Reivew: Ties That Bind - Pippa DaCosta

“I am fire. I am destruction. I will be their nightmare.”

The veil fell. Demons are here. Muse knows she can stop the slaughter, but to do so, she must return to the battle-scarred streets of Boston and face the cold, hard, truth. Her old life is ashes. Her love, turned to dust. But all is not lost; a spark of hope remains. A spark from which an inferno can blaze.

To stop the demons claiming Earth as their own, Muse must unite those capable of repairing the veil. The Dark Court, led by her Prince of Lust father, seek to recruit her to their cause. They want the veil destroyed for good; for chaos to reign for eternity. She will need to manoeuvre around their deadly intentions, and enlist the King of Hell’s help, before it’s too late.

For Muse to succeed, she must survive her father, save her soul, resurrect her love, forgive her enemies, and betray a trust. She must be everything she can be—demon and human. She must be their nightmare.

***

In this, the fifth and final Veil Series book, we return to where it all began. To the netherworld, where once a wretched half-blood girl surprised the Prince of Greed. To a world where ‘hope’ is fantasy, and ‘love’ a disease.

Muse is ready to take the fight to the demons. Are you?

The Veil Series:
Wings of Hope (Novella)
Beyond the Veil
Devil May Care
Darkest Before Dawn
Drowning in the Dark
Ties That Bind
One for Sorrow (Novella)

Chaos Rises Series:
(Spin off from the Veil series)
Chaos Rises
Chaos Unleashed
Chaos Falls

Visit Pippa DaCosta's website for more information

Review:
You know that feeling when you love a book so much you can't get your thoughts organised enough to write a proper review? Well, that's the problem I'm having with Ties That Bind so you're just going to have to forgive me. I fell in love with Pippa DaCosta's Veil series when I read the prequel novella and that love has only grown with each and every instalment. The series really does have it all: fantastic complex and three dimensional characters, jaw dropping action and a plot that is full of more twists than a bowl full of noodles. You honestly never know what you're going to get and I love that about it.

Ties That Bind is completely packed with action, so much so that I devoured it in one sitting. Muse will be forced to betray someone she loves while she protects one of her enemies, she'll have to face off against her father and the remaining princes, she'll meet an exciting new character (please oh please someone tell me that Li'el is going to be the star of the spin off series because I'm already half in love with him!) but never be quite sure which side he is on and she'll finally have to pick where her future lies - with demon Akil or half-demon Stefan.

This series doesn't shy away from the dark, in fact it welcomes it in with open arms. Muse has been through so much and it's changed the way she sees things but she has never lost hope that the world can be saved. She may think she doesn't deserve her own happily ever after but she is determined to put a stop to the princes and to close the veil so humanity can be saved. She's the kind of character you root for from the beginning, she's strong, smart and completely badass and I love her for it. I've also enjoyed seeing the pull the two men in her life have on her, don't panic and think this is another of those series with a terrible love triangle because it really isn't but both Stefan and Akil have a piece of her heart and it hurts to see her have to choose between them.

I don't really know what else to say about this book other than to say how gutted I am that the series has come to an end. I'm excited that there will be a spin off but I'm going to miss Muse and her crew so I'm hoping we'll at least see a few cameo appearances. Either way I'm looking forward to spending more time in this world, I'm sure there is a lot more story for Pippa DaCosta to tell and if it's half as good as this series then it's going to be awesome. If you haven't started this series yet then I honestly don't know what the hell you're waiting for - it's one of the best new urban fantasy series I've discovered in a long time & I think everyone should read it!

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Winter - Marissa Meyer

This is not the fairy tale you remember.
But it's one you won't forget.

Winter is admired for her grace, kindness and beauty, despite the scars on her face. She's said to be even more breath taking than her stepmother, Queen Levana . . . 

When Winter develops feelings for the handsome palace guard, Jacin, she fears the evil Queen will crush their romance before it has a chance to begin.

But there are stirrings against the Queen across the land. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even find the power to launch a revolution and win a war that's been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress and Winter claim their happily-ever-afters by defeating Levana once and for all?

