REVIEW: Desire Unchained by Larissa Ione

ISBN  978-0-446-40098-5

Series: Demonica, Book 2

(c) 2009, Forever Imprint, Grand Central Publishing

Larissa Ione's website

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Buy Link (ebook): Barnes and Noble Ebook

"A rollercoaster ride from start to finish, and I don't want the ride to end!"

Larissa Ione is defnitely an author to watch! I'm amazed at her skill in creating such a fascinating and rich world, a world so vast that I anticipate spending a lot of hours enjoying the interesting and intriguing stories of her complex and equally intriguing characters. Take for example, Kynan Morgan. We saw him in book 1, and I don't think it'll be a spoiler to say that his storyline has taken a captivating turn at the end of book 2. I'm sure we'll read his story someday, but when??? Certainly not by book 4. I'm dying of curiosity here.

So, anyway, back to my review of Desire Unchained.

The first time I came across Shade and Runa was from a review, I think. Or something. I'm not too sure. But I do remember reading about Runa walking in on Shade when he was in bed with two females. And I didn't like Shade because he was cheating on her and I hated him because Runa would have been devastated by the discovery.

Fast forward to many many days later and I read Pleasure Unbound (book 1) where Shade was introduced. Didn't like him much either, though I could understand his nature as a Seminus demon better now, wherein he couldn't help but have intimate contact with women whose needs he could sense. It read like a helpless addiction to me. Still, it was no reason to cheat, and the fact that he gave it as a reason doesn't hold much water with me. I agree with Runa on that score.

It was only when things were presented from Shade's point of view that my feelings toward him thawed and I could empathize with him. Shade woke up to find himself chained in a dungeon, with Runa in the same cage. His enemy forced them to bond, in order to unleash unimaginable torment for Shade as part of his revenge. When Shade and Runa finally escaped, he was stuck with her, not that he found it a bad thing. When his brothers threatened to do her harm, he found himself protecting her, unable to bear the thought of her coming to harm.

Shade's secret longings and curse were also revealed, and I couldn't help but like him, even rooted for him to have his HEA with Runa. Shade's eventual strong feelings for Runa could have been because of the bond, but I like that Ms Ione clarified for us that no, Shade already felt something for Runa even before, which was why he ran like hell from her. I like that toward the end, Shade's nature as a Seminus warred with his own feelings for Runa, and in the end, which do you think won?

Runa is not the wimpy, lovelorn woman I thought her to be. Instead, she's pragmatic and she's grown strong because of her experiences, a fitting mate for Shade in all ways. Her "hatred" for Shade was worn down by Shade's expert lovemaking, but mainly because she still has feelings for him, despite the "lies" she told herself.

I confess, I hadn't thought to like this story much, but I love it much much better than Pleasure Unbound, mainly I think because of Shade . Not only do we have Shade's and Runa's romance, but the book is also filled with mayhem and revenge and loyalty and a curse that may take Shade's life. Of the three brothers, I think Wraith's the baddest of the bad boys, and I can't wait to read his story next.

Rating: 5 stars

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Buy Link (ebook): Barnes and Noble Ebook