its not that I'm a team Eric, team Bill type girl but why bother to introduce him as Sookie’s love just to keep sending him away every book, its just weird to me and doesn’t even allow for a good love triangle to develop.

The thing is this series is almost awesome, the writing is amazing, the world building, the action and horror aspects, the relatable, fascinating and sexy characters but I just don’t always understand Harris’s choices. A few more love scenes wouldn’t go astray either, although the one that we do get here is extra steamy. In the end I can’t seem to stop myself from continuing on with this series, Sookie feels like an old friend and I need to know where this is all going.

Its New Years eve when we first join Sookie again, she’s driving home from a busy night at Merlottes. Bill has up and left for Peru and the last thing she needs or expects to see right now is a half naked vampire running down the road. Things get even more interesting when the vamp turns out to be Eric who for some reason can’t seem to remember anything. This new kinder, gentler Eric has no clue who he is much less what’s happened to him in fact he even seems a little scared. Sookie being well Sookie takes him home of course. I mean what girl could refuse a half dressed, nervous blond Viking vampire

It soon becomes apparent that whoever took Eric’s memory also wants him dead and through a series of events Sookie gets put in charge of keeping him alive. Meanwhile her brother has gone missing and a battle is brewing (ha) between a coven of witches and the local werewolf/ shifter population. Sam, Alcide, Bubba, Chow and Pam all make appearances along with a whole new cast of interesting characters. Now all Sookie has to do is find her brother, keep Eric alive, avoid the witches, dispose of the bodies, and hold onto her heart because this new version of Eric is very hard to resist. Cheers.

~REVIEW of J.R Ward's ENVY~

~THE BEST OF THE SERIES~

Envy (The Fallen Angels, #3) 

Opening Line: "It was in the spring,on a dark April evening, when Detective Thomas DelVecchio Jr. learned that nigthmares could in fact make the  jump out of the mind and into real life."

As others have mentioned this is the best yet from Ward’s Fallen Angels series. She seems to have gotten the mix just right here and I found myself completely caught up in the story, it’s romance and all the many sub characters and their ongoing battles. I suppose introducing the hero in the last BDB book didn’t hurt matters, as from the get-go I was wondering how a Vampire attack and Veck’s subsequent “memory loss” was going to be explained. However the two series feel very different to me now, and even though I can still sense the BDB world in the background, its no longer a distraction. (I do become a squealing fan girl when I find those cameos though) Speeding black Escalade in the rain or old landlord in a butlers uniform anyone.

  

I would describe this as a romance wrapped in urban fantasy. The mix works though, along with Ward’s usual hilarious male banter, excessive product placement, seriously hot love scenes and a few major surprises -which we should see the trickle down effect from for several books to come. I also feel that she finally got the romance right here; I enjoyed Veck and Reilly and found myself rooting for their HEA.

Through some unique world building we also get a much closer look at arch angels Nigel and Colin (who are growing on me) and of course our sexy saviour Jim and his badass fallen angel sidekicks Adrian and Eddie… (Sigh)

Lastly I have to mention Devina. She is just awesome, probably Ward’s best female character to date and a superb villain. Yes she is evil but she is also so much more, what with her therapy sessions, hoarding issues, insecurities and school girl crush on Jim -which let me tell you he uses to his full advantage. Alls fair in love and war bitch.

As with all of Ward’s books there are many characters fighting for POV time; popping us back and forth between hero and heroine, into heaven and hell and the minds of angels, demons and anyone else caught in the crossfire of battle #3. I can honestly say though that I didn’t ever want to skip any of their sections (Lessers) as each POV was an integral part of the story and more than held my interest.

Yes, the WARDen got it right with ENVY and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

Homicide detective Thomas “Veck” Delvecchio is convinced he’s just killed a man. Haunted by the legacy of his serial killer father and followed by a dark shadow, it was really only a matter of time until he gave in to the dark side. The problem is he doesn’t remember the attack and the evidence says he’s innocent. Sent to monitor Veck is internal affairs officer Sophia Reilly whose interest in Veck grows increasingly personal as they share pizza and a mutual admiration for Victoria’s Secret.

