Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I only wish my title was a joke, but sadly it is the actual "plot" device utilized in this story. Oh, how the mighty Kresley Cole has fallen! Don't get me wrong; I have long been one of Ms. Cole's most ardent champions. I've turned many a friend and stranger onto her books because I believe (and still hold out hope) that she is unrivaled in the romance genre. I have read and re-read all of her books multiple times, but this one? One time through was too many for me. You might think it is because I found the inclusion of Will's childhood abuse distasteful, or that I just didn't connect with the foul-mouthed, trash-talking Chloe, but no. It was the utter and absolute lack of identifiable plot and the same old I-hate-what-you-are-but-am-compelled-by-a-mystical-force-to-mate-with-you formula that Kresley Cole usually does so well. It has never struck me as formulaic before now because her other stories are carried by ACTION (aka "plot"), and not just the between-the-sheets kind. Sex has always been a part of her stories, but not the ONLY part. Will and Chloe's story read more like a badly acted skin flick screenplay than an IAD installment. Ms. Cole may have jumped the shark into Gena Showalter (pre-conversion) territory with this one. One wonders if it might not be time for her to put down the proverbial pen for a well-deserved hiatus so that she can find inspiration and joy in her craft again. It read just like a writer on deadline with a note from the editor: MOAR SEXXX!!!!. Is there anything redeeming about the story? A few things. Besides the new characters, and our favorite recurring ones, we get a glimpse into Munro's future. (Fingers crossed on that one.) But all in all, it feels bereft of the signature charm and humor of Kresley Cole's other work. A moderate amount of angst in a tortured hero is to be expected, but 300 pages of capital letter ANGST, not so much. A ballbusting heroine with a quick wit and a sharp tongue is good, but not if she doesn't stay true to character and refuse to be bullied by the big bad wolf. Even timid little Emma Troy had Chloe Todd beat in that department, and she was afraid of her own shadow! Will I stop reading Kresley Cole's work because of this dud? No, of course not. Even on her worst day, her skill is still superior to most of the other romance writers out there, and there remains so much promise in where this series is heading. I'm still holding out major hope for Thronos and Lanthe's story. I'm chalking this one up to the anomalous blip that it is and looking forward (albeit with some newfound trepidation) to the next in the series.