C. J. Baker

Bloody hell. This book is good. The cover makes it look like a paranormal romance, but it's so much more. There's enough violence and mystery to not make the romance icky. There's a solid and engaging story here that goes beyond a simple bump of pelvises. The cover is misleading, the work inside is amazing.

I liked the honest interpretation of the werewolf, of the Damned in general. The balancing act between indie rockstar loner and an impulsive animal helped me connect with the lead character (North). He had noble intentions but basically saw himself as a pariah. He was half animal , a killer, and very aware of it. The whole 'I'm going to kill myself because I am a beast' was a tad over the top, but I liked that Carmen showed her softer and more practical side.

The Fox (female protag) got on my nerves something terrible. She should have let herself get bit and run with him rather than punking out at the end. Sheesh.

I would like to add that the serial killer murder scene in the middle (where the Artist sews her lips and eyes shut as she bleeds out in the bath) gave me a nightmare. It was like I was there (shudder). So well written but so damn creepy.

A hidden gem. Going to be reading the other books as this was an awesome start to a series.… (mais)