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Review
“He had returned. This world had better be ready.”
5 stars!
OMG, I love this book! It’s action packed and a wild ride from start to finish, I was hooked from the very first moment and struggled to put this one down. It’s exciting, fun and intriguing with fantastic character dynamics and a gorgeous romance, and I loved every little bit of it.
I’m a huge fan of the Dark Protectors series and am loving the direction of this second story arc that began in book #8, shifting the storyline away from the Realm and to the Seven – a secretive, elite group of immortal warriors charged with protecting the world from super-villain, Ulric.
Quade Kayrs (great, great uncle to the original Kayrs boys in the series) is a demon-vampire hybrid and was one of the original Seven. He was chosen to exist in a ‘bubble’ realm created to keep Ulric captive, and he has endured centuries of endless torture, dying over and over again as he works to keep Ulric’s prison intact. His one touchstone has been the soothing glimpses of a beautiful but mysterious woman, Haven, and when his very world began collapsing around him, it is her voice that leads him through to safety.
Haven Daly is a woman on the run from her past. She endured unimaginable torment at the hands of her adopted family who believed she was possessed by a demon. Why else would she have strange visions, and dream of supernatural creatures? Well, it turns out she’s an actual demon… not that she knows that. She now lives her life in hiding, accepting of the fact that there is clearly something wrong with her, and content to follow her feelings as she is pulled in a particular direction, to a man that she has seen only in her dreams, and now, for the first time, in the flesh.
“This is real,” he said, his voice guttural and raw. “You have to know. This is real.”
She could only nod. It had to be. Right?
Quade is back on earth for the first time in over 2,000 years, and the first person he sees is the woman who helped him find his way home. He instantly recognises Haven as a fellow supernatural, and not only that, but as his fated mate. It’s something he thought he’d never have, and as a member of the Seven, it’s not something he thought he’d be allowed to have. But the female is his, and he puts himself in the role of protector as the two of them team up to find his ‘brothers’ in the Seven, all while danger is closing in on them.
There was a time he’d accepted the fate of dying alone on that horrible world. This was another chance to live a different life, one he had not even dared to dream about before. The female had saved him, and now he would save her.
God, I love this story. Quade and Haven are absolutely sensational characters – both with their quirks, which is very understandable given the lives they’ve lived. Quade’s reintroduction to life on earth is so entertaining, and the bickering and bantering between the two of them is so much fun.
She licked her lips, and his eyes flared. “I’m not into the whole alpha male thing.” Not true. Her body was all in. She never should have drunk half a bottle of whiskey. Four steps forward, and she could have her mouth on that hot male skin. “Sorry.”
“Alpha male thing?” He rubbed his cleanly shaven jaw. “Explain.”
“That. That order,” she burst out. “I’m not into guys who think they’re in charge and are all grrrr.”
He frowned. “I’m not all grrrr.”
This was getting ridiculous.
“But I am in charge.”
Every interaction between them is underpinned by their sizzling chemistry. As destined mates, it’s hard for them to resist each other, but there are things in the way of them being together, and the push and pull is absolutely delicious! The sexual tension builds brilliantly, and I loved watching them find their way forward in their own unique way.
He paused and looked up at her until she focused on him. “You are worth waiting for, Haven Daley. Someday, when you’re ready, your heart will be mine.”
His words barely computed, but her heart warmed anyway.
He twisted those fingers inside her, sending electricity along every nerve. “For now, your pleasure is.”
It’s sexy and sweet, and the love story develops beautifully, and I loved watching it happen. And it all unfolds amidst much excitement as they constantly fight for their survival against enemies old and new, and I couldn’t flip the pages fast enough.
There is drama and some gorgeous emotion with the long-waited reunion with the Seven, and their meet up with the boys of Realm is awesome, giving us the chance to catch up with characters from the previous books – including earlier in the series – and I loved that so much. The storyline is continuing to build to its exciting climax, with Haven a big part of that, and with books coming for the rest of the Seven, and an intriguing story continuing to develop for little Hope Kayrs-Killwood, I’m so excited for what is to come!
This book is everything that I love about paranormal romance, and I freaking loved it! 5 stars.
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
See our Dark Protectors/Realm Enforcers series page for info on the series
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