Bookake

The 4th book in the Demonica series.

Lore is half human, seminus demon, brother to Eidolon Shade and Wraith.
He is also an assassin, enslaved to pretty nasty Demon. Lore has only one more kill to earn his freedom, and his newest assignment is Kyrian. But Kyrian is a sentinel, a close friend of his newly found brothers, and is a primori - a human being important enough to be guarded by an angel. If Lore doesn't complete the kill, his sister Sin is going to be killed.

Idess is an angel, a memitim, a class of angels that have to act as guardian angels to the primori, sometimes for hundreds of years before they can earn their wings and ascend to become true angels. Idess's current charge is Kyrian. But when Lore makes his first attempt on Kyrian, Idess gains another Primori to protect - Lore.

Now Idess has a big problem, how to protect two Primori, one of whom is attempting to kill the other. Her first solution is to chain Lore up in her bedroom... which is a risky thing to do with a seminus demon.

Considering how cheesy that last bit sounded as I wrote it.. it sounded more cheesy on the blurb of the book, and yet it really turned out well. This is because Larissa Ione is such a great writer. Because yes it's about sexual tension, but she also builds her characters enough for it to be more than that..

Lore especially was a very interesting and complex character with hidden depths. Longing for a relationship with his brothers, but desperate to save his sister.. he feels so much guilt about her childhood without him, and has a constant need to protect her, despite her independence. And as he becomes more involved with Idess, things become so complicated for him.

Reading this novel after a few really cheesy ones in the same genre, really made it clear to me what a good romance novel is about. And if it's not well written, or if it's too cliche it's just going to be boring. But this one was a clear 5 stars, and I'm glad I came back to the series. Can't wait to pick up the next one on Lore's sister Sin.