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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
Not as good as some of the previous books in the series. I miss the danger and intrigue.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
First reviewed at Red Hot Books here: http://redhotbooks.com/2014/06/review-when-day-breaks-by-maya-banks.html
I officially have a new book boyfriend! For years I’ve been all about Eric Northman (helped along by my minor obsession with Alexander Skarsgard) but he has now been replaced with Swanny. When Day Breaks is the newest book in the KGI series by Maya Banks and centers around Swanny, the adopted member of the Kelly family who was imprisoned with Nate, and Eden Sinclair, the world’s most beautiful supermodel. Action, sizzling romance and an insecure hero, combined with a “holy shit did that just happen” scene, made this one of the best books I’ve read this year.
Daryl Swanson (Swanny) is the teammate who was rescued with Nathan in Whispers in the Dark and he still bears the physical and mental scars from their capture and torture. A large scar down the side of his face, numerous scars on his body and all of his nightmares have Swanny fully believing that love and a family will never be for him. He is dedicated to his team and his job and most days he’s okay with that.
Eden Sinclair is one of the world’s most beautiful women. A supermodel with the world at her feet and a loving family that would do anything for her. When someone begins threatening her life and taking shots at her, she chalks it up to a crazy stalker. She has no way of knowing that she is being targeted as payback for something her father did when he was in the military years before. After the threats escalate in to actual violence, Eden’s brother Ryker calls in Nate, Joe and Swanny who he served in the military with. Their job is to keep Eden safe while she completes a major modeling gig in Paris.
I loved these two together. Swanny was so insecure about the scars on his body and face that when Eden lets it be known that she’s attracted to him, he pushes her away because he doesn’t feel he’s worthy of her. Watching them get past their individual demons and then help each other with theirs was really sweet. The action part of the book slowed down for just enough time that we were invested in them as a couple but not too long that we were getting bored. When it picked up again, I could not put the book down.
I really enjoyed seeing more of Skylar in this book and getting to know her a bit better. There has been very little info about her but now I actually want to read her story. She is an awesome combo of kickass woman and beautiful, feminine charm. Skylar played a role in helping Swanny accept that Eden really was attracted to him, and also helping Eden understand some of why Swanny was having such a hard time accepting that. I hope we see more of this friendship as the series goes on.
We also got more background and information on the mysterious Hancock. He has popped up in several books, some times hurting, and some times helping KGI. We haven’t been able to tell which side of the line he is officially on, but this mission is personal to him. It turns out Eden’s dad and Hancock have history, and while we didn’t get the full story, we got enough to intrigue us. Hancock joins forces with KGI to help bring down the threat to Eden and we see a different side of him.
I figured I had a pretty good idea of how this book was going to go and then Maya hit me with a curve in the story that had me actually yelling holy shit. It was everything I love in a good book – suspense, romance, a twist, hot sex. Bring on the next one!
Rating: A+
*ARC Provided by Penguin
I officially have a new book boyfriend! For years I’ve been all about Eric Northman (helped along by my minor obsession with Alexander Skarsgard) but he has now been replaced with Swanny. When Day Breaks is the newest book in the KGI series by Maya Banks and centers around Swanny, the adopted member of the Kelly family who was imprisoned with Nate, and Eden Sinclair, the world’s most beautiful supermodel. Action, sizzling romance and an insecure hero, combined with a “holy shit did that just happen” scene, made this one of the best books I’ve read this year.
Daryl Swanson (Swanny) is the teammate who was rescued with Nathan in Whispers in the Dark and he still bears the physical and mental scars from their capture and torture. A large scar down the side of his face, numerous scars on his body and all of his nightmares have Swanny fully believing that love and a family will never be for him. He is dedicated to his team and his job and most days he’s okay with that.
Eden Sinclair is one of the world’s most beautiful women. A supermodel with the world at her feet and a loving family that would do anything for her. When someone begins threatening her life and taking shots at her, she chalks it up to a crazy stalker. She has no way of knowing that she is being targeted as payback for something her father did when he was in the military years before. After the threats escalate in to actual violence, Eden’s brother Ryker calls in Nate, Joe and Swanny who he served in the military with. Their job is to keep Eden safe while she completes a major modeling gig in Paris.
I loved these two together. Swanny was so insecure about the scars on his body and face that when Eden lets it be known that she’s attracted to him, he pushes her away because he doesn’t feel he’s worthy of her. Watching them get past their individual demons and then help each other with theirs was really sweet. The action part of the book slowed down for just enough time that we were invested in them as a couple but not too long that we were getting bored. When it picked up again, I could not put the book down.
I really enjoyed seeing more of Skylar in this book and getting to know her a bit better. There has been very little info about her but now I actually want to read her story. She is an awesome combo of kickass woman and beautiful, feminine charm. Skylar played a role in helping Swanny accept that Eden really was attracted to him, and also helping Eden understand some of why Swanny was having such a hard time accepting that. I hope we see more of this friendship as the series goes on.
We also got more background and information on the mysterious Hancock. He has popped up in several books, some times hurting, and some times helping KGI. We haven’t been able to tell which side of the line he is officially on, but this mission is personal to him. It turns out Eden’s dad and Hancock have history, and while we didn’t get the full story, we got enough to intrigue us. Hancock joins forces with KGI to help bring down the threat to Eden and we see a different side of him.
I figured I had a pretty good idea of how this book was going to go and then Maya hit me with a curve in the story that had me actually yelling holy shit. It was everything I love in a good book – suspense, romance, a twist, hot sex. Bring on the next one!
Rating: A+
*ARC Provided by Penguin
***********************SPOILER ALERT*********************************
I’ve had a difficult time writing this review so I’m just going to list what I liked, what I didn’t like and then my overall thoughts on the book.
