Hellbent by Gregg Hurwitz

Hellbent by Gregg Hurwitz is book three in the Evan Smoak Orphan X series.   Every installment can be read as a stand alone, but are more enjoyable when read in order.  In Hellbent the need to eliminate Evan, previously an active government assassin known as Orphan X, is becoming more imperative for Sciver. The current project runner of the Orphan program catches up with Evan's former handler Jack. Sciver plans to torture Evan's location out of him and assassinate Jack to induce a reaction from Evan that forces him out of hiding.

Hellbent takes on an emotional undercurrent that the other two books have only touched on. Evan is facing his past, his desire for a better life and the consequences the Orphan program created for him.  He is now painfully aware of how unequipped he is at dealing with human connections. The addition of Joey serves as a reflection of his past and the turning point in his life that made him what he is. I was just as invested in Joey's salvation as Evan. I want more than anything for both characters to experience a human connection, a sense of normalcy and to not feel so alone.

As always with this series, the action of Hellbent is fast-paced and smart. I spend most of my time on the edge of my seat. Often I do not see a solution for Evan's conflicts, which is quite nerve-wracking. And I love it. Now my eight-day binge reading of this series is over. Only a few months to go before the next installment, which is already on my to-read list. I was granted a copy of this book by St Martin's Press, through Netgalley, for my honest opinion. I encourage all readers to reach their own conclusions.

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Indiscretions of A God by Sunniva Dee

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Indiscretions of a God by Sunniva Dee is the third book in the Porn Star Boyfriend series. Each book is a stand-alone novel, no prior knowledge of the series is necessary to enjoy this installment. Isaias is a mogul currently heading Lucid Entertainment, a high ranking company specializing in adult entertainment. Isaias is asked for a favor by family one evening and meets Tatiana, who is training to be a nun. The couple is immediately drawn to each other and keep getting thrown together. The attraction between them grows as danger closes in around them.

The emotional feel in this book is different for me than the other two books in the series. The threat from Isaias's mobster ties is the main drive in Indiscretions of a God, rather than the struggles derived from a partner making adult films. Within the crime thriller plot is the love story and a good one at that. Isaias and Tatiana have this sharp bantering they do which I enjoy. Isaias is quite rough around the edges and very full of himself, but Tatiana is a strong female character that gives as good as she gets. You get the hint early on Tatiana is more than she seems, and she is the perfect match for Isaias.

As always the time spent at Lucid is not just an opportunity to insert sexual encounters. Those present are there to do a job, and it is as respectable as it can be. There is a nice subplot here I later learned has a connection to a prior series, which I now plan on reading. One side note on a specific Lucid character I feel compelled to express, Belen is just horrible. I hated her personality in Twin Savage, and this book did not help my opinion in the least. If she ever gets a full story, she will have to work hard to gain my sympathy. She is very much an antagonist.

There many sides to the character's personalities in the Sunniva Dee stories I have read so far. I enjoy the realness of the emotions she creates. Love does not come easy for all people, trust is not automatic in couples, and not everyone easily obtains their happily ever after. These things are what keeps me coming back to the Porn Star Boyfriend series. I will be moving on to her other stories soon. All opinions are my own and may not match that of others. I urge all readers to come to their own conclusions.

Heat by Donna Grant

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I was lucky enough to get an ARC copy of Heat by Donna Grant from NetGalley. Heat is the latest installment in Dark Kings series, but reading it as a stand-alone alone novel is possible. Past plot points relevant to the current storyline are summarized when necessary. I like to read books part of a larger world, and the Dark Kings are one of my favorites. Several of the subplots reach climactic levels in this story.  I dread these conflicts playing out as much as I cannot wait for them to happen, as a lot is on the line for these characters. Nikolai and Esther integrate into the Dark King world in an authentic way that held my attention.

Esther goes to Dreagen under mind-control to be an assassin when triggered. The Kings contain the threat she presents, but Esther remains troubled by her missing memories. Nikolai has carried the weight of guilt since his mentor Ulrik's banishment. Nikolai was content to spend his time sleeping as a dragon in his mountain, but the growing threats to the Kings have required him to awaken. Since Esther's arrival at Dreagan, Nikolai can think of nothing but her.

Esther and Nikolai are well paired.  Their connection to each other gives Esther hope to find her lost memories and helps Nikolai find peace with his past.  Their gravitation toward each other was believable from the beginning, and their physical encounters were very seductive. Nikolai and Esther did not deny the attraction they felt for each other. I prefer this to a couple that spends half their story convincing themselves the reasons they can't be together are insurmountable.

Heat lived up to my expectations of this series. Nikolai and Esther are my favorite Dragon King couple since Ryder and Kinsey in Smoke and Fire. I am very eager for the story to continue. All opinions are my own and may not match that of others. I encourage all readers to come to their own conclusions.

Blood Fury: Black Dagger Legacy 3 by J.R. Ward

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Blood Fury is the third of the Black Dagger Legacy series, a spin-off of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, by J.R. Ward. I found these books at a time when I was going to give up reading vampire paranormal romance novels. I was prepared to give them one last try and be done. Admittedly, I am still wary of the sub-genre, but this series is now one of my favorite paranormal romances. The Black Dagger Brotherhood helps keep the vampire race safe from the Omega and his Lessening Society. The Legacy books deal with the training of the next generation of fighters against this threat.

The focus characters in this novel are Payton, Novo, Saxton, and Rhun. Although feasible one could read this book as a stand-alone, I would not suggest it.  In Blood Fury, the romances develop for the main characters, but each individual has been a part of past storylines, sometimes interacting together. Their bonds will be more fulfilling if you first experience some of their lives.  Personally, I most enjoy series novels when they follow multiple characters over several books.  I feel more invested in them and their relationships this way. Without spoiling any plot points, all I can say is the romance in this book was very satisfying for me.

The development of the characters in Blood Fury was compelling through their good and bad situations. The relationships they formed and actions they took felt natural to my prior conception of who they are as individuals.  A concept throughout the Black Dagger series is with the aristocratic vampires, or glymera, and their rules against socializing with the civilian vampires. There is, however, a good balance between the aristocracy and more open-minded beings uninterested in the glymera's agenda. Every book I read the dry, sarcastic humor makes me laugh out loud.  With the injustices done trying to keep the vampire race segregated, I need that laughter to ease the irritation I feel. Although humor, in general, is an addition I prefer in any book.

Now begins the wait for the next installment in the Black Dagger world. I would highly suggest this series for any who enjoy urban fantasy/ paranormal romance. All opinions are my own and may not match that of others. I encourage all readers to come to their own conclusions.