Twice as Nice: Paula's Take on Rogue Rider by Larissa Ione
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Rogue Rider (Lords of Deliverance) by Larissa Ione
Paranormal
Grand Central Publishing (November 20, 2012)
Heroine: Jillian Cardiff – Human, Strong
Hero: Reseph – Amnesia, Pestilence
Setting: Colorado, USA
Review:
Larissa Ione has written a fantastic, dark, gritty, exciting, and gripping series starring the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. Rogue Rider is the last installment in this series and picks up where Lethal Rider ended.
At the end of Lethal Rider, Pestilence had been stabbed by Thanatos, thinking he has killed Pestilence and his brother, Reseph. In Rogue Rider, Jillian Cardiff, who lives in a remote town in Colorado, finds a very handsome and very naked, unconscious stranger in the woods. She drags him back to her place where she takes care of him until he wakes up. When Reseph wakes up, he has no memory of who he is besides his name. This means he has no idea he is one of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse and was once Pestilence, the demon who almost destroyed the world.
Jillian has issues with trusting men after being hurt so often in the past. But Reseph's charm and kindness worms his way into her heart. As days turn to weeks, these two grow very close, and fall in love. Yet both of them know things could change when he gets his memories back. Despite their worries things will change between them, they decide to push aside their worries and be together.
When demons begin attacking close to Jillian's home, niggling thoughts of Reseph's past start to rise to the surface in his head. Reseph fears for Jillian's safety knowing demons are lurking in the woods. He refuses to leave her alone and is determined to protect her from the dangers he instinctively knows is coming. However, when unexpected people from Reseph's past make a sudden appearance, his memories come back full force. And Reseph snaps. Unable to live with the horrors from when he was Pestilence, he is forced to leave Jillian. But Jillian might be the only person who can save Reseph from himself.
Imagine being the reason millions of people, supernatural and human, die? Not something anyone would want to live with huh? And Reseph is forced to face all of this when his memories come back. Who wouldn't snap? With Jillian's help, Reseph is able to tamp down the memories but is now faced with trying to fix his numerous wrongs. Not only for himself but also to earn his family's trust again.
I've been looking forward to Reseph's book since book one of this series. I kept questioning how Ms. Ione was going to turn this very evil villain into someone we can love and also be able to look past the unspeakable things in which Reseph did as Pestilence. And as usual, Ms. Ione brilliantly wrote this story. She won me over. I fell in love with Reseph's charm, witty personality, and his non-use of a filter. He literally spoke the truth of whatever was on his mind - which made me laugh often. And have I mentioned the man is drop dead, panty dropping gorgeous?
A wicked smile ruffled his mouth as he leaned into her and put his lips near her ear. "How long has it been since you came so hot, so furious, so fucking intense, that you forgot our own name?
Oh, God. She'd just forgotten it. "Never," she whispered. "You?"
"I can't remember," he murmured huskily, "but ask me in a few minutes and I'll have an answer."
Jillian is definitely worthy to be the heroine in this story. Jillian and Reseph are a great pairing. She's strong, blunt, and is fighting her own demons as well. She's also determined to keep Reseph and accepts him for all his flaws. And when Jillian discovers a secret that could completely tear them a part, rather than run away, she selflessly stays for Reseph.
"You're a warrior Jillian. Your scars are as beautiful as you are." - Reseph (Poetic words - gotta love a man who can say such things to a woman.)
Rogue Rider is heavy in the romance department. All of the Lord of Deliverance books are based on the romance, but Rogue Rider had a lot more emphasis on the hero and heroine's relationship. Which I highly enjoyed. The romance is very sweet, charming, and as usual, the sex scenes are incredibly steamy. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Reseph be the person we kept hearing about from his brothers and sisters - the carefree, laid-back guy that loved to joke around. It was heartbreaking when he learns of the unspeakable, horrific things he did as Pestilence. In the past, Reseph was notorious for not sticking around when things got bad. This time, instead of fleeing, he faces not only his inner demons, but tries to right his wrongs in the world.
Since the beginning, starting with the Demonica series, each and every book's story always flows into the next book. The author has built a unique, complex world with many characters that repeatedly show up in each book. And in each book, something new and interesting is revealed. Rogue Rider is no different. One question in particular that has been on my mind has finally been revealed. But now I have new questions. I'm going to assume the sixth Demonica book is Reaver's story. I'm anxious to read the sexy angel's story. I've been curious about him since he walked onto the pages.
My one complaint, even though I loved the strong romance element in this story, is that the beginning started off slow. It was hard for me to get into the story. But at some point, the pace really picked up and I couldn't put the book down. So, stick with the story if you have trouble with the beginning. It's well worth it.
Larissa Ione is a smart, creative storyteller. Her edge-of-the-seat stories keep me coming back for more every. Single. Time. Looking forward to the next book as always!
Thoughts While Reading:
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