Sweetest Surrender (The Serafina: Sin City #3)
by Katie Reus
Blurb:
A woman on the run…
Angel
has been on her own for two years, moving from place to place to outrun her
past. With no family and few friends to lean on, she’s managed to keep her
secrets and stay safe. But when her past suddenly catches up to her, she has a
choice to make. Run or stay and claim her life once more.
He’ll stop at nothing to protect her…
Vadim
has never let anyone close to him—until Angel. From the first time he met her,
everything changed. As a private consultant for Wyatt Christiansen, he’s good
with computers and he’s got connections to unearth people’s deepest, darkest
secrets. When Angel’s life is threatened Vadim steps in and uses all his
resources to end the threat once and for all. As the danger closes in, he lies
to her in an effort to protect her, not realizing that even once the threat is
eliminated, he might lose her anyway.
Themes: contemporary
Rating: 3.75 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
A
love story between a socially awkward but incredibly sexy ex-marine turned
computer geek and the sweet but secretive woman that has captured his interest
and heart… what could be better? Not much in my opinion. I have been looking forward to learning more
about and getting to know Vadim since we met him in previous stories in this
series. The story of a past catching up
with one of the main characters is one that we have seen a bit, more than once
even from Katie, but she always gives each person their own unique spin on the
theme and allows them to not ever become exactly the same. I was happy to see Vadim come out of his
comfort zone and ultimately let his emotions and desires lead him into Angel’s
arms. Even if you haven’t read any of
the other stories in the series, I can say with a level of surety you will
enjoy this story.
Vadim
has finally decided it’s time to take a chance and ask Angel out, being prodded
by his friends, and just as he tries to make that leap Angel’s life becomes
infinitely more complicated. Thankfully
Vadim is good at keeping people safe and solving problems. With only a small amount of persuasion and manipulation
he is able to get Angel right where he wants her, but when the truth of her
circumstances come to light, Vadim immediately sets out to protect the woman he
is coming to care for. Angel has had
enough with controlling men though and is determined to stand on her own two
feet, even if her ugly past has finally caught up with her. Deciding to embrace the relationship with
Vadim, she gives herself the chance to find happiness with a man, even though
he is infuriating at times and impossible to get a read on at other times. Ultimately
there is no fighting their need for one another and getting past the small
misunderstandings makes their happiness that much more deserved. When the ultimate test of trust comes, Vadim
and Angel overcome beautifully and are able to finally have the life they both
desired, together.
Angel
is a bit of a sad character, having fate working against her in the past, but
ultimately I think it led her to Vadim, right where she needed to be. Though
she is emotionally scarred by her past, she is willing to get past her
insecurities for a chance to have Vadim all for herself, though she never
imagines he will actually want her as much as she has always wanted him. Obviously they are both clueless since all
their friends and coworkers could see their feelings for each other while they
couldn’t see it for themselves. When Angel finally decides to stand up for
herself and work with Vadim to change her life, I liked her even more than when
she was running from her past. Seeing
that backbone come out, seeing her demand her due from Vadim, and finally
seeing her get her justice makes me even more happy that I got to meet Angel. Vadim on the other hand is a strong silent
guy, one with some serious kickass skills hidden under his placid
exterior. His ability to blank his
emotions from his face leaves Angel a bit lost at time, but thankfully he lets
his guard fall in the end so she can see the love he feels for her. His protective streak is one that is wider
and more deadly than the river Styx to those that threaten his loved ones, especially
his woman. Though he is socially awkward, when he makes friends or develops relationship
they are deep and lasting, as evidenced by his friends and the depth of love
that Angel feels for him. I loved Vadim
on a couple of levels, but one that should not be forgotten is his obvious soft
spot for his German Sheppard Charlie, because as much of a scary dude as he is
to others, he is a squishy teddy bear around Charlie, showing us the true man
that lurks inside him.
This
story certainly lives up to its name. In
the end angel has to let go of her fears and surrender to Vadim and the love
that develops between them, a bit unexpectedly, but it really is the Sweetest
Surrender and the most rewarding move she has ever made in her life. Vadim is a sexy, alpha, protective, and
dedicated man who will go above and beyond every time to make Angel’s life
safer, better and filled with love. Angel is a bit stubborn, but when she
finally gives in to him and lets their love bloom, the result is wonderfully
fulfilling for them both. The plot of
her past catching up with her, while a common enough theme, certainly came with
its own plot twist that I never saw coming.
I have enjoyed this series and the original it spawned from (Red Stone
Security) from the very beginning and Vadim’s story was right up there with my
favorites. I am looking forward to more
in the series, but I must continue to reiterate I would love for them to be
even the tiniest bit longer. Keep up the great work Katie.
*eARC provided by publisher (via
netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review. No
compensation was provided.
No comments:
Post a Comment