#Bookreview ~ Released by @JusAccardo #paranormalromance
Title: Released
Author: Jus Accardo
Published: March 28, 2016
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance
~ Synopsis ~
Jax Flynn’s life just went from bad to worse. He was already sharing his body with a demon named Azirak, but after killing its mate… Well, shit got real. Now the demon has taken control of Jax’s body and everything he cares for is at stake, including Samantha, the girl he loves. Yeah, that’s not going to happen. It’s time Jax showed everyone what he was really made of.
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~ Book Review~
I made a bit of a boo-boo when I agreed to review this book. I hadn’t read any of the previous novels in the series and I just dove head-first into this one. I felt like I was arriving in the middle of a show, but things quickly became clear. Although the book is probably more enjoyable if you’ve read the previous stories in the series, Accardo did a good job of filling in any necessary details to the story. In fact, I found the action at times at bit slow. If I wasn’t playing catch-up, I might have been tempted to skip ahead.
I really liked the dual aspect of Azirak and Jax. It was quite different and interesting to read. This was in fact my favorite part of the novel. Of course, I loved Jax. How can anyone not love Jax? I liked Samantha as well. Her character was very real. So much so that I yelled at her through my Kindle a few times. Yeah, she didn’t listen.
I liked how the ending tied everything up in a neat little bow. I pretty much had it figured out, but the ending was well-written and exciting to read anyway.
~ Excerpt ~
“We need to get something straight,” Sam said, changing lanes to pass the car in front of us. “That shit you pulled back at Kelly’s? That can’t happen again.” Irritation surged in Azi, but more than that, confusion. It genuinely didn’t understand what she was pissed about. “You chastise me for protecting you?”
“Damn right,” she snapped. “Because no matter what you say, that’s Jax’s body you’re temporarily squatting in. He has to live with the fallout after I find a way to evict your ass. Besides, that’s not what that was all about anyway.”
“Oh?” The demon’s irritation turned to amusement. It didn’t bother correcting her on the temporarily bit. Azi had me locked down tight and wasn’t the least bit concerned about her—or me—turning the tables. And even though I had complete faith in Sam—if there was a way to fix this, she’d find it—even I had to admit I was pretty much fucked.
“You’re the equivalent of a demonic spoiled brat. Any time you don’t get what you want, you throw a fit. That doesn’t work in this world, buddy. You need a little more self-control if you want to pretend to be a real boy.”
I worried the demon’s temper would flare, but instead of anger, I felt a swell of admiration from it. “You know what I am,” Azi said. It shifted around in the seat so that I was facing her. “You know what I am capable of. And yet you still speak to me as you would a lowly human?”
“Lowly human?” She shook her head and stomped on the gas. Kelly’s Explorer surged forward. I cringed internally. I’d seen Sam drive angry. It wasn’t a pretty sight. “No, no. You’re totally misunderstanding me. I’m speaking to you as I would an asshat.”
~ About the Author ~
Jus Accardo is the author of YA paranormal romance and urban fantasy fiction. A native New Yorker, she lives in the middle of nowhere with her husband, three dogs, and sometimes guard bear, Oswald. When not writing, Jus can be found volunteering at the local animal shelter or indulging her passion for food. After being accepted to the Culinary Institute of America, she passed on the spot to pursue a career in writing and has never looked back. As far as she’s concerned, she has the coolest job on earth—making stuff up for a living.
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