Review - Ecstasy in Darkness by Gena Showalter

TITLE:    Ecstasy in Darkness (Alien Huntress, Book 5)
AUTHOR/EDITOR:    Gena Showalter
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 502 pages
PUBLISHED:   Pocket Books, 2010
ISBN#:   978-1-4391-7577-4
HOW'D I GET IT:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:  New York Times bestselling sensation Gena Showalter enthralls with a dark, tantalizing world of humans, otherworlders, powers beyond imagining, and a seductive vampire undone by his insatiable hunger for one woman. . . .

Growing up poor on New Chicago’s meanest streets, Ava Sans had two options: be the predator or be the prey. No contest. Now, working for Alien Investigation and Removal, she’s been ordered to capture the biggest, baddest warrior of all—a vampire too beautiful to be real, with the ability to manipulate time. Once the leader of the entire vampire army, McKell has been deemed savage and unstable, spurned even by his own kind.

To McKell, humans should be nothing more than sustenance. Yet the petite, golden-skinned Ava is a fascinating contradiction—vicious yet witty, strong yet vulnerable, lethal but fiercely loyal. Against his better judgment, McKell craves that loyalty, and much more. When the chase leads to seduction, McKell and Ava will race to discover the truth about his past. But the answers will come at a price, even for a woman who thought she had nothing left to lose. . . .  

MY TAKE:   I am a semi-rabid fan of Gena Showalter who I became acquainted with in my review of  "The Darkest Night" from the "Lords of the Underworld" series a few months ago.  I've started going through her backlist and am hooked!  This lady is an amazing author.  She really knows how to grab her readers and keep them entertained.

So, on to the newest gem!  Ecstasy in Darkness is the 5th installment in the "Alien Huntress" series.  (Just so you know, all of her books that I've read so far can be consumed as stand alone books or read in order of the series.  She provides plenty of backstory so a reader isn't lost if they're not being read in sequence.)

The heroine in this book is Ava.  She's little, she's tough, and she's an agent-in-training for Alien Investigation and Removal.  When she and her best friend Noelle are assigned to bring in the vampire McKell, things really start getting tough for Ava.  She fights her attraction for this amazingly gorgeous being while trying to fight her way to becoming a full-fledged agent of AIR.

I really liked Ava, for many reasons.  Her loyalty to her BFF Noelle was a lot of fun to read.  They are quite the pair.  Ava is scarred emotionally from a horrible childhood, but she is still hopeful, down deep.  She has the marshmallow core, she just can't afford to show it much.

McKell, or Viktor as he insists Ava call him, is a real pain in the rear in the beginning.  He's extremely arrogant and rather obnoxious.  The fact that he is blindingly beautiful just happens to be a plus.  McKell is fighting with his own demons regarding his upbringing and his place in this world.  He doesn't really have or want a home until he meets Ava.  She changes the brutal killing machine into someone who has something to fight for.

As usual, Ms. Showalter delivers with a fabulous plot, strong but likable heroines, beyond yummy males, steamy sex scenes, and a lot of humor ~ you'll love Hellina, btw!

I highly recommend this to Gena Showalter fans and those who enjoy a great paranormal romance filled with action. 
   
MY RATING:    4.5/5

WHERE TO BUY IT:    Amazon, The Book Depository, IndieBound

 

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.