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Review
I immediately became a fan of Stacia Kane after reading her Downside Ghosts series, and I knew that I had to get my hands on her newest book, Made for Sin, after reading the blurb. I love the vivid urban fantasy worlds she creates and Made for Sin did not disappoint.
E.L. Speare is a Las Vegas PI who is known for his strength and persuasion. But Speare has a secret. He literally shares his head with a demon and keeps the beast satisfied by sinning. Luckily, living in Sin City allows for many opportinuties to help keep the beast in check.
He didn’t steal because it was fun. He stole to keep from going Mr. Hyde on the general public – he sinned to keep from going Mr. Hyde on the general public. It wasn’t something he chose to do, just because.
When Speare is put on a new case, we see the world Stacia has created come to life. Speare has to solve the gruesome murder and it seems he needs the help of Ardeth Coyle.
Ardeth is a smart, confident, sexy thief who is successful at what she does. She knows a lot about occult artifacts and could be the answer to finding out who used a demon-sword as a murder weapon in the case Speare is working. When Speare meets Ardeth, though, the two are imediately butting heads, unsure of how they will get along. They bicker back and forth but Speare is a no-nonsense kind of guy and doesn’t play games. Ardeth is rattling him big time yet there is an attraction growing that Speare is not used to and it’s something he can not act on. The beast wants her, too and for her safety, Speare can’t allow it to have her either.
The beast had already taken his freedom from him, years before. No way was he letting it take anything else, even if that meant not allowing himself to have anything it could take
As bodies start piling up, each death worse than the previous, Speare and Ardeth find themselves in the middle of a dangerous mystery as their feelings and desires for each other grow stronger. The more time they spend together the harder it is to deny what is happening between them.
She was salvation, something he’d wanted all his life but had long since given up hope of finding. And she was there. Ready. Willing. Wanting him.
…
He just couldn’t refuse the chance she was offering him, the chance to know how it felt to be with a woman he truly cared about – not just liked well enough to take home for the night, but cared about. And to know that she was there because she cared about him. Just once in his life he wanted to feel that. Fuck the consequences and fuck the pain he knew he’d be in later; this was his chance, and her was fucking taking it.
Unfortunately, as Speare and Ardeth get closer to solving the mystery, everything goes to hell. Toward the end of the book, we finally meet the nightmarish creature hidden inside Speare’s head when the demon comes out to play. He is horrifying, shows no mercy, and enjoys the kill.
How will things turn out in Speare and Aredeth’s supernatural world. Is there a future for them when the mystery is finally solved?
I really enjoyed Made for Sin and all that surrounds Speare and Ardeth. Speare interested me from the start. He’s a man that wants a normal life but can’t have it. He wasn’t given a choice and my heart broke for the longing he had to be free from the demon. I also hated that he didn’t feel deserving of Ardeth and that he didn’t think he could ever have a true relationship.
I really enjoyed Ardeth as well. I liked her personality and how she was gentle and supportive toward Speare when his secret is revealed. She does not judge him and tries to understand what he is going through.
I do, however, wish there was more of a connection between Ardeth and Speare. I liked how they interacted but I wanted a deeper development of a relationship. The way the book seemed to be going, I figured there would be more romance than there was. The mystery was the main element though, and the unique plot kept me interested and engaged. It had you guessing why things were occuring and what was going to happen next. There were twists toward the end that I did not see coming and I was glad we got more information about the beast.
Made for Sin provides the excitement, action, suspense, and mystery I’ve come to expect and love from Stacia Kane. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and just wished there was MORE!! I am not sure if this is a standalone, but this would be an awesome start to a new series, Stacia Kane! *hint hint, wink wink*
*ARC generously provided by NetGalley and Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review*