The Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas (The Elemental Trilogy #2)

The Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Bottom Line: A good continuation of the first book, but lacked an exciting plot of its own.

The Elemental Trilogy
1.  The Burning Sky
2.  The Perilous Sea

Synopsis (Goodreads):

After spending the summer away from each other, Titus and Iolanthe (still disguised as Archer Fairfax) are eager to return to Eton College to resume their training to fight the Bane. Although no longer bound to Titus by a blood oath, Iolanthe is more committed than ever to fulfilling her destiny—especially with the agents of Atlantis quickly closing in.

Soon after arriving at school, though, Titus makes a shocking discovery, one that makes him question everything he previously believed about their mission. Faced with this devastating realization, Iolanthe is forced to come to terms with her new role, while Titus must choose between following his mother's prophecies—and forging a divergent path to an unknowable future.

My Thoughts:

The first thing I thought when I started this book was "did I miss a book or something?" Thomas starts this story off with Iola and Titus in the middle of the Sahara desert with no recollection of each other or how they got there. The book then continues on alternating between Iola and Titus making their way through Atlantis' traps in the desert, and the events at Eton leading up to the desert. I am definitely not a huge fan of timeline hopping stories, and it was definitely a shock after the first book which followed a logical time sequence. But while it was a bit too much for my tired mind to comprehend at first (I think it was 2 AM when I started this), I don't think the skipping was too detrimental to the story.

This story was, as expected, a continuation of Titus and Iola's adventures from the previous story. Unfortunately, it wasn't much more than a continuation, as there was no real separate plot for this book. Now don't misunderstand...there were a lot of important things that happened in this story. Titus' prophesies nearly ruin everything, Atlantis continues to make moves against Titus and Iola, and some surprising allies reveal themselves. But overall, this story seemed to be just a link between the last story and the final book (which is expected in about a YEAR by the way... I am not patient enough for this). Overall, this had a lot of the merits of the first book, but I had to wait for the last 10% or so of the story for most of the action.

Find it on: Amazon | Goodreads | Sherry Thomas

Lord of Temptation by Lorraine Heath (Lost Lords of Pembrook #2)

Lord of Temptation by Lorraine Heath

Genre: Historical Romance

Bottom Line: The characters were much more lovable in this story than the first, though Tristan's whole "the sea is my only mistress" junk got old pretty quick.

Lost Lords of Pembrook
1.   She Tempts the Duke
2.   Lord of Temptation
2.5 Deck the Halls with Love
3.   Lord of Wicked Intentions

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Three young heirs, imprisoned by an unscrupulous uncle, escaped—to the sea, to the streets, to faraway battle—awaiting the day when they would return to reclaim their birthright.

Once upon a time, he was Lord Tristan Easton—now he is Crimson Jack, a notorious privateer beholden to none, whose only mistress is the sea. But all that will change when exquisite Lady Anne Hayworth hires his protection on a trip into danger and seduction. . .

Desperation brought Anne to the bronzed, blue-eyed buccaneer. But after the Captain demands a kiss as his payment, desire will keep her at his side. She has never known temptation like this—but to protect her heart, she knows she must leave him behind. Yet Tristan cannot easily forget the beauty—and when they meet again in a London ballroom, he vows he won't lose her a second time, as fiery passion reignited takes them into uncharted waters that could lead the second lost lord home. . .

My Thoughts:

I read the first book in this series a few months ago, and while I wasn't super impressed with it, I figured it was time to give the second book a shot. This series follows three brothers who had to separate as young boys and flee from their uncle who wanted them dead so he could inherit the Dukedom. While the conflict with their uncle was resolved in She Tempts the Duke, each brother was left with scars (both physical and emotional) from their unusual upbringing. Tristan, the Duke's twin brother, was sent off to sea at the age of 14. While he had a rough start, Tristan eventually grew to love the sea and found he wanted nothing more than to captain his ship. After Lady Anne hires him out for a short journey at sea, he finds himself unable to forget her.

Tristan and Anne were both lovable characters. Anne was strong, loyal, and honest with herself and others. Tristan...ok we love him because he is a scoundrel. He really did just ooze seduction. I enjoyed how Anne was able to hold her own against him, but I enjoyed it even more how she accepted the passion between them. After Tristan and Anne's adventure at sea is over, Anne returns to London society where she accepts her life with her overbearing brothers and a very sweet (yet decidedly less swoon-worthy ) suitor. But Tristan refuses to let Anne forget the connection they formed on their journey.

