Review: Darkly Seductive
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 10, 2013
I am aver 30 years old. I read mostly young adult books. My blog focuses entirely on young adult books. Never in my blogging "career" have I ever felt the need to deviate from my usual practices... until now.NOTE: This review covers a book that is intended for readers aged 18 and up. I do not encourage anyone younger to acquire this book without prior parent or guardian consent. If you are over the age of 18, adore Jennifer L. Armentrout's Lux series and don't mind reading a bit of erotic romance, then OBSESSION (the Arum companion novel set between books three and four in the Lux series) is an absolute MUST READ.I'll admit, I was a bit hesitant going into this book, simply because I haven't read an "adult" romance/erotic novel in quite some time. But I was intrigued by the idea that this novel would provide readers with an Arum point-of-view. Steeling myself against the inevitable erotic content (guys, I'm not a prude, I just never really feel the need to read about what I would prefer to enjoy in real life) I was overjoyed to find the author's signature writing style seeping on every page. I could literally fill a near novel-length blog post with quote-worthy passages from this book, but here are a few notable passages:"Throughout our lives, no one could figure out how we were so close, but when friendships begin with cupcakes--chocolate, at that--no truer bond develops.""Even with all the crazy stuff happening recently, beneath the sorrow and the anger I was still a red-blooded, twenty-three-year-old woman sitting in front of a man, who may not be a hundred percent human but had to have caused a panty-dropping crisis across the universe...""Are you done acting like a psychotic, cracked-out Muppet baby?"As you can tell, Jennifer's new characters, Serena and the ultra-H-O-T Arum, Hunter, are presented in signature Armentrout style: with plenty of snark and sexy exchanges. Honestly, I absolutely loathed Hunter at the start of the novel. But much like the Beast in one popular classic fairy tale, this horrid and loathsome creature soon found his way into my heart - and his inner beauty soon matched that of his six-pack abtastic exterior. I never thought that I would ever say that I love an Arum, but there you have it. I LOVE Hunter. As far as the heroine goes, Serena has many redeeming qualities but I still think that I prefer Katy over her. Katy comes with a bit more personality, she is also a bit easier to relate to on a personal level. Even still, all of Jennifer's writing style is there and, as always, she finds a way to make all of her characters quite likable, no matter how unflattering they may seem at the start.OBSESSION will turn all of your preconceived notions with regard to the Luxen and the Arum upside down and inside out - particularly when it comes to who is good and who is evil. New dangers involving not only Hunter and Serena, but possibly also Daemon and Katy in the final two Lux books, are presented within this quick read. It literally took me all of one day to get through OBSESSION, so "quick read" is an apt description. You definitely need to be familiar with the world that Jennifer has already built to gain a full appreciation of the complexity of this novel, otherwise it may come across as another "male captor dominates sweet vixen" erotica - with some odd alien words and people who glow and/or freeze things thrown in for suspense. If you truly understand this world and series already, you will be deeply surprised by the depth of the thrilling and, yes, darkly seductive OBSESSION.Highly recommended to those who wish to gain a full view of the Luxen/Arum world, as well as to those seeking some refuge as you painstakingly wait for the next book in the Lux series!