Lunar Chronicles Series:
Glitches (free prequel short story can be read online here)
The Little Android (free short story can be read online here)
Cinder
The Queen's Army (free short story can be read online here)
Scarlet
Cress
Carswell's Guide to Being Lucky (free short story can be read by signing up for Marissa Meyer's newsletter)
Fairest
Winter

Wires and Nerve:
(Graphic novel series staring Iko set after the events in the Lunar Chronicles books)
Wires and Nerve Volume 1
Wires and Nerve Volume 2: Gone Rogue

Visit Marissa Meyer's website for more information

Review:
Winter, the long awaited finale to the Lunar Chronicles, was probably one of my most anticipated reads of 2015 so it's no surprise that I dropped everything to dive straight in when my copy arrived. Not many authors can pull off a book that's over 800 pages long but still has me gripped from beginning to end but Marissa Mayer achieved it and Winter was truly EPIC. I did have an issue with one thing towards the end of the book but apart from that I loved every minute of this book and it took me on an emotional roller coaster ride that I won't be forgetting any time soon.

I want to talk about how much I love all the characters in this series (well, apart from Levana who is one of the most despicable character's I've ever read about LOL). I love how unique each of the couples have been and how they've all had their own important roles to play in the series. Cinder has been a brilliant character from the beginning, I love how smart she is and the way she always looks out for the people around her. She never wanted to be the missing Lunar princess but she knows she's the only one who can rightfully take the throne from Levana so she's taken on the responsibility to save her people even when the thought of becoming a queen terrifies her. Kai is a great match for her, he understands responsibility probably even more than she does, everything he does is to protect the his people even when it means making horrific sacrifices like agreeing to marry Levana. Their relationship has been quite a slow burner but it's so sweet to watch and I loved it.

Scarlet and Wolf have been through hell and back already but their troubles are only just beginning. At the start of Winter Scarlet is being held captive on Lunar and Wolf is at a complete loss without her. My heart broke for everything these two have to endure and I think they're probably my favourite couple because of the way they're both so determined to find a way back to each other. Nothing is going to stop them and they have some of the sweetest moments in the book alongside some of the most upsetting. Thorne always makes me laugh, no matter what situation the group find themselves in he always manages to lighten the mood and add a little humour. There is a lot more to him than meets the eye though and I enjoyed getting the chance to dig deeper into his character in this book. Cress is the sweetest and most innocent of the group, she has led such a sheltered life and has never really been in physical danger in this way before but she steps up to the plate wonderfully and I was so proud of how brave she has become here.

Winter and Jacin may be the newest couple in the series but I think they're possibly the cutest. Winter comes across as completely crazy most of the time and she's definitely damaged thanks to the Lunar sickness she has from refusing to use her abilities but underneath the madness she can be surprisingly intelligent and she has some really interesting insights into other characters and the situation they're all in. Jacin has loved Winter forever but he knows they'll never have a future, after all she's a princess and he's merely a guard. He will do anything to protect her though and as much as some of his actions are questionable and made me angry his heart is in the right place and he has a reason for everything he does. Never once does he care about his own life, it's all about what needs to be done to protect Winter and I admired him for the way he looked out for her. I also loved seeing the two of them together and even now I've reached the end of the series I'm having trouble picking out a favourite couple to ship. I can't forget to mention Iko, the sweetest little boy crazy android you could ever hope to meet, she is just so adorable and adds a huge amount of fun to the series.

What I love about Marissa Meyer, aside from her ability to create fantastic characters and a wonderfully imaginative world, is the way she manages to take such well known fairytales and completely twist them on their heads. She includes enough elements to make them recognisable but at the same time manages to create something unique and completely her own. This series has been full of incredibly highs and horrifying lows and Winter nearly turned me into an emotional wreck but the journey was so, so worth it. I did mention that there was something towards the end that irritated me but I can't go into too much depth without giving spoilers so I'll just say that I didn't like the way they used Levana's disfigurement against her, they had plenty of other ammunition to use considering all the horrific things Levana has done and that just made me feel really uncomfortable. In any other book I'd have probably marked the story down for that but I was so completely invested in this series and so gripped for the entire book that I can't bring myself to give it less than five stars. It truly has been a memorable journey and although I'm sad it's over I'm very happy with the way everything came together.

Marissa Meyer was already an auto-buy author for me but finding out that her next book, Heartless, is going to be based on Alice in Wonderland has just made me even more eager to get my hands on a copy!

Source: Purchased

Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Quick Review: Carswell's Guide to Being Lucky - Marissa Meyer

Thirteen-year-old Carswell Thorne has big plans involving a Rampion spaceship and a no-return trip out of Los Angeles.

