Review: Lukewarm
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 20, 2011
The book description and a few reviews got me really curious. One reviewer said, "this is the closet you'll get to a horror story without actually reading one" and another said "never have I been so disgusted in a good way by the horrific things I was reading". Well, for sure I was hooked. I had to read it to see what they meant.For starters, I know there are readers out there who don't particularly care for typos/grammar errors. Well, in my kindle version there were lots. However, for me, that did not distract from the story. I still plowed a head. The book is a quick read and I can see why some might think that there are parts in the book that resemble a very mild horror novel and I actually enjoyed the writing for these part. However, there were other things about the story that I didn't quite enjoy or thought was not realistic. I know, I know, it's fiction but still you want the believable parts to be believable.SPOILER ALERT! (don't continue to read, if you rather not know parts of this story)The hero, Erias, is a 900 year old immortal given the task of protecting the gate that leads to Tartarus aka: Hell by Persephone. The heroine, Cheyenne, is a smart and witty women. A very head strong individual. I loved the hero. I did not find him scarey. He had a dark side which made him very attractive. The heroine, while I didn't love her, I liked her. I liked that she was head strong. Her group of friends, on the other hand I didn't care for much. She and her group of friends (8 of them all together) travel the world to explore ancient myths and legends. They travel to Iceland, climb the slopes of a mountain, head straight into a cave and they have no local guide. Maybe it's just me but I thought even an experienced adventurer would want some one familiar with the area to accompany them on their expedition. Also, it was never said what exactly they are searching for on this mountain. But I got the jest of it because I knew Erias was there to stop them.After Erias and Chey met, he seems to convince her that the lodge overbooked the rooms and the staff put him in her room. Now as smart as she is, she doesn't think.."oh I have 3 other girl friends who have their own rooms, maybe I can stay with one them till we get this straightened out in the morning." No she lets him stay and sleep in her bed with her.So in the middle of the night she wakes to take a shower. Erias can't fight his attraction for her so he jumps in with her and tries to kiss her. Well, she screams bloody murder, becomes violent and accuses him of trying to rape her. He tries numerous times to explain to her that he wasn't trying to hurt her but she is so hysterical that she refuses to listen. So for half of the book she goes around accusing him of rape. The author portrays her very well for some one who thinks she was about to be rape. On the flip side, Chey was so believable that I was disappointed with her friends reactions. They didn't believe her. They believed a stranger, Erias, over her. Her girlfriends took a back role and not one of them stood up for her. Her friend Kris believed at first but was later convinced from the story Erias gave him, which was that they had a night's worth of heated passion and thus gave up her virginity. Yes, she a virgin.Eventually Chey falls for him and does give him her virginity. In the mean time, Persephone finds out, snaps her away and deposits here in Tartarus. Erias and his immortal friend Behr make plans to travel to Tartarus to save her. Now her friend Kris who is also her childhood friend and ex-boyfriend thwart their plans and insist on going into Tartarus with them. Now how a mere human can out wit and overcome two immortals trying to tie him up for his own safety was very exasperating. They fold and take him along. I felt Kris held them back and his presence on this rescue mission was really unnecessary.MAJOR SPOILER REGARDING THE ENDING:If you're looking for a HEA ending, you won't get it in this book. I will give the story this much, I was so engrossed with the description of Tatarus and the torture Chey and another immortal was suffering while being held captive in Tartarus that I wasn't paying attention to the progress bar on my kindle. Before I knew it, the end had come. Erias recuses her, she opens the gates to exit Tartarus but Erias doesn't go with her. Now there is more to the story on why he doesn't go but it would only lengthen my review. I was quite surprised that it ended just like that. He was left in Tartarus alone to battle the monsters while his friend Behr whisks her back to his pad in Chicago to protect and care for her. Chey was so distraught and boy was I distraught with her. I was shocked and disappointed that it ended just like that.Maybe I am being too picky. If so, I am sorry but sometimes the smaller details make a difference. However, with all that being said, there is also much more to this book then I could mention. There's more on some of the other characters. Persephone makes more appearances then the one time I mentioned above. There's background to how Erias ended up guarding the gate. Hades even makes an appearance. There are other things I loved and other things not so much. I did love the concept of the story, the hero and the other men in the Brotherhood. I would like to see Erias and Chey's story continue and see other story lines with any of the other men in the Brotherhood. I am hopeful that the next story will be even better because there is a lot of potential with what the author has created. So I plan to continue reading the series when and if the author puts out another story.