Eternal Rider by Larissa Ione

Eternal Rider
(Lords of Deliverance Book #1)
by Larissa Ione

Genre: Paranormal Romance | Dark Fantasy

They are here. They ride. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

His name is Ares, and the fate of mankind rests on his powerful shoulders. If he falls to the forces of evil, the world falls too. As one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, he is far stronger than any mortal, but even he cannot fight his destiny forever. Not when his own brother plots against him.

Yet there is one last hope. Gifted in a way other humans can't-or won't-understand, Cara Thornhart is the key to both this Horseman's safety and his doom. But involving Cara will prove treacherous, even beyond the maddening, dangerous desire that seizes them the moment they meet. For staving off eternal darkness could have a staggering cost: Cara's life.

Ares has been around for over five thousand years, once a human man, now an immortal being who is one of four that will change the world one day - whether they're ready for it or not. Two destinies have been predicted, but no one knows which will come true in the end, thus Ares (who has a well-known Greek God named after him!) must continue the struggle to keep his seal intact. Each Horseman has a different secret key to protect, but Ares's seal has suddenly become more precious & delicate for his chaotic world of war & demons - a mortal women, Cara. Both are now thrust into a battle to keep Cara alive at all costs, but the closer Ares gets to her, the weaker he becomes. Now they have to learn to work together to prevent the Apocalypse, but their attraction to each other might be the most harmful thing of all.

I'm a fan of Ione's hot romances, always very steamy and well-written, but Cara Thornhart just flat out annoyed me. I never warmed up to her throughout the whole tale and felt much of her so-called growth or development within the story was just unbelievable and shallow. Overall, she was either too timid or oddly daring, no middle ground adjustments...thus her character was just too badly constructed for me to truly become absorbed in her journey throughout Eternal Rider. Ares on the other hand was quite interesting and carried much of the story himself. Be prepared for many past characters to resurface, which can sometimes become a little overwhelming but fun as well to catch up. All in all, I highly enjoyed Reseph/Pestilence best and found him the most entertaining Horseman who will keep the series on a dark edge for books to come.

Likes: From a historic perspective, I was fascinated with the immortal's hidden hideouts - secret islands with ancient temples, etc. Nice!

Dislikes: I felt a little sorry that Ares's "war" personality prevented him from interacting with crowds - i.e. no parties!

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Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione

Pleasure Unbound
(A Demonica Series Book #1)
by Larissa Ione

Genre: Paranormal Romance | Dark Fantasy

In a place where ecstasy can cost you your life…

She’s a demon-slayer who hungers for sensual pleasure—but fears it will always be denied her. Until Tayla Mancuso lands in a hospital run by demons in disguise, and the head doctor, Eidolon, makes her body burn with unshakable desire. But to prove her ultimate loyalty to her peers, she must betray the surgeon who saved her life.

Two lovers will dare to risk all.

Eidolon cannot resist this fiery, dangerous woman who fills him with both rage and passion. Not only is she his avowed enemy, but she could very well be the hunter who has been preying upon his people. Torn between his need for the truth and his desire to find his perfect mate before a horrific transformation claims him forever, Eidolon will dare the unthinkable—and let Tayla possess him, body and soul…

Eidolon is on the cusp of turning into a full succubus demon with no conscious between good & bad, but if he can find his soul-mate before the change - things won't become so dark and deadly. Thus, it's a bittersweet miracle that Tayla should arrive at his hospital in need of assistance but not so lucky that she happens to be a hunter of his kind and is hated by much of the hospital staff. Things between the two quickly heat up as the mystery of the underground demon market seller unravels. It's a bumpy ride overall, but in the end, both must let down some emotional guards and be willing to trust each other in order to survive.

I was in the mood for something hot & steamy, plus I'm taking a bit of a break from Highlander tales since I'm off to Scotland in a few days! ( Whoo-hoo! ) Anyways, this was a re-read for me and I'm glad I did - it was yummy! I forgot much of Eidolon's story since my first read and I could only remember him as the "older brother" from the later stories in the series. Plus, it was refreshing to have a likable female lead who was both stubbornly strong and emotionally distraught since the last few books I've read have been bummers in that department.

The relationship between the two was fun to read about not only because it was juicy, but also quite realistic. They had their moments of bonding through heated debates and comical conversations all while fighting to stay together when everything/everyone else around them was trying to separate the two. The brothers' interactions added much entertainment and were all very enjoyable and the plot ran smoothly throughout with a very satisfying ending. I can't wait to let a few months go by again before re-reading Pleasure Unbound again!

Likes: I'm usually not a fan of characters getting it on without much communication, but in this case - it was a very sexy read without crossing too much into the erotic genre! Plus, the demon/monster society was interesting to read about.

Dislikes: There were a few boring parts here & there - example : the demon-slayer society.

Rating:

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Sin Undone by Larissa Ione

Sin Undone
(Demonica Novel #5)
by Larissa Ione

Genre : Paranormal Romance | Urban Fantasy

HER TOUCH IS DEADLY

As the only female Seminus demon ever born, master assassin Sinead Donnelly is used to being treated like an outcast. She spent decades enslaved, and now vows she’ll die before she’ll relinquish her freedom again. Then Sin’s innate ability to kill her enemies goes awry: She creates a lethal new werewolf virus that sparks a firestorm of panic and violence.

HIS HUNGER CAN’T BE DENIED

Half-werewolf, half-vampire Conall Dearghul is charged with bringing in Sin to face punishment for the plague. And she’s no stranger: He’s bound to her by blood, and the one sexual encounter they shared has left him hungering for her raw sensuality. Worse, Sin is the underworld’s most wanted and Con soon learns he’s the only one who can help her . . . and that saving her life might mean sacrificing his own.

Sinead (aka Sin) has always felt left behind and non-deserving of anything good in life. Her Mother tried to kill her when she was a baby, her twin Brother deserted her when they discovered their demon heritage in her early 20s, and all those she knew from her mortal life (i.e. caring Grandparents) have died, thus she now focuses only on herself. Yet, upon discovering some new family connections (three brothers) work at the UG, under-ground demon hospital, she stumbles across a paramedic there -Conall (aka Con)- who begins to push Sin's buttons in ways no one else can. As a connection between them grows, Sin must dodge her assassin co-workers who are out to kill her for her job and assist with the deadly genocide disease that she started before either she, her new mate, and those close to her with the virus end up dead.

This was a nice genre switch for me since lately I find my reading list is consumed with Historical Romances or Young Adult novels, thus it was great to get a little down & dirty with demons in this steamy book. I'm also a huge fan of this series, so it was enjoyable catching up with past characters and seeing the Demonica world expand. I wasn't that big of a Sin fan in previous books, but getting her POV really softened her for me and I'm happy with her relationship with Con. Certain points were a little cheesy here and there with Con trying to break down Sin's emotional wall (had me remembering a particular Family Guy episode) and some of their lovey-dovey quotes had me smirking as well, but overall it was a great read that I devoured in two days and couldn't put down. Plus, those love scenes were yummy!

Likes: Sin slowly opening up to her Brothers was nice to read about in the end and seeing their sibling bond grow.

Dislikes: Even though I'm a fan to the series, the overload of multiple vampires, dhampirs, various demons, werewolves, and shifters can get a bit confusing at times and I don't like that distracting me from the story itself.

Rating:

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