A short story that appeared in Target exclusive copies of Cress. (You can also subscribe to Marissa Meyer's newsletter and this short story will be emailed to you for free!)

Lunar Chronicles Series:
Glitches (free prequel short story can be read online here)
The Little Android (free short story can be read online here)
Cinder
The Queen's Army (free short story can be read online here)
Scarlet
Cress
Carswell's Guide to Being Lucky (free short story can be read by signing up for Marissa Meyer's newsletter)
Fairest
Winter

Wires and Nerve:
(Graphic novel series staring Iko set after the events in the Lunar Chronicles books)
Wires and Nerve Volume 1
Wires and Nerve Volume 2: Gone Rogue

Visit Marissa Meyer's website for more information

Quick Review:
Carswell's Guide to Being Lucky is a free short story in Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles that was originally only available in Target exclusive copies of Cress which was a huge disappointment to international readers like me who had no chance of buying a copy. Thankfully this story is now available to anyone, all you have to do is sign up for Marissa Meyer's newsletter and she'll send you a free copy of it. Don't you just love it when author's give something back to their fans? I know I do so I really appreciate this gesture!

I'm not going to go into much detail about this story because it's really short and it would be too easy to spoil. Instead I'll just tell you that it's about Captain Thorne's school days, he's only thirteen years old in this and you can already tell what a loveable rogue he's going to grow into. I loved reading about his crazy money making schemes and it was interesting to learn more about his background. Was it too short? Of course it was, let's be honest anything less than a full length novel (& probably not even that!) wasn't going to give me my fill of Thorne but as an extra freebie read I loved every minute of it.

Source: I received a free copy by signing up for Marissa Meyer's newsletter.

Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Quick Review: The Little Android - Marissa Meyer

The Little Android is a retelling of The Little Mermaid, set in the world of The Lunar Chronicles by New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer.

When android Mech6.0 saves the life of a handsome hardware engineer, her body is destroyed and her mechanics discover a glitch in her programming. Androids aren’t meant to develop impractical reasoning or near-emotional responses . . . let alone fall in love.

Lunar Chronicles Series:
Glitches (free prequel short story can be read online here)
The Little Android (free short story can be read online here)
Cinder
The Queen's Army (free short story can be read online here)
Scarlet
Cress
Carswell's Guide to Being Lucky (free short story can be read by signing up for Marissa Meyer's newsletter)
Fairest
Winter

Wires and Nerve:
(Graphic novel series staring Iko set after the events in the Lunar Chronicles books)
Wires and Nerve Volume 1
Wires and Nerve Volume 2: Gone Rogue

Visit Marissa Meyer's website for more information

Quick Review:
I absolutely love Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chroncles series and I love that she's written so many short stories set in this world that she gives to fans as little freebies. The Little Android is actually a retelling of The Little Mermaid (the original version rather than the Disney one) and it can be read for free on Wattpad HERE.

I have to admit that when I saw the title I had hoped the story might be about Iko, the funniest little boy crazy android who happens to be one of my favourite characters in the series, but now I've read the story I'm kind of glad it was about a new character! This story works as a complete stand alone so it doesn't matter if you've read any of the other books - although if you are familiar with the series you'll be pleased to spot a small appearance from Cinder!

I'm not going to go into details of the plot - it's free, and short so it'll only take you about 20 minute so you have absolutely no excuse not to read it yourself! - but this is a really cute but rather bitter-sweet story that gave me all the feels at the end.

Thanks Marissa Meyer for all these extras, can you please write lots more of them because I'm not ready to say goodbye to this world or these characters yet!

Source: Read for free on the Wattpad website here.

Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Review: Marked by an Assassin - Felicity Heaton

A snow leopard shifter exiled from his pride twenty years ago, Harbin treads the dark path of life as an assassin, driven by a hunger for vengeance, mercilessly hunting the Archangel members who attacked his kin, murdering his mother and sister.

When a new contract comes in and the mark is a snow leopard shifter, he can’t resist venturing into the mortal world on a personal mission to find out why one from a normally peaceful species now has a price on their head. What he finds in a rundown nightclub isn’t quite what he expects—a beautiful snow leopard female that awakens a fierce hunger inside him.

