Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Review: Enraptured

Enraptured  (Eternal Guardians - Book 4) by Elisabeth Naughton

Publication Date: April 3,2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks Inc.
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: Paperback, 416pp.
ISBN-13: 978-1402262128
ISBN: 1402262124
(Received for an honest review from Sourcebooks Casablanca)


Elisabeth Naughton on the Web: webpage, blog, Twitter, Facebook

Books in the series: Marked(2010), Entwined(2010), Tempted(2011), Enraptured(2012), Enslaved(coming 2012)

Coverart: Click on the picture for a clearer,larger image of the books in the series.

 
Excerpt from Enraptured

Synopsis:
Orpheus-- To many he's an enigma, a devil-may-care rogue who does whatever he pleases whenever he wants. Now this loose cannon is part of the Eternal Guardians-elite warriors assigned to protect the human realm-whether he likes it or not.
Orpheus has just one goal: to rescue his brother from the Underworld. He's not expecting a woman to get in the way.Especially not a siren as gorgeous as Skyla. He has no idea she's an asassin sent by Zues to seduce, entrap, then ultimately destroy him.
Yet Skyla herself might have the most to lose.There's a reason Orpheus feels so familiar to her, a reason her body seems to crave him. Perhaps he's not the man everyone thinks...The truth could reveal a deadly secret as old as the Eternal Guardians themselves.

Thoughts:

Enraptured is the fourth book in Elisabeth Naughton's Eternal Guardians series. Paranormal romance fans that enjoy books based on the Greek mythological gods will love this series. Naughton's research and references to the Zeus and his fellow gods, makes for a well written book, that is descriptive, nuanced and full of action. Readers who are familiar with the series will enjoy this book, that features Orepheus, a half-daemon character that has a bad reputation. A great addition to the series!

This is probably one of my most favorite paranormal romance series'. I started in the middle of this series as sometimes happens when you are a book reviewer. I read and reviewed the third book in the series, Tempted, which ended up being one of my favorites of 2011. Then I went back and read both Marked and Entwined, which were also very, very good, but I will have to say, that Elisabeth Naughton has out done herself with Enraptured. This book is the best of the series, in my opinion and will likely make my top ten for 2012 as well.

Enraptured follows the story of Orpheus, who is a character from previous books. Orpheus isn't exactly a perfect hero. He has had some issues in the past and has been more concerned about power for himself than anything else. Being half-daemon and half-Argonaut has garned him a lot of bad attention. He is always suspected of evil, even when he is trying to do something good. In this installment of the series, he is the brooding hero, facing his own demons and problems from his past. He blames himself for his brother Gryphon's fate. He attempting to find the Orb, which will give great power to whoever has it. Instead of wanting that power for himself though, he wants to use the Orb to return Gryphon's soul.

Orpehus is probably one of my favorite characters in the series. He has always had this edge to him. He is gritty and maybe a little selfish. But he shows his true colors and his devotion to his brother in this one. I like a character who is less than perfect, or has a lot to prove to others, as well as, himself. Naughton writes Orpheus with such complexity and personal conflicts. It's like he wants to be the good guy, but no one is willing to give him the chance until he meets sexy, Siren Skyla. She understands him in a way that no else does. She is a great character as well.

Skyla is independent and very capable. She is an assassin for Zeus. And her mark is Orpheus. She has been sent to retrieve the Orb to give the power to the gods and not to him. I loved the fact that Naughton gave Orpheus a woman that was equal to him in most every way. She was saucy and had a barbed tongue. She was just as capable in a fight as he was and just as stubborn. When you have a tough leading male, you have to have a comparable leading lady and I think Skyla was perfect for Orpheus.

The overall story was engaging and had enough action to keep the interest of the reader. All of the characters readers have learned to love from previous books make an appearance in Enraptured, which keeps the reader focused on who everyone is and what their stake in the series is. I loved this one and can't say enough good things about it.

Enraptured is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!



A previous junior-high science teacher, Elisabeth Naughton now writes full time from her home in western Oregon where she lives with her husband and three children. Her debut release, STOLEN FURY, has been nominated for the prestigous RWA Rita Award©, in both the Romantic Suspense and Best First Book categories. When not writing, Elisabeth can be found running, hanging out at the ball park or dreaming up new and exciting adventures.

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