Sweet Ruin by Kresley Cole

 

 Blurb:

An immortal assassin is caught between desire and duty...

A foundling raised in a world of humans

Growing up, orphaned Josephine didn’t know who or what she was—just that she was “bad,” an outcast with strange powers. Her baby brother Thaddeus was as perfect as she was flawed; protecting him became her entire life. The day he was taken away began Jo’s transition from angry girl... to would-be superhero... to enchanting, ruthless villain.

A lethally sensual enforcer on a mission

A threat to the Møriør has brought archer Rune the Baneblood to the mortal realm to slay the oldest living Valkyrie. Whether by bow or in bed, he never fails to eliminate his target. Yet before he can strike, he encounters a vampiric creature whose beauty conceals a black heart. With one bite, she pierces him with aching pleasure, taking his forbidden blood - and jeopardizing the secrets of his brethren.

A boundless passion that will lead to sweet ruin...

Could this exquisite female be a spy sent by the very Valkyrie he hunts? Rune knows he must not trust Josephine, yet he’s unable to turn her away. Despite his millennia of sexual conquests, he can’t ignore the unfamiliar longing she arouses deep within him. When Jo betrays the identity of the one man she will die to protect, she and Rune become locked in a treacherous battle of wills that pits ultimate loyalty against unbridled lust.  

My Review: 5 STARS!!!!

My GAWD can this series get any better???? Kresley Cole ups the ante of the Accession with the introduction of the Møriør, a group of primordial warriors from different factions of the Lore. Their leader, Orion the Undoing, who just happens to be a God, has been watching our beloved nucking futs Nix's machinations and has ordered her death. He sends his assassin archer Rune to make this happen. Rune is a Baneblood, a product of a Fey and Demon union and his bodily fluids are pure poison. His kind are reviled for their mixed blood heritage and although he is the bastard son of the now deceased Fey king he was raised as slave. After the death of his mother and a lifetime of imprisonment, torture and defilement. Rune has sworn to wipe out the entire royal line of the Fey Queen. 

Jo is a foundling, her first memory is at the age of eight. She was found wandering around the outskirts of Houston clutching her infant brother Thaddeus while talking gibberish. She does her best to raise him on her own for the next couple of years but a tragic event separates them and alters her life forever. Jo learns that life isn't just black and white, life or death. She becomes something more than human...

I loved Jo's fierce, take no shit attitude. She's grown up alone with powers that she had to figure out about on her own. Her one and only priority in life is to keep her brother Thaddeus safe. Jo is incredibly lonely. She wants nothing more than to have a connection with someone, to have someone who will love her and keep her grounded (she's afraid that she'll just float away one day). When she comes across Rune in the middle of *ahem* getting information (aka plowing some nymphs) on Nix's whereabouts she is attracted to him and intrigued by his detachment while doing the "deed"

Rune is fascinated by Jo. Not only will she not tell him what she is, she resists his seduction. The horror! No one has ever been able to say no to him before. LOL I loved seeing his aggravation and confusion as she continues to resist him. He just could not comprehend why she didn't fall at his feet like every other woman has and the dialogue between the two had me cracking up! “You got a woodie; I got a wettie. Doesn’t mean mine was for yours.” -Jo BEST. LINE. EVER. Lololololol!!! 

The buildup of sexual tension between these two is beyond intense as Rune ratchets up his game to have Jo in his bed. I love that Jo gives Rune a run for his money, she is in it for keeps. She knows that she is Rune's mate and until he can fully commit to her she won't give in to him.

There is nothing more that I love than seeing a manwhore fall and Ruin is the king of all manwhores, so his fall was especially sweet. He is an alpha through and through, possessive, protective and absolute sexilicious perfection. Although I have to admit that there was a moment or three that I thought Rune was going to do something so incredibly idiotic that I would be forced to track his fictional ass down and give him a good nut punch. 

Kresley Cole is the master of creating rich and complex worlds and with the addition of the Møriør she has brought in a whole new group of intriguing characters that have been added to my "Oh my God, I have to read their story NOW or else my head will explode" list. So without giving away any more of the book, I'm just going to say, stop what you are doing, go buy this book and READ IT NOW! It's that freaking amazing!

*I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase Links:

Amazon 

Barnes & Noble 

  

Author Bio:

 Kresley Cole is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the electrifying Immortals After Dark paranormal series, the young adult Arcana Chronicles series, the erotic Gamemakers Series, and five award-winning historical romances.

A master's grad and former athlete, she has traveled over much of the world and draws from those experiences to create her memorable characters and settings.

Her books have been translated into twenty foreign languages, garnered three RITA awards, and consistently appear on the bestseller lists, in the U.S. and abroad.

You can learn more about her and her work at www.kresleycole.com or www.facebook.com/KresleyCole