{Review} Seducing the Dragon: Boxed Set (Stonefire Dragons #5-8) by Jessie Donovan

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: October 28th, 2014
Finished Date: March 21st, 2015

Publishers: Self Published.
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Source: For Review
Format: eBook
Pages: Unknown

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 

On her first visit to Clan Stonefire, Department of Dragon Affairs inspector Evie Marshall has an ulterior motive—she needs to seduce its clan leader. If she can’t seduce him and become his mate, the dragon hunters will kill her. Of course, Evie doesn’t know the first thing about seducing a man, let alone a dragon-shifter, but with her life on the line, she’s going to have to become a fast learner or die trying. 

Bram Moore-Llewellyn has a track record of scaring off DDA inspectors, but when the latest inspector shows up wearing tight clothes and a sexy smile, his inner dragon takes notice. While battling his attraction to the human, he soon finds himself with an impossible choice: he can either break the law to mate the female and risk a backlash from both the dragon hunters and the British government, or he can turn her away and let her die at the hands of the hunters.

  

The Review: Jessie Donovan delivers another awesome paranormal romance that will have you drooling over the Stonefire Dragons.
Parts 5-8 are a new arc in the Stonefire Dragon series and this time the Clan Alpha is about to bite off more than he can chew in the form of Department of Dragon affairs inspector Evie Marshall. Now, Evie has an agenda of her own when she heads to Stonefire to do an inspection of the humans there because Evie is about to do as the title suggests ….and seduce herself a dragon and that would be none other than Bram Moore-Llewellyn Stonefire’s Alpha. Bram is expecting the DDA inspector and is quietly amused when Evie turns up in her tight clothes and high heels, he knows something is up with her but is willing to let things play out. Evie fumbles around with her attempts at seduction and comes off as a clumsy person but ends up spilling her secrets when Bram calls her on it. Her secret is that she is being threatened by the Dragon Hunters because of her DDA status and insider knowledge, she can’t talk these threats lying down because a lot of DDA inspectors have been found dead lately and with that she deduces that if she seduces the alpha of Stonefire, he will then protect her against those who wish to destroy her. Their mating would mean a lot of changes for both of them plus, it could have disastrous consequences from both the Hunters and the government. The thing is, it doesn’t matter to the Hunters who is protecting Evie, they want her…. And will stop at nothing to get her.
I really enjoyed this book, I like to read them all in one go because I don’t like to wait for the other instalments so the omnibus editions are perfect for me. It was good to be back on Stonefire lands and really easy to get into. We know Bram already from Mel & Tristan’s story so we know there are reasons behind the fact that he is mateless and we quickly find out that Evie is not compatible to be a Dragon’s mate so her suggestion is one of an arrangement rather than love….. or is it? I thought Evie was a fab character, full of sass and determination. I thought she was perfect for Bram because you could really see her leading the Clan alongside him, she has that authority about her and a way of getting to the bottom of things that would come in really handy, I also liked her risk taking too. Bram entered this with humour thinking she didn’t want anything serious but was willing to come to the arrangement with her because it was good for both of them but as the story progresses we see that there is more to the pairing than meets the eye. I absolutely love the relationship Bram has with his dragon and their internal dominance struggle, it was so funny that his dragon was down to his base instincts and couldn’t see past claiming Evie whilst Bram tried to remain aloof, they sort of have different personalities in one body. As usual in PNR there is plenty of sexytime to get us all hot and bothered and these two were hot together.
The storyline progressed perfectly from part 1-4 and the Dragon Hunters become a more prominent enemy. They start to take huge risks here, infiltrating dragon land and causing havoc in an attempt to get to Evie. Evie works them out though and what she discovers is shocking and makes you wonder who the monsters truly are. Of course all of this brings Brams dragon’s protective nature to the front and tensions are high. We meets some new characters who are from the Scottish Dragon Clan and I’m really hoping for more from them, Finn was fun and playful but all business when needed as the Alpha and I’m loving the connection he has to a certain lady dragon that promises to be a good story in the making. I liked getting a really good look at the enemy and what they were about, in parts 1-4 you could easily mistake them for a band of outlaws who are determined to rid the world of dragons but here we see just how organised they really are, what the true nature of their game is and how invested they are in what they are doing – I was quite shocked at the lengths they would go to. There is also plenty of action too where we see the Dragons fight back! Co ordinated battle plans, ambushes, tons of fighting too so I was very satisfied with where the story went and can’t wait for more! 

