Sin Undone by Larissa Ione
This is last book in the series. It follows Sin. She’s Lore’s sister, fellow assasin and all around badass. She’s damaged and abused and in need of some old fashion lovin’.
In the course of the craziness of life she meets a wareworlf paramedic named Conall. He’s also a tough character but he convinces Sin to feel her feelings and let someone in.
Alot of this series was based on extreme circumstances forcing the pairs together and watching the intensity of the situations bring them to love. This steamy parts in this one were pretty hot stuff though. Really intense and overwhelming at times.
I suppose I’d say the Demonica series was a job well done by Ione. Paranormal romance is usually ladden with so much detail that the characters can get lost in the world that was created for them. But the author did a really good job this time around.
Now on to a few books with pictures…
Ecstasy Unveiled by Larissa Ione
So..yeah..I just had to finish this series. Maybe its the Virgo in me, but I needed closure.
Lore is a demon with a hand that can kill just by a simple touch. Idess is an angel in training sworn to protect important players on Earth. Well Lore has been held by this evil guy as an assassin. It’s all to help out his sister, but still…it’s a raw deal.
So Lore get his assignment and wouldn’t ya know it..he’s assigned to kill a guy that Idess is sworn to protect. They fight, they get steamy, they fight again. He falls for her tenacity and innocence…she falls for..well..I’m not sure. But it works people.
The best part of this book, IMHO, was the part that dealt with Idess being able to see lost spirits. She was able to help them pass into heaven and the author really wrote those scenes in a beautiful way.
Passion Unleased by Larissa Ione
In this series there is a really cute couple named Kynan and Gemma. In the early books I became somewhat invested in these two characters, but the author kinda glazed over thier romance and went on to another. So while I still enjoyed this book, I really wanted a full book dedicated to those two.
Moving on.
This book centers on Serena Kelly. She’s young, hot and a virgin with a secret. She’s really “Charmed” meaning she’s protected from all danger…as long as she stays as pure as the driven snow. Puritanical much?
But anway, one of the brothers, Wraith, is poisoned and the only way to save his life is to get that charm from Serena. That’s right he must take her virginity to live. (That’s right…it’s like “One @#$% to save them all!”
Well his initial plan is to woo and get her into bed quick, but she turns out to be a pretty awesome lady. Wraith starts to fall for her, and she starts to want to break all the rules with him.
This was a solid read, and the villans in the story really add some danger to this book. Very cat and mouse.
Book Review: Desire Unchained by Larissa Ione
Just in case you’re wondering all of these books have a “Noun Un???” type name. As I reader, I’m Me Unhindered. I had to keep going with this series even though I’m not wild about it. I just had to know how this whole thing panned out.
In this book we meet Runa. She’s a wolf/lady that is bitter about how her transformation came about. She has decided to take revenge on her former lover, the demon Shade. Well..fit hits shan and they both taken prisoner by a 3rd party crazy guy.
Shade ends up confessing his true nature to Runa, and she learns to let some stuff go. The really interesting and intense part of the book was when we learned the story of thier first meeting back when she was human. I really felt like that should have been the book and not just a flashback.
All in all it was pretty good. But I’m not feeling the wolf angle on this one.
Book Review: Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione
The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series by J.R. Ward messed me up. I’ve never been into any type of paranormal romance, but alas…thats right..alas..I’m hooked. I searched for another series to fill the void and came across the Demonica series.
This was a really hard start. I was raised Baptist, by Baptist for a Baptist type life. Reading about demons, even if they have ripped abs and hearts of gold was tough. The idea is that all creatures are capable of good and evil, no matter the orgin. Although I want to say “Heck Yes!” to that, it was really hard to become sympathtic and co-sign the stories. Ya don’t play with the Devil!
Well this story centered around a demon named Eidolon, who runs a hospital in the underworld. He’s a moody workaholic that lacks social skills but has been bred to statisfy the ladies. While on duty he meets a humand named Tayla. She works in the Aegis (a group dedicated to fighting evil) and has no patience for passive aggressive demon doctors. But of course his rippled whatnot…and her rippening so and so..and ta da! They are together.
There’s also demon brothers thrown in the mix that end up as the subject for the rest of the series. It’s a decent addition to the genre and it was a decent start.
Covet by J.R. Ward
J.R. Ward is ruining my booklist. I’m kinda hooked on these paranormal romance stories. Which is weird for me, because although I read and enjoyed the Twilight books, I’ve never been into the genre.
In this book Jim is a badass former spy/assassin that is living underground trying his hand at retirement. He has an accident and winds up in a land inbetween heaven and hell. While visiting the in between he is told by some angels that he has been chosen as the final move in an epic chessmatch between good and evil. He must go back to Earth and sway 7 folks to do the right thing or else life will be hell for us all.
After a little prodding, he accepts and comes to earth and meets Vin. Vin is handsome, rich, and dating a b!tch (isnt’ that always the way!) Well they become friends and Jim knows he has to save him.
Enter our leading lady, Marie-Terese (not her real name, but you’ll find out why in the book). She is a hooker with a heart of gold. She’s on the run from her douchebag exhusband, and only got into the life because she was on the run.
Well Vin falls for Marie..they both struggle with thier past..Jim comes through in the end. It was good. I liked it alot. The intimate parts are vividly written, and the angel vs. demon storyline was good. I recommend!
Lover Unleashed by J.R. Ward
This Black Dagger Brotherhood book was a struggle. It took me 2 weeks to finish, and I wasn’t really invested in the characters. It feels like the author has just too many characters and story lines floating along and this time she chose to focus on the two I wasn’t interested in.
Here we go..
