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Review
“…You were a force of nature.”
4 stars
This is the third book in the Elemental World series, which is a spin off of the Elemental Mysteries series. I am a mad fan of these books, and couldn’t wait to immerse myself back into Elizabeth Hunter’s intriguing and exciting world. Full of vampires, magic, romance, political wrangling, and fabulously dry and hilarious banter, this was such a fun read, I loved it!
Patrick Murphy is the vampire leader of Dublin. He’s a political badass and a bit of a player, but deep down he’s a deeply feeling and sentimental man. Anne O’Dea is a vampire therapist. She lives a quiet, controlled and private life on the coast, spending her days helping immortals in need. Murphy and Anne were both introduced in book 1 of this series – Building From Ashes, however their secret past has not been revealed until now –100 years ago, Murphy and Anne were lovers and were each other’s whole world. But stupidity and stubbornness tore them apart, leaving them both broken hearted and trying to live the rest of their lives without their other halves.
Murphy is now focussed on trying to stop the flow of Elixir into his city. Elixir is a drug that is deadly to both humans and vampires with no known cure, and the body count is growing. When he is called to a summit in London to discuss the growing problem and try to find the source, he uses the opportunity to pull a very reluctant Anne back into his world.
And from the moment they are reunited – FIREWORKS! Wow. The chemistry and passion between Murphy and Anne is explosive – both in and out of the bedroom. The sexual tension that underlies each and every encounter is fantastic, and amidst all the animosity, banter and teasing, they start to open up to each other, and reveal that the emotion that they once felt for each other is still very much present.
“You seduced me when you were young and reckless. But now? You could conquer me completely if I let my guard down. I’d have no chance.”
“Does that scare you?”
“Yes.”
His eyes softened. “Don’t be scared.”
It makes for a very intense reconnection, and I loved each and every one of their interactions. Their love for each other is deep and the uniquely powerful bond that they share is beautifully explored, but they have a lot to work through before they can find their happy ever after, and I loved watching them challenge each other. Funny, romantic and deliciously steamy, it’s a total swoonfest.
“I’m a bastard who has no claim over you, and it doesn’t matter because I want you. I want to keep you. I want to bite you. I want to make love to you every night. I want to have you to confide in. I want to make you laugh. Mostly I want to be your world again. Because the last time I felt alive was when I was inside you.”
Anne whispered, “You realize that’s highly dysfunctional, don’t you?”
“Yes, and I don’t care.”
And it all takes place alongsie the mystery and political drama of the ongoing Elixir investigations, and the tense relationships between the vampire leaders who are attending the summit. Secrets, lies, murder and betrayal all add to the intrigue, with potentially devastating consequences, and combine nicely with the romantic storyline to create an exciting and engaging read.
“Love is messy, but it’s worth it. It’s worth fighting for.”
But it’s not all heavy and serious. Murphy has a wonderfully dry sense of humour, and when you add Carwyn and Terry to the mix, it’s gold! The dynamics between the characters are fantastic, and the banter and teasing is hilarious!
“Who gave you permission to speak, Murphy?” Jetta asked. “This is Terry’s summit.”
“I suppose that’s true,” Terry said, “But I’m fucking pissed off at all of you, so I decided I’d let him talk.”
“And with that gracious introduction,” Murphy continued, “I’ll proceed.”
The oter couples from the spin-off series all play a part. Terrence & Gemma feature, and there’s even a quick glimpse of Baojia & Natalie. But Carwyn & Brigid are a huge part of the action – Brigid is best friends with Anne and works for Murphy – and, of course, wherever Brigid is, Carwyn is, and he is sweet and hilarious as always.
…He watched her walk away. Gemma and Carwyn were silent. Brigid was glaring.
“What?” he asked them, sipping his drink.
“What was that?” Brigid said.
“I’m not going to explain myself to you lot.”
Carwyn craned his neck around to shoot a pointed look at Anne’s retreating figure. “Maybe you should. Just to practice.”
I loved this book! I loved being back in this world, and Elizabeth Hunter has given us a great romance with lots of action, intrigue and excitement, and it ties in beautifully with the overarching storyline that links these books together. I’d definitely recommend reading this book as part of the series – firstly because it’s awesome, and secondly so that you know the background on the characters, and how everything pieces together. For fans of the series, it’s a definite must-read.
4 stars.
See our Elemental Mysteries page for information about the full series