A review by ithlilian
The Darkest Kiss by Keri Arthur

4.0

The previous installment of the Riley Jensen series was a big let down. After reading some of the reviews for this book I thought I was in for more of the same. However, the darkest kiss was very enjoyable. The series has definitely changed though. Riley has decided to settle down and not have sex with every male she comes across. She has chosen to give Quinn a chance, but she is not ready to cut out other men completely, and still believes a wolf is her soul mate. There is also a bit of progress with Rhoan, though he is also being rather stubborn. Those things only took up a few pages though. The Darkest Kiss is primarily action and mystery. I felt the mystery lacked a bit of depth since all of the answers were so easy for Riley to come by, but it had me turning pages and at the end before I knew it. It bothers me how easily some of the baddies die, and how nonchalant Riley is about getting arms broken, intestines torn out, and other massive injuries, but again, there is something about this series I absolutely love. I do miss the experimental breeding plot line and a continuing plot over several books. I feel like this series could end anytime the author wants, or go on forever, since each book is completely self contained. Yet, the series is progressing and changing, and hopefully Riley will change a bit as well. She either needs to stick to her old convictions of sleeping with anyone and everyone, or commit to one and be done. The middle ground where she is now is a bit irritating. Fans of a good paranormal action/mystery will like this book. If you are looking for the romance and sex of previous Riley Jensen novels, then this may not be your favorite book in the series. I enjoyed it immensely, and can't wait for the next book in the series!