Aya has spent seventeen years living in London, immersed in the underbelly of the fae world, keeping her head down and her tail out of trouble. But when trouble walks right into her life in the form of a sinfully handsome, dangerous assassin, she is pulled into a whirlwind of events that stir up the nightmares of her past but might just give her a shot at putting those ghosts to rest—if she can resist the dark allure of a male she knows is her fated mate.

Can Harbin and Aya resist the passionate fire that blazes between them as they chase the vengeance they both crave? Or will they surrender to their deepest desires?

Eternal Mates Series:
(This series is set in the same world as the Vampire Erotic Theatre series but can be read completely separately)
Kissed by a Dark Prince
Claimed by a Demon King
Tempted by a Rogue Prince
Hunted by a Jaguar
Craved by an Alpha
Bitten by a Hellcat
Taken by a Dragon
Marked by an Assassin
Possessed by a Dark Warrior
Awakened by a Demoness
Haunted by the King of Death
Tuned by a Tiger
Tamed by a Tiger
Treasured by a Tiger
Unchained by a Forbidden Love
Avenged by an Angel
Seduced by a Demon King

Vampire Erotic Theatre Series:
Covet
Crave
Seduce
Enslave
Bewitch
Unleash

Cougar Creek Mates Series:
(Set in the same world as Vampire Erotic Theatre & Eternal Mates series but can be read completely separately)
Claimed by her Cougar
Captured by her Cougar
Courted by her Cougar
Craved by her Cougar

Black Ridge Bears Series:

(Set in the same world as Vampire Erotic Theatre, Eternal Mates & Cougar Creek Mates series but can be read completely separately)

Stolen by Her Bear

Visit Felicity Heaton's website for more information

Review:
I'm a huge fan of the Eternal Mates series, I've been reading Felicity Heaton's books for a long time now & I always eagerly await each of her new releases so I was excited to get my hands on Marked by an Assassin. Unfortunately this book just didn't work for me as well as I expected it to, it's not a bad story by any means but it didn't live up to my expectations and I think it was the weakest instalment of the series so far. That could partly be down to the fact that we didn't know either of the two main characters, Harbin is Cavanaugh's brother and his name sounded familiar but I don't recall much about him from previous instalments and I'm pretty sure Aya is an entirely new entry to the series. I'm all about new characters to keep a series fresh but there are so many character's that I'm already invested in and desperately waiting to read about that this book felt a little bit like a filler.

I actually liked both of the main characters, Harbin and Aya have a complicated history that goes back to a horrific attack on their snow leopard pack years ago. Harbin was conned by an Archangel huntress into giving them his pack's remote location and Archangel destroyed the entire village murdering most of the women and children and taking the survivors prisoner. Aya survived the massacre only to be taken captive and she spent years being tortured and tested on by Archangel. They told her that Harbin willingly betrayed the pack and she has spent years blaming him and planning her revenge. Harbin on the other hand has spent his time searching for the huntress who was really to blame and he will do anything to make her pay for what she did. Aya has every reason not to trust Harbin and he is absolutely convinced that he doesn't deserve happiness after his actions caused so much pain and suffering so their relationship isn't going to be straightforward but if they want to track down the people who are really responsible for what happened then they're going to have to work together.

I enjoyed seeing Harbin and Aya reconnect and it was good to see them work through their issues but I think I would have liked a little more discussion between them about what had happened. The same goes for the first time Harbin and Cavanaugh meet since the night their pack was destroyed. I was pleased with the way Cavanaugh welcomed his brother with open arms but think they needed to actually talk about what happened rather than just push it to one side. Especially since it was something that was constantly on Harbin's mind, to the point where his internal monologue started to irritate me. I was also a bit disappointed by the backwards direction that Archangel seem to be taking, we all know that the association has done some horrific things in the past but I thought they'd started turning a corner now. I think the time line of this story might coincide with one of the earlier books though so that could be what caused the confusion for me.

Like I said Marked by an Assassin wasn't a bad story, Harbin and Aya make a cute couple and the sex was definitely hot but I wanted a bit more depth to their emotional connection and to see them really start to put the past behind them. I think I just have high expectations for this series and this one fell a little short of the mark. I'm still very eager to read the next book though and I'll definitely continue to stalk Felicity Heaton's new releases!

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Sweep in Peace - Ilona Andrews

Dina DeMille doesn’t run your typical Bed and Breakfast. Her inn defies laws of physics, her fluffy dog is secretly a monster, and the only paying guest is a former Galactic tyrant with a price on her head. But the inn needs guests to thrive, and guests have been scarce, so when an Arbitrator shows up at Dina's door and asks her to host a peace summit between three warring species, she jumps on the chance.