Thank you to Jessie Donovan for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

{Review} Cougar's First Christmas (Cascade Shifters #1.5) by Jessie Donovan

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: November 4th, 2014
Finished Date: December 17th, 2014

Publishers: Mythical Lake Press
Genre: Adult, Paranormal, Shifters
Source: For Review
Format: eBook

Pages: 75

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 

Willing to chance arrest and jail time, cougar-shifter Sean Fisher wants to make human Lauren Spencer his mate and Christmas is the perfect time to do it. However, on the way to obtain her parents' approval, a car runs them off the road. When Sean wakes up, he's tied up and alone, at the mercy of an anti-shifter group.

Six months ago, Lauren never would've pictured herself with a cougar-shifter, but Sean was everything she hoped for and was willing to risk it all to be his mate. Yet when a staged car crash tears him from her side, Lauren must reach out to his clan--a clan she's never met--for help before it's too late.

Can Lauren and Sean be together for Christmas? Or, will their differences be too much to overcome and rip them apart?

The Review: Cougar’s First Christmas is a novella in the Cascade Shifters series and as the title suggests we have a cougar to swoon over. Sean Fisher is a cougar shifter who has chosen to make Christmas all about his girlfriend Lauren by proposing and making her his mate. Lauren Spencer is human and really shouldn’t be with a shifter, it’s illegal for starters but with people being attacked by the Human Purity movement – times are scary for those connected to the shifters.
They are both willing to take the risk and start by setting off to meet Lauren’s parents…..but on the way they are crashed into and forced off the road. When Lauren comes to, Sean is gone and the only thing Lauren can think to do is contact the one person she knows will help him – his alpha. With that phone call, Lauren is thrust into the shifter world where she must show her mettle and demand that Sean be rescued…. Will they ever be together again? Will Lauren be able to give him her secret Christmas present? Will the shifters even accept her?
I really enjoyed this book and loved the Christmas theme, what could be more perfect than a Christmas proposal? I liked that Sean & Lauren’s relationship isn’t allowed but that they’re willing to take the risk for love, there’s something about a forbidden love that pulls at your heartstrings more because you know they could be dragged apart at any minute…. And of course that is what happens. We became aware of the shifter enemies in book one and it is carried over well here, we see just what they’re about in how far they will go to get their way. Everyone hates prejudice apart from those who inflict it but the lengths some will go to in the name of purity is horrid and really makes you feel just what the shifters are up against…. And that is just one of the enemies. It was nice to see a few familiar faces too as the shifters rally for Sean’s rescue and it was good to see how they reacted to Lauren. Even though there was plenty of drama and plenty of sexytime to steam up those pages…. there is an overwhelming sense of family, love, hope, acceptance and new beginnings. This was a great dip into the Cascade Shifters world and complimented book one perfectly – I look forward to more. 

Thank you to Jessie Donovan for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

{Review} Shadow of Temptation (Asylums for Magical Threats #2.5) by Jessie Donovan

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: May 26th, 2014
Finished Date: December 3rd, 2014

Publishers: Self Published
Genre: Adult, Paranormal Romance
Source: For Review
Format: eBook

Pages: Unknown

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US

An undercover agent about to crack…

Two years of living a double-life has taken a toll on Sabrina Ono, but if she plays her cards right, her assignment should be finished within the week. However, just as she starts planning her final moves, a man she once called friend shows up wanting revenge.

A man with an unusual power…

Jorge Salazar is a Shadow-Shifter. After being forced to work for a sociopath for nine months, he strikes a deal to escape, but there’s a price for his freedom—he must capture the leader of a Feiru terrorist group and turn him in. Unfortunately, the only person who can help him succeed is the woman who not only betrayed his biggest secret, but also broke his heart.

As the pair work against the clock to bring down the terrorist group and save another group of innocents from dying, an unexpected attraction builds. Will Sabrina and Jorge’s secrets be too much to overcome, or will their feelings be able to heal past wrongs?

