Review: Ruined (The Eternal Balance #1)
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 31, 2013
RUINED is the story of Jax and Sam, best friends and would-be lovers kept apart by Jax’s demon. Yup, I said demon. Jax is a descendent of Cain, the world’s first murderer, and he’s cursed by a demon as a result. The demon feeds on violence, and *hates* Jax’s brother, Chase, so Jax left town three years ago, leaving Sam and his family behind to save them.But when Jax comes back to say goodbye to his dying uncle, he gets thrown into a mess with Sam. Minutes after their first meeting in years they’re in a car accident when Sam’s brakes don’t work. The action doesn’t let up after that, and what starts out as tension-filled banter turns into a story of good and evil. Jax and Sam’s relationship, which goes back and forth as Jax tries to keep Sam safe from his demon, is a big part of the book. But so is the demon storyline, which turns out to have much more importance than I originally thought it would. I’m really curious to see where the author will take that part of it, because I enjoyed her take on demons and good versus evil.RUINED is told in alternating viewpoints from Jax and Sam, which allowed me to get inside both of their heads. Sam is a character I really liked, because she doesn’t break down when bad stuff happens to her. And let me tell you, *lots* of bad stuff happens to her. But she doesn’t let it get to her -- she just keeps going, and tries to cope as best she can. Jax is a sweet combination of a bad guy and a softie, a guy who has a *good* reason to be bad. The further away he keeps loved ones, the less chance his demon will hurt them.The chemistry between Jax and Sam is super strong, and there’s a ton of romantic tension. There were a few times where I wanted to tell them to just get on with it already! But once they do, it’s definitely worth the wait.The ending of RUINED did disappoint me a bit, because there’s a lot of buildup to it… and then it’s over. I expected more, but as RUINED is the first in a series, I’m sure more will come in subsequent books. I also had trouble connecting with the characters at first, which I think was due to the author’s writing style. I did get used to it eventually, and I’d definitely try another Jus Accardo book.Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.