Unfortunately, for Dina, keeping the peace between Space Vampires, the Hope-Crushing Horde, and the devious Merchants of Baha-char is much easier said than done. On top of keeping her guests from murdering each other, she must find a chef, remodel the inn...and risk everything, even her life, to save the man she might fall in love with. But then it's all in the day's work for an Innkeeper . . .

Innkeeper Chronicles:
Clean Sweep
Sweep in Peace
One Fell Sweep
Innkeeper Chronicles Volume 1 (Signed, Limited Edition, Illustrated Hardback containing books 1-3)
Sweep of the Blade

The Edge Series:
(These two series are set in the same world and characters from The Edge make an appearance in the Innkeeper Chronicles)
On the Edge
Bayou Moon
Fate's Edge
Steel's Edge

Visit Ilona Andrews' website for more information

Review:
It's no secret that I'm a total fangirl when it comes to Ilona and Gordon Andrews, in fact I've probably said that at the beginning of nearly all my reviews of their books, and I'm completely addicted to their Inkeeper Chronicles. I love the way these stories are initially posted in free instalments for fans to read online, we get to comment on the story as it's written and I think the feedback received possibly helps take the stories in slightly different directions to where they could have gone if they were written in the traditional way. As much as I love following that process it's a unique kind of torture having these amazing stories dolled out in tiny pieces over such a long time period so I was desperate to get my hands on a final, finished copy so I could read it from start to end in one sitting.

So, I've read Sweep in Peace twice now and I absolutely devoured it this time around. The series is just getting better and better and I adore Dina and the other characters. I'm going to assume that anyone reading this review will already have read Clean Sweep so I'm not going to give you background information on Gertrude Hunt or Innkeepers in general - I'd rather focus on this story and what's so fantastic about it. I'm loving learning more about Dina's family (I still have high hopes that we'll meet her siblings one day and I desperately want to see her solve the mystery surrounding her missing parents!) and also about Innkeeper abilities. Dina is basically master of the universe when she's inside Gertrude Hunt, what she says goes and I love seeing her lay down the law when she needs to. Most of the time Dina bends over backwards to make sure her guests have everything they could possibly need but anyone who pushes her too far should be very, very careful because payback will be a bitch!

Long term inn resident Caldenia is fantastic, she's like a sweet old lady one minute but then she'll be creepy as hell the next and I love how unpredictable she is. Beast is her usual cute and charming self but she's also very quick to defend Dina and her territory when needed. Then we have a new (hopefully permenant) cast member Orro, a fabulous but disgraced chef who looks set to keep Dina on her toes but I'm sure his wonderful food will make it worth the effort. I'm going to admit I was disappointed that we didn't see more of Sean in this instalment, I have such high hopes for him and Dina so I was hoping for a little more romance BUT I actually think the development of his character was spot on and although he wasn't around as much as I'd have liked I'm very hopeful that's going to change in the next book.

Now let's talk about Dina's latest guests. Anyone who has already read the Edge series are going to be thrilled to spot some familiar faces and I have to admit to some very excited happy dancing when George first makes an appearance! I loved the younger generation of characters in the Edge books and it was so much fun to see the fully grown up and now out in the world living their own lives. I really hope that we'll see more of them in the future, either as guests in the Innkeeper Chronicles or perhaps in a spin off series of their own - I think George's new job gives plenty of scope for at least a couple of books but I'm not sure Dina will be so keen on having him as a guest again any time in the near future!

Dina finds herself facing the challenge of a lifetime when George approaches her asking if she'll host a peace summit at Gertrude Hunt. George is working as an Arbitrator and it is up to him to bring peace to a war torn planet. Unfortunately that means meeting the demands of all three interested parties, each of whom has their own unique customs and requirements. War has been waging on Nexus for twenty years with much bloodshed and loss on all sides but most people are more keen on avenging their dead than they are on bringing about an end to the fighting. It's George's job to find a solution but it'll be up to Dina to keep all three groups separate and prevent anyone killing each other during the talks.

