Stacia in Progress

3.75 stars. I'm sure that only a handful of you have seen the car commercials in which the company brags about how they have both "this" AND "that" when it comes to features. They poke fun at the concept of not having enough by showing a couple choosing "bed" instead of "breakfast," or "sour" instead of "sweet" chicken. 

In theory, I'd love to read more "and" books, in which an author can figure out how to balance two things without making the elements compete with each other for attention. Sometimes, the balance doesn't work for me because I don't get enough of either element to keep me interested (i.e. most romantic suspense).

I got to have my "and" here. Sarah Fine somehow figures out how to write dark, gritty, and action-packed conflicts, but still manages to play up a romantic tension which works for me. Imagine that.

To be honest, I was a little nervous at the end of book 1. The biggest "oooh" factor about the series starter was the purgatory-like world and the beings who inhabited the place. When a twist happened and our main characters ended up relocated, it made me ponder whether I'd be as interested in what would happen next.

It turns out, I was okay with where things went, even though I missed some of the creepy vibe from the previous installment. I got my elements of danger and conflict, yet still had a few moments along the way to swoon, which is just the way I like it.

There were a few brief sections of the book where my focus started to wander (I wasn't sure if it was me or if the book itself had a couple of slow chapters), but when the big moments hit, I was back in the game. Once we jumped a few hurdles... all I can say is wow.

And now, I'm needing to know what happens next. Book 3, come quick. 

This book provided from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.