Tori's Review: Enemy Lover by Karin Harlow

Paperback: 405 pages
Price: $7.99
ISBN: 978-1439109823
Released: May 25, 2010 
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Author's Website: Karin Harlow
Buy it: Amazon
Obtained: Won it
Genre: Paranormal Romance & Suspense 
Series: L.O.S.T
Book Order:
1. Enemy Lover 
2. Enemy Mine (book review)

It’s Jax Cassidy’s first mission for L.O.S.T.—one that will give the former cop who went rogue a chance to prove herself. Her assignment: gain the trust of assassin Marcus Cross . . . eliminate him . . . then take down Marcus’s mentor, Joseph Lazarus, a man with a bold eye on the White House. But the woman who’s known by her team for being a femme fatale succumbs to passion, only to discover Cross’s deadly secret. He’s a vampire, and Joseph Lazarus is his creator. 

Left for dead by his platoon in the violent hills of Afghanistan, Special Ops sniper Marcus Cross was given a second chance at life. His newly heightened skills make him the perfect killing machine, and as Lazarus’s right-hand man, he’s quickly rising to the top of his dark empire, purging enemies with speed and precision. Only when dangerous beauty Jax Cassidy is sent to bring him in does he begin to question Lazarus’s motives and his own actions. But when Jax’s life is threatened by the one thing that can destroy them both, Marcus must make a bitter choice—her death or his.

My Rating:

My Opinion:
Disclaimer: This book was read during a reading funk. Some of the negative comments may have been influenced by said funk, so it would be wise to keep that in mind while reading my review.


ENEMY LOVER started off strong for me, but grew progressively weaker as I continued reading. It took me two weeks to finish this book--not because I did not enjoy it, but because of my hectic summer class schedule. I literally have no free time anymore, so I crammed this book in during any break I had. Of course, when one does this, the breaks do have the nasty tendency to affect the reading experience. For me, it's usually in a negative way, as we will see when I comment on the later parts of the book.

The start was amazing. I was pulled in, was thrown into an emotional showdown--that almost made me start crying--and then I was left feeling bereft as our wonderful heroine exposed herself to the men around her. I wanted to punch, to scream, and to kick for Jax due to the cruelties of her punishments.

The sexual tension in this book reminded me of why I loved paranormal romances in the first place. It was raw and unrestrained. It made me salivate and feel dirty for enjoying it so much. The beauty with a new series, or an author's debuting book, is the fact that everything is so fresh. That usually means that the writing style and techniques--in most cases--are equally refreshing. I felt the thrill of the chase alongside the hero and heroine, and for that, I am eternally grateful to Karin for rekindling that feeling of passion.

Cross is the type of vampire that I used to grow up fearing. Okay no, he's not. Old school Dracula instilled that fear, but Cross is one bad ass that you do not want to cross (oh my god, did I really just say that LOL). He's big, he's bad, but he's also got a soft side to him that Jax eventually unveils. He's like a lot of other tortured heroes, but unlike most, the angst is nowhere to be seen THANK GOODNESS.

I finally started losing interest when the two acknowledged their feelings for each other. I suppose that, because of my slump and extended reading phase, the story felt like it started dragging on when the emotions became the focus. Or maybe it's because I'm jaded and would rather read about sexual tension instead of mushy gushy love stories now. Who knows?

There were a few moments where I really had to adjust my mindset in order to accept the convenient outcomes of confrontations. For vampires being so badass in this book, I cannot believe that Jax would always make it out alive... despite the logical, albeit convenient, reasons behind it.

ENEMY LOVER is not a paranormal romance for the faint of heart. If you want your lovey dovey, "everything's okay no matter what" romances like Gena Showalter books, you will be severely disappointed. BUT, if you want something with a little bit more substance, something that will make you uncomfortable, that will make you appreciate the characters for who and what they are, ENEMY LOVER is your book. I highly recommend this PNR for any who craves a change of pace in the PNR world.