As great as it was to see George (and a few other character's who I'm not going to name drop because it'll be more fun for readers to get a surprise) I have to admit I was surprised at how ruthless and calculating he has become. He was always intelligent but he proves here that he's willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals even if it does mean he ends up making himself a few enemies along the way. I actually kind of admired him for doing what had to be done but there were more than a few times I wanted to punch him in the face, particularly for the way he used Dina and put her at risk by withholding information from her. He's definitely turned into a very complex character and I have to believe we've not seen the last of him or his allies.

Sweep In Peace is wonderful, it has everything you could hope for from a book by Team Andrews - great humour, quirky but realistic characters and a well thought out world full of unique and unusual creatures, customs and history. Now Ilona and Gordon please, please bring on the torturous release of book three, in tiny bite sized portions that will have me desperately begging for more and stalking your website on a daily basis! I can't wait :o)

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review but I've also purchased my own finished copy because I love it so much I need it on my shelves!

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Once Kissed - Cecy Robson

Once they shared a night of passion. Now a chance encounter forces them back together. In Cecy Robson’s O’Brien Family series debut—perfect for readers of Monica Murphy and J. Lynn—two total opposites find that the flames of desire are still smoldering.

Tough-as-steel cop Curran O’Brien is quickly rising through the ranks of the Philadelphia police department. But when his rookie partner is almost killed under his watch, Curran just wants to prove he still has what it takes to walk among Philly’s finest. So he’s pissed to be stuck on a cushy security assignment for the DA’s office . . . until he gets a good look at the sweet, straitlaced intern he’s supposed to protect—but not touch.

Tess Newart recognizes Curran instantly. How could she not? Back in college she tied this former frat boy to the bed with her argyle socks! That sizzling one-night stand was the only indiscretion Tess ever allowed herself. She has survived law school so far, despite being pushed to succeed by her overbearing father. Now that she’s interning on a major case against a ruthless crime boss, she won’t jeopardize her career by giving in to temptation again. She just never expected temptation to look so damn hot in uniform.

Tess knows her father has other plans for her, and they don’t include Curran. But soon she’s falling for him all over again. And when danger emerges, Curran will prove just how good a bad-boy cop can be.

Shattered Past Series:
Once Perfect
Once Loved
Once Pure

O'Brien Family Series:
(Characters were introduced in the Shattered Past series but this series can be read separately)
Once Kissed
Let Me
Crave Me
Feel Me
Save Me

Visit Cecy Robson's website for more information.

Review:
From the minute we met the O'Brien clan in Once Pure I knew I was going to love them, I guess it could be because I have such a small family but I've always loved reading about sibling relationships and since Killian has five brothers and one sister who all have very large personalities I couldn't wait to start this series. Obviously if you've read Killian's book (and I'd highly recommend it if you haven't because it was fantastic!) you'll already be familiar with the family but this story completely stands alone so you won't be lost if you're new to Cecy Robson's writing.

Curran and Tess shared one scorching hot night together back in college but haven't seen each other since, there's no bad blood between them though, it's just the way life panned out. Tess has been focused on her law degree and has her hard work has paid off landing her the much sought after position of intern to the Assistant District Attorney, Declan O'Brien. Declan is working on the case of a lifetime and is close to bringing down a major crime family but that means he, along with everyone he works with, is at high risk of retaliation and in need of police protection. Curran has dedicated his life to his job and loves being a Detective but after a major incident that left his rookie seriously injured he has been suffering from PTSD and has lost the confidence of his fellow officers. When Curran is assigned to protect Tess the last person he is expecting to see is the woman he has been fantasising about since college but the buttoned up young woman is very different to the sexy, uninhibited girl he remembers. Tess has put everything into her career in the hope of escaping her overbearing father so the last thing she needs is the distraction Curran causes her but his charms aren't easy to resist.

Cecy Robson always writes such brilliant characters and that is definitely the case again in Once Kissed. It was very easy to like both Tess and Curran and I was rooting for their relationship from the get go. What I love about this book is that there is very little in the way of pointless drama between the main couple, I'm so bored of reading about couples who push each other away for stupid reasons or who are fighting against the idea of a relationship so it makes a change to read about a couple who genuinely want to make a life together. That isn't to say everything is plain sailing for them, there are plenty of external influences that cause problems for the pair, but neither of them is trying to deny their feelings or the connection that they have.

Throw in the funny banter between the O'Brien siblings and you're definitely on to a winner with this one! I'm excited to get to know the rest of the family better and I'm sure I'm going to love this series just as much as the Shattered Past one.

Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Kindle: