Book Review of Enemy Lover

Title: Enemy Lover

Author: Karin Harlow

Release Date: May 25, 2010

Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance

When you have no alternative, then you call in L.O.S.T. Because with the Last Option Special Team, it’s do or die. . . .

It’s Jax Cassidy’s first mission for L.O.S.T.—one that will give the former cop who went rogue a chance to prove herself. Her assignment: gain the trust of assassin Marcus Cross . . . eliminate him . . . then take down Marcus’s mentor, Joseph Lazarus, a man with a bold eye on the White House. But the woman who’s known by her team for being a femme fatale succumbs to passion, only to discover Cross’s deadly secret. He’s a vampire, and Joseph Lazarus is his creator.

Left for dead by his platoon in the violent hills of Afghanistan, Special Ops sniper Marcus Cross was given a second chance at life. His newly heightened skills make him the perfect killing machine, and as Lazarus’s right-hand man, he’s quickly rising to the top of his dark empire, purging enemies with speed and precision. Only when dangerous beauty Jax Cassidy is sent to bring him in does he begin to question Lazarus’s motives and his own actions. But when Jax’s life is threatened by the one thing that can destroy them both, Marcus must make a bitter choice—her death or his.

Summary from Goodreads.com

My Review: This is another book that was recommended to my by my friend Monica, from The Bibliophilic Book Blog.  I talk about her so much on this blog feel like I should have her name in an acknowledgments section or something.  She always has great suggestions and I have not read any books that she has recommended that I did not like.  She also raved about this book so much on her Goodreads page here and I was intrigued by her obvious passion for the book.  So I did not even doubt it this time, I just downloaded the book and began reading.

This book is in the paranormal genre, but that does not really fit the full extent of the content covered.  The book felt more like a plethora of genres mashed together to make one fantastic, face-paced storyline.  Genres covered?  Mystery, suspense, paranormal and romance all rolled into one.  The best part of this?  There is no freaking way you are going to get bored reading this book, I don’t think it is even close to possible.  Another bonus to this book:  no fluff.  If you have read previous reviews by me before you will know I.hate.fluff.  I see no point in describing the scenery for five and six pages when you could be spending those precious words advancing the plot and drawing me into the world further.  Karin Harlow has done a fantastic job of cutting out the unnecessary and leaving behind only the exciting and intriguing.  Which is getting to be a rarity in books nowadays, so I was thrilled that this book left me with nothing but essential and enticing information.

On to the main characters of the story, Jax has been through more than her fair share of trauma and she has come out of it on the other side kicking and screaming.  She is not a damsel in distress and she does not need saving.  I loved every minute of watching her keep up, and sometimes surpass, the men on her team.  At the beginning I did think she was going to end up with Brinks, the guy who initially frees her, but she put a stop to that real quick.  I know that there are going to be more books in this series, so I can only hope that I will get to see what life has in store for Brinks someday.  As for the guy she does end up falling for, Marcus, he is crazy hot so I was not too disappointed with her choice   Marcus would also be a vampire, bonus!  I have not figured out everything about the vamps in this world, but you do get a general idea about how they work so you are not completely in the dark.

Final thoughts:  this book is sooooo goooood!  So awesome in fact I am yawing while writing this review because I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning to finish it, and I am sleep deprived.  The more I sit here and chew over everything that happened, the more in love with this book I become.  It is a book that will stay with you after you are finished reading and still have you chewing over events that took place.  If you are looking for something fresh and exciting in the adult paranormal world then this book is for you.  It is the first book in this series and I cannot wait to get my hands on future installments!