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Review
4 stars!
Book #8 in the Immortal Guardians series brings a change in pace from the earlier books as we shift away from the action for a bit and in its place we get a slower-moving, heartfelt romance that is gorgeously sweet and swoony. Of course there is still some action and supernatural goings, it’s more about the love story in this one, and I loved it!
Before that this book, and this review, contains spoilers for earlier books in the series so make sure you’ve read the previous books before diving into this one as finally we get the answer to the question – whatever happened to Stanislav?
After the big mercenary battle, Stanislav went missing, with his Immortal Guardian brethren clueless as to his whereabouts, or if he even made it out of the fight alive. Well, he did….. but barely. Battered and broken, a barely conscious Stanislav was taken and buried alive, regaining consciousness for brief moments only to pass out again, and unable to heal himself. For two long years he suffered, until he hears the sound of a woman’s voice that soothes him like no other.
Susan is a writer who has a telepathic ‘gift’. She can hear others’ thoughts, she has no idea how or why, but the constant noise drives her crazy and has proven to be dangerous in the past. She has just bought herself a house in the middle of nowhere, a place that gives her a peace like she’s never experienced before. When she is compelled down to the basement one evening, she is overcome with curiosity and digs into the dirt ground, eventually finding a gravely wounded and emaciated man who is bizarrely alive, but with no memory of who (or what) he is or how he came to be there.
Drawn to help him, Susan cares for Stanislav and they realise that they both share special gifts – while she can read his thoughts, he can read and control her emotions – and recognising these gifts makes Stanislav’s bizarre survival easier to accept. It is also these gifts that begin to bring them together as there are absolutely no secrets between them, with everything exposed and out in the open, and I love that! It makes for a really interesting dynamic when they both know what the other is feeling, and dreaming, making them nothing but honest with each other, and it brings a fantastic edge to their undeniable attraction.
Ooh. That’s so cool. Even in your thoughts, your voice deepens and gets all growly when you’re turned on. Before he could respond, she made a sound of impatience. Damn it. Now I’m turned on.
I love Stanislav! Despite his badassery, he is such a gentle soul. Kind, polite, and absolutely charming, he’s nothing but sweet and respectful with Susan. His vulnerability over his predicament is beautifully written and gives him a softer edge, but he’s also fiercely protective and sexy as all hell. And Susan is a great match for him – smart, sensible and confident, she is surprisingly welcoming and accepting of Stanislav’s presence in her life, but she more than held her own against him, and I loved watching things develop between them.
“You need someone you can trust.”
Smiling, he touched her cheek. “I already have someone I trust. You.”
She clasped his wrists and turned her head, pressing a kiss to his palm. “Flirt.”
He winked. “Just wait until I confirm I’m not married. Then I’ll take flirting to a whole new level.”
“Hell yes, you will,” she declared.
He laughed.
But there are people who knew that Stanislav was buried and they will stop at nothing to try and find him again. And how will Stanislav get his memories back and what will happen when he does? He knows that he is different, and he has natural instincts that are not normal, but he doesn’t know why. And what of the Immortal Guardians who think he’s dead? So many questions to be answered, and I was so excited as I read, trying to figure out how it was all going to happen and beyond excited to get there.
But I did enjoy the slower pace of this book. With Stanislav removed from the rest of the Immortal Guardians, there’s a different feel to this one without all of the action and intrigue that comes with the group. There is still some excitement, but I appreciated the attention paid to Stanislav and Susan’s unfolding love story as they fell hard for each other. They are fun and playful together, and although things happen quickly, it feels like a slow burn, and there’s a delicious sense of anticipation as we wait for it all to happen for them.
The rest of the Immortal Guardians do eventually make an appearance in scenes that had me grinning like an idiot, and the book ends beautifully – better than I could have hoped, and a balm to the soul of series fans.
I loved this book! It was a great addition to the series, and I eagerly await whoever’s story is coming next!
4 stars.
Check out our Immortal Guardians / Gifted Ones series page for more information on this exciting series