The Review: Shadow of Temptation is yet another great read in the Asylums for Magical Threats series.
We met the characters in book two but Jorge definitely made an impact with his aloofness and his ability to shadow shift. He was brought onto DEFEND’s radar when they discovered a new nemesis known as ‘the Collector’ for whom Jorge was forced to work for. He would never have been in the clutches of the Collector had it not been for Sabrina Ono, the woman he was developing feelings for but who ultimately betrayed him because of his secret latent ability….. and now, they’re about to meet again. When Jorge is given the mission to capture the leader of the Feiru terrorist group, he needs information and fast, this leads him to re encounter Sabrina and it’s not a happy encounter. However what Jorge doesn’t know is that Sabrina isn’t actually a part of the terrorists but she is actually an undercover operative and he’s about to land her in hot water by blowing her cover and it becomes a race against time to stop the next atrocity, capture the bad guy but most of all – stay alive!
I really enjoyed this story and I thought it complimented the series really well. As I said, Jorge had made an impact and I had hoped we would get his story and this is what we got. He is a very relatable character, in fact both of them are when you find out their circumstances – both are in places they don’t want to be and doing things they don’t want to do but it’s either that or pay the consequences and both want their freedom. I like when a couple has history and that it has ended on bad terms and what could be worse than Sabrina turning Jorge in for his abilities? But, she couldn’t foresee what would happen to him as a result. They both have issues to work through in this before they can trust each other again but you could still feel the chemistry between them and I was routing for them to find a way to be together. There were a few sexual tension moments that were hot, I love the will they, wont they feel to it and it makes it that much sweeter when the inevitable happens.
I thought the storyline was good and a great way to reconnect the pair. There is a run and chase ‘feel’ to it as they are stalked by the enemy when Sabrina’s cover is blown. Jorge wants to protect his source of information in the beginning but that soon changes and Sabrina knows that it’s become a life or death situation. What the terrorist group has planned is shocking and again, makes you want them to succeed in their mission. Neena also pops up and I have to say, I think her character is awesome and would love her story someday, I love the omniscient feel to her character and think she definitely has a plan and plenty of tricks up her sleeve. There is plenty of action in the book as they are chased and also action in the relationship department but it’s not all about the drama and the sexytimes, they both have some deep issues to deal with and it becomes imperative that they do so. This also brings them into the DEFEND fold and hopefully into the main series as reoccurring characters because I would love to see these two in action again. 

4.5 flowers! 

Thank you to Jessie Donovan for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

{Review} Reclaiming the Wolf (Cascade Shifters #1) by Jessie Donovan

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: September 9th, 2014
Finished Date: November 14th, 2014

Publishers: Self Published
Genre: Adult, Paranormal Romance
Source: For Review
Format: eBook

Pages: Unknown

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 

Female wolf-shifter clan leaders are rare, but Kaya Alexie thrives on the challenge and can handle anything the men of her pack throw her way. However, when the male cougar-shifter who broke her heart ten years ago shows up on her doorstep with a dead wolf-shifter in tow, her whole world goes off-kilter. She’s determined to ignore him, but when a virus threatens to decimate her clan, she has no choice but to work with her ex and his brother to survive.

Sylas Murray is sent by his brother to ask for the wolves’ help in solving the mystery of a recent wolf-shifter attack. There are a few problems, however. Not only is he a cougar-shifter among a pack of wolves, the clan leader is also his ex-girlfriend. To say they had a bad break-up would be putting it mildly—Sy’s actions nearly destroyed the truce his clan had with the wolf-shifters. But as a virus threatens the GreyFire wolves, Sy and Kaya must put aside their past to find a cure.

As they work together and race against the clock, Sy starts to wonder why he let Kaya go in the first place. Despite their past, will he be able to reclaim the wolf that captured his heart and start over?

The Review: With Reclaiming the Wolf, Jessie Donovan is definitely becoming one to watch in the paranormal romance genre as she brings a great story with great characters every time and this is no different.
Kaya and Sylas have history, the thing about these two is that they are both from rival shifter clans - with Kaya being a wolf and Sylas being a cougar - they were in a relationship when they were younger and it turned sour. Fast forward 10 years and Kaya is now the Alpha of her pack, a very strong capable woman who has pulled her pack back from disorder & bankruptcy and earned the respect of everyone around her. When wolves with purple eyes start attacking cougars and one turns up dead on their doorstep, Sylas is thrust back into her life and not wanting to risk the tenuous relationships between packs – Kaya is forced to co-operate with the man who stole & broke her heart all of those years ago. I love a story where the lead male & female have known each other beforehand and especially when they have had a relationship and parted on bad terms because usually, it’s a misunderstanding or someone has come between them in a meddling sort of way. I love these because there is always sexual tension and unfinished business which carries across to the story and that is exactly what we get here. The chemistry between these two is HOT! You can tell they still have the connection that they shared all of those years ago and these two are not about to beat around the bush when it comes to getting what they want – that isn’t to say that they don’t need to hash out the past to clear the air, because they do – but they both aren’t stupid when it comes to realising what they are to each other and what they could be again, which led to a lot of sexytime.

