When I read Juliana Stone’s His Darkest Hunger, I was impressed by the world she had created but not with Jaxon or Libby, the hero/heroine. I wasn’t sure if I was even going to read the second book, His Darkest Embrace until I saw a one star review on Amazon saying that it was a horrible book simply because Jaggar and Skye were nothing at all like Jaxon and Libby. I bought His Darkest Embrace immediately but put off reading it until now. I regret putting it off for so long because His Darkest Embrace really is way better than it’s predecessor.
A solitary hunter with no regard for the human world, Jagger Castille is a shifter living on the edge. A woman who calls him enemy will give him reason to live . . .
Jagger is a creature of the night—Skye Knightly soars in the sun. Natural adversaries, they are now joined in a mission entrusted to Skye’s family centuries ago: nothing less than the salvation of the Earth.
Wounded and bitter, Jagger sought escape in the solitude of the jungle, driven by a need to disappear forever . . . until a mysterious shifter who calls to his soul and feeds a yearning long forgotten pulls him from his dark path. A courageous warrior, Skye’s passion is equal to Jagger’s—but can she trust a man whose secrets are as devastating as her own?
Each is the other’s sole hope for survival. But a dark and twisted truth is leading them toward the ultimate sacrifice for a love they may never live to claim.
Like that one star review said, Jagger and Skye (and their story) were nothing at all like Jaxon and Libby. For one thing, because Jagger and Skye had no history, their chemistry and reactions to each other was fresh and unexplored. Since neither one is very trusting, it was fun to watch them battle with their mistrust and the pull of their attraction.
Skye wasn’t your typical warrior. She had dedicated herself wholeheartedly to her task, yet made some stupid mistakes because she hadn’t had the proper training. Jagger, on the other hand, was a bad ass warrior who is almost ruthless in getting what he wants; but underneath that tough exterior was a soft heart he rarely showed anyone.
As I’ve said before, His Darkest Embrace is the sequel to His Darkest Hunger. However, it can be read as a stand alone book because the plot from the previous book doesn’t overflow into this plot. Even the characters from before only have brief cameos, leaving His Darkest Embrace to focus almost solely on Jagger and Skye.
A twisting adventure, full of sexual tension between Jagger and Skye and the bad guys always close on their tail, His Darkest Embrace was an intense, gripping novel that seems to have readers at odds.
I loved this one too. I think His Darkest Salvation is even better.