My 2019 Resolution Project over at my other blog, Speculative Chic, is to read the entire Kate Daniels urban fantasy series by Ilona Andrews, finishing up with a first read of the final book in the series.

This is my first time reading this novel, which the authors have advised should be read prior to reading Kate Daniels #10: Magic Triumphs. You can read my full review here.

An excerpt:

You might remember Hugh d’Ambray as Kate’s evil father’s right-hand man, leader of a killing force of monsters and responsible for a lot of pain in Kate’s life and those of her friends. He’s responsible for so much death and misery, so why would we be interested in reading a book starring him, much less a book that involves a romance?

This is where Andrews’ ability to create three-dimensional characters shines. Hugh and his Iron Dogs have failed Kate’s father too many times, and now they’re out of Roland’s protective sphere. What better way to create a redemption arc than through the romance novel trope of an arranged marriage with a strong and powerful woman?

And…it totally works. By the end of the book, I was cheering for Hugh’s survival.

Rating: 5 (out of 5) stars. Cross-posted to Amazon and Goodreads.