Review: The Darkest Seduction

THE DARKEST SEDUCTION
(Lords of the Underworld #9)
Gena Showalter
Adult Paranormal Romance
504 pages
Harlequin
Available Now
Received from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Possessed by the demon of Promiscuity, immortal warrior Paris is irresistibly seductive-but his potent allure comes at a terrible price. Every night he must bed someone new, or weaken and die. And the woman he craves above all others is the one woman he'd thought was forever beyond his reach…until now.

Newly possessed by the demon of Wrath, Sienna Blackstone is racked by a ruthless need to punish those around her. Yet in Paris's arms, the vulnerable beauty finds soul-searing passion and incredible peace. Until a blood feud between ancient enemies heats up.

Will the battle against gods, angels and creatures of the night bind them eternally-or tear them apart?

MY THOUGHTS
Perhaps the most highly anticipated of the Lords of the Underworld series given the length of time we’ve followed Paris and Sienna’s tragic courtship, The Darkest Seduction doesn’t let us fans of the series down, the moments we’ve spent physically aching for them every time we've received small snippets of their lives in the other Lords’ books more than worth it as we get their full story in gloriously rich detail. We’ve had to watch Paris, previously full of life and charm and always quick with a laugh, lose a little piece of that light and charisma with each book, his guilt over his role in Sienna’s death and subsequent undeath starting out a small dark blot on his heart and spreading with each page read until darkness and vengeance have almost entirely consumed him. As a result, we find ourselves spending long minutes just staring at the image of Paris and Sienna on the cover, desperately wanting to crack the spine but also utterly apprehensive to do so knowing the journey to happiness for them will be long and painful.

Paris, Keeper of Promiscuity, leaps from the pages in the very first book in a deliciously sexy blaze of glory, seeming to revel in the needs of his demon while verbally sparring with his fellow Lords in a way that makes him an instant favorite, taking possession of our hearts as easily as he does all of those he seduces. As the series progresses however, we see small glimpses of the burden he bears as the Lord of Sex, the broken hearts, tears, curses, and pleas for more he leaves in his wake piling one atop the other to create a mountain of self-loathing and shame so great we want nothing more than to reach in and assure him his deeds done to satisfy his demon do not define him as a man. In this, finally his story at last, we experience his every emotion along with him, his desire to find and save Sienna in a way he wasn’t able to previously as well as his fear that Sex’s wants—separate but absolutely linked to his own–will inflict on her wounds deeper and more agonizing than the ones he’s already caused churning our guts as much as they do his.

Sienna is everything we could possibly want for Paris, a woman whose ability to forgive all his real and perceived sins acts as balm to his turbulent soul, granting him absolution and bestowing on him all the love he’s adamantly denied himself. Where she could condemn him for his inability to remain faithful, she offers only understanding, repeatedly putting his health and welfare above any jealousy the idea of his being with someone else brings forth, and proving to him again and again that the fragile trust they’re building is what’s most important to her. While Sienna’s infinite understanding of Paris’s need to sleep with someone else should they be parted for any length of time could have been frustrating–our own inability to overlook repeated infidelity, however necessary, preventing us from being as understanding as she is–Ms. Showalter spares us the torture and torment of cheating in this tale, instead giving us two characters who from the moment they come together on the pages show one another nothing but love and respect.

The Darkest Seduction, in addition to being a stunning fulfillment of a desire a long time coming, is also a crucial book with regard to the Lords’ ongoing battle with the Hunters and the search for Pandora’s Box, giving us a beautiful relationship as well as some incredibly profound developments that will hugely affect all the characters moving forward. Overall, this installment is one not to be missed, a true delight to read and one we can’t wait to flip back to the beginning and start all over again.

Rating: 4.5/5