ARC Review: Immortal Angel (Argeneau #31)

Immortal Angel (Argeneau #31)

by Lynsay Sands

Blurb:

For almost a century, Ildaria Garcia has been on the run, a trouble magnet with a knack for taking down bad guys. Lately, her vigilante tendencies have drawn unwelcome attention to her fellow Immortals. Forced to relocate, Ildaria is supposed to lay low in a new town. Instead, she quickly entangles herself with six and a half feet of muscular, tattooed trouble.

Joshua James Simpson Guiscard, aka G.G., knows a lot about Immortals—enough to make him wary. Yet from the moment Ildaria walks into his club, he feels desire stronger than anything he’s known. Accepting the fact that they might be life mates is disconcerting. But when her past catches up to them, G.G. faces a choice—confront his demons at last, or lose a passion that’s hot as hell.

Themes:  Paranormal, Vampires

Rating:  4 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Sands strikes again with a story of a centuries long (wo)man hunt, crazy heroine, and mortal lover that has issues with a chance at forever that could really put a crimp in a girl’s chance at and HEA when she really will live forever.  I have loved this series since the beginning when I stumbled across book four in a used bookstore and went back and started at the beginning, and I have been along for the ride ever since, not regretting a single moment of it.  Sands has a way of taking the most boring or taboo of subject and running head first into it, allowing her characters to seem truly real to us, despite them sometimes being centuries or millennia old.  Ildaria has comes to the Aegeneau’s because she has made a few mistakes since she became immortal, mainly because she refuses to let any woman become a victim when she can stop it.  She fights back when she sees injustice and it has landed her in the hot seat with Lucien, but now she has a new place to lie low in the Night Club working for the much beloved mortal owner, G.G., as both accountant and dog sitter.  But it soon becomes apparent he will be much more integral to her life than just as her boss because G.G. is her life mate and she has no clue what to do about it. G.G. is no stranger to immortal, with immortal parents, friends and clients, but when he meets Ildaria his heart about stops.  Not only is she the answers to his professional needs, she soon becomes his personal obsession as he lusts after her to the point of insanity, until she finally shares that they are life mates and she wants him for her own.  They both have a lot of issues to work through before they can embrace a physical relationship, but spending time together and building their friendship is important, until Ildaria’s past comes back to haunt her, putting them both in danger.  G.G. needs to decide if he can get past his fears of becoming and immortal and give Ildaria the life mate she deserves or she may forsake him for another, despite their explosive connection and the love he feels for her. Ildaria was a badass; let’s put that right out there. Not only does she manage to kick ass again and again when she comes under attack, but she is also smart, sweet and loving, showing G.G. all the sides of her and giving him sweetness very few see.  Deeply buried under all that though is a pain and trauma that she has hidden for almost two centuries, one that has driven almost every rash and deadly choice she has ever made and that has made her wary of physical relationships and any type of emotional connections, including friendships, not to mention she knows to never rely on anyone but herself.  Seeing her opening her heart and mind to her new friends and of course G.G. was awesome and I loved her having so much support after so many years without it.  G.G. has some big issues too, despite not wanting to admit to them, with trauma in his childhood and fears for the future he didn’t want anyone to point out to him.  I loved seeing him take control of the relationship and share his expertise with women with Ildaria and prove to her that he was the perfect man for her, not to mention he had the perfect dog to share with her.  Once he finally found a way to get past his hang-ups –yay G.G.’s mom, nice work—and prove to Ildaria that he truly believes in their love and a future together I knew that they would have a true HEA and be together forever.  I loved this story, despite a few tears along the way and having to break once or twice to catch my breath for the heartbreak, but the heartbreak and passion counter each other beautifully and there is enough lightheartedness with side characters that the story doesn’t stay too dark for too long.  I loved the passion between G.G. and Ildaria, though it was more subtle in the beginning, but that is truly what Ildaria needed as she came to terms with her future with her life mate.  I am truly looking forward to the next story in the series and seeing where Marguerite works her magic next.

*eARC provided by publisher (via NetGalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.