My major issue with this story arose with Tristan. While Anne was very forthcoming with her need to marry, Tristan continued to attempt to seduce her away from society...which I was ok with (he'd certainly be able to protect her). But the whole time he sabotaged her place in society and her relationship with her suitor, he openly refused to consider marrying her himself. It was basically an "I don't want you, but I don't want anyone else to have you either" situation. Which is cruel. He kept claiming that his heart belonged to the sea, which was total BS and ranks as one of the worst reasons for not marrying I have ever read. Admittedly, it all worked out in the end, but I just could not get over how lame of an excuse this was for Tristan denying his own love for Anne, as well as Anne's place in society.

Find it on: Amazon | Goodreads | Lorraine Heath     

Rogue with a Brogue by Suzanne Enoch (Scandalous Highlanders #2)

Rogue with a Brogue by Suzanne Enoch

Genre: Historical Romance

Bottom Line: A nice forbidden-love story, but the romance fell a little flat when the action picked up.

Scandalous Highlanders

0.5 One Hot Scot: A Holiday Story
1.   The Devil Wears Kilts
2.   Rogue with a Brogue
3.   Mad, Bad, and Dangerous in Plaid (March 3, 2015)

Synopsis (Goodreads):

A Rogue For Every Lady

London, 1817: Stuck in a Mayfair ballroom, thanks to his lovestruck brother, Highlander Arran MacLawry wants nothing but a bit of distraction from an arranged betrothal—and a clever auburn-haired lass in a vixen's mask promises just that . . . until he discovers that she's the granddaughter of the Campbell, chief of clan MacLawry's longtime rival. Despite their families' grudging truce, falling for fiery Mary Campbell is a notion too outlandish even for this Highlander…

The Thrill Of The Forbidden

Raised on tales of savage MacLawrys, Mary is stunned to realize the impressively strapping man in the fox's mask is one of them. Surely the enemy shouldn't have such a broad chest, and such a seductive brogue? Not that her curiosity matters—any dalliance between them is strictly forbidden, and she's promised to another. But with the crackling spark between them ready to catch flame, love is worth every risk…

My Thoughts:

I've been on a bit of a Scottish kick lately, so I thought it was about time to continue on with Enoch's Scandalous Highlanders. I was worried that this story would be just like The Devil Wears Kilts, just with a different brother. Luckily, this story had a completely different premise. Instead of Arran falling for a proper English miss, he fell for the daughter of his clan's biggest rival...of course. There was a lot of action, and a well developed romance.

Arran started out a little obnoxious. After hearing Ranulf's story, it was kind of tough dealing with Arran constantly accusing Ran of being selfish, or trying to convince him to leave Charlotte. Of course, Arran just hadn't learned how important love was yet. My problem was that while I really enjoyed how Mary and Arran's relationship built up in the beginning of the novel, I thought it kind of plateaued. Even with all the wonderful action in the second half, their interactions got a little...stale. It seemed to just be them commenting on how strong the other one was. Over and over.

Everything was nicely resolved in the end, and I certainly look forward to Winnie's story (Lachlan better start wooing!), though I also hope we see a happy ending for Jane.  I have a feeling that poor girl has experienced unrequited love a few too many times.

Find it on: Amazon | Goodreads | Suzanne Enoch

A Love by Any Measure by Killian McRae

A Love by Any Measure by Killian McRae

Genre: Historical Romance

Bottom Line: A historical romance that sticks to the social realities of the time period. This story had a lot of heartbreak and a lot of twists and turns.

Synopsis (Goodreads):

An Irish lass. An English lord. 
A love that overcomes all boundaries, but at what cost?

Lord August Grayson, English landlord, has secretly, and much to the dismay of his father, held in reverence the object of his first fancy: poor Irish tenant Maeve O'Connor. Returning to the Ireland for the first time since his youth, August discovers that Maeve has grown into a woman of beauty and tenacity. August understands, however, that he could offer Maeve nothing but shame if her pursued her. But when circumstances allow him an opportunity to indulge his fancy, even if only in a limited scope, August finds himself unable to resist the temptation. 

Maeve,for her part, knows the danger falling for August holds, but finds her heart and her good senses becoming confused the longer she spends in his company. As two hearts become hopelessly entangled, both Maeve and August are forced to question the costs of their love. As consequences of their romance manifest, both struggle with the pain and difficulties their love causes, both for them and for their loved ones.

