Review: A really great companion novel
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 9, 2013
I really loved A Terrible Love, and I have been looking forward to reading A Brutal Tenderness, which is A Terrible Love from Cas' point of view.  First, let me say that you do need to read A Terrible Love before reading A Brutal Tenderness, otherwise you will not truly understand, enjoy, or get the full impact of the story.  Even though this is the same story, Cas' version is completely unique and different from A Terrible Love, so it is definitely not like reading the same story again, which is something I really enjoyed.  Again, if you don't read A Terrible Love first though, you will not appreciate or get it to the degree that it is designed and written to be.  Not only is A Brutal Tenderness told from Cas's point of view, but you also get to see a whole different side of the story, including the back stories of many of the characters in the book.  This adds a whole new depth and dimension to the story , which is something that was not a part of book one.  Therefore, when you read that this is a companion novel to A Terrible Love, that is exactly what it is, and I thought it was wonderful.  Not only do we see what was going on in Cas' mind, we get to see things from the FBI perspective regarding the case, as well as getting to know the other agents involved, their roles, and how everything played out from their side.  In addition, there are several chapters that focus on Thad, which are told in the third person, allowing you to get inside his head.  Another thing I enjoyed was the ending, which goes into much more detail than what we see in A Terrible Love, including several chapters with details of what goes on between the ending of A Terrible Love and the epilogue one year later, so there is quite a bit of new material included.All that being said, I love Cas - he is a loose cannon, all alpha, hot, badass as badass can be, and he loves and protects Jewell fiercely.  He isn't perfect and he doesn't always know how to express himself verbally in the best way, which is something that makes him more human and more real.  I loved getting to know him up close and personal, and getting inside his head and seeing and experiencing things from his point of view.  Marata Eros has done a brilliant job with this series, not just writing a sequel, but bringing two halves together which make a whole.  I thoroughly enjoyed this dark romantic suspense and most definitely recommend A Terrible Love and A Brutal Tenderness.