The Darkest Passion by Gena Showalter

For weeks, the immortal warrior Aeron has sensed an invisible female presence. An angel-demon-assassin-has been sent to kill him. Or has she? Olivia claims she fell from the heavens, giving up immortality because she couldn't bear to harm him. But trusting-and falling for-Olivia will endanger them all. So how has this "mortal" with the huge blue eyes already unleashed Aeron's darkest passion?

Now, with an enemy hot on his trail and his faithful demon companion determined to remove Olivia from his life, Aeron is trapped between duty and consuming desire. Worse still, a new executioner has been sent to do the job Olivia wouldn't....

Obtained: Netgalley
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Lords of the Underworld
1.  The Darkest Night (book review)
2.  The Darkest Kiss (book review)
3.  The Darkest Pleasure (book review)
4.  The Darkest Whisper (book review)
5.  The Darkest Passion
My Rating:
Aeron and Strider have, like I said, surpassed Paris, and are now my favorite lords in Gena's wonderful little world.  To find out that I could read this awesome novel in March was the highlight of the start to my spring break.  Who couldn't love Wrath and the man stuck with that little demon of fun?  This book was amazing that I have awarded it the Faerie of Honor rating.  (Want to learn more about this highly regarded rating?  Go here!)

Story:
Aeron, the keeper of Wrath, scorns the idea of love.  Why would he, of all people, ever need to be taken care of?  Better yet, is there anyone he could allow close to him that Wrath wouldn't want to punish for their sins?  The answer comes in the form of beautiful Olivia, a fallen angel who has sacrificed everything to be with a man who infatuates her. 

Yet all is not right.  Aeron resists Oliva's advances.  He neither needs an angel, nor a woman.  He has Legion--his surrogate daughter--the only being able to calm Wrath's bloodlust.... Or is she?

My Opinion:
I haven't laughed this hard while reading a book in ages.  Olivia is by far my favorite of all of Gena's female characters, with Anya and Gwen coming in a close second.  This fallen angel was hilarious, awkward, cute, sexy, assertive, stubborn, and so sweet that I wish she was real so I could meet her to give her a hug.  She was not a weak character, by any means.  If anything, I would deem her admirable--a role model of some sorts.  If more women were confident like Olivia, the world would be a better place.

Aeron, in comparison, is such a tortured and abused character in Gena's world.  I admired his persona, especially in The Darkest Pleasure, for his ability to resist orders for as long as he did.  Despite Wrath gnawing away at his sanity, Aeron held on until the very end.  His stubborn streak in The Darkest Passion, and the mini-war with Wrath over accepting Olivia, had me in hysterics.  The dialogue betwixt warriors and their demons definitely is one of my favorite aspects of this series.

Gena's writing has indeed improved since Maddox's tale, and her humor has far exceeded my expectations.  One of the highlights of reading anything by Gena is her ability to make make me smile, despite what may or may not be going on in my life.  She expertly weaves tale after tale, enticing me to forget everything else and become absorbed with the characters and the plot. 

I feel as if with each book I read, the characters become more and more real, The Darkest Passion no exception to this.  In fact, I would not be surprised if, at some point, Aeron and Olivia simply walked out of my computer screen while I was reading.

The twist at the end of this book made my jaw drop.  I literally had to scroll back up and re-read the whole scene, due to the suspicion that I forgot how to read in general.  Either that, or I thought I was losing my mind and imagining it all.  Wow.  Just wow.

Although I have read this online, I will not hesitate to purchase Gena's fifth installment.  In fact, I already pre-ordered it!  Unsure of whether or not to purchase this book or series?  Well, you shouldn't be!  If you're looking for a paranormal romance with a great plot, three dimensional characters, and sizzling bedroom scenes, then Aeron and Olivia's story is the one for you.

And as a side note, I am now officially depressed due to the fact that Strider's book doesn't come out until July 2011.  I can't last a whole year...!

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Favorite Snippet
(pg. 154 in the ARC)

"More.  Yes.  More--No!  Damn it.  Threaten her, Wrath.  That'll send me fleeing the room, surely.

More.

Is that the only word you know?

More, damn you.

Aeron snarled.  No one wanted to cooperate today."

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• Paperback - 448 pages
• Price: $7.99
• ISBN-10: 0373774559
• ISBN-13: 978-0373774555
• Released: May 25, 2010
• Gena Showalter's Website
• Buy it at Harlequin.com
• Buy it at Amazon.com