Killian McRae's delve into historical romance will challenge reader's presumptions of the genre. A title garnering controversy due to McRae's preference towards historical truth versus genre-standard "love despite the realities of the day" perspectives, it asks at what cost winning love is justified. "A Love by Any Measure" is an exploration of a romance that strives to overcome divisions of cultural, socio-economic, and religious differences in an era where options for lovers in such situations were limited.

My Thoughts:

After reading an romance after romance, this novel was...an icy cold blast of reality. This was in no way a light-hearted romance. The plot was deep and convoluted and kind of made me hate life for a bit. After reading the synopsis, I expected a story of a man who loved a woman below his station but decided to seduce her anyways after which they realize love can conquer all and they get married and live happily ever after...hooray!  Sadly (or happily, if you're in the mood for some severe emotional turmoil), McRae sticks to the reality of the times in that a Lord just cannot decide to marry an Irish commoner.

This story was an emotional rollercoaster.  Every time August did something sweet and life started to look a little better for Maeve, there would be some wrench in the plan. My relationship with these characters was generally pity for Maeve, and a slight disdain for August and the way he treated Maeve. However, I admit that their relationship was believable considering the time period and that August was Maeve's Lord, and she his tenant. I accept it now, but I certainly spent a lot of my time being pissed off while I was actually reading the book.

Overall, this book WAS romantic. But I had to get through a lot of heartbreak first, so the happy ending was a little bittersweet. This book used a lot of flashbacks and flashforwards. A bit too much for my liking. I found myself incredibly confused at times, and some of the twists seemed a little unnecessary. They certainly made me wonder how in the world the story could have possibly taken such an odd turn, thus forcing me to continue reading...so perhaps the flashbacks/forwards did do their job! This plot was serious and took a lot of unexpected turns. I would love to claim that the realistic heartbreak of this story was a breath of fresh air after so many historical romances, but hey, I'm a romantic. I like my light-hearted, happily-ever-after stories.  

Find it on: Amazon | Goodreads | Killian McRae  

The Chief by Monica McCarty (Highland Guard #1)

The Chief by Monica McCarty

Genre: Historical Romance

Bottom Line: This is an emotional and action-packed highlander novel. I recommend it as long as you are prepared to hate the hero for a good portion of the book.

Highland Guard

1. The Chief
2.  The Hawk
3.  The Ranger
4.  The Viper
5.  The Saint
6.  The Recruit
7.  The Hunter
7.5  The Knight
8.  The Raider
9.  The Arrow (August 26, 2014) 

Synopsis (Goodreads):

An elite fighting force unlike the world has ever seen...

Scouring the darkest corners of the Highlands and Western Isles, Robert the Bruce handpicks ten warriors to help him in his quest to free Scotland from English rule. They are the best of the best, chosen for their superior skills in each discipline of warfare. And to lead his secret Highland Guard, Bruce chooses the greatest warrior of all.

The ultimate Highland warlord and a swordsman without equal, Tor MacLeod has no intention of being drawn into Scotland’s war against the English. Dedicated to his clan, the fiercely independent chief answers to no one—especially not to his alluring new bride, bartered to him in a bid to secure his command of the deadliest fighting force the world has ever seen. The treacherous chit who made her way to Tor’s bed may have won his hand, but she will never claim his heart.

Although her husband’s reputation is as fierce as his manner, Christina Fraser believes that something softer hides beneath his brutal shell. But the only warmth she feels is in their bed, in glorious moments of white-hot desire that disappear with the dawn. When Christina’s reckless bid to win her husband’s love goes awry and thrusts them into danger on the eve of war, Tor will face his ultimate battle: to save his wife and to open his heart—before it’s too late.

My Thoughts:

Of course I did not rent this book because of the cover!  That would be utterly despicable...ahem, carrying on. It was tough for me to decide where I stood after reading this book. I really really tried to summon up all of my feminine outrage and curse Tor to the pits of hell, but I guess I'm just too much of a romantic. I'll say this: I have read quite a few macho-man, unlovable highland warrior novels, but Tor takes the cake on the most stubborn hero of them all. This book starts out with an arranged marriage, so you know there is bound to be some tension at the start.  But my god, Tor is determined not to show Christina any affection, even if he hurts her in the process.

I spent half of my time slamming this book shut in a fit of rage and the other half pitying poor Christina.  Christina is a sweetheart. She was a bit timid for my usual tastes, but she sure did stick in there. She was incredibly devoted to Tor, lovable, intelligent, and determined to latch on to any crumb of affection Tor chucked her way. It was a little depressing, but it definitely made me feel for her and it made the moments when Tor actually embraced his feelings that much more wonderful. There was plenty of hot highlander sex scenes, but don't be worried about swooning in the middle of the library because Tor manages to suck most of the romance out of that too.

I know, I probably should have waited a bit to write this review since I've still got my "Tor is a jerk" rant fresh in my mind. But in all honesty, I did enjoy this book and I would recommend it.  It made me mad (clearly), it made me excited, and at a few super touching moments, it made me pretty darn happy. The premise of this whole series seemed a little corny at first with the super secret highlander warrior-spy force, but it's actually kind of fun when you give it a chance. I plan on reading the rest of this series. I have high expectations for our remaining heroes since Tor has already claimed the jerk-of-the-year award.

Find it on: Amazon | Goodreads | Monica McCarty

The Luckiest Lady in London by Sherry Thomas

The Luckiest Lady in London by Sherry Thomas

Genre: Historical Romance

Bottom Line: This was a brilliantly written book with great dialogue and sensuality, but be warned that you will despise the hero at times and may want to chuck the book across the room.

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Felix Rivendale, the Marquess of Wrenworth, is The Ideal Gentleman, a man all men want to be and all women want to possess. Felix himself almost believes this golden image. But underneath is a damaged soul soothed only by public adulation.

Louisa Cantwell needs to marry well to support her sisters. She does not, however, want Lord Wrenworth—though he seems inexplicably interested in her. She mistrusts his outward perfection and the praise he garners everywhere he goes.But when he is the only man to propose at the end of the London season, she reluctantly accepts.

Louisa does not understand her husband's mysterious purposes, but she cannot deny the pleasure her body takes in his touch. Nor can she deny the pull this magnetic man exerts upon her. But does she dare to fall in love with a man so full of dark secrets, anyone of which could devastate her, if she were to get any closer?

My Thoughts:

This was a tough book for me. Generally, if a book has a marriage in the middle of the story instead of the end, I won't enjoy it. Here's why: the hero is always a TOTAL jerk in these stories, and his reasons for acting this way are always completely stupid. This book was no exception. Felix started out borderline sociopathic, but his manipulative ways were actually a bit endearing since Louisa saw straight through him. Then when we finally fall a bit in love with him, he acts absolutely despicably. When he realizes he's made a mistake, he tries to fix it by holding Louisa's sexual attraction to him over her head. By the last third of the book, when he finally realizes he has made a mistake, he became as sweet as can be, and I can grudgingly admit that I forgave him.

 The romance was fabulous, considering that a majority of their relationship hinged on Louisa's sexual appetite. But they also shared an intellectual attraction, which I adored. They shared a love of astronomy and Felix even helped teach Louisa math and physics (complete with naughty teacher fantasies). Overall, the characters were wonderful. They were both smart and had a good sense of humor, and they were honest with their feelings.

I loved Thomas' writing style. It was honestly the redeeming factor in this book for me, and it's why I must say that I fully recommend this book to anyone who doesn't despise "unhappy marriage plots" as much as I do. I found myself unable to put the book down even in the height of my anger. Her characterization and dialogue completely drew me in, and I cannot wait to read another of Thomas' books!

Find it on: Amazon | Goodreads | Sherry Thomas 

She Tempts the Duke by Lorraine Heath (Lost Lords of Pembrook #1)

She Tempts the Duke by Lorraine Heath

Genre: Historical Romance

Bottom Line: This was a good romance with strong, tormented characters, but I felt a little let down by how the conflict was resolved.

Lost Lords of Pembrook
1.   She Tempts the Duke
2.   Lord of Temptation
2.5 Deck the Halls with Love
3.   Lord of Wicked Intentions

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Three young heirs, imprisoned by an unscrupulous uncle, escaped—to the sea, to the streets, to faraway battle—awaiting the day when they would return to reclaim their birthright.

Sebastian Easton always vowed he would avenge his stolen youth and title. Now back in London, the rightful Duke of Keswick—returning from battle a wounded, hardened, changed man—cannot forget the brave girl who once rescued him and his brothers from certain death.

