Review--Bound to Shadows

In the darkness, demons come out to play...and someone must bring their sins to light.

Part vampire, part werewolf, Riley Jenson knows what can happen when vamps don't play well with others. But she's never seen anything like this: a series of brutal murders surrounding the latest hot spot for the vampire-human hookups--and the victims aren't just killed, they're beheaded. Now Riley is launching into action, toying with a seductive--and highly suspicious--club owner, and finding herself in the middle of another mystery: women being killed one by one, without a trace of violence.

For RIley, solving multiple cases--in a world going mad with human and vampire passions--would have been tough enough. Instead she has two jealous lovers on her hands: Kye Murphy, the amber-eyed werewolf who makes Riley's wolf howl--and Quinn, the coll, elegant vamp who has over a thousand years' experience at fulfilling women's desires. While she's busy juggling these two sexy beasts, Riley's detective work takes a stunningly violent turn. Finding a murderer is now a matter of life and death. Especially since the killer has long since found her...

Yup, I finished another book. I may not get to the next one as soon since I have to work today and tomorrow is my birthday so my next post may not be until Thursday, but I might have one up tomorrow.

This is the second to last book in the Riley Jenson series and it was really shocking! In Deadly Desire, Riley had just found her wolf soul-mate and he has returned as the BOC said. Riley tries her best to fight the attraction between them, as does Kye, but it proves useless. Neither of them can fight the heat between them. Kye wants to possess Riley, and not in a real loving way, so Riley isn't too pleased with him on that front. Her soul-mate suddenly appearing just as she was getting things to work with Quinn present a dire problem for her, but that is only the beginning of Riley's problems.

There are murders afoot. Both vampire and human women and they are somehow connected as Riley discovers. Aren't they always? To top it off Kye, the hired hitman is somehow involved as well. Again, how is that really surprising? While I may sound a little sarcastic, I am being completely honest and have absolutely zero sarcasm in my voice as I type. Keri Arthur ties these things together beautifully. The cases were entirely different in the beginning and around the middle they get tied together. Which is something that can be seen ahead of time, if you think to look for it and think of how writers work their subplots into the main plot, hence my reason for asking is this really surprising? ;)

Riley not only has 2 lovers to deal with but a club owner who is very seductive and has his sights set on Riley. You would think all this attention from so many men, including Kade, who still likes to flirt with her on the job, would be a werewolf's dream, but it really is not for Riley. She wants to be committed to Quinn, but Kye presents a major problem in this want.

Arthur's characters are all well-developed. Seeing them is amazing and how their interactions with one another and Riley are amazingly real. Sal and Riley's constant snaps at each other are quite amusing and we even get to see a different side to Sal in this book, if only for a slight moment.

Risa, Dia's daughter is definitely her mother's daughter as she is slowly beginning to obtain her powers. Which ties into the plot towards the end of the book, some facts that may or may not be spoiler worthy so I shall end on that note here.

There are at least 2 MAJOR events that occur in this book that I cannot divulge in for they are spoilers. One is big and surprising and the other is more shocking and I cannot wait to see how Riley is in the last book after the events of this one. The first one is just as shocking and major and it will be good to see this in the last book as well, but the second and most major one in my opinion occurs at the very end, so no skipping ahead if you want to be surprised. Then again the other event gets summed up in the last sentence of the book as well, but it is mentioned on a few occasions throughout the book as well.

I cannot believe Riley's books are almost over. I remember finding the first one just a few years ago when it was in hardback. I loved the idea of a hybrid creature, I'm a big fan of Underworld too. I can only hope that things end happily for Riley since she has had a rough time these eight books. Until next time readers.