Review: NOT JUST A READ, BUT A KEEPER....
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 9, 2013
The Awakening: Britton by Abby Niles is the third book in her Awakening series.  The hallmark of the series is taking a hard look at the mating concept in paranormal romance and all the ways it can go wrong.  This book is set up very well in the second book, where it promised quite a story.  Britton delivers in every way.  While many aspects of the plot are centered around more traditional paranormal concepts, this is without question the best of the three.Britton loathes Val.  Not only has she been given his job after he was unfairly sentenced to 20 years as a human, but just being around her makes him physically ill.  He gets the cold shakes around her and that physical loathing makes him treat her with an unparalleled contempt.  Val can’t stand the innate cruelty Brit saves just for her.  His love ‘em and leave ‘em ways don’t exactly endear him to her either.  Their hatred of each other is legendary.  But the Council doesn’t care.  They have a problem and only Val and Brit can solve it.  So, they give Brit his beast back, temporarily, so that he can do their bidding and send them out together to save a kidnapped child.Unlike both Aidan’s and Liam’s books, Britton’s has very little interaction among the three of them.  The focus is on Brit, Val, and their desperate race to stop the kidnappers before they unmask shifters to the world.  That focus is important because this book is about a journey to love that is filled with intense emotion.  It doesn’t take long after Britton is allowed his beast back (via a serum to counteract the one he was given before to take the beast away) before he starts wanting to be with Val, to touch her, care for her, protect her, love her.  And Val responds, wanting him just as much.  But they have a job to do and there is a very real fear that they might destroy both the mission and each other.  By the time the mission is over, they are deeply in love.  But a single act puts them right back to the beginning.The kidnappers, once unmasked, are less sympathetic than they were set up to be.  Ultimately, they seemed to be there more to provide a reason to bring Val and Brit together than as characters in their own right.  That’s unfortunate because good villains are hard to find.  Despite that, the ideas behind the kidnapping were solid and add to the layered world of this series.The mystery of the kidnappers, the intractable foolishness from the head of the Council, the rollercoaster ride of emotions all combine into an immensely satisfying read.  The singularity of place and the stark lack of other characters ramp up the tension.  Overall, this was such a deeply emotional book with characters that are both real (and flawed) and with such powerful arcs that it is hard to have to say good bye.  This isn’t just a great read, this is a keeper.RATING: 4.5Heat Rating:  HotREVIEWED BY: Monique NeavesCourtesy of My Book Addiction and More