Payne (lady vamp) is the daughter of the vampire deity (Scribe Virgin). She has been held in captivity for hundreds of years, and this has obviously caused some intense mother-daughter angst. It’s very Mommy Dearest between these two. Well there’s a fight, a falling out and Payne is injured. To save her Mommy has to give her up to the other side (our world). Enter Dr. Manny
Dr. Manny was introduced a few books ago, and he is a top notch local surgeon. He is brought in to the vampire world by a former colleague and as soon as he meets the child of the Vampire Goddess..he is smitten beyone repair.
As usual there is alot of..”But he’s human!” and “But she’s NOT human!” But in this world all the relevant parts match up and they do the business. The part that was kinda odd was that while she was in bed unable to walk, the only thing that healed her was…well…his head in her lady vamp parts. Seriously! She was cured from some serious head game. (There are so many jokes here….but I’ll behave.)
Anyway…the love scenes are well written, and the action was good. But again there was another human cop and an entire new Band of Brothers (vamp gang) introduced in this book alone. It seems this is going to be a sprawling series, but can we get a lil closure with Quinn and Blay..puhlease!?!
Lover Mine by J.R. Ward
John Matthew and Xhex sittin’ in a tree..K.I.S.S.I.N.G! Love this one. I think this one did me in with it’s dang close Cinderella impression. Let me stop gushing and write a decent review.
Obviously…John Matthew is our hero. He is a mute vampire that was born in a bathroom stall and grew up as an orphan. He is depicted as the most thoughtful and kindhearted of the bunch. Well he met this bad-ass assassin lady vamp/sympath named Xhex a few books ago, and it seems destiny was on their side.
Xhex was also orphaned as a child and grew up around those awful pesky humans. They did experiments on her and this royally has messed her up. She grew up and has become a trained killer. I really liked this character, she’s was fighting and standing up for herself.
Personal moment: I am kind of a fortress when it comes to relationships. If you want to get in, you must show your goodness outside my castle until my hardened heart lets you in. But when you’re in..you’re in. And Xhex was written in much of the same way.
Well in this Soulless Human vs. Vampire war the new badass around town ex-vamp Lash had kidnapped our girl Xhex and raped and tortured her. DOUCHEBAG! The story revolved around alot of John and Xhex succumbing to thier relationship while keeping focused on who would put Lash out of his misery.
Xhex is was a great heroine, and John Matthew’s eternal goodness was just too much to bear. The ending when Zsadist starts to sing had me seriously on verge of tears at work. (YES! I read at work..)
Anyway..I’m not sure who the next book focuses on, but the lineage of Xhex had me completely surprised when it is revealed at the end. I read so much that I can usually predict the outcome, but that tidbit was a shock.
J.R. Ward…you’re quickly climbing my favorites list!
Lover Avenged by J.R. Ward
I loved this one. Some parts were like..uhg..get back to the love story already, but I really did like this one. This installment of the Black Dagger Brotherhood (BDB) focuses on someone who isn’t even in the gosh darn brotherhood or a full vampire!
Rehvenge is half sympath and half vamp. He can read the emotional grid of an entire area, and sway the emotions of any human or vampire he encounters. The sympath side of him also feeds on dark violence and manipulation. To keep his wild child side in check he keeps himself full of dopamine to calm the beast within. I really didn’t like this character in the other books. He was mean to his sister, he owns a nightclub, sells drugs and pimps out local girls. (In fairness he is the kindest pimp in town..but still.) He does all of these things to afford his mother and sister a better life after he murdered his awful abusive father.
Well on a trip to the doctors office to get more dopamine, he meets Nurse Ehlena. She’s a do-gooder with her own cross to bear. Her father is ill and this has made having a personal life impossible for her. He is sly and sweet and feels all of these emotions of otherness and loneliness emitting off of her all the time.
The interesting part of this love story comes as Rehvenge has her, she is smitten and he still pulls back and and refuses to completely connect with her. He knows he’s a bad guy who does bad things. He wants her to have someone worthy of her and he isn’t it.
See Rehvenge has a sympath crazy a$$ half sister that blackmails him and abuses him. He is simultaneously a pimp and a ho. Crazy.
Well they work it out..and work it out(wink wink nudge nudge) while the war kinda goes off the rails. The head evil vamp, Lash, is out there causing all types of carnage across town. The King Vamp, Wrath, is loosing his sight but gaining his purpose. And John Matthew gets his heart broken..and I think he’ll be the hero of the next book.
The triumph of this book was taking a character we had seen before as a messed up guy and presenting him in a new way. Making a villain, of sorts, into this romantic lead that we wanted to see succeed and turn over a new leaf.
Well played, J.R. Ward…well played.
Lover Unbound by J.R. Ward
I forgot to review book 5!! I think it slipped my mind because I really didn’t care for the ending, or the way our hero gets the girl. But, I started this blog to talk about books I’ve read..so let’s talk.
Vampire Vishous (or V) is a brilliant vampire with an axe to grind. His traumatic childhood has turned him into a dark hearted version of himself. I really enjoyed delving into this character. He is bisexual and into some kinky bedroom behavior, but all in all he just needs the love of a good woman.
Enter, Dr. Jane. She’s tough and smart and tames this wild man with her no nonsense attitude. It’s quite unfortunate that this love story was rushed. V is really messed up, has some serious parental issues, and Dr. Jane comes along and he is hooked. I’m skeptical.
This book took me a few days to read, I just wasn’t pulled into the love story. The ongoing war with the soulless humans (the lessers) and the Omega (seriously evil!) was full of action and we saw the progression of some of the minor characters too. This one was raw, and intense but maybe I’ve grown a bit tired of these tortured love affairs.
All in all this was my least favorite one of the series and the ending is dues ex machina (vocab!) at it’s finest.
