★★★ ½ @Donna_Grant #DarkAlphasObsession #BookReview
Just when we thought it was all over and the Others have been destroy, they come back like a hydra. Rordan is up to bat in this book. He is the spy sent in to determine who is keeping the Others going and what their ultimate goal may be.
This story started out a bit slow. At first I tried to figure out if Fianna showed up in a previous book. It seemed like she may have been in a book but I couldn't recall. The first chapter or so it took me a bit to get into the story as I felt like I jumped in midstream. Once I was oriented and determined what was going on, the story smoothed out for me.
Fianna is the love interest and match for Rordan. We haven't seen much of Rordan and he is a bit forgettable for me. That is, until this book. Once I learned the back history of Rordan, he became more real and relate-able. The parallels between Rordan and Fianna's childhood helped bring a common baseline for them to bond over. I can't determine which had it worse. Both ended up with raw deal from their family. Since there is more interaction between Fianna and her brother, I tended to feel more pity for her than Rordan. Fianna's father and brother are classic abusive and controlling males. When the reason for why Fianna's father controlled her for so long comes out, I'm a bit astonished. Because, it is really nothing to fret over. The fact that Fianna was able to be brainwashed is disturbing. Still, I guess when a person is isolated and is constantly beat down with the same message, it is hard to stay strong against it.
I felt that this book is unfinished. I am left a bit dissatisfied because the reconciliation between Rordan and his family didn't really happen. This would have been fine if there wasn't a bit of teaser to make it appear as if there would be a possibility to talk and share both sides of the past hurts. In addition, Fianna's own situation is abruptly ended without any resolution. There are no confrontations with her abusers nor is there a chance to reconnect with a missing relative. The ending feels rushed and snipped off before a happy resolution could play out. Still, this story does set up for the next book. I am hoping this new story arc will have more progress on the Others. Whilst I enjoy romance part with finding their mate, the main storyline feels almost like an after thought added in. This paranormal romance is recommended to readers who like characters that break free from their toxic families.
* I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