Lady Mary Wynne-Jones paid dearly for helping the imprisoned young Lords of Pembrook, and she remembers well the promise she made to Sebastian all those years ago: to meet him once more in the abbey ruins where they shared a bold, forbidden kiss. While Mary is now betrothed to another, a friendship forged with dark secrets cannot be ignored. Unexpected passion soon burns dangerously between them, tempting Sebastian to abandon his quest for retribution and fight for a love that could once again set him free.

My Thoughts:

This book was kind of back and forth for me.  The romance is based off of a childhood friendship between Mary and Sebastian, which I thought was cute.  After 12-year-old Mary saved the brothers from their crazy uncle's imprisonment, they disappeared for over 10 years before they came home to claim their titles.  Sebastian, the oldest and the rightful heir to the dukedom, returned scarred from war both emotionally and physically.  Mary was a very strong, loyal character who refused to give up on the hardened, menacing brothers until they found their rightful place in society.  I liked her character a lot; she never gave up on Sebastian, even though he believed himself unworthy of affection after his return.

The first half of this book was enjoyable enough for me.  There was tension between Mary, her betrothed, and Sebastian, and I liked how Mary and Sebastian's relationship developed and their passion grew.  The uncle's plot to claim the dukedom added a nice bit of action to the story.  My issues came after the marriage.  As a general rule, I don't enjoy books with an "unhappy marriage" plot.  I get all tense and angry when I read about a neglected bride.  Sebastian is absolutely obsessed with regaining his estate.  It's disgusting how much he cares about it... the way he should care about Mary.  It made me hate him a little bit, but it did get me involved in the story.

The part that bothered me was the "turning point" in their relationship.  I felt like there were like 5 pages between Sebastian being an inconsiderate jerk and him professing his love and spouting poetry.  I didn't believe it, and I didn't forgive him.  Overall I thought it was a pretty enjoyable book, but I just felt a little disappointed by Sebastian in the end.

Find it on: Amazon | Goodreads | Lorraine Heath         

The Good, the Bad, and the Undead by Kim Harrison (The Hollows #2)

The Good, the Bad, and the Undead by Kim Harrison

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Bottom Line: Another very slow start, but boy did it get exciting once the ball got rolling!

The Hollows
1.  Dead Witch Walking
2.  The Good, the Bad, and the Undead
3.  Every Witch Way but Dead
4.  A Fistful of Charms
5.  For a Few Demons More
6.  Outlaw Demon Wails
7.  White Witch, Black Curse
8.  Black Magic Sanction
9.  Pale Demon
10.  A Perfect Blood
11.  Ever After
12.  The Undead Pool
13.  The Witch With No Name (September 9, 2014)

Synopsis (Amazon):

It's a tough life for witch Rachel Morgan, sexy, independent bounty hunter, prowling the darkest shadows of downtown Cincinnati for criminal creatures of the night.

She can handle the leather-clad vamps and even tangle with a cunning demon or two. But a serial killer who feeds on the experts in the most dangerous kind of black magic is definitely pressing the limits.

Confronting an ancient, implacable evil is more than just child's play -- and this time, Rachel will be lucky to escape with her very soul.

My Thoughts:

Just when I thought I was out, Harrison pulls me back in!  I don't know what it is with this series and the slow starts.  I read this book because I wanted to give the series a second chance after my not-so-enjoyable time with Dead Witch Walking.  I was about to just give up after struggling through the beginning of this one.  I swear it took me three weeks to get up the willpower to finish the first 40% of this book.  Then today I sat down, and I just hit some magic point where the story sucked me in, and I couldn't put the book down until it was through.  So I'm telling you, if you can just get through the first 40-ish percent, it's worth it.

In The Good, the Bad, and the Undead,  Rachel Morgan is working as an independent runner with her vampire roommate Ivy, and her pixy associate Jenks, with some help from her human boyfriend, Nick.  After a string of witch murders, the FIB calls in Rachel's help as a link between the inderlanders and humans.  When Rachel begins to suspect that Trent Kalamack is involved in the murders, she happily takes up the case.  Hijinks ensue...

Alright, my opinion on Rachel has not changed...she still bugs the crap out of me.  It's like any time someone suggests that she thinks rationally, she throws a fit.  Come on woman, use your head!  One thing I did enjoy with this book though, was that we get to see a bit more of Rachel's power.  In the first book I found her quite unremarkable, but now we see that she does have a bit of skill.  And I am hoping that we will continue to learn about her family history, since we start to get hints about Rachel's father.  I loved the addition of Glenn, the FIB agent Rachel works with.  I picture Glenn as a hulking, unflappable secret service agent, and picturing Rachel in her leather and mini skirts walking around with him just makes me giggle.

