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Saturday, April 11, 2015

Book Review: Beyond the Darkness (Darkness #3) by Katie Reus

Beyond the Darkness (Darkness #3)
by Katie Reus
Paperback, 345 pages
March 10th 2015 by KR Press
Now that she has her freedom, she’s not giving it up. 

Dragon shifter Keelin Petronilla spent centuries in forced hibernation dreaming of one thing: freedom. Now she’s living life on her terms—she’s ditched her clan for an unruly wolf pack, she tends bar for a half-demon, and she’s loving it…until a powerful supernatural being targets her. She intends to handle the mysterious attacks on her own…without the help of dragon Alpha Bran Devlin. Sure, he’s sexy in that hot, scowling possessive way, but Keelin wants to live her own life in her own way.

Now that he’s found his mate, he’s not letting her go.

Former black ops agent Bran Devlin is a born dragon Alpha and leader of a fierce clan. Getting mated was never part of his plan—until a feisty dragon princess gets under his skin in a big way. The hell of it is, she doesn’t want a mate; she just wants to have a good time. He plays along, but when a dark and powerful being marks her for death, he’s determined to stay by her side in spite of her protests. Now that he’s found his mate, he means to keep her safe no matter what the cost…even if he has to risk it all.


After waking up from a forced hibernation that lasted centuries, dragon shifter Keelin Petronilla is determined to do things her way now. Feeling out of touch with the modern world, she moves away from her still hibernating parents and gets a job at a bar. She wants to live life on her terms and mating with Alpha dragon Bran Devlin isn’t part of her plan, even if she does find him attractive.

Bran isn’t exactly looking for a mate either but he’s drawn to Keelin and her fierce need for independence. Suddenly having a mate like her doesn’t seem so bad, at least to him. When a powerful being targets Keelin for an unknown reason, Bran digs in his heels and appoints himself her protector, if not her future mate. But fighting an unknown enemy isn’t easy when he’s fighting Keelin’s stance on mating and his feelings for her as well.

Okay, so I missed the first two books in this series by Katie Reus and I’m kicking my own butt. Beyond Darkness was just enough paranormal to satisfy my craving but it still had a contemporary romance feel. Keelin and her friends live seemingly normal lives with jobs and hobbies I could relate to yet they also belonged to a world of wolves, magic and dragons!

Keelin was such a good example of an inexperienced heroine because what she lacked in experience she made up for in bravado and intelligence. She didn’t always make the best choices but she did try to make her own way in her world, mistakes and all. I liked that about her. She didn’t turn and run into Bran’s arms when things got bad, and she was the target of the villain so it would have been so easy for her to become a watering pot and a damsel in distress. She didn’t and tried to solve her problems herself but even when she did concede that she needed Bran’s help, she didn’t let him take over completely. She insisted that she be a part of the solution and that she be kept informed of what was going on. For being inexperienced, she was a natural at taking control of her life and that rocked.

And as Alpha dragon, Bran was amazing at being fair and treating Keelin as her own entity with her own thoughts, and capabilities. Even when he was fighting the urge to lock her away and solve all her problems, Bran was still a great hero. He wasn’t controlling or over the top with the “Me Alpha, You My Female” attitude. Not that Keelin would have put up with that crap anyway.

Together Bran and Keelin made a strong team, their reluctant romance was a mixture of humor and passion. I loved their stubborn natures because it just made them better characters as they stumbled through their problems and learned what worked with each other and what didn’t. Bran had a lot to prove to Keelin and Keelin had a lot to prove to herself. There was definitely growth from beginning to end.

Beyond the Darkness wasn’t just Bran and Keelin’s story though. It set up future books in the series, most notably Bo and Nyx, two characters whom I think will give Bran and Keelin a run for their money in the stubborn department. I hope they get their story soon. Though I would also love to see more dragon shifters in the series, since Katie Reus has a way of making them irresistible!

I may have missed the first two books in the series, *insert grumbling here* but that didn’t stop me from enjoying this latest installment from one of my new favorite authors. I look forward to the next book in the series!

Sheep Rating: 4 sheep




Adria Reyes
http://adriasromancereviews.blogspot.com

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About the Author:
Katie fell in love with romance at a young age thanks to books she pilfered from her mom’s stash. Years later she loves reading romance almost as much as she loves writing it. However, she didn’t always know she wanted to be a writer. After graduating summa cum laude with a degree in psychology and working too many jobs she hated, she finally figured things out. 

She now spends her days writing dark paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense. Her publishers include Carina Press, Harlequin Nocturne, Ellora’s Cave and NAL/Signet Eclipse (Penguin). Regardless of genre, she always includes a happy ending. When she’s not creating stories she loves spending time with her husband and family.


2 comments:

  1. Thanks for the review, I've got the first two books on my TBR pile, and the third is on my wishlist. Might have to get to reading those a little sooner now!

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  2. Great review Adria, I want this series! Dragons!

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