Buy: Amazon
Review
4.5 stars!
Another fantastically exciting ride from Rebecca Zanetti and the Dark Protectors!
I have been so excited waiting for this book! Adare and Grace were mated earlier in the series in a last-ditch effort to save Grace’s life. After being in a coma for two years, Grace was dying, and Adare stepped in to do the only thing possible to save her – mating her by biting and branding her, but without the sex and all of the emotional entanglements. It’s now five years later, and they have both carried on with their own lives, having gone their own ways with no interaction at all.
But fate has brought them back together, and just in time, because Grace has a mysterious prophesy hanging over her head and is in danger, and with her mating to Adare only half-completed, she is becoming unwell again.
Adare is a hardened warrior whose whole life is his brothers, and his role as one of the Seven. He would do anything for their cause, including a suicidal mission to attack their enemy, the Kurjans, even if it means possible death. He is a big, broody alpha who has no interest in love or forming a connection with anybody, but then he learns that Grace is in danger, and he goes into full-on protector mode to keep her safe.
He exhaled slowly. “Thus far, I’ve kept my distance from you, and it has probably appeared that I’m easy going. I’m not.”
Thrown back together, there are all kinds of fireworks. Adare doesn’t want to feel anything for Grace, but he can’t deny that she drives him crazy. He’s wildly attracted to her, and he does care for her, and his mated male instincts demand that he protect and defend her. But Grace is a strong woman who wants nothing to do with the supernatural world, and though she can’t deny the pull to Adare, she doesn’t take well to him coming in and stomping all over her life. It’s a perfect set-up for sparks to fly, and I loved watching it all unfold!
“Come on, Adare. Neither one of us knows exactly what we’re getting into, and that’s a fact. You think you can handle me, and I think I can handle you, and neither one of us likes to be handled.”
“Grace, I admire your sense of adventure, but make no mistake, you will be handled.”
There’s clearly an attraction between them, and hints of something deeper, and it’s all kinds of hot as they explore it all.
He brushed his knuckles down the side of her face. “I made a decision and a vow when I mated you with a bite and a mark, and I meant it. That hasn’t changed, and we will mate again tonight. Completely.”
I loved this romance. Adare and Grace are both strong, opinionated characters, so there’s lots of arguing, but they’re both sensible, and so open about everything that’s going on between them and it makes for a blessedly functional relationship. And seeing the big badass fall so hard for his spirited and sassy girl is just gorgeous. Grace is truly a bright light in his dark world, and I loved watching them come together.
“Rumor has it you’ll heal faster if your blood gets pumping.”
He grinned, gathering her hair in his hand and leaning down to kiss her luscious lips. “Are you going to heal me?”…
“Yes.” Her eyes were a luminous green in the steamy shower. “I’m going to heal you in all sorts of ways.”
But Adare is still holding back. And Grace is still in danger and searching for answers to her past and her future. Plus, there are mysterious health issues, bad guys to take out and a bunch of enhanced women to save. It’s all about to collide into an exciting, action-packed, heart-pounding ride, and I was madly flipping pages, desperate to see how it would all work out (spoiler alert – I was not disappointed, and actually squeed out loud on more than one occasion).
There’s a really strong tie-in with the earlier part of the series, with some of the action taking place at Realm Headquarters with Dage and the other supernatural leaders, and there are some big shifts for the Realm as a whole, the ongoing battle with the Kurjans, and the future of now-13-year-old Hope. The story continues to twist and turn and I loved watching all of the different parts come together, building towards what is promising to be a thrilling ending to the series (continuing with what I’m hoping is Benny’s book, because after that glimpse, I need it!).
Freaking loved it – 4.5 stars!
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
See our Dark Protectors/Realm Enforcers series page for info on the series
Check out our Rebecca Zanetti Author Spotlight for more of Rebecca’s work