Series: Magic & Mayhem #1
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Published by: Entangled Edge on April 15, 2013
Format: eARC
Pages: 267
Source: Author
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Nexi Jones—part witch, part guardian, and wannabe kick-ass warrior—can’t throw a punch or conjure the simplest magic. But that doesn’t stop her from hunting the werewolves who slaughtered her human family. She’ll have her revenge, but only if Kyden, the elite guardian, would get the hell out of her way.
Kyden can’t decide if Nexi wants to get herself killed or if she just has no clue what she’s doing. But her father made it clear: keep Nexi safe…or else. Of course, the more Nexi runs toward revenge, the more she needs Kyden’s aid, and as she grows into her power and confidence, so does his desire to protect her. The only problem? She’d rather he dropped dead.
But when a vampire paints a bull's-eye on Nexi’s back, she’s hard-pressed to deny Kyden and the help he’s offering. Even if it means getting her revenge will be a little bit harder. At least it will still be as sweet.
*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.
Stacey Kennedy has created an intriguing world of supernaturals and magic that keeps you guessing and leaves you craving more!
Nexi Jones’ normal life comes to a screeching halt the night her adopted family is slaughtered by werewolves. She is reunited with her birth father and learns that she’s no ordinary human that same night. Born of two supernaturals, Nexi is half-witch and half-guardian, the only one in existence. For this very reason she’s been hidden from the supernatural Otherworld all of her life.
Kyden, the revered guardian has been trusted to keep Nexi safe, which proves to be harder than any enemy he’s faced during battle. Her stubbornness and inexperience should be enough to keep him away, but Kyden finds himself attracted to Nexi as much as he tries to deny it. Nexi longs to avenge her family’s death, but in order to exact her revenge, she must set her pride aside and rely on Kyden’s fighting skills and training. She’ll need all the help she can get when an impending supernatural battle between good and evil reunites her with the man who stole her life long ago and now threatens to tear her apart from the ones she loves.
I love a fierce, snarky and imperfect heroine in my books and while Nexi didn’t fail to meet these requirements, I have to be honest and say that I didn’t connect with her the way I thought I would. She handles learning she’s part of a supernatural world with more grace than I would and adapts pretty well to her new situation, but something was missing for me. I respect her determination and bravery but her passion for vengeance (which is justified) overshadows her character, I feel I didn’t really get to know the real Nexi. That being said, she did step up her game towards the end of the book, in my opinion, you have to admire a heroine that takes charge and ends up saving the hero! I hope to see her grow into the heroine I know she can be in future installments.
When it comes to swoon-worthy men, I have no complaints when I read a Stacey Kennedy book and Kyden met all my expectations. He’s part badass, part gentleman and every bit of sexy! He’s a warrior with a romantic side that just melts your heart. I really enjoyed the sexy banter between Kyden and Nexi while training, their chemistry was off the charts but I was expecting a little more interaction between them before things got all hot and heavy, especially with Nexi being a virgin and all. I would have loved to have a little more time getting to know Kyden and his backstory, but understand that wasn’t possible because the story’s stars are Nexi and the world building. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we’ll get more of Kyden as the series progresses (don’t let me down Stacey!).
The supporting characters in Werewolves Be Damned are just as captivating and each leave their mark. Nexi’s friend Haven is a character I definitely want to see more of, she’s fun and sarcastic and brings an innocent quality that’s refreshing. We’re also introduced to the sexy and flirty werewolf, Briggs who I instantly became smitten with! Valor, the werewolf Alpha is another character I want to get to know more of. These two werewolves can interrupt any time as far as I’m concerned. There are a few scenes I feel were a bit rushed in the story that I wished could have been fleshed out a little more, but overall the story flowed.
Werewolves Be Damned is the perfect balance of romance and fantasy. I enjoyed Nexi’s journey of self-discovery in the midst of the loss and heartbreak and how she’s not tainted when it comes to love. The story’s filled with non-stop action, a steamy romance, heroes, villains…oh, and if you’re not already on board, there’s werewolves, witches and vampires too! If you’re new to Ms. Kennedy’s work you’re sure to become a fan after this book, if you’re already a fan, you’ll fall in love all with some charming new characters!
Nice review!