With the arrival of the purple eyed wolves it becomes apparent that someone is infecting the wolves with something and letting them loose on cougar land which could end up in either a war between the two clans or her pack being wiped out to the virus, so it makes sense that a representative from each side do the investigating. This is a perfect excuse to team Kaya and Sylas up giving them plenty of opportunity to get to know each other again, learn how each other operates and hopefully that they can trust each other again. The investigation gives us an insight into how Kaya saved the pack but also shows us that not everyone is as honest as they should be and when the virus spreads, it becomes a race against time to find a cure and uncover the culprit. I enjoyed the plot in this and thought the virus brought something new to the usual shifter stories we get, I also liked that it showed what the shifters did to stay afloat and how they’re actually helping humans in a way. I liked the investigative feel of it and how they went about doing it, there’s a little twist part way through too that will have you hoping against hope that a cure will be forthcoming and we see just how far the couple have come relationship wise in such a short time.
To sum it up – this was a great book, great story, great characters, lots of sexytime and everything I love in a paranormal romance and I’ll be looking out for more in the series.

Thank you to Jessie Donovan for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

{Review} Sacrificed to the Dragon: (Stonefire Dragons #1-4) by Jessie Donovan

Posted by Melanie 
Release Date: July 14th, 2014
Finished Date: October 19th, 2014

Publishers: Self Published 
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal
Source: For Review
Format: eBook

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 

In exchange for a vial of dragon’s blood to save her brother’s life, Melanie Hall offers herself up as a sacrifice to one of the British dragon-shifter clans. Being a sacrifice means signing a contract to live with the dragon-shifters for six months to try to conceive a child. Her assigned dragonman, however, is anything but easy. He’s tall, broody, and alpha to the core. There’s only one problem—he hates humans.

Due to human dragon hunters killing his mother, Tristan MacLeod despises humans. Unfortunately, his clan is in desperate need of offspring to repopulate their numbers and it’s his turn to service a human female. Despite his plans to have sex with her and walk away, his inner dragon has other ideas. The curvy human female tempts his inner beast like no other.

  

The Review: The synopsis is for part one of the series but I am reviewing parts 1-4 as a whole because that is the story arc for these two characters before we move onto another couple. As the blurb tells us – Melanie Hall has offered herself up as a sacrifice to the Dragon Shifters. In return for a vial of dragon blood that will save her brother’s life, Melanie must live with the dragons for six months and in that time she must try to conceive a child to help the dragons maintain their numbers. Melanie will do anything for her brother so is determined to see it through and use the experience to her advantage by completing her thesis using the information she gains. Unfortunately for Mel, the dragonman assigned to be her mate hates humans and isn’t afraid to show Mel just how much she bothers him – making the partnership very tense indeed.
Tristan MacLeod is not happy that he is being forced to mate with the human but will allow it, to benefit the clan. He hates all humans because his Mother was killed in a horrific way that scarred him for life so he is totally unprepared for the woman he meets. His dragon wants her but he doesn’t and when he’s forced to kiss her…. His dragon takes over and starts a mating frenzy that will only stop when Tristan has sated Melanie thoroughly and she is with child….. but then he leaves, he’s done his duty and that’s the end…. but his dragon has other ideas and makes Tristan challenge his prejudices against humans.
Needless to say…..I loved this book! I read it all in one sitting because it was so easy to read and very moreish. It definitely ticked all of my boxes for what I love in a paranormal romance and seeing as I share the main characters full name and also live in Northern England – it’s like this book was written for me because if I had to pick a shifter to fall in love with me…..it would be a Dragon! I love the idea that women can sacrifice themselves to basically become a breeder for the dragons, Mel’s was a selfless sacrifice and that showed her character for what she was from the get go. She is definitely a woman who could be admired for her determination, the way she adapts to her circumstances, how she conducts herself and of course the reason she was there. I love when a couple start out hating each other, it’s the best kind of love when barriers need to be broken down and hearts rebuilt and that is exactly what we get here. Melanie challenges Tristan in a way he never has been before and it was great to see this little woman turn the big bad bossy alpha’s world upside down. I really enjoyed his inner turmoil with his dragon, trying to get him to not want Mel, keeping himself away from her – it was fun to read and added to the satisfaction when they do get together. It’s clear to see that Mel is changing him and he has most surely met his match.
The storyline was great, most of it was about the relationship and burgeoning love but when you take that away you have a woman who has given up everything for her brother’s life, someone who must adapt to new surroundings and a new way of life. She has studied dragons but of course, nothing can prepare you for actually being in their company and both sides have bad stories about each other. Melanie will learn not to believe everything that is thought to be known about dragons, she will find that there is more prejudice against dragons than she thought and they can crush a womans’ heart just as bad as any human male but she will also discover their sense of family and community, how they will protect their mates and their young with everything they have and that they’re not the animals history has told her they were so she plans to change both the humans and dragons perception of each other. Tristan will learn that not all humans are the same and some can do amazing things, that it is possible to love someone different and that they can make a difference elsewhere. We do get some action in the latter part of the book and it definitely the biggest challenge to Tristan and his beliefs but it is also a challenge to Melanie when the possibility of losing everything she has gained is thrust upon her and will either make or break their love. This is definitely a series to read, I can’t recommend it enough, perfect for fans of paranormal romance that need an easy read with lots of sexytime and a nice dose of hot alpha male. 

