In Flames
Destined Series, Volume #1By Elissa Daye ISBN# 9781938243868
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Dawn
*Beware of Spoilers*
Synopsis:
A cursed lineage. A secret magic. A destiny that neither one of them could have predicted. When Elkliss Keep is rampaged by her sinister Uncle Simeon, Lysandra lost everything she had ever known or loved within a heartbeat. Destiny catapults her into a life she could never have foreseen; a life filled with an unquenchable desire for a man, whose aloof people harbor a secret almost as dangerous as her own. When Aiden first sets eyes on Lysandra, the beast inside will not be fulfilled until he possesses her. He soon realizes that Lysandra could be the one true mate that would make his cursed life easier to live.
Review:
The story begins with a curse on all the descendants of Aesov, for his callous use of a witch. I thought he deserved it and it set the tone for In Flames.
Generations later, Lysandra’s Uncle attacks her parents intent of having their keep Elkliss. She is forced to be a maid. With time, her will to live diminishes. Initially, I wasn’t sure where she fit into the story. She is sort of rescued from her Uncle’s depravity only to be thrust into another position of submissiveness. (I’m so glad I didn’t live in those times because it’s difficult to understand when women had no say in anything.)
Aiden Quinn purchases Lysandra and takes her home to his keep. Their relationship development was the focal point of the story, at least for me. There was some great smutty sex mixed in, woo-hoo!! I loved how Lysandra did her best to gain the respect of Aiden’s people. She did everything she could to protect them and they grew to love her.
She was a spirited woman beaten down by circumstance but she never wavered. She fought for what she wanted. I’m so glad that Aiden recognized what he had in Lysandra. I wasn’t sure he would and I mourned with her especially after she got pregnant.
Aiden ended up doing a complete about-face and truly accepting Lysandra as an equal. He struggled with his feelings. At times he avoided them all-together by running away, but he always came back.
I usually recommend a book to specific age groups or genres but this time I recommend married couples read the book together. If you’re not ripping each others’ clothes off….there’s something wrong.
This is not a Young Adult book, make no mistake about that.