What I liked:
**I liked the introduction of Eden’s father and brothers into the series. I would like to see them all in future books.
**I liked Swanny finally getting his happily ever after
**I also liked reading about the secondary characters and learning more about Skylar and Edge, the two new members of Nathan and Joe’s team
What I didn’t like:
**Swanny’s (and Eden’s) internal monologue. What will turn me off a book most is the extreme amount of internal talking the main character(s) do in between dialogue. This happened several times in the book and I probably skipped about 40% of the story because of it. During one instance, I counted five pages in between someone asking the hero a question and him speaking again. Five pages.
**Less than twenty-four hours pass after Swanny and Eden meet and he puts her hand on his junk. I understand there was an instant attraction and Eden is coming on to Swanny like a dog in heat, but I mean give me a break. Eden’s life is at risk, and she is groping her bodyguard and asking him to share her hotel suite with her instead of the female member of the team. *sigh*
**Eden is throwing every kind of game she has at Swanny to get him in her bed and when he’s there, she confesses she’s a virgin. And Swanny says, “Sure, your life’s in danger and you’re working the most important modeling job of your career but I’ll take your virginity no problem since we’ve known each other forty-eight hours.” Ugh!
I really wanted to like this book, I really did but I felt that the author didn’t let the story develop naturally. I wish we could have had more dialogue, especially since there are so many other characters in the story. We did get a little misdirection in the mystery/suspense part of the book but overall I felt dissatisfied. I really tried to keep an open mind, especially when I had so many issues with the last book in the series, but I just couldn’t enjoy the story. I will continue to follow the series because I love the characters; I just wish I didn’t have to weed through the filler elements to get to the actual dialogue.
***I was gifted an eBook copy from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. All conclusions reached are my own***
I’ve had a difficult time writing this review so I’m just going to list what I liked, what I didn’t like and then my overall thoughts on the book.
What I liked:
**I liked the introduction of Eden’s father and brothers into the series. I would like to see them all in future books.
**I liked Swanny finally getting his happily ever after
**I also liked reading about the secondary characters and learning more about Skylar and Edge, the two new members of Nathan and Joe’s team
What I didn’t like:
**Swanny’s (and Eden’s) internal monologue. What will turn me off a book most is the extreme amount of internal talking the main character(s) do in between dialogue. This happened several times in the book and I probably skipped about 40% of the story because of it. During one instance, I counted five pages in between someone asking the hero a question and him speaking again. Five pages.
**Less than twenty-four hours pass after Swanny and Eden meet and he puts her hand on his junk. I understand there was an instant attraction and Eden is coming on to Swanny like a dog in heat, but I mean give me a break. Eden’s life is at risk, and she is groping her bodyguard and asking him to share her hotel suite with her instead of the female member of the team. *sigh*
**Eden is throwing every kind of game she has at Swanny to get him in her bed and when he’s there, she confesses she’s a virgin. And Swanny says, “Sure, your life’s in danger and you’re working the most important modeling job of your career but I’ll take your virginity no problem since we’ve known each other forty-eight hours.” Ugh!
I really wanted to like this book, I really did but I felt that the author didn’t let the story develop naturally. I wish we could have had more dialogue, especially since there are so many other characters in the story. We did get a little misdirection in the mystery/suspense part of the book but overall I felt dissatisfied. I really tried to keep an open mind, especially when I had so many issues with the last book in the series, but I just couldn’t enjoy the story. I will continue to follow the series because I love the characters; I just wish I didn’t have to weed through the filler elements to get to the actual dialogue.
***I was gifted an eBook copy from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. All conclusions reached are my own***
Libby/audio
This was okay, but it has a bunch of my personal pet peeves.
It's supposed to be a Beauty and the Beast story. But i never got those vibes, sadly. Swanny has a scar on his face. Okay.
It starts slow, a drawn out backstory on Eden the FMC. The story starts from her father's perspective, which left me confused for a while as to who the MMC was.
Once the story shifted over to Swanny and Eden, they develop an instalust relationship in about five whole seconds. We never really have time to get to know them, or to let them grow closer in a natural way. Strike one. Especially considering Edens 'experience.'
They also talk a lot during the scenes where talking isn't the focus. I really hate that. Strike two.
Other than that, the story is fine, though not particularly exciting or interesting, and though the relationship is sweet i guess, i never really felt a deep connection to them. This one was a miss for me.
This was okay, but it has a bunch of my personal pet peeves.
It's supposed to be a Beauty and the Beast story. But i never got those vibes, sadly. Swanny has a scar on his face. Okay.
It starts slow, a drawn out backstory on Eden the FMC. The story starts from her father's perspective, which left me confused for a while as to who the MMC was.
Once the story shifted over to Swanny and Eden, they develop an instalust relationship in about five whole seconds. We never really have time to get to know them, or to let them grow closer in a natural way. Strike one. Especially considering Edens 'experience.'
They also talk a lot during the scenes where talking isn't the focus. I really hate that. Strike two.
Other than that, the story is fine, though not particularly exciting or interesting, and though the relationship is sweet i guess, i never really felt a deep connection to them. This one was a miss for me.
I am so on the fence with this one. I like the story and the people. I adored Swanny from the start.
What I disliked is the same sentiments over and over from both the main characters. But never being in their shoes I can't exactly empathize.
Most importantly Swanny got a HEA, he soooo deserved it.
What I disliked is the same sentiments over and over from both the main characters. But never being in their shoes I can't exactly empathize.
Most importantly Swanny got a HEA, he soooo deserved it.
emotional
medium-paced