Saturday, June 28, 2014

Review: Unseen


Title - Unseen
Author - Lauren Stewart
Series - The Heights #1
Genre - Urban Fantasy
Published - May 29th 2014
Publisher - Off the Hook Publishing

Synopsis

Job security isn’t something Addison is all that concerned with. 

Death, however? Yeah, death is a major concern.

After Addison finds a nearly-dusted vampire in the garbage outside her building, her ability to stay off the paranormal radar is deader than the vamp. Almost as dead as she’ll be if anyone thinks she put him there. Even though she’s basically shoving a stake into her own chest, she has no other choice but to get him indoors before he dusts in front of a human. And just when she thinks life couldn’t possibly get any worse, she finds out who he is.

As vampire king and Prime to all races of supernatural beings in this zone, Rhyse gets what he wants when he wants it. But after being ambushed, he wakes up chained to a bed with a hole in his chest and, unfortunately, he needs help to discover who tried to kill him. His only ally is his captor, someone unaware she has the power to bring down their entire world.

While a prophesized war brews in the Heights, Addison and Rhyse must decide which carries more risk—trusting someone who could destroy you or trusting someone who could love you?

* * * 
The Heights not only protects the secrecy of vampires, shifters, demons, angels, and other supernaturals, it protects the humans unaware of the world hidden within their own.


Review
 I received Unseen in return for an honest review from the author.

Addison job isn’t glamorous but cleaning up the bodies of dead supers can’t be that pretty. As a disposal it keeps her out of the box and safe from the supers. Yet everything changed the morning she came home and found a vampire almost dead outside her building. With no other choice she brings him into her home hoping he would die because she didn’t want to stake him. Only after Addison has the stranger vampire in bed with her silver jewelry holding him chained does she learn that he’s actually the Prime leader of the supernatural world.

Intent on only giving Rhyse enough blood so he can leave she drops her blood into his mouth but his reaction isn’t one she expects when he tells her to run. After Rhyse curbs his blood lust he explains to Addison that she’s a long since dead super that has been hunted to extinction. With Addison’s blood she offers humanity which will prove fatal to all other immortal supers but Rhyse isn't willing to let her go yet. As the two spend more time together trying to figure out who attempted to kill Rhyse they also find themselves falling for each other. Will being the Prime be enough to save Addison from what’s coming?

I love Addison she’s one of those characters you secretly wish you could be. She’s been thrust into the supers world, and everything she knew is suddenly changing as her real identity comes out. I wasn’t sure at first about Rhyse but as the book progressed I fell in love with him too and think he’s perfect for Addison. The book also has a few supporting characters I really found interesting like Tempest, Logan, and Micah we saw little insights into their lives.

I was super excited by the opportunity to read Unseen it’s not my first book by the author but it’s clearly my favorite so far. The author has created her own supernatural world mixing humans with vampires, seers, werewolves, demons, angels and more to form The Heights. I found the whole concept for Unseen captivating right from the start it’s well executed. The book is action packed, with the right amounts of mystery, as well as romance that kept me on the edge of my seat.  I loved the characters Addison is an amazing character with lots of potential to grow through the series. I was able to connect with Addison which is why I enjoyed reading her story she’s one of those characters who captures your heart. I wasn’t able to sit down and finish Unseen in one sitting like I would have like to much real life but it was one of those books I thought about when I wasn’t reading. I stayed up last night to finish because I wanted to know how it would end. I can’t wait for the next book because already I miss Addison and Rhyse. While the book does have adult situations they don’t overwhelm the story but enhanced it. That being said I think mature teens as well as adults will fall in love like I did. The Heights series very well could be my new favorite vampire series plus I the cover is stunning. Highly suggest you check it out if you love urban fantasy.
5 out of 5 stars