Thank you to Jessie Donovan for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

A Review for Frozen Desires (Asylums for Magical Threats #2) by Jessie Donovan

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: February 24th, 2014
Finished Date: February 27th, 2014

Publishers: Self Published
Genre: Paranormal, Adult
Source: For Review

Format: eBook
Pages: Unknown

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 

Camilla Melini is a high-ranking soldier with an organization fighting to free elemental magic users. Her latest assignment is to find one of the legendary elemental Four Talents, and she’s determined to get in and out of Mexico as quickly as possible to avoid running into the man who nearly destroyed her life. But when the dangerous man from her past finds her, Cam must work with Marco Alvarez, a man she’d dismissed as a playboy, to prevent the powerful magic of the Talents from falling into the wrong hands. She never expected the charming playboy to be a cunning warrior worthy of her heart...

Marco Alvarez is sent to Mexico with two goals—to watch Cam’s back and to investigate a series of arson fires targeting former AMT prison employees. But when a shadow-shifter shows up looking for Cam, Marco decides he needs to stick close to her to help her mission succeed. As he gets to know the strong-willed woman, he’s torn between telling her the truth of his elemental magic and keeping the others who share his secret safe. But when Cam sacrifices herself to save her colleagues, Marco must expose the secret of his elemental magic or risk losing the only woman who can match both his passion and his strength.

The Review: 4.5 flowers! 

Frozen Desires was a great read, equally as good as Blaze of Secrets (book 1) and equally as HOT!!

We had already met our two main characters in book one and I had been looking forward to this story because I just knew we were in for a clash of wills. Camilla Melini is a soldier through and through, she is all about the job, all about duty and all about being in control so when Marco Alvarez turns up on her latest mission, she makes it clear who is calling the shots and that she doesn’t trust this ‘man wh*re’ one little bit. It pains her to realise that she is in danger and he is the back up she needs but she isn’t ready to trust easily and sets him some tasks to show his usefulness and he does - much to her dismay – and he also shows that there is more to him than meets the eye. I thought the pairing of Cam & Marco was great!, they had great chemistry and you could even feel it in book one, so that carried over really well in this book….we have two Alpha personalities, dominant in both their jobs and in the bedroom making you wonder who will cede. I loved the emergence of Marco’s dominant side and that Cam was willing to let a little control go in certain situations, they were so hot together and complimented each other, bringing out the best in themselves again, both in the bedroom and out, some scenes are so hot between our lovebirds and I really liked the control play they had going on. Marco really showed a different side to what we ‘assumed’ he was and I liked getting that insight. They had an awesome witty banter going on between them too & I liked how they were both hiding behind a mask until their feelings crept upon them and then their softer sides emerged which made me like them all the more.
The storyline was great, the continuation from book one was really good and I love the elemental magic in these books and how it is wielded, I especially liked Marco’s magic and what he was hiding, his skills brought about some amazing scenes that begged to be seen, not just read about. We had learned in book one about four exceptional elementals known as the ‘Talents’ and we knew that Cam had been put on this mission to find the other three and I thought this was a great direction for the series because the mission was really good, I liked what is was about, how they had to go about collecting clues, etc. it gave it more of a scavenger hunt type of feel and that along with the setting gave it a great atmosphere. I appreciated getting the other characters inputs as things were going on elsewhere too, keeping us in the loop about what is going on in the world of AMT aswell as DEFEND.  I liked that Cam had an extra threat aside from her mission that brings a new threat to life which seems to be just as sinister as AMT, which also brings about more questions about her past and about what the new threat wants and where they came from. I love that these stories show strong, capable women - I’m not just talking about Cam - and that these women do not ‘need’ these men to complete them, they have them to compliment what and who they are, showing a softer side to not just the women but the men too. This book had lots going on, it was exciting, dangerous and passionate… the fight for the ‘First Borns’ freedom’ is stepped up with unexpected people emerging into the situation but for every question solved, there are  more brought to my attention, and with the introduction of new characters, new threats and new discoveries…. I can’t wait for the next book. 

