A Review for Heavy Metal (Goddesses Rising #2) by Natalie J. Damschroder

Posted by Melanie 
Release Date: August 27th, 2013
Finished Date: August 29th, 2013

Publishers: Entangled 
Genre: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Source: For Review

Format: eARC
Pages: 400

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 

The world is not what Riley Kordek imagined. On the run from those who’ve targeted her, all Riley wants is a chance to figure out her new ability to bend metal's energy. When a hot guy who knows more than he should helps her escape her attackers, she thinks she might’ve found someone who can lead her to the answers she needs.

Three years ago, Sam Remington walked away from his employer and the woman he loved, and now, all he’s looking to do is fill the gaping hole left behind. Except, when Sam takes Riley to the Society for Goddess Education and Defense, the stakes rise beyond what either of them could have imagined.

After being alone for so long, falling for Sam would be far too easy—and far too painful, once his old flame calls needing his help. Worse, Riley uncovers a plot with disastrous ramifications not only for herself, but for Sam and the people he loves—and potentially every goddess in the country.

The Review: Heavy Metal is the long awaited sequel to ‘Under the Moon’ and second in the ‘Goddesses Rising’ series.
This time around we meet Riley who has made her way to Sam Remington’s bar (Sam appeared in the first book as a love interest). Riley isn’t really aware of her ‘goddess’ nature because it had become dormant in her family… but when she discovers something strange happens when she’s around metal and believing what her grandma told her, refuses to go to the ‘society’. So, she does a little research and finds a former employee – Sam- who she will approach in the effort to gain some information. When she arrives though, she doesn’t have the chance because trouble is following her every step and looks like it’s been meddling in her life for a while now so when she is attacked… Sam is forced to help and even though he tells himself that he’s only helping out a goddess in distress, the connection he feels towards her is something he hasn’t felt for over 3yrs… with the threat to Riley ever present, the last thing he needs is for his old flame Quinn to need him too but he must decide whose need is greater. As Riley’s troubles deepen alongside Quinn’s everyone needs to prepare for the past and present to collide – big style!
I really enjoyed this, I had been waiting ages for this to come out so wasn’t sure if I should read book one again… there was no need because I had retained a lot of the story and the recaps were suffice to jog my memory on the finer points. I enjoyed our main characters this time around too. Riley was a good character and for all she was in a bad place having lost everything & everyone, she didn’t dwell on it and let it bring her down too much, she was determined & willing to do what was needed to get help & to help others who she barely knew. I know it’s usually the men who protect the goddesses but in my opinion, Riley could join the Protectorate herself and be quite capable. It was nice to have Sam back but sad to see how the fallout of book ones events had affected him, isolating himself and putting off seeing Quinn & Nick for 3yrs, even going so far as to leave the protectorate in an effort to forget, I felt so bad for him but seeing as he’s the leading man, I was looking forward to some happiness for him now.
The storyline takes place 3 yrs after book one but I thought that the way it brought both books together was really good because it is a continuation of the leeching story, only now we see that the bad guy from book one was only the tip of the iceberg. Yes we get Riley’s story, what’s been happening to her, we see her make a lot of discoveries about herself and of course her relationship with Sam… also with Sam we find out what he’s been up to, how he dealt with the aftermath of book one and his feelings for Riley… but that isn’t it, we find out how a lot of people have been since the events of book one and I really liked that, it didn’t feel like we were moving onto another couple from that world and reading of their troubles & romance…It felt more like Riley was being brought into their world and expanding it, adding to the characters that we already know. I loved seeing how the leeching had affected Quinn & its victims, I loved what they were planning on doing about it, I loved seeing Quinn & Nick together, I thought that nearly all of the characters had great progression too – not just our main pairing. I feel that the series thread has been revealed now and I like it, I like that we have a firm opposition now and wonder what this means for the goddesses and although there were a good few reveals, there is still a lot to be discovered and I’m excited for the next book which no doubt will be filled with danger, excitement, magic & romance too.