Beyond the Darkness (Darkness #3)
by Katie Reus
Blurb:
Now that she has her freedom, she’s
not giving it up.
Dragon
shifter Keelin Petronilla spent centuries in forced hibernation dreaming of one
thing: freedom. Now she’s living life on her terms—she’s ditched her clan for
an unruly wolf pack, she tends bar for a half-demon, and she’s loving it…until
a powerful supernatural being targets her. She intends to handle the mysterious
attacks on her own…without the help of dragon Alpha Bran Devlin. Sure, he’s
sexy in that hot, scowling possessive way, but Keelin wants to live her own
life in her own way.
Now that he’s found his mate, he’s not
letting her go.
Former
black ops agent Bran Devlin is a born dragon Alpha and leader of a fierce clan.
Getting mated was never part of his plan—until a feisty dragon princess gets
under his skin in a big way. The hell of it is, she doesn’t want a mate; she
just wants to have a good time. He plays along, but when a dark and powerful
being marks her for death, he’s determined to stay by her side in spite of her
protests. Now that he’s found his mate, he means to keep her safe no matter
what the cost…even if he has to risk it all.
Themes: dragons,
shifters, demons, paranormal
Rating: 4 stars
Heat Rating:
Review:
Dragons, demons, and wolves oh my! Returning to the unique and diverse world
created by Katie Reus is always a pleasure and I look forward to each chance to
meet a new group of individuals and see how they mesh with previous
groups. The series began with a sexy
alpha wolf and his vampire mate and has taken off from there, leading us to this
story of two very different Dragon shifters that have to find a way to overcome
their personal issues to have a chance to be together. There are always lots of
laughs, intense emotional issues, and of course, the external dangers stalking
the couples, but this story is much more than just the sum of its parts. The other stories in the series certainly
play a role in this one, but if you haven’t read them don’t worry too much, you
get filled in adequately and there is a loose connection between the characters. Keelin and Bran are different in so many
ways, but when they come together and the fires die down you are left with a
deep and abiding love connection that will bring them through any drama they face.
Keelin
has escaped the strangling clutches of her overprotective family—at last—and is
determined that nothing and no one is going to interfere with her newfound
independence. But there is no way she
can deny the attraction and connection she feels to Bran, the sexy Alpha
shifter that once cared for her after a brutal attack left her vulnerable. Bran has bided his time, but he’s ready to
claim his mate and sees no reason to let Keelin out of his sight again. Keelin agrees to give an affair a chance but
firmly refuses to have a mate, which of course just presents an even more
appealing challenge for Bran. When it became
apparent that Keelin is in mortal danger, Bran becomes increasingly unwilling
to allow her to leave his side, chafing at Keelin’s need for independence. Can they find a balance between their needs
and wants… before Keelin ends up dead—or worse?
Keelin is one of those characters that I wish
had more time to grow before she falls in love, because dealing with emotional
growing pains along with falling in love, and being stalked by a serial killer
is just a lot for any girl to deal with—even a dragon girl! While she is thousand of years old, she’s been in hibernation a long time and is still getting used
to the 21st century, leaving her family home to travel to AL and
work in a bar was a big step for her.
She’s slowly beginning to become the woman she needs to be, but her
fears of being tied down get in the way of a chance at a great relationship
with Bran, or they would I he allowed it! and e's obviously in need of a keeper in some
ways, but her strength and her determination mean that she could stand on her
own and still get her man if she allowed herself the chance. I liked Keelin a lot and got several laughs
from her antics. When she was fighting
for herself and her loved ones she truly shined and showed that independent
doesn’t have to mean solitary, if you can find the right partner.
Bran
is a kick-ass, alpha dragon, commando… what better combo can one ask for in a
man. I loved Bran from the beginning
even though there were some moments I could see his autocratic attitude making
me angry. His passion for Keelin and
protecting his fellow dragons make him a dangerous man to cross but I can see
how that would make him an even better friend or ally. Bran knew that Keelin
was his mate, but his work and desire to give her space have kept him away from
her, allowing her to heal and find her own feet again, but when he discovers
she’s living away from the protection of her clan, working with many other
males around her, there’s no way he’s going to allow that to continue. He sets out to steal her heart and seal her
to his side to make sure their mating happens, and soon, so he can settle down
as his clan’s alpha with his mate at his side.
The danger that surrounds her drives him continuously crazy, but he won’t
allow her to be hurt, even if he has to tie her down. Bran was one of those characters I can see
being just about any type of man—dragon, wolf, cat, human, vampire, or other—and
still mesmerizing and enchanting any woman that he comes across.
Bran
and Keelin’s story was interesting not just for the way they love one another,
but also for the fact they find a way to bring down some seriously bad dudes,
bring her family around to accepting him, uncovering millennia old secrets and
even meeting a goddess. Keelin’s
character has her ups and downs as she deals with her shifting feelings for
Bran and the fears that ebb and flow in her as she approaches each new disaster
and challenge. Bran is the man and being
a dragon too just makes him doubly sexy and awesome in my book. He is also very protective of his friends,
family, and species, taking on battles that really aren’t his to fight to
ensure peace and safety for others. The
passion between Bran and Keelin is beyond intense every second of the story,
even when they are nowhere near one another, simply thinking about each other
leaves them both burning and the reader frustrated that you can’t be one of the
characters to experience that heated intensity for yourself. While I am certainly partial to wolves, the
dragons in this series are interesting and the way they live is fascinating as
well. Being able to learn more about
these different and intriguing characters within the world that Reus has built
is one of the best parts of reading in general and reading her work
specifically. I am looking forward to
the next story and very much hope that it is Bo and Nyx’s story, after all the
little hints and out-right uncovering of secrets that happened in this last
story. Keep the magic coming Katie and
I’ll keep you on my auto-purchase list.
*eARC provided by publisher (via
netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review. No
compensation was provided.
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