This is a replacement post. I see that I reviewed Elisabeth Naughton’s Marked, Entwined, and Tempted on Goodreads. But I do not see that I posted them here. I am rectifying that. I believe the first was an Amazon freebie, and I purchased the second two.
About Marked:
THERON — Dark haired, duty bound and deceptively deadly. He’s the leader of the Eternal Guardians, an elite group of warriors that defend the mortal realm.
From the moment he walked into the club, Casey knew this guy was different. Men like that just didn’t exist in real life—silky shoulder-length hair, chest impossibly broad, and a predatory manner that just screamed dark and dangerous. He was looking for something. Her.
She was the one. She had the mark. Casey had to die so his kind could live, and it was Theron’s duty to bring her in. But even he wasn’t strong enough to resist the pull in her fathomless eyes, to tear himself away from the heat of her body.
As war with the immortal realm nears, someone will have to make the ultimate sacrifice.
My Review:
I grabbed Marked off of the KDP free list just because the cover is so tempting. The main character, Theron, lives up to it too. The book reminded me A LOT of J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood, though I don’t know which series came first. The Eternal Guardians has the same leather-clad, hulking alpha-males oozing testosterone all over the place and falling hard for that certain female. But hey, that’s why we read these types of books to start with, right? It’s all good.
I liked Casey’s strong spine and Theron’s dedication to his duty. The Greek pantheon makes for an interesting casting too. Though, starting with a little knowledge of the mythology will probably help. For example, I misremembered Persephone and Hades’ relationship at one point and was confused when she was excited to see him. The book does present the mythological history, so no worries if you don’t know it.
Other reviewers have commented on the random placement of sex scenes, and it’s true. The first one seemed to especially come out of left field. It generally bothers me to find characters thinking about sex when their circumstances are life-threatening. Seriously, who thinks about getting down and dirty when they’re running for their life? I’m fairly sure some aspect of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs comes into play here. The steamy nature of the same scenes kinda makes up for it, though.
While it didn’t top my favorites list by a long shot, I enjoyed it enough to buy the second and look forward to the third. (Demetrius was one of my favorites.) So I have no real complaints. It amused me for an evening and, therefore, served its purpose.
About Entwined:
ZANDER — The most feared of the Eternal Guardians. It’s rumored he can’t be killed, and he always fights like he has nothing to lose. But even he has to have a vulnerability… somewhere.
Forces of daemons are gathering and have broken through the barriers of the mortal realm. Now more than ever the Eternal Guardians are needed to protect both their own world and the humans’. Zander can’t afford to think about what might have been with the bewitching physician he once regarded as his soul mate. But with eternity stretching before him, he also can’t fathom spending his life without the one woman who makes him feel most alive. Perhaps he’s found his weakness, after all…
My Review:
Entwined continues much in the same vein as Marked and focuses on Zander. He makes a good tortured soul and the breach with his soulmate is believable. I generally enjoyed the book. If anything I think that it is better than the first. The world-building was done in book one, leaving more room for story here. I really liked that the Brothers…oh, did I say that…Arghonauts interact more. I like their snarky comments to one another. The women aren’t wilting violets and are more than willing to stand up for themselves, even if their culture doesn’t approve.
I did have a few issues worth venting about, though. How did Atalanta manage to raise Max to be a good kid? I’m having a hard time believing he would be psychologically sound after ten years with her. I’m just saying. Did Callia’s father really deserve to be forgiven so quickly? Did Zander, for that matter? The happy ending seemed a little too convenient. If it was being arranged ahead of time, surely someone would have said something, or the existing plans would have been canceled. Lastly, the book could do with a bit more editing. There are some inconsistencies, like “she covered her hand with her mouth “instead of mouth with hand. There are also a lot of fragment sentences. I realize that lines such as “That hurt. A lot.” is a writing device intended to force the reader to stop, thereby emphasizing the last statement. But here, it is used so much and in such a manner that it often just felt too jarring; commas would have a similar effect and not have rattled my brain so much.
Despite all of that, I enjoyed the read. Zander and Callia are a steamy couple. The Eternal Guardian’s effort to protect their worlds is honorable, and the politics of Argolea are interesting. I look forward to reading the third in the series.
About Tempted:
DEMETRIUS — He’s the hulking, brooding warrior his fellow Guardians avoid. Too dark. Too damaged. And given his heritage, he knows it’s best to keep everyone at arm’s length.
Isadora is missing. The words pound through his head like a frantic drumbeat. For her own protection, Demetrius did all he could to avoid the fragile princess. And now she’s gone—kidnapped. To get her back, he’ll have to go to the black place in his soul he’s always shunned.
As daemons ravage the human realm and his loyalty to the Guardians is put to the ultimate test, Demetrius realizes that Isadora is stronger than anyone thought. And finally letting her into his heart may be the only way to save them both.
My Review:
I have to say I think that this series is getting better as it goes along. Tempted focuses on the Guardian Demetrius, his soul mate, and his secret. I liked the way Isadora finally came into her own, but Demetrius stole the show. One of my favorite types of characters is the brooding, damaged male whose game is completely thrown off by a female. That is Demetrius all over. He is big, strong, dark, and cruel, but in the presence of little ‘ol Isadora, he’s…well, maybe not an awkward, blushing teenager, but definitely not himself. It makes me smile. The smex was pretty amped up too. There was no lack of steam here. I did get tired of the Robinson Crusoe routine after a while. I thought the plot stalled for a little bit, but not long enough for me to consider dropping it or anything.
Note: I also read Enraptured and Enslaved. But I only reviewed them as heavy-handed and repetative.