-Veck



Entwined in their budding romance is Jim Heron, now facing the 3rd round in the ultimate end game of good VS evil. He and his two back up angels have been given the task of battling against the devil for Veck’s very soul.

Bringing our group together is Reilly and Veck’s investigation of missing person Sissy Barton. She is of course being held by Devina (CRAVE) Jim is determined to find her body and retrieve her soul from hell whatever the consequences which gives him more reason then ever to shadow Veck, who’s own internal struggle is just beginning. Honestly I could go on and on about the plot. So much happens and I‘m not doing it justice here so I will stop. It is intricate, shocking, suspenseful, exciting, sexy and just well played. Cheers

~REVIEW of Charlaine Harris' CLUB DEAD~

~ENTER ERIC AND ALCIDE- this is going to be fun ~

 Club Dead (Sookie Stackhouse, #3)

 

Opening Line: Bill was hunched over the computer when I let myself in his house.

CLUB DEAD is the third instalment from the Sookie Stackhouse series and I really enjoyed this one, having finally come to terms with the fact that this is urban fantasy and not paranormal romance. I was able to focus on the action, horror, humour and mystery aspects here and just let the romance take a back seat. Sookie is also starting to feel like a delightful, adventurous friend who I can’t wait to hear from to learn what adventures she’s been up to lately. And with the broadening of sub characters and reappearances and “sightings” from others this series is beginning to feel like coming home.

Charlaine Harris continues to entertain with a fast paced, easy writing style and original ideas. She also manages to still keep Sookie relatable enough, despite her progression into the supernatural world that we can discover every bizarre occurrence right along with her. Sookie toughens up in this book, makes some new ‘friends’ and sort of comes into her own. And although I was at first disappointed by Harris’s storyline choices for Bill (what an arse he turned out to be) Eric and the arrival of Alcide sure made up for his absence. Leaving things wide open and this reader very curious as to where exactly things are heading in the romance department.

Lately Sookie’s vampire boyfriend Bill has been a little absent, having more of a relationship with his computer and “project” then with her. When he suddenly announces that he’s taking an extended business trip to another state Sookie realizes something other than vampire business is going on. Before long the bodies start piling up at work again, after a werewolf gang member tries to abduct Sookie and ends up face to face with some hard hitting but simple blue suede shoes.

Enter the ever sexy and cheeky Eric, who informs Sookie that Bill’s been kidnapped while spending time with an old flame in Mississippi. (So much for business) Now Eric needs Sookie’s mind reading abilities to help locate Bill before they torture him to a more permanent death. Despite the obvious betrayal Sookie agrees, although she might just kill him herself once she finds him.

Sookie soon finds herself under the care of one fantastic and yummy werewolf named Alcide Herveraux. They have an immediate connection and make a great team although romantically their timing is never quite right (what with all the body dumping, ex fiancé’s and flying vamps coming to call)

Alcide is to act as Sookie’s date and guide while in Jackson, gaining her access into the otherwise off limits, Club Dead. This is where the vampire king of Mississippi hangs out whom they assume is responsible for Bills disappearance. Before long Eric turns up in another of his quirky disguises and general carnage ensues. The action in this book is non-stop with vampires and humans alike getting staked and of course it’s a full moon which brings every beast in town out to play. It’s a ton of unputdownable, bloody fun

~REVIEW of Tanya Huff's: THE BLOOD BOOKS, VOLUME ONE~

The Blood Books, Volume I (Omnibus: Blood Price/Blood Trail

Opening Line:"Ian shoved his hands in his pockets and scowled down the length of the empty subway platform."

BLOOD BOOKS Volume 1 contains the first two books in Tanya Huff's 5 part Blood series. These stories became the first few episodes in the Blood Ties TV show which luckily I discovered before the books because now I have the added bonus of visual references for all the characters. The books aren't as cheesy as the TV series sometimes became in fact the writing here is well above average, fast paced and contains several POV's and tons of witty dialogue. The three main characters diverse personalities play well off each other and ooze sexual tension even though all the love scenes are fade-to-black. They also take place in the real (Canadian) world which I loved because I like to think that vampires and werewolves may indeed walk among us.

The first story BLOOD PRICE is identical to the Blood Ties series pilot and was my favourite of the two. We are introduced to Vicki Nelson a tough, sarcastic P.I who because of degenerative eye disease has had to leave her job with the Toronto Police Dept. One night Vicki stumbles upon a suspicious murder victim and immediately becomes wrapped up in a case involving black magic and demons. As the victims pile up Vicki is forced to call upon ex-partner (and sometimes lover) Mike Celluci as well as befriending the 450 year old illegitimate son of Henry VIII, romance author and vampire. Together all three will try to stop the demon before it destroys humanity.

The second story BLOOD TRAIL takes Vicki and Henry into rural Ontario as they attempt to catch a sniper taking out members of a family of sheep farmers that also just happen to be werewolves. With Henry and Vicki growing closer the love triangle comes full circle as Cop Mike Celluci shows up to warn Vicki that he thinks Henry might be involved with organized crime. However that's the least of their problems as together the trio must fight off a mad gunman, angry werewolves and ultimately each other.

First written in 1991, this excellent series has been reissued with the 2006 omnibus edition. Except for the absence of cell phones and computers you'll never notice the age off the writing. Both stories are also complete and a great deal together which I would highly recommend to paranormal junkies. Cheers

~REVIEW of Charlaine Harris' LIVING DEAD IN DALLAS~

                 SOOKIE'S DALLAS ADVENTURES- ANOTHER GREAT INSTALMENT

Living Dead in Dallas (Sookie Stackhouse, #2)

Opening Line: "Andy Bellefleur was drunk as a skunk."

This was another super entertaining read; combining fantasy, action, romance and mystery that you’ll find difficult to put down. With book #2 we return to small town Louisiana and telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse, who's still slinging beers for shapeshifter Sam and spending time with boyfriend Bill the vampire. Their relationship continues to evolve with anger and jealousies surfacing here, and even though for the most part Bill is still sweet to Sookie his undisputed predator tendencies also make an appearance.

It doesn’t take long for Sookie’s adventures start up again when a co-worker with ties to a sex club is murdered. (This sub plot then takes a back seat returning later in the book) Soon after Sookie gets attacked by a mystical female creature which requires the assistance of Eric (and others) to suck the poison from her body. Eric then ‘loans’ Sookie out to the Dallas Vampires to aid in the search for a missing vamp. Sookie feels obligated to comply, taking Bill along as her bodyguard. (He flies as cargo in a coffin) And that’s when things get really crazy. With a new nest of vampires to deal with as well as assorted religious fanatics and several aggressive werewolves Dallas isn’t going to be any vacation. Sexy and cheeky Eric makes a welcome appearance here and I really enjoyed getting to know him better. I’m very curious to see how this immerging love triangle plays out.

Despite the progression of Sookie into the supernatural world, which at times made her feel like a clumsy super hero I still found her relatable enough that I was able to discover everything right along with her. Sookie does get injured a lot in this book however and I kept wondering why she refused to take Vampire blood. I mean if she’s going to continue playing in the vampire world she's going to need all the strength she can get so its a no-brainer really as it speeds up healing and gives humans increased power.

As much as I’m enjoying this series I guess I should have taken a closer look at the spine of this book because with this instalment Charlaine Harris switches from paranormal romance to more urban fantasy, which was a real disappointment to me. I always struggle with UF, preferring my romance front and center, without the now present fade-to-black love scenes (I want in on the steamy action) I also tend to glaze over when too many fantastical creatures are introduced and this worried me early on here with the introduction of the 'maenad' and her razorback pig companion. Luckily Harris keeps it to a minimum. Now this is not to say that I didn’t enjoy LDID, I did and plan to continue on with the series I was just thrown off by the abrupt genre switch from book#1.

It also felt to me like Harris wrote the first and last parts of this book together and then inserted the middle (Dallas) section afterwards. I mention this because as soon as Sookie returns home to Bon Temps from her Dallas adventure we start getting back-story information dumps again, as we’d had in the beginning chapters, rehashing Harris’s vampire world rules and events that took place in DEAD UNTIL DARK. This felt very strange to me especially in the last quarter of the book. The Dallas section also felt removed from the rest of the story and in all honesty except for the scenes with Eric I didn’t enjoy it very much. Anyways I’m ranting here.

~REVIEW of Tanya Huff's: BLOOD TRAIL~

~THE WEREWOLVES OF LONDON (ONTARIO)~

Blood Trail (Victoria Nelson, #2)

Opening Line: "The three-quarter moon, hanging low in the night sky, turned even tamed and placid farmland into a mysterious landscape of silver light and shadows."

BLOOD TRAIL is the second book in the thoroughly enjoyable Blood (Ties) series. As a fan of the TV show I was thrilled to discover this 5 part series of books and except for the absence of cell phones you won't be able to tell they were written in 1991. Once more I was impressed by author Tanya Huffs writing as she expertly weaves together multiple storylines and POV's creating a fun, action filled paranormal mystery. We even get a little romance this time (although it remains fade-to-black) as ex-cop turned P.I Vicki Nelson again joins forces with 400 year old romance author and vampire Henry Fitzroy. Throw in Vickie's jealous former partner Mike Celluci, a family of sheep farming werewolves and a crazed sniper with religious issues and you've got yourself the makings of a great story.

Vicki is a strong willed and very likable character who lives in the real world with the rest of us however ever since she met Henry and battled a demon in the last book she has also come to accept the world of the paranormal. It doesn't take much for her to accept a family of werewolves as her next case. It seems someone has discovered the Heerken's secret and has been hunting and killing pack members while they attend to their flocks of sheep. Of course they can't go to the police so investigator Vicki Nelson is their only hope. Huff's descriptions of Wer behaviour are well done here to the point that I felt she must have done research on real werewolves as she gives us often hilarious look at their possessiveness issues, politics, pack hierarchy and other social behaviours. All the while the neighbours just assume they're nudists with a lot of big dogs to keep strangers away.

Because of Vicki's night blindness she takes Henry with her to the Ontario farm. This works to her advantage as Henry can patrol nights while she finds clues and tries to discover the sniper's identity during the day. Henry and Vicki continue to have an aura of sexual tension which eventually reaches a breaking point after Henry is injured and forced to feed. Vicki is more than willing to accommodate him and this only gets further complicated when Mike suddenly arrives at the farm. It seems after doing some investigation he's now convinced Henry's s involved in organized crime. There's lots of snappy dialogue as the three fight off the sniper, angry werewolves and each other.

For the most part this was a fast paced and entertaining read with the storyline between Henry, Vicki and Mike continuing to develop throughout. Although I felt the story lagged in the middle it was still a great read that I would recommend to any paranormal junkies. Cheers.

~REVIEW of Jacquelyn Frank's: ECSTASY~

Ecstasy (Shadowdwellers, #1)

Opening Line:"Ashla stood shivering in the darkened streets of Times Square.

Jaquelyn Frank has created a dense and complicated new society in ECSTASY. I tried very hard to like this new world but it was a tough read and fans should be warned that this is not a continuation of the Nightwalker series.

After a horrific car accident our impish heroine Ashla awakens to find herself in Shadowworld. A strange version of New York City without any lights or people. It is also a place of endless night. Just as she grows accustomed to her solitary, dark world Ashla is confronted by a sword baring warrior named Trace. He is a Shadowdweller. A being able to exist in two demensions; Realscape (our world) and Shadowscape (an in-between world i.e. ghosts, spirits, coma patients). 'Dwellers' are unable to tolerate even the smallest amount of light and therefore must live in the shadows of Realscape as well as being able to fade into Shadowscape where there is no risk of light. If a Dweller however remains in Shadowscape too long he risks 'Euphoria' a deadly form of selfish lustfulness.

Trace has been followed into Shadowscape by a conspirator against the Shadowdwellers. He manages to kill his enemy but is mortally wounded in the process. Normally those stuck in Shadowscape such as Ashla are unaware of Shadowwalkers like Trace but fortunately for him she not only sees him but possesses the ability to heal with her touch. After healing Trace Ashla takes on his injuries and Trace, feeling responsible as well as an unexplainable connection to her lingers in Shadowscape and begins experiencing Euphoria. Ashla accommadates Trace in his sickness and they both discover that she is turned on by submission.