Some important reasons to keep reading this book:  First, we learn what Trent is!  Hallelujah.  I won't ruin it for you, but if you are as impatient as me, that's big news.  Second, Kisten... I want more Kisten. Third, Al the Demon (great name) is fantastic.  He's hilarious and delightfully naughty, and I'm glad he played a large part in this book after his appearance in Dead Witch Walking.  I really applaud Harrison's ability to make the antagonists so appealing.  I think it's what really made this book enjoyable for me.

Nick...I'm not sure about him.  At first, I was excited that this book was a little naughtier than the first one.  But Nick is quite preoccupied with demons, and I'm just not sure how I feel about him anymore.  There were times when Nick and Rachel's relationship was incredibly sweet, then others where he seemed like he was up to something.  I'm thinking we could do with a little swap for Kist.  Or Trent.  Yum.  I will certainly be picking up the third book soon, and I will pray that it gets a quicker start than the first two because the endings are just so fantastic.    

Find it on: Amazon | Goodreads | Kim Harrison 

Seven Nights in a Rogue's Bed by Anna Campbell (Sons of Sin #1)

Seven Nights in a Rogue's Bed by Anna Campbell 

Genre: Historical Romance

Bottom Line: You might like this if you are in the mood for a dark, angsty book with a heaping helping of seduction. 

Sons of Sin
1.  Seven Nights in a Rogue's Bed
2.  Days of Rakes and Roses
3.  A Rake's Midnight Kiss
4.  What a Duke Dares

Synopsis (Amazon):

WILL A WEEK OF SEDUCTION . . .
Desperate to save her sister's life, Sidonie Forsythe has agreed to submit herself to a terrible fate: Beyond the foreboding walls of Castle Craven, a notorious, hideously scarred scoundrel will take her virtue over the course of seven sinful nights. Yet instead of a monster, she encounters a man like no other. And during this week, she comes to care for Jonas Merrick in ways that defy all logic-even as a dark secret she carries threatens them both.

. . . SPARK A LIFETIME OF PASSIONATE SURRENDER?
Ruthless loner Jonas knows exactly who he is. Should he forget, even for a moment, the curse he bears, a mere glance in the mirror serves as an agonizing reminder. So when the lovely Sidonie turns up on his doorstep, her seduction is an even more delicious prospect than he originally planned. But the hardened outcast is soon moved by her innocent beauty, sharp wit, and surprising courage. Now as dangerous enemies gather at the gate to destroy them, can their new, fragile love survive?

My Thoughts:

This was a very angsty novel... I think a lot of Anna Campbell's books have darker, haunted heroes, but this book had an extra dose of angst.  In Seven Nights in a Rogue's Bed, the innocent, virtuous Sidonie ventures to Jonas' castle in place of her sister Roberta to repay a gambling debt.  With her body of course.  Jonas is set on sleeping with Roberta to shame her husband/ his arch-nemesis.  Dramatic, eh?  However, after seeing Sidonie, Jonas decides it will be more fun to draw out his seduction over a week instead of immediately...collecting the debt.  Let the seduction begin...

I did like Jonas.  He was troubled, lonely, and just waiting for a woman who saw him for who he was...even if he denied that was what he wanted.  I love stories where the main man is scarred...physically, not just mentally.  It lends a whole "Beauty and the Beast" feel to the story.  Jonas is a marvelous seducer.  This book definitely wasn't lacking on the steaminess.  Would you expect anything different from a book with this title?  My main issue was with Sidonie.  I enjoy heroines who are tough and fun, but have a bit of a sensuous side when necessary.  Sidonie was kind of blah.  Though she could put on a brave face, and she certainly wasn't shallow, she spent a lot of her time just being too virtuous and whiny.  

I thought the plot for this book was enjoyable.  There were twists, there were turns.  Heartbreak and true love.  However, there's a very fine line for me where denying each other's love crosses from romantic to obnoxious.  There were a couple times in this book where I just wanted to shove Jonas and Sidonie together and force them to kiss and make up.  I felt that at the very end of the book the conflict was just chopped off and I was left a little unfulfilled.  Overall, I think this is an alright book to read if you are in the mood for something darker. 

Find it on: Amazon | Goodreads | Anna Campbell