A Review for Blaze of Secrets (Asylums for Magical Threats #1) by Jessie Donovan

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: September 2nd 2013
Finished Date: November 8th, 2013

Publishers: LHK
Genre: Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Source: For Review

Format: eARC

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

To avoid persecution, the Feiru will do anything to keep their elemental magic a secret from humans—even lock away their children for life. Few know what goes on inside the prison system for magic users, but that is about to change…

Kiarra Melini overhears the dangerous secrets of her blood and decides that if Feiru elemental magic is to survive, she needs to die. But before she can finish the deed, a handsome black-clad man kidnaps her from prison and introduces her to an anti-prison activist group. As the prison retrieval squad hunts for her, Kiarra must overcome the demons of her past or risk losing not only her newfound freedom, but also the man who reawakens her desires and captures her heart.

Jaxton Ward finally rescues his older brother from prison, but instead of helping with his brother’s recovery, he’s ordered to train Kiarra—a stubborn elemental fire user who claims her magic is gone. But just as Kiarra starts trusting him with her secrets, the prison enforcers catch up with them. Now Jaxton must find a way to keep his family safe while also protecting the only woman able to ignite both his temper and his passion.

The Review: Blaze of Secrets was a brilliant start to the Asylums for Magical Threats series and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The series premise is that there are magical people born into the world who control the elements and because it affects the first born children, they are taken away from their parents at maturity and placed in a prison like system, never to see the outside world again. The parents think that they are protecting their first borns from persecution from the outside world and their burgeoning powers so have no qualms about handing then over to people with their best interest at heart…. Little do they know but they are handing over their children to torture, abuse & experimentation. Jaxton Ward’s brother is one of the first borns taken and he has spent the last decade trying to find him and when he eventually obtains the information about his whereabouts, it comes with a condition….. rescue Kiarra Melini, the woman in the cell next door too… and when he does… sparks will fly as the synopsis explains perfectly. I really liked the characters, it was so easy to gel with both of them and I connected with Kiarra in the first chapter because as the synopsis tells us, she is trying to commit suicide. Her life in the prison for the last 15 years has been horrid and she sees no light at the end of the tunnel, it’s amazing she has made it that far so we meet her in the worst possible place in time and it’s impossible not to empathise with her situation. I loved when Jaxton arrived, he had a Knight in black camo thing going on and is totally unprepared for what he finds in Kiarra, he is drawn to her straight away and that’s just the beginning. I loved how their relationship developed and how they worked through their problems, obviously Kiarra is going to be more damaged but she handled it really great and I liked how she worked through things in her head, I also liked Jaxton’s handling of her and their chemistry was sizzling as the trust grew. I actually liked all of the secondary characters as well and a good few of them are stand outs so I’m hoping for more from them too. I loved the idea behind the book, I don’t read a lot about elemental powers and with the first born prison system element it brings something new to the table, giving me a unique and interesting story plus the amount of people in those jails gives this series a lot of possibilities. With the seriousness of what is happening to these elementals we are obviously going to get corruption and abuse of power and that is where the enemy threat comes in, politics does have a role in this although it isn’t overwhelming and as always with tyrannical leaders comes the opposition, the rebellion and the catalyst for change which introduces us to the legend of four exceptional elementals who are destined for big things… if they survive. It had everything I love in a paranormal romance book, the relationship was a major factor & lovely, I liked that Jaxton thought out of the box when it came to winning her over, I said before that I liked how Kiarra handled herself for all she had been through, it was slightly psychological like coaxing an abuse victim to trust someone but that only made me empathise with both characters all the more. When the action got going it took on a run, chase, hide scenario and I like that because it amps up the danger, the bad guys definitely show that they will stop at nothing which also gave a dangerous edge to it and we get a good few point of views that let us into everyones head – good and bad- so we know what’s coming from all angles which I loved. I have to say that I was drawn into this book and hooked by the beginning, it really made an impact and kept me reading, the pacing was great, I was never bored and read it in one sitting and if I’m getting this from the first book, I can’t wait to see what I get from the sequel.