Review: A Desirable Read!---All Things Writing Review
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 6, 2013
I've always been fascinated by banshees and Irish folklore. When I stumbled upon Victoria Richard's book The Banshee's Embrace a few months ago, I just fell in love with the story. I'd already checked out her book, Voodoo Love, so I knew this one had the potential to be another great read. I wasn't disappointed.  The Banshee's Embrace was funny, sexy, and very romantic. I admit that romance is not always my first choice when it comes to choosing a genre, but as you can see, Ms. Richard's has really hooked me!Which is why I was delighted to read her follow up book, The Banshee's Desire.One of the things I liked about the first book is that it started with a strong hook. Banshee's Desire is no different! We learn right away that the wizards are majorly pissed off that Jacqueline has killed the son of one of their own and they demand vengeance.  The struggle Jacqueline is having with her powers becomes obvious when she kills a lawyer who attacked her friend--even though it wasn't her job to take his soul unless he was already at the brink of death. (Personally, I thought the creep got what was coming to him!) Now she struggles to maintain balance in her life and be a good person while at the same time dealing with the desires and wishes of the murdered souls who cling to the person that killed them.Talk about a headache! Yikes!I really liked seeing Jacqueline's inner struggle in this book. Her character has evolved a great deal and while we see some of her previous insecurities, the reader can also tell she no longer just adopts  a "wait and see" attitude about things. She is determined to make things happen--whether they are right or not.Toby, a wizard, is her love interest. I also feel there was some interesting character development with him, too. Strong, mature, and unafraid to kick a little ass when called for, Toby has a lot to deal with between balancing his feelings for Jacqueline and making sure she doesn't decide to kill his son, Gabe, in her need for revenge.My favorite character is Irish Death. I loved the idea that there are many Deaths and they are all working different divisions of the world. Irish Death comes across as a humorous fashion saavy chick who can turn into a total bitch at any moment. Lots of fun!Since it is the month of love, let's talk about sex! Several steamy scenes stand out in Banshee's Desire and made me wonder where I can find my own wizard to create a little magic in the bedroom. However, I wouldn't say that this book is over-run by sexual situations.  There's just enough va-voom to keep you panting, but not lose interest in the story.The action is fast paced and holds plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader invested in the characters. I felt that the ending was great, but left me wanting to know what happened next! I can't wait to read the final book in this fun and engaging trilogy.