In Trace's culture selflessness and gentleness while making love are paramount and much time is spent schooling the youngsters in all manners of lovemaking. However Trace is so filled with Euphoria that he has all consuming, selfish sex with Ashla for days on end without relief. Evenually Trace is brought back into Realscape by two Shadowwalker warriors sent to rescue him. Leaving poor Ashla alone again in her gloomy spirit world. As Trace recovers back in Realscape he is filled with guilt and vows to return into Shadowscape, find Ashla and make amends. Unfortunately his people have begun their annual migration to Alaska and when he recovers enough he is expected to lead them.

I was initially intrigued by the idea of someone living in an in-between world of darkness and solitide but when I had to read a whole paragraph explaining what a lie means in Shadowese culture and every single detail regarding that society including sex education, history, religion and politics. I was frankly overwhelmed and became bored with the complexity of the world Jacquelyn Frank has created. There is little character developement with Trace and Ashla and I didn't ever really get a feel for their characters. The many pages spent on their lovemaking are crass and border on erotica more than romance. Fans of the Nightwalker series will be thrilled however by a scene in the final pages when Gideon makes a brief appearance.

This book is not a continuation of Jacquelyn Franks Nightwalker series and I would have a trouble recommending it to anyone except her die hard fans.

~REVIEW of J.R Ward's: CRAVE~



~BETTER THEN COVET BUT STILL NO BLACK DAGGER BROTHERHOOD~


Crave (The Fallen Angels, #2)

Opening Line: "Hey! Wait a -- Save that shit for the ring!"

CRAVE is book #2 in the anticipated Fallen Angels series and while this still aint no Black Dagger Brotherhood with this instalment the WARDen seems to have at least found her groove, and I feel way more invested in the series as a whole now then I did after reading COVET although I’m still not in love with it (does that make sense?)

Continuing 4 days after the end of COVET, Fallen Angel Jim Heron finds himself in familiar territory as the soul he has to save this time around is that of AWOL Black Ops soldier Isaac Roth. The back story here is extensive as Jim and Isaac share a history together, both having served under the treacherous leadership of Matthias. When we begin Isaac is making some quick cash as an underground cage fighter. After the ring gets busted Isaac lands in jail where we meet his beautiful, court appointed defence attorney Grier Childe.

Despite their differences (or maybe because of) the sparks fly with Grier going so far as to post his bail using her own money. With Isaac now free he plans on disappearing and fast the only problem is he owes Grier and can’t seem to get her out of his head even though he knows all he could possibly bring her is trouble. When Jim and his fallen sidekicks make contact Jim realizes that its not just Devina stealing his soul that puts Isaac in danger but their former commander Matthias has put a death sentence on his head, because the only way you can leave their covert little organization is in a body bag.

The story moves along fast but smoothly and with a whole lot happening in the mere three day span of the book. So even though our romantic couple isn’t given a whole lot of time to fall in love (or enough romance period) they still managed to capture my attention and even gave me a couple of *sigh* moments. I really enjoyed Isaac and Grier, who (despite the amount of omelettes getting eaten) have great chemistry together and the love scenes are erotic and heart wrenching, which lets be honest is a Ward standard.

Also as per usual with Ward there are numerous characters vying for POV time and as always she handles this seamlessly. Popping us back and forth between the hero and heroine and into heaven and hell in the minds of angels, demons and anyone else caught in the crossfire of battle #2 this time around. All the returning characters get fleshed out (some even get wings) so you learn more about Jim Heron as well as his intriguing but still somewhat vague angel sidekicks Adrian and Eddie. Even dog makes an appearance. We also get into Devina’s warped and evil head and she’s proved to be surprisingly interesting.

Of course this book is full of F-bombs and Wards own unique brand of slang which I usually enjoy. However this time there are just so many “Wardisms” that I found myself getting side tracked trying to figure out exactly what she was trying to say in her riddlesque product placement kind of way.

"A gust of wind went Nike across the landscape" This is fun a few times then it just gets dhistracting.

Crave is definitely darker then Covet with some scenes that are downright disturbing and I will tell you (because I drove myself crazy looking) that there aren’t any Brother sightings this time around except for the mention of 'sKillerz' but I’ll let you figure that one out on your own.

For me Crave effectively advances the series as a whole, tying everything together so that I could see the big picture. So that even though each book will deal with a different battle of good and evil it’s really the end game that counts and the ending this time around is …surprising