SNEAK PEEK: Ecstasy Unveiled by Larissa Ione

Guess what came in the mail yesterday? (pre-ordered)

YESSSS!!!!

ISBN-13: 978-0446556828

Series: Demonica series, book 4
(c) January 2010, Grand Central Publishing
Larissa Ione's website

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A Demon Enslaved…

Lore is a Seminus half-breed demon who has been forced to act as his dark master’s assassin. Now to earn his freedom and save his sister’s life, he must complete one last kill. Powerful and ruthless, he’ll stop at nothing to carry out this deadly mission.

An Angel Tempted…

Idess is an earthbound angel with a wild side sworn to protect the human Lore is targeting. She’s determined to thwart her wickedly handsome adversary by any means necessary—even if that means risking her vow of eternal chastity. But what begins as a simple seduction soon turns into a passion that leaves both angel and demon craving complete surrender.

Torn between duty and desire, Lore and Idess must join forces as they battle their attraction for each other. Because an enemy from the past is rising again—hellbent on vengeance and unthinkable destruction. 

Excerpt (provided by the author):

Lore hoofed it toward UGH’s Harrowgate, away from his brothers.  But he wasn’t heading home.  Not yet.

Casting a covert glance over his shoulder to make sure his nosy siblings weren’t watching, he slipped past the triage desk and down a hall, knowing exactly where he was going.  He’d learned all about the hospital, right down to studying the blueprints, when he’d plotted out the hits on Shade and Eidolon.  The recovery rooms, three suites outfitted with various types of baths, chairs, and heated and chilled beds, were at the end of the wing, just past the sea-water pool that was big enough for a killer whale to do laps in.

He found Idess in the first recovery room.

Everything but her head had been immersed in a vat of what was probably water infused with magical herbs.  A spicy, medicinal fragrance permeated the air and made him want to sneeze as he closed the door behind him and moved toward her.  The water bubbled around Idess, and steam swirled over the surface, but none of that hid the fact that she was naked.  Shadows thrown by the dim light accented full breasts and slim hips, but left details tantalizingly to the imagination.

Lore had always had a great imagination.

Someone had taken the gold rings out of her hair, and now her chestnut mane fanned out across an inflatable pillow and the tiled floor behind her head, and he had the strangest urge to touch it and see if it was as silky as it looked.

Instead, he went down on his heels at the edge of the pool and studied her profile, so feminine and peaceful, as if she were lounging in a Jacuzzi instead of recovering from an injury that would have killed anyone else.  Her long, sable lashes cast shadows across the delicate ivory skin beneath her eyes, and her cheeks had pinked up, maybe from the heat of the water — or a sexy dream.

“Don’t suppose you can hear me?”

Her eyelids fluttered, but didn’t open.  Maybe she could hear, but not respond.

“What’s your deal?” he asked quietly.  This time, her eyes opened and fixed on him.  There was no recognition there, no sign that she even knew where she was.

“Rami?”  There was hope and desperation in her voice, both of which made a person vulnerable.  Exploitable.

He could use that.  “Yes,” he said, running with the exploitation thing.  “It’s Rami.”

Her lush lips curved into a smile that punched him right in the gut.  That was a mouth any man would kill to taste — or to have taste him.  “You’ve come for me?”

He couldn’t help it; he let his gaze slide down the long, lean length of her.  Freaking gorgeous.  “Yeah,” he rasped.  “I’ve come for you.”

“Good,” she sighed.  “Take me to heaven.”

His dick jerked, all, sure, we’ll take you up on that offer, and Lore had to admit, if circumstances were different — meaning, she hadn’t tried to kill him — he’d be all over that. 

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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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"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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REVIEW: Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione

ISBN 978-0-446-40103-6 
Series: Demonica, Book 1
(c) 2008, Forever Imprint,Grand Central Publishing
Larissa Ione's website 

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"An awesome start to a new paranormal series!"

Larissa Ione crafted a rich, unique, spellbinding world of demons, wargs and vampires that drew me in long after I've finished reading the book. Her demons are the good guys, hot (hot, hot, hot!), gorgeous, wicked, witty males whose mega-watt smiles are guaranteed to melt the bones of any female they meet. (Seems to be every female.) Her writing flowed with non-stop action and conflict, keeping the tension carefully on the edge. Each scene, seemingly small and insignificant, plays an essential part in the bigger picture.

Eidolon, our demon hero, is a doctor at Underground General Hospital, a facility he built that catered to the needs of demons. Whoever thought demons would do that? In fact, his two younger brothers are involved as well--Shade is a paramedic and Wraith is a procurer of rare artifacts and potions that aimed to bring about healing. Though Eidolon is the hero of this book, the different personalities of the other characters shone through, and their interactions are real and genuine. You could see that his brothers mean a lot to Eidolon, no matter how they difficult they are and how they made his life hell. Literally.

Take, for example, Wraith, the youngest brother. There's one situation wherein he made me laugh out loud.

Wraith rubbed his hands together in cheesy horror-movie glee. "Join us or die." He grinned. "I've always wanted to say that."

Now, you wouldn't catch Eidolon saying that, no matter the many cracks he made throughout the entire book.

As a Seminus demon, a rare breed of incubi, Eidolon couldn't resist any aroused female. More so when he is nearing the Change, the final maturation stage of a Seminus demon's life, after which he is able to procreate and shapeshift into the male of any demon species. Needless to say, he is resisting the Change, because without a mate, he will turn into some sort of insane sex monster and lose his personality. At the same time, a demon-organ harvesting operation is going on, killing friends and family, and being a principled demon (sounds like an oxymoron), he vows to get to the bottom of things and put down the operation for good.

He has reasons for suspecting the Aegis, demon slayers and general scourge of demons, of being behind the operation, of which Tayla Mancuso is one, Tayla, the sexy female whom he couldn't get to orgasm.

And Eidolon is insulted and challenged to try until he succeeds.

Unfortunately, Tayla doesn't like demons, hates them in fact. Demons are evil and the world is better off with them dead, especially after the way a demon killed her mother when she was sixteen. Tough, no-nonsense and strong, Tayla gives as good as she gets, though she can't help falling under Eidolon's spell. At times, she wonders if it is her own attraction to Eidolon (considering that he's a demon and she hates them) or merely the Seminus demon working his spell on her.

Though Eidolon and Tayla are strong characters, it's easy to empathize with them, because we see their struggles and conflicts, their thoughts and emotions, their weaknesses and redeeming characteristics. Complex, complicated characters like them generated fireworks especially when there's inherent conflict in their situations, and oh man, the sex scenes are way too hot to describe. The only place where I was jarred out of the book was the scene after the battle toward the end. The happenings in the aftermath was kinda...awkward, to say the least.

Pleasure Unbound abounds with more twists and turns than a mountainous road, and it's the journey toward the end that provides all the fun. However, the end is not yet in sight, because there are four more books and one novella to devour--lots more enjoyable reading time ahead!

Rating: 5 stars

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