Review: Evan Arden Will Keep You Reading
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 7, 2014
I really liked this book and I must start with saying that I'm a huge fan of Shay Savage's writing therefore I will try to write a fair review(without being too biased:-) Also, not sure if this book is listed under "romance" but I don't think it's a true romance although it had it's moments but Evan Arden is just too much of a raw male.  Plus it's written from Evan's POV so there's nothing flowery about it-just straight forward honesty. If you've read the prior books then you know Evan is a hit man and hired to kill so if you have issues with this type of character then be forewarned. The story had a lot of action in it and really should be read after the first two books.  This last book picks up right where "Otherwise Occupied" ended with a seamless transition. I also easily recalled what happened at the end of the last book even though I read it awhile ago.IMO, I really felt the writing tied all 3 books together and there was really a lot to get through in this final segment.  The first book, "Otherwise Alone" gave us a brief start to him and Lia which you could tell were going to go somewhere(and they went in the direction I was hoping with this last book).  Meanwhile, the 2nd book takes you into Evan's current lifestyle and shows you the choices he's given which end up having major repercussions for him.Then we come to this 3rd book  that really takes you into Evan's mind as he struggles with PTSD(personally I learned a little after reading this story about the affects from PTSD)and the aftermath of his actions in the 2nd book.  In addition, Lia returns(she was in book 1) so we can see if their initial connection turns into something more and this helped keep me turning the pages(because nothing is easy with Evan). Some parts had me cringing a little in regards to his occupation but I realize this went with the storyline.  We also learn a little about his childhood and the lack of love he was raised with which enabled him to become a cold-hearted killer. Enter Lia...does she change him or is she enough to change him? Do they have a chance at a relationship? You'll need to read the book to get the answers to these questions and the best part is that we're hearing directly from him so we know what he's thinking at all times.Lastly, I think Ms. Savage writes pretty straight forward love scenes and there's just the right amount in this one.  They can be pretty raw/blunt(which I do enjoy) but then again they're coming from his POV.  Evan does have his heart-melting moments though- a few lines from him:  "The feeling of her body encompassing me was beyond the sensation of the flesh-far beyond..." "You're so @#$ beautiful...I can't get enough of you...will never have enough of you."  I'd recommend this to those readers that like action with some love especially from a male POV.