Review: Awesomeness!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 18, 2013
My original review can be found on Sizzling Hot BooksOh. My. Gosh. Talk about some serious sexual intensity! Dark Universe is the second book in the Universe Series, and it definitely floored me. I'm not usually a fan of jumping into the second book in a series, especially when I haven't read the first, but I'm so very glad I took a chance on Dark Universe because this was an absolute joy to read.Lola's taken the wrath all of her life for the mistakes of her brother. But one thing is for sure, she' s not one to let that get to her in the least. A powerful woman, who does what she wants, even if her mother does try and control the men she dates. But one case of mistaken identity lands Lola into the arms--and eventually the bed--of a man who has dealt with more than she has. He's Drake...the sexy cowboy that every girl and their mother, sister, grandmother...well, you get the pic...would be crazy not to swoon hard for. Drake is an alpha cowboy to top it off, and he's met his match in the feisty Lola. The two agree to a sex with no strings relationship, but we all know well that works out. *grins* Hence leading to a road of secrets, self-banished feelings, and loads and loads of sexy times. I'm not about to spoil the hidden secrets, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't figure them out early on myself. Maybe I've read so many books in my life that I have that built-radar, but did it matter that I knew it was coming? No, absolutely not, because with getting readers to that point, we get to follow the love/hate relationship of two people who were just...meant to be.I adored Lola and her sassy attitude. Definite bark WITH the bite kind of heroine who didn't take anyone's crap...especially not Drake's. She's loyal and fierce, but when she finally discovers what love truly is, you see a shell come down around her that you literally want to hug.Drake...oh Drake...I love that boy and wanted him as my own--damaged or not. I'm a sucker for those type of heroes and Ms. Herrera definitely took the prize on creating THE ideal hero for me. OH! And did I mention he's a sexy cowboy-sort? Yeah...excuse me why I swoon for a VERY long moment... :)Overall, I found myself so wrapped up into Lola and Drake's story that I stayed up WAY too long for two nights in a row to get to their happily ever after. It was so well worth the sleep deprivation and three cups of coffee in the morning though. There are just some stories that stick with you, and I know for a fact that Dark Universe will be one of those. There was nothing I would change about Dark Universe. I loved it all. I loved the bad, the good harder, and even the lack of communication between the characters at times didn't weigh on this picky reviewer as much as it usually does. Guess that goes to show you that good writing, and very likable characters definitely make for the perfect story. So run, do not walk to get Dark Universe. It's truly a book you won't want to miss out on.