Blurb
The deepest scars are on the inside.
Who would’ve thought shape-shifters were real? Certainly not Nikki, not, at least, until she’s attacked by a creature right out of her nightmares then rescued by a man straight from her dreams. Gaetan is a tall, mysterious shifter whose deep, sexy voice, gorgeous aquamarine eyes, and smooth, sensual touch calls to her on a level she doesn’t fully understand. Drawn into his fantastical world, she becomes part of an elaborate war, and as the final battle roars, if either is to survive, she must face her fears and trust him despite the scars marring her heart.
Review
In book five in the Warriors of Lemuria series, Gaetan provides for and cares for the people around him as the Keep’s haelyn—the healer. He loves Noeh, the Lemurian king, like a son. Then Noeh’s child, Anlon, disappears through a portal on Gaetan’s watch. Gaetan’s shame and guilt doubles the guilt he’s already carried for years (he accidentally injured his beloved sister, Ginnia, when they were children, and he carries a physical reminder of that mistake since the same accident also severely deformed his leg). He’s addicted to pain medication and struggles to hide that fact.
After Nikki is stranded in the woods following a mudslide, she witnesses a brutal battle between supernatural creatures. Then one of the monsters attacks her, nearly killing her. A gorgeous man saves her and gives her choice: die, or live and give up everything she’s ever known.
Gaetan and Nikki are awesome characters. Gaetan’s deep sense of responsibility, guilt, and pain—both emotional and physical—controls his actions and his life, but he only wants to help people. Nikki has suffered her fair share of pain and tragedy, and after surviving an alcoholic father, she wants nothing to do with addiction. But she can’t help falling in love with Gaetan.
Though I loved these characters, I was surprised they fell into insta-love and that she accepted her new reality so easily. Also, their age difference was a little surprising. Even though this is a paranormal story and huge age gaps are the norm (as in one character being alive for centuries while the other one hasn’t been), Gaetan physically appeared to be 40-plus while Nikki was only 25. This isn’t technically a problem, but I was just hoping he would fall for a woman who appeared to be the same age as him. Despite that, I loved their chemistry and camaraderie. They got along great and were an excellent match.
I loved the scenes with Alora on the planet Lemuria. She finally got her shot to take down her rival, Zedron.
There were a few minor typos and some unanswered questions. How did a copy of Mitan’s recording end up on Earth? Mauree was one of Zedron’s characters in the game, so why did she dissolve into sand instead of black goo? Will Alora give all her characters the choice to stay on Earth, or only the ones present in the Keep’s Great Hall? (This makes me worried for Aramond and Danae, the H/h from Marked by Love.)
Overall, I enjoyed the book a lot. It’s a great ending to a fun series. I’m happy I read it.
4 Stars
— If you’ve read this book, I’d love to know what you think of it. Please comment below.