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| Averaged |
Jenni Lea - 3.5 Hearts
"Monsters come in many guises. Some of them are human."Clay White knows this to be true. A big beast of a man, Clay's seen more than his fair share of monsters, the biggest of which being his own father. After being "let go" from the Bureau for a case gone horribly wrong, Clay's drifting in life, not setting down roots. But just because he no longer carries a badge doesn't mean he can't still hunt down those who would harm the innocent.
He's on the trail of who he thinks may be the cause of the latest string of desiccated young men that have been turning up around the city. He catches up to Marek, his suspected perp, in a local club and hopes, by some subterfuge, to take him down.
Things aren't always what they seem, however, when he discovers that not only is Marek not the villain he's looking for, but that Marek is also on the hunt for this monster.
This book had a different feel than its predecessor, Corruption. It takes place in a more modern time, at least from what I could garner by the subtle hints dropped throughout the story. While I liked the tone and tempo of this, I missed the somewhat ethereal feel of the first book. I kept wanting for Clay and Marek to have the connection that Grimes and Ten had. I didn't quite get that here but what I did get was good.
Things didn't turn out like I expected them to when I first started reading this. For some reason, I thought Clay was something other than human. I have no idea why I thought that, but there you go. Sometimes it's best not to look too far into my brain. So, when the events that happened later on in the story, well, happened, I was pleasantly surprised. I love when a story doesn't follow the standard tropes.
And we get to see Grimes and Ten again! They're still together and their connection to each other is stronger than ever. Clay sees their connection and is filled with a want he didn't think he was capable, or deserving, to feel. His thoughts turn to Marek in hope that maybe, just maybe, he can have that same connection with him.
This book left me wanting more. Whether that's because it was so good or because it was too short, I have no idea. All I know is that I'm waiting with bated breath for the next book. I need to see how everything turns out for these guys (Yes, I know. Vague JL is vague).
Recommended for those who enjoy a different take on paranormal. The world building, while subtle, was complete and didn't leave me wanting. And the writing, of course, was excellent. I say give this book a try. If nothing else, your money will go to a good cause.
Optimist ♰King's Wench♰ - 4 Hearts
SPOILERS FOR CORRUPTION so if you’ve not read it yet prepare to be spoiled.
Clay White takes place in the same AU established in “Corruption” but is more modern in tone and less dark. Clay is a former agent of The Bureau. What’s that saying? You can take the boy out of The Bureau but you can’t take The Bureau out of the boy or some such.
Clay has gone rogue (sort of) and is focused on finding who or what is desiccating young men in San Francisco. To that end he goes to a club one night and meets Marek. Marek is an OLD vampire within this world. Turns out Marek is also trying to track down the killer. I have some thoughts on what motivates Clay, but they’re kinda spoilery so I'll leave it at you have to read it and come to your own conclusions.
Clay and Marek have a wholly different dynamic that’s compelling in its own rite but not as magnetic as Ten and Grimes. There is lust between them initially and I got the feeling that they were inevitable, but the timing’s wrong, so they leave it as a hookup. For much of the story they aren’t together but it's clear they both got under the other's skin so when they reunite… DAMN!
Speaking of Ten and Grimes… guess who make an appearance? I LOVE them! Like, seriously, I could talk about them all day and their dynamic is so… *heart eyes* Anyways, Clay is pointed in their direction for help with the case because they’ve been working as private investigators. Since forever. There are no dates but their whole vibe and a few things that happen make it clear they’ve been together for a loooonnnnnngggggggg time which made me heart eyes even harder.
Anyhoozit, I told you I could squirrel on them endlessly.
The two things I enjoy most about this series are the banding together of ex-bureau, quasi-disgraced agents, and the fact that Fielding has crafted a universe wherein she can move about with ease in time. If the next one is futuristic I will not be sad about that. At all.
Another thing I like, though I could be reading too much into the subtext, is the general theme that being different shouldn’t automatically equate to being feared. That resonates with me living in a Trump America. Most of the monsters out there are just plain ole human and the fact that these supernatural/paranormal beings are forming their own justice league to protect (most of) them anyway makes me a lil verklempt.
Recommend to UF, AU and romance fans.
Can’t wait to see who gets drafted into the justice league next!
ARCs were provided by the author.
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