Ecstasy Unveiled by Larissa Ione

Title: Ecstasy Unveiled
Author: Larissa Ione
Publisher: Forever: Hachette Book Group, Inc.
Genre: Paranormal Romance/ Urban Fantasy
Series?: Yes. Book #4

~*~Synopsis from Goodreads~*~

DEMON ENSLAVED 
Lore is a Seminus half-breed demon who has been forced to act as his dark master's assassin. Now to earn his freedom and save his sister's life, he must complete one last kill. Powerful and ruthless, he'll stop at nothing to carry out this deadly mission.

AN ANGEL TEMPTED 
Idess is an earthbound angel with a wild side, sworn to protect the human Lore is targeting. She's determined to thwart her wickedly handsome adversary by any means necessary-even if that means risking her vow of eternal chastity. But what begins as a simple seduction soon turns into a passion that leaves both angel and demon craving complete surrender.
Torn between duty and desire, Lore and Idess must join forces as they battle their attraction for each other. Because an enemy from the past is rising again-one hellbent on vengeance and unthinkable destruction. 


~*~Review~*~

Ah, yes. What could be more forbidden than the fruit of a demon and angel falling in love? I think this is pretty much it! And, it is so, so yummy!


But, yumminess isn't the only thing you will find in this fourth book of the Demonica series. Larissa Ione does an amazing job at delving in to the personal conflicts and inner battles with what a person is willing to risk and sacrifice for another being, and for the sake of love.

Idess -- the angel in training-- is charged to keep Kynan (best friend to the brothers Eidolon, Wraith, and Shade) safe, all while trying to fulfill the last obligation before attaining her place in heaven. It is everything she's ever wanted, especially since that means-- or at least what she thinks it means-- reuniting with her 'ascended' brother. 

Lore --the other smexy brother, half-human/half-Seminus demon, and life-saver of Kynan-- has been charged to take back the gift of life he had given in the previous book. And, if he fails, it will cost him the life of his sister, Sin. Unfortunately for Idess, Lore also becomes one of her charges that must be kept safe. She is constantly being pulled between her duties of keeping both her charges -- who are determined to best the other -- alive. When Lore and Idess finally square off in a head-to-head battle of missions, wills, and desires, the ultimate test of personal obligations and yearnings will be explored. 


The ultimate questions are tested. Do you sacrifice yourself for the sake of another? Is sacrificing one for the sake of many the right thing to do? At what expense will you put your own wants and needs in front of others, even if it is your flesh and blood relations? At what cost will give in to physical desires and the welcoming of forbidden love?



And, while both Lore and Idess are seeking their own answers to these very questions, so are Eidolen, Wraith, Shade, Sin, and Kynan. No one is exempt from internal conflict in this book. Whether they are demon or angel, all will need to evaluate and exercise their choices.
Eidolon-- the usually collected and level-headed older brother-- also finds himself in a very precarious position of risking his strong bond with his brothers and partners of UGH in convincing them that Lore is, in fact, worth saving. Not to mention, that they now know that they have a half-sister. A sister that was never meant to exist due to the fact that all Seminus demons are male.

With all the testosterone flying around in this book, it's no wonder that Idess takes charge, realizing that maybe if she and Lore work together, instead of against one another, they may be able to change the course of events in each of their favors. But, first trust must be won, which is not given lightly.

Just as in all the previous books of the Demonica series, the characters are strongly developed, which makes you feel like you are experiencing the inner turmoil that each of them are going through. The range of emotions runs the entire spectrum, while falling on healthy dose of hotness!

One of the things that I absolutely love about Ione's heroine's is the fact that they demonstrate both vulnerability, strength, and intelligence. No whimpy girls here! But, I also like the fact that the hero's also have weaknesses and doubts amidst their outward confidence, muscularity, and dominance. In Ecstasy Unveiled, this is no exception, and I may go as far as saying that it is even exemplified in this story more so than the previous ones. I can't stress enough that the plot carries so much personal conflict reasoning, that many readers will identify with some of the trust, self-doubt, and second-guessing ones actions and beliefs that the characters struggle with in this book.

The integration of Sin, and her own issues, is set up nicely for the next book, Sin Undone, set to be released in August.


~*~Final Thoughts~*~


I absolutely loved this book and would highly recommend it to anyone seeking a very sexy, action filled paranormal romance/urban fantasy read! I would highly recommend that the reader has read the previous books in the series prior to reading this one. It will be more meaningful, and make a little more sense during certain events and circumstances, especially when it comes to understanding the actions and feelings of the characters. Because of the smexy content in the book, it is recommended for adults only. 


I am rating this 5/5 for a few reasons: Strong/developed characters, strong plot (I absolutely loved the fact that it was centered around self-sacrifice and personal obligations that adhered to not just Lore and Idess, but most of the characters), new interesting setting is introduced along with a dynamic character that may/or may not fit the typical symbol it is associated with, hotness, hotness, and more hotness, the set-up for the next book in the series with Sin, as the main lead was wonderfully integrated and explored, and a twist of events at the end that I was not expecting!

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