Helpful Score: 4
Alexandrine is a witch that was abandoned at the age of three by her father due to her lack of magical power. In her journey of self discovery she finds a talisman (an evil source of magical power) created by the very father she has been seeking. Now an adult, Alexandrine with her growing magical ability due to the dangerous talisman, struggles to find her place in the world and is caught in the middle of a battle for supremacy between mages like her father, and demons like the man who is sent to protect her.
Xia is a demon who vehemently hates mages and witches, for they were the very people who enslaved him for torturous years, but he reluctantly finds himself vowing to protect the very daughter of the man who he has sworn to kill. He struggles with his desire for revenge, yet fears his desire for the woman who may be his one true mate. Both Alexandrine and Xia fight against forming any kind of relationship with each other, but are forced to trust one another with their lives and are unable to deny their combustible chemistry.
My Forbidden Desire is the second book in the series, and picks up where My Wicked Enemy left off. The reader is immediately immersed into the world that Carolyn Jewel has created. Her characters engage in dialogue that is sarcastic, sassy, and spunky verbal sparring. I loved this aspect of the book. And while this is a paranormal romance, the world building does not overtake, or bog down the core of this story, which a romance.
I enjoyed My Forbidden Desire, but wish I would have read My Wicked Enemy prior to reading it. Unfortunately I was not aware that the books build upon each other, and I think understanding the relationships, tensions between characters, and references to past events in My Wicked Enemy would have shed light on parts of My Forbidden Desire that otherwise were somewhat ambiguous and a little bit confusing. So if you want to read My Forbidden Desire, definitely read My Wicked Enemy first.
My only criticism of this book was the under explored relationship between Alexandrine and her brother Harsh. Harsh was presumed dead, and has been mysteriously absent from her life for over ten years. He returned to protect her from her father and the effects of the talisman, and despite his disappearance it is obvious that they love one another. At the beginning of the book Alexandrine resents and questions his interference in her life, yet no explanation is given as to his absence, or was there any resolution given to Alexandrines feelings of abandonment and confusion. While these loose strings bothered me a little it did not affect my overall impression of the book, it just would have made it that much better. My Forbidden Desire definitely tempted me to read more by Carolyn Jewel.
I have 5 copies to give away courtesy of Forever books. Giveaway is open to residents of US and Canada only. Sorry no PO Boxes. Please see my blog Seductive Musings for details, and ways to enter. Giveaway ends July 10, 2009.
Xia is a demon who vehemently hates mages and witches, for they were the very people who enslaved him for torturous years, but he reluctantly finds himself vowing to protect the very daughter of the man who he has sworn to kill. He struggles with his desire for revenge, yet fears his desire for the woman who may be his one true mate. Both Alexandrine and Xia fight against forming any kind of relationship with each other, but are forced to trust one another with their lives and are unable to deny their combustible chemistry.
My Forbidden Desire is the second book in the series, and picks up where My Wicked Enemy left off. The reader is immediately immersed into the world that Carolyn Jewel has created. Her characters engage in dialogue that is sarcastic, sassy, and spunky verbal sparring. I loved this aspect of the book. And while this is a paranormal romance, the world building does not overtake, or bog down the core of this story, which a romance.
I enjoyed My Forbidden Desire, but wish I would have read My Wicked Enemy prior to reading it. Unfortunately I was not aware that the books build upon each other, and I think understanding the relationships, tensions between characters, and references to past events in My Wicked Enemy would have shed light on parts of My Forbidden Desire that otherwise were somewhat ambiguous and a little bit confusing. So if you want to read My Forbidden Desire, definitely read My Wicked Enemy first.
My only criticism of this book was the under explored relationship between Alexandrine and her brother Harsh. Harsh was presumed dead, and has been mysteriously absent from her life for over ten years. He returned to protect her from her father and the effects of the talisman, and despite his disappearance it is obvious that they love one another. At the beginning of the book Alexandrine resents and questions his interference in her life, yet no explanation is given as to his absence, or was there any resolution given to Alexandrines feelings of abandonment and confusion. While these loose strings bothered me a little it did not affect my overall impression of the book, it just would have made it that much better. My Forbidden Desire definitely tempted me to read more by Carolyn Jewel.