Excerpt 
She stumbled back until her ass hit the counter. It was over. It had been over ever since those chains came off. Ever since she brought him into her apartment. Into her life.
“I saved you. I could’ve left you outside until the sun came up.”
“I imagine you wish you had.”
“Can you…can you not kill me? Just take some, but not all?”
He brushed her hair behind her shoulder and curled his fingers around the nape of her neck, whispering, “Do you trust me that much?”
“I don’t even trust you a little.” She felt the sting of tears. “I don’t want to be turned. If you drain me, let me die.”
He ran his other hand up her shoulder, to her throat and slowly closed his fingers around it. One wrong move and her neck would break. “To drain you I would have to drink from you. And that, my pet, I will not do.”
She didn’t know what he meant, but now seemed like a bad time to argue.
The red in his eyes wasn’t as bright as it had been. “Did you know what you are? How many of you exist?”
She didn’t answer, partially because speaking required the air he was cutting off. Then his hands were gone, just like the rest of him.
Was it over?
One of the women behind the counter moaned. What the fuck? Addison went to make sure they weren’t hurt.
Rhyse was on top of her, his fangs obviously burrowed in her neck. The woman moaned again, her legs wrapping around him. One hand clutched his shoulder and the other slapped the wall, searching for a hold.
It had to have been shock that made Addison not look away. Or run away. The woman’s moans got louder, then crested, and her body went limp. Not in a dead way but in an I-just-had-the-best-orgasm-of-my-life way.
Get out of here.
“Leave and they will die.” His voice stopped her after only two steps. “Stay and they will wake up from a very pleasant, very erotic dream.”
She ground her teeth when she heard another moan. He must have moved on to the other woman. With two to feed from, there was less of a chance he would drain them, but… “Why should I trust you?”
The woman’s moans stopped and she whined, “No,” in frustration.
“I do not care if you trust me,” he said. “Only that you obey me.”
“Fuck you.” But she didn’t move. “Are they alive?”
“Of course. It is against the law to kill humans.”
“Then let me go.”
“You are not human, Addison.” His voice came from just over her shoulder.
“I am. I promise. Totally human.” Somehow he’d missed the fact that seers were human, despite her telling him at least five times.
She heard the shuffling of fabric and looked down to see him wrapping his already-bloody shirt around the arm she’d cut. He tied a knot with the sleeves and pulled it tight. Was he worried about a little blood slipping out and being wasted? There was no part of this that she understood.
She sucked in a breath when he put his hands on her hipbones. Then another as they slid to her belly and down, pressing her back into him. She felt his heat and a vibration on her back as he made a sound similar to a cat’s purr but scarier. Clenching her eyes shut, she waited for death.
“You should thank them.” His voice was all sex. Dangerous, risky, awesome sex. “They just saved your life.”
They did? “Thank you,” she called out with a shaking voice. “Now that your belly’s full, how about you back off a little?”
“I should kill you.”
“I totally disagree.”
After a moment he stepped away, sighing as if he’d just made a really tough decision and wasn’t sure it was the right one.
“So,” she said, heading for the door, “it seems like you’re feeling better, which is great. I’m really happy for you. Since you don’t need me anymore, I’m gonna go now. See you around.”
“Come to me, Addison.” His eyes were back to their original inhumanly beautiful color. Though he didn’t quite look calm, he did look satisfied.
“No.”
“Come to me or I will snap your neck.”
“Okay.”
“If you had simply brought a human to me, this all could have been avoided.”
“I was just thinking the same thing.” Total lie—she wasn’t thinking a goddamn thing besides, ‘Shiiiiit!’
“You and I have things to discuss and a few memories to alter along the way back to your home.”
Damn it on many counts. “Alter or wipe?”
“Alter, of course. Although my strength has returned, wiping that many minds would still be highly taxing. I prefer to save my power for other activities.”

Like…? Nah, she didn’t want to know.
He opened the door and gestured for her to go first. Which he’d probably never done before. Minions opened doors for him and she doubted chivalry ranked high on his list of valuable traits. But she went because when you gotta go, you gotta go.
“Did you know?” he asked.
What was it with that question? “Know what? That your victims come while you feed? Yeah, I heard it happens occasionally.”
“Always. They always come while I feed. If it were possible, I would show you.”
“I just heard more proof than I wanted, thanks.”
“Yet it would be far more enjoyable to feel yourself come than to hear her do it.”

Author Bio

Lauren Stewart lives in Northern California with two of the most amazing children that the world has ever seen. She reads almost every genre so, naturally, her writing reflects that. With every book, every story, you'll find elements of other genres--fantasy, mystery, romance, paranormal, suspense, YA, women's literature, all with a touch of humor because what doesn't kill us should make us laugh.


Email: ReadLaurenS@gmail.com
Twitter: @ReadLaurenS
Add Unseen to your TBR list on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18590199-unseen

Lauren Stewart’s other work
Hyde, an Urban Fantasy (Hyde, Book I)
Jekyll (Hyde, Book II)
Strange Case (Hyde, Book III)
No Experience Required (a Summer Rains novel #1)
Second Bite

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