Genre ~ dark romance
Featuring ~ flashbacks, dark paranormal story-telling, assassin, demons, violence, torture, battle between good and evil, steamy romance
Series ~ Newborn City ~ Book 1
POV ~ dual 3rd person
Release date ~ October 21, 2022
Page count ~ 388
My rating ~ 3.5⭐
My review:
This is not my typical genre at all, but I was delighted to be asked to read R.E. Johnson‘s debut work.
Hope & Ciarian
Hope is the perfect assassin since she does not feel any pain as a demon. She is hired by Marcus and is all set and in place, ready to kill her mark, Ciarian. When she finally lays eyes on him she knows she can’t pull the trigger. She has found her soulmate and needs to come up with a new plan.
Ciarian is a human and former fighter that has been hiding out, with his sidekick, Dimitri, after escaping from Dante’s grasp.
When Hope and Ciarian come face to face and figure out Marcus and Dante are the same man they join forces to take him down.
Hope, Ciarian and Dimitri made a good trio and had each other’s back at all times.
Both characters have their demons (ha ha, no pun) and are flawed. Underneath all the violence is a beautiful story about two people that never thought they could find love, but found just that when they least expected it.
There are some words I am not familiar with, nor can I pronounce them, like, omaeriku and jabalv, so I’m not sure if the author made them up or it’s typical for this genre.
Overall, a VERY dark and steamy read that I’m sure will appeal to those that enjoy these types of stories. It does not leave off on a cliffhanger, but the set up is in place for book 2….coming in 2023.
*Thanks to R.E. Johnson for sending me a paperback copy to read. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
⬇Purchase links⬇
Save on Affinity For Pain at Booksamillion.com.Book blurb:
Perfect for fans of J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series and Keri Lake’s Nightshade, Affinity for Pain is a dark paranormal romance that is steamy, action-packed, and full of emotional intrigue.
Hope Turner is the ideal human-hunting assassin, and she is damn good at her job. A daughter of the Chakal, a race of hybrid demons lacking physical sensation and emotion, Hope was always brutally efficient in her work. She never struggled with a case, that is, until she was assigned to take down Ciaran O-Connor – a stubborn, strong-willed bodyguard with a dark past and severe PTSD.
He also happens to be her soulmate.
When the omaeriku – an inescapable soulmate bond – takes hold of her, Hope is hit with a wave of emotion and physical sensation for the first time in her life. Finding herself unable to kill Ciaran and ending up on her former boss’s hit list, Hope and Ciaran must escape into hiding. Immediately, the chemistry between Hope and Ciaran is electric. However, they must try to direct their focus on finding a way to take down Marcus Dentry, their newfound common enemy, who was both Hope’s former boss and Ciaran’s former captor and torturer.
However, as they spend more time together and succumb to their physical desire for each other, the newfound emotion and pain brought forth by the soulmate bond begin to overwhelm Hope. Can Hope learn to handle her sudden emotions, both the good and the bad, before it drives her away from the only person who can make her feel? And can Hope and Ciaran track down Marcus and exact their revenge before he gets to
them first?
Inspired by the works of authors like Robin McKinley and Neil Gaiman, Affinity for Pain is a great next read for smut-lovers seeking a romance that includes action, intimate vulnerability, and electric chemistry. Click “Add to Cart!” today!
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