REVIEW: ABSORBED & CONSUMED BY EMILY SNOW

I've been wanting to read these last two books in this series for a while now. I finally found a teeny tiny break in my reading and I decided to go for it. I finished both Absorbed and Consumed in ONE DAY. Yep...one day. 

I'll start with Absorbed--it was a super quick read because it's a novella. It's told from Lucas and Kylie's POV and it fills in the gap between the end of Devoured and the beginning of Consumed. I think it's an absolute MUST read in this series. It helped me appreciate Lucas so much more AND it gave me a few interesting tidbits about Kylie too. I found it to be a very satisfactory read. 

Consumed was not as angsty as I thought it would be. There are definitely some points when I felt a little concerned about how Lucas and Sienna would work it all out but I just knew they HAD to. Before we could get to that HEA we had to deal with Cilla and Sam and groupies..and they definitely caused trouble in their own special and unique ways. (SO FRUSTRATING!)

But more than all of that drama, it was about Lucas earning the trust of Sienna and Sienna being willing to be open to their relationship. I was happy to see that Emily Snow didn't create too much drama or unnecessary stunts to try to break them up and put them back together again. There were a few hiccups but none of it made me want to kill someone..so that's good, right?

I'm not really sure what I expected but I am happy that I read the rest of this series. I'd say from start to finish, the entire series would be in the 3.5- 4 STAR range. There were a few typos and sometimes it was a little flat but I'm very glad that I finished it and would tell anyone who started the first book that this definitely felt good to finish.

SYNOPSIS:

Rock star Lucas Wolfe is used to getting his way, and when he meets the wardrobe assistant hired for his band’s newest video shoot, he wants her: preferably stripped down and bound to his bed. From the moment Sienna Jensen first obediently whispers “Yes, Mr. Wolfe,” he knows she’s perfect for him.

Now, he has three days to convince her…but he doesn’t plan on taking no for an answer.

Set two years before the events of Devoured, the novella All Over You tells the dark, sexy story of Sienna and Lucas’s first encounter.

REVIEW: Consumed by J.R. Ward

OUR REVIEW:

Shel: This is the first J.R. Ward novel I've read, which I know is probably scandalous or crazy in this day and age but truth be told the sheer number of books in her most popular series was intimidating and when Consumed came along and I could start at the beginning of something new, I decided to jump at the opportunity. I'm glad I did because now I know what I've been missing. Court: That's where I've been...except I bought the whole Black Dagger Brotherhood series once when it was on sale. I had heard how amazing her writing was, but I was nervous that it would be all of the hype and then I would no longer be blissfully ignorant with like 12 books that I bought...

Anyways, I am blown away by how amazing J.R. Ward is...she can write a book, y'all. 

Shel: Consumed is a mix of drama and thriller and romance--there's a lot going on, in a good way. Ward spends a good part of the novel really laying the groundwork for what I think is going to be a several book series. A few of the main characters are really fully developed (Anne and Danny) and many characters are built up enough that it's evident that they'll be in line for a book or have a large part to play in coming books. Court: I thought so too. We get multiple point of views, and it really is fleshed out in a way that this is a family that I feel we now know. I cannot wait for what comes next, because along with the characters we had a lot of action with the details of the work of  a firefighter and it was exhilarating action from the very beginning. 

Shel: I enjoyed the suspense of it and was genuinely surprised at who the "deadly killer" was, though I must admit I feel like there has to be more information coming, right? That part felt a bit rushed and like there are several bits of information that HAVE TO BE coming in the upcoming books--I just hope we aren't strung along for a long time only to be told something wildly mundane...or outlandish, I like these characters and want the answers to fit the narrative. Court: That dangling thread was there for you too, huh? Yes. There is some need to know information that of course I wanted right now! Alas, we didn't get it. Since we now know Ann Ashburn intimately though, we know she isn't one to let things go...so we know she'll always be working to figure it all out in her new job as a arson investigator. (I really liked this aspect of the story as well). 

Shel: Even with my slight dissatisfaction at having to wait until the next one comes out, I was wholly satisfied with the way Anne and Danny's part of the story got resolved and am looking forward to where this series goes next. Court: Me too. I could not put this book down, honestly, and I highly recommend it! 

BUY IT ON AMAZON.

Synopsis:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the popular Black Dagger Brotherhood series comes a brand-new novel about arson investigator, Ann Ashburn, who is consumed by her troubled past, her family’s scorched legacy, and her current case: chasing a deadly killer.

Anne Ashburn is a woman consumed...

By her bitter family legacy, by her scorched career as a firefighter, by her obsession with department bad-boy Danny McGuire, and by a new case that pits her against a fiery killer.

Strong-willed Anne was fearless and loved the thrill of fighting fires, pushing herself to be the best. But when one risky decision at a warehouse fire changes her life forever, Anne must reinvent not only her job, but her whole self.

Shattered and demoralized, Anne finds her new career as an arson investigator a pale substitute for the adrenaline-fueled life she left behind. She doesn't believe she will ever feel that same all-consuming passion for her job again--until she encounters a string of suspicious fires setting her beloved city ablaze.

Danny McGuire is a premiere fireman, best in the county, but in the midst of a personal meltdown. Danny is taking risks like never before and seems to have a death wish until he teams up with Anne to find the fire starter. But Danny may be more than a distraction, and as Anne narrows in on her target, the arsonist begins to target her.

From the creator of the bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood, get ready for a new band of brothers. And a firestorm.