I have 5 copies to give away courtesy of Forever books. Giveaway is open to residents of US and Canada only. Sorry no PO Boxes. Please see my blog Seductive Musings for details, and ways to enter. Giveaway ends July 10, 2009.
Valorie T. (morbidromantic) -
Helpful Score: 3
Alexandrine Marit is a witch who can barely form a spell, abandoned as a child by her powerful mage father Rasmus for having too little power. However, as a grown woman, what she does have is a talisman imbued with a power her father supposedly wants. So to protect her from her father and his league of fiends, her no longer long-lost adopted brother Harsh puts a fiend named Xia in charge of her protection. Xia is a powerful creature, the tall and dark handsome kind, but hates witches because witches enslave and kill his kind. He would like nothing more than to kill Rasmus with his bare hands, and watching over a witch who is also the daughter of Rasmus is a terrible fate for him. Neither of them trust each other, but slowly Alexandrine sees he is more than just a witch hating fiend, and Xia comes to see that she is more than just a witch. Especially when the two discover that maybe Xia needs to be protected just as much as she does. The closer they get to one another, the less they can deny the chemistry and physical attraction pulling at them.
Nothing like a good book full of magic and sexual tension to curl up with at night. I have a weakness for magic in books, though not only of the 'witch' kind. I think the various concepts of magehelds and blood-twins and such are very unique and give more layers to the story than your typical witch-meets-demon-and-they-do-magic-together kind of story. There is more potential for conflict and storyline when relationships are varied and complex. And though you know Alexandrine and Xia are going to end up getting hot and petty, the anticipation is tense and their mutual dislike is amusing.
Xia is the absolute bad boy type and women can't get enough of men like him. In that way, he is charming but frustrating, but bad boys tend to be stubborn. And Alexandrine, darling, after all the things Xia did and said to you, you still thought he was going to abandon you at the end? Where is your faith, girl!? But hey, the story needed that last surge of drama, I suppose, and it was a great ending to see the two of them together but not sugary. After all, Xia is still a bad boy fiend and Alexandrine is still a 'take no crap' kind of girl.
Nothing like a good book full of magic and sexual tension to curl up with at night. I have a weakness for magic in books, though not only of the 'witch' kind. I think the various concepts of magehelds and blood-twins and such are very unique and give more layers to the story than your typical witch-meets-demon-and-they-do-magic-together kind of story. There is more potential for conflict and storyline when relationships are varied and complex. And though you know Alexandrine and Xia are going to end up getting hot and petty, the anticipation is tense and their mutual dislike is amusing.
Xia is the absolute bad boy type and women can't get enough of men like him. In that way, he is charming but frustrating, but bad boys tend to be stubborn. And Alexandrine, darling, after all the things Xia did and said to you, you still thought he was going to abandon you at the end? Where is your faith, girl!? But hey, the story needed that last surge of drama, I suppose, and it was a great ending to see the two of them together but not sugary. After all, Xia is still a bad boy fiend and Alexandrine is still a 'take no crap' kind of girl.
Helpful Score: 1
Nice addition to the series, steamy attraction between the characters. Although reading the first book is not necessary it is recommended.
Helpful Score: 1
I didn't know this was the second book in the series until I got into the story pretty far. A different kind of paranormal world with witches, mages, magekind, etc. Xia is a wonderful bad boy, so full of himself and Alexandrine is a really sassy, take no crap gal so there is tension immediately. I really enjoyed the byplay between the two. It was action packed and fast paced from start to finish. The references to Xia's past history and the story of Harsh, her brother, which were probably part of the previous book, was my only problem. I wish I had read My Wicked Enemy first. Lots of characters for future stories so I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
