Series: Fallen Siren #1
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Published by: Roc on October 1, 2013
Format: eARC
Pages: 288
Source: NetGalley
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Emma Monroe is a Siren, cursed by the gods and bound to earth to atone for an ancient failure. She’s had many names and many lives, but only one mission: redemption. Now that she works missing persons cases for the FBI, it could be just a rescue away. Unless her new partner leads her astray.
Special Agent Zack Armstrong just transferred into the San Diego Field Office. He’s a werewolf, doing his best to beat back the demons from his dark and dangerous past. As a former Black Ops sniper, he’s taken enough lives. Now he’s doing penance by saving them.
Emma and Zack’s very first case draws them deep into the realm of the paranormal, and forces them to use their own supernatural abilities. But that leaves each of them vulnerable, and there are lines partners should not cross. As secrets are revealed and more women go missing, one thing becomes clear: as they race to save the victims, Emma and Zack risk losing themselves.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
An immortal heroine on a journey for redemption and an unlikely forbidden romance!
Emma Monroe is an FBI agent working missing persons cases with one little secret. As one of three immortal sirens she’s been cursed by the ancient Greek gods until she can right a wrong committed ages ago. Each new case puts her one step closer to redemption, which means she can finally open her heart to love again but only with Demeter’s blessing. Emma is put to the test when a former flame and fellow special agent Zack Armstrong is assigned to be her new partner. When their first case leads them straight into the dark world of the supernatural, Emma and Zack must reveal their true identities to each other in order to solve the case ,but working together ignites a long lost spark that can have dangerous consequences.
I always love a book that introduces a new to me supe and Cursed did just that with its heroine. Emma is quite unique as a siren and while we don’t get to much of a background in the beginning of the story I was intrigued by her character. That being said, I tried my best to connect with her but found it a bit difficult. I get the whole siren thing: beautiful woman with the power of influence, but a lot time was spent on talking about how beautiful she was and how she has to keep her glamour up to avoid seducing everyone around her, not much was revealed regarding her personality or flaws, which made her a little too perfect for my taste in heroines. The fast paced romance between Emma and Zack was justified due to their past history, but I would have liked a little less conflict when it came to them getting together, mostly on Emma’s part. She gave Zack a lot of slack when it comes to telling the truth about himself but she was more than hesitant to share her truth, that was a bit annoying to me.
Zack is a pretty charismatic character and while I wouldn’t exactly label him an alpha werewolf, he’s still all sorts of yummy. I enjoyed his laid-back demeanor and that he gave Emma her space. He isn’t afraid to be with a strong woman and even let Emma take the lead during their investigation. Zack has a bit of a past but eventually comes clean with Emma and lets down his guard which made for some sweet moments. Emma and Zack have great chemistry, but when a sexy vampire by the name of Kallistos makes an appearance towards the end of the book I knew Zack had some major competition. He’s not around long but definitely makes an impression. I won’t give too much away but I enjoyed every moment with him and Emma and look forward to getting to know more about him.
The world in this book includes a variety of supernatural beings including vampires, witches and werewolves still “in hiding” from humans. The paranormal aspects blend really well into the story and the world isn’t complex which is refreshing, sometimes less is more. The mystery and suspense element to the story is the shining star in my opinion. The small clues revealed along the way keep you turning the pages as Emma and Zack put the pieces of the puzzle together and was never predictable. I was shocked by the book’s ending and the emotional cliffhanger that came with it, but hope to get some closure in the next installment.
Cursed is a solid urban fantasy debut with an intriguing story and sprinkling of romance. The playful humor and tension between the characters makes for an enjoyable read. If you’re in the mood for a mystery with a little magic and a forbidden romance this is the book to curl up with on a chilly weekend afternoon!
About S.J. Harper
S.J. Harper is the pen name for the writing team of Samantha Sommersby and Jeanne C. Stein, two friends who met at Comic-Con in San Diego and quickly bonded over a mutual love of good wine, edgy urban fantasy, and everything Joss Whedon.
Samantha Sommersby left what she used to call her “real life” day job in the psychiatric field to pursue writing full-time in 2007. She is the author of more than ten novels and novellas including the critically acclaimed Forbidden series. She currently lives with her husband and cocker spaniel, Buck, in a century old Southern California Craftsman. Sam happily spends her days immersed in a world where vampires, werewolves, and demons are real, myths and legends are revered, magic is possible, and love still conquers all.
Jeanne Stein is the national bestselling author of The Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles. She also has numerous short story credits, including most recently the novella, Blood Debt, from the New York Times bestselling anthology, Hexed. Her series has been picked up in three foreign countries and her short stories published in collections here in the US and the UK. She lives in Denver, CO where she finds gardening a challenge more daunting than navigating the world of mythical creatures.
I like that it wasn’t predictable, that always a bonus. Too bad you didn’t really connect with Emma though. I’ll be keeping an eye out for this. Great review.
Jenea @ Books Live Forever
Thanks for sharing the great review and the giveaway. Sounds like a great book. evamillien at gmail dot com
hmm I do have this one on my wishlist, as I really like this premise.
I really enjoyed ‘Cursed’ and while I can’t say the ending shocked me given the foreshadowing, it did pack an emotional punch. There was definitely lots more page time given to Emma’s back story than Zack’s which was a shame I wanted to know a bit more about him. Fingers crossed all will be revealed in the next novel.
I just thought that since she was all like “oh screw it, I want him” she’d find a way to make it work…haha
I’m alway interested in a forbidden romance so I think I’ll give this one a go.
I think you’ll like it, I’ll definitely be reading the next one. I’m a sucker for forbidden romances too!