well told, gritty, VERY sensual paranormal story

I would give this story more of a 4.5. But it’s great. This is a short story that, wonderfully, didn’t feel short. It had some great characters. The main characters, Ofelia, a witch, & Trouble/Cooper, a newbie werewolf & biker gang member, were great, each with their own troubles, pardon the pun. And Ofelia, though very appealing, had physical flaws too, scars internally and physically, which I loved; it’s more realistic. And realism was a plus in this story. There weren’t unanswered questions unattended to or blanks in the story. An exception is that the author never completely describes anyone. That can be problematic for some people, but it was okay with me. it was certainly noticeable, and is quite different. But there’s something freeing about needing to fill in the blanks about how these characters appear physically. There’s something freeing and more unbiased about requiring the listener/reader to image these characters based on our own stuff. And I think it’s telling however each listener/reader does that. And it might be telling when listeners require these specificities. Do we need to know whether a character is more like us or more unlike us physically? I think the author is on to something.

The story centers totally around a no-where bar that hosts fights & nearby prostitution & where paranormal creatures (succubus/succubi, incubus/incubi, werewolves, demons) are the norm. It appears to be somewhere near the Mexican border and be rural, including the trailer Ofelia lives in and dust. The story has a gritty feel, a spooky aspect, not like ghosts but like the presence of fighting, hidden spirits or forces. And fighting, literally, occurs too. There is some violence that may be a bit over-the-top for some listeners. It’s not often, but it’s there. I loved the balance of rawness and romance. There was grit but not so much sex. Sex is often alluded to, and the sexual tension was constantly there. But the act of sex was rare. There is a kind of masturbation scene between Ofelia & Cooper, with Ofelia as the happy recipient. But it happens in an unusual fashion or way. Cooper is not actually an active participant but more of a kind of facilitator. I can’t say more without spoiling it. So there are 4 hours of build up to the culminating sex scene in the last 54 minutes or so of the story. I didn’t miss the sex or think that it should’ve occurred sooner. It happened organically, just as it should have, in the time it should have. I really liked that they didn’t jump into sex of any sort immediately, though they did act on their immediate attraction.

The story focuses on how Ofelia and Cooper accept and act on their being mated and the unveiling of unknown parts of Ofelia’s life & what she is, though the latter aspect is not fully answered in this story. At the heart of these questions is a devil tarot card that finds Ofelia. There is a HEA, though the story continues. We learn that there are 76 tarot cards remaining that need to be found for Ofelia to get some answers. I anxiously await the next installment.

8 of 9 people found this review helpful

what a crazy paranormal adventure!

I was so confused in the beginning but I stuck with it... ended up liking the book! I really didn't like the Fang Bikers... but Trouble aka Cooper won me over... the smexual heat in this book borders on angsty as nothing really seems to happen until way... way into the book...but it was well worth it! Nice mystery adventure throughout the story with finding the meaning behind the tarot card that just won't go away!

Narration was pretty good... many shift in voices...no two characters really sounded the same... Down is one of my favorites.

Nice credit or sale...

5 of 6 people found this review helpful

Another Reine Masterpeice

I am doing the review backwards this series has me really excited as all of her series do. No one can weave a universe & connect you to plot & character like Ms Reine. I am really excited for book 3 & most excited to see where she is going with the gathering high arcana witches & Rage. After the Descension & Ascension series it's got to be phenomenal!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Horrible story.

Where do I begin. It was just horrible. To some up this book it was full of drugs booze the main character loves to strip and her alpha male is ok with it and although she was beaten and raped she's ok and turned on by violence. This was a waste.

5 of 7 people found this review helpful

my husband is begging

my husband is begging for me to buy the next book in the series. he was so in love with it that he kept begging me to play more of the book. he was so sad with the way it ended because he never wanted the book to end.

Good story

The story was pretty good. It gave me Quentin Tarantino vibes, especially with the ending, which was enjoyable. The main downside was the odd pace and inflection/emphasis of the narrator. Her voice was pleasant, but something in her delivery screamed "trying to hard" and odd.

despite a few bad reviews I enjoyed it

The narration was good. Cooper and Ofelia resonated with me and I would like to hear more about their search for the tarot cards. I will read/listen to more by this author.

Decent Read

I enjoyed the book well enough to read the next in the series. I think that will tell the tell of if this is going to be a series worth reading to the end. Ophelia is a strong female character, I hope that as the series progresses Trouble continues to develop into a stronger character.

Hot mess just horrible

Where do I start. I made my self listen past few chapters thinking maybe it will get better. It was painful to actually finish it. I purchased this audio-book based on small synopsis, however what they failed to mention that whole book could have been told in only 5-6 chapters of nothing but sex sex and more sex. Just irritating.

WoW 🔥 just 🔥

I almost didn't listen to this book but then I decided why not . WoW am I glad I did this book is so hot and sexy ! I cried then laughed so hard I cried more but they were happy tears ! If you get just one audio book this month make it Caged Wolf . I promise you will not be disappointed!