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The Road to Hell #2
Carved
With every passing day, my abilities grow stronger, as does my fear of what comes next. My only certainties are that I will do anything to avoid becoming like Lucifer, and I will protect those I love... even if it means protecting them from me. I’ll never let anything keep us apart—not even her. When an attack leaves our troops vulnerable, I realize there are things I can never share with River… even if it means those secrets tear us apart. *** Due to sexual content, violence, and language, this book is recommended for readers 18+ years of age.***
434 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 25, 2016
1614 people are currently reading
1827 people want to read
About the author
Brenda K. Davies
95 books2,279 followersBrenda K. Davies is the USA Today Bestselling author of the Vampire Awakening Series, Alliance Series, Road to Hell Series, Hell on Earth Series, and historical romantic fiction. She also writes under the pen name, Erica Stevens. When not out with friends and family, she can be found at home with her husband, son, dogs, cat, and horse.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 255 reviews
July 6, 2021
3.5 stars
Carved is book 2 in The Road to Hell series. Kobal, River and the rest of the group are headed to the gateway in an attempt to close it. What I loved was Kobal and Rivers continued growth in their relationship and as Rivers powers continue growing I look forward to how powerful she will become. What I didn't love so much about this book was I thought it was too long and the whole time it's them traveling and while they did have trouble along the way it was unnecessarily long. I look forward to finding out more about Hawk and what is in store for River.
Carved is book 2 in The Road to Hell series. Kobal, River and the rest of the group are headed to the gateway in an attempt to close it. What I loved was Kobal and Rivers continued growth in their relationship and as Rivers powers continue growing I look forward to how powerful she will become. What I didn't love so much about this book was I thought it was too long and the whole time it's them traveling and while they did have trouble along the way it was unnecessarily long. I look forward to finding out more about Hawk and what is in store for River.
September 29, 2019
3 ★★★✩✩
⤐Preface.
Little explanation for everybody who's wondering why old reviews of mine are popping up on their timeline. I've recently read that GR sometimes deletes reviews for no obvious reason. Since I've only been putting actual effort into reviewing book for about a year now I decided to copy all my reviews into a word-document. I'm also using this chance to update the format a bit to structure them better. This should explain why most of my pre-April-2019 reviews are not really comparable to the ones after that.
⤐Overall.
Actually quite a decent read. I like that it is very different from book 1. We can definitely witness a lot of character-development, both in Kobal and River as well as the introduction of new characters that I feel will have a big part in what is to come in the following books. I must admit, however, that the exciting grip I have experienced from other Brenda K. Davies books is missing here, which is mainly the reason this cannot be a 5-star rating.
This book is for you if… you really enjoyed Good Intentions and are up for the main male character to overcome some of his sexist and patriarchal behaviour.
⤐Preface.
Little explanation for everybody who's wondering why old reviews of mine are popping up on their timeline. I've recently read that GR sometimes deletes reviews for no obvious reason. Since I've only been putting actual effort into reviewing book for about a year now I decided to copy all my reviews into a word-document. I'm also using this chance to update the format a bit to structure them better. This should explain why most of my pre-April-2019 reviews are not really comparable to the ones after that.
⤐Overall.
Actually quite a decent read. I like that it is very different from book 1. We can definitely witness a lot of character-development, both in Kobal and River as well as the introduction of new characters that I feel will have a big part in what is to come in the following books. I must admit, however, that the exciting grip I have experienced from other Brenda K. Davies books is missing here, which is mainly the reason this cannot be a 5-star rating.
Read
October 11, 2016I'm happy to announce that Carved (The Road to Hell Series, Book 2) is now available wherever ebooks are sold! I wrote this series under my other pen name.
Now available on:
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/j74d4w4
Apple iBooks: http://tinyurl.com/jra7b27
Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/jh65f2j
Google Play Books: http://tinyurl.com/jygmuo3
KOBO: http://tinyurl.com/gs6bo3r
Smashwords: http://tinyurl.com/ha9gv3t
Paperback: http://tinyurl.com/j7nr9g6
If you haven't had a chance to start this series yet, Good Intentions (The Road to Hell Series, Book 1) is now FREE wherever ebooks are sold.
Find out why readers are saying, "It has everything readers of the paranormal love- witty dialogue, great plot lines, empathetic characters, and steamy love scenes!"
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/hheaa3s
Apple iBooks: http://tinyurl.com/hoxgswo
Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/z3y29hr
Google Play Books: http://tinyurl.com/hm8cdlg
KOBO: http://tinyurl.com/hvjxmes
Smashwords: http://tinyurl.com/h4fnmvt
Now available on:
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/j74d4w4
Apple iBooks: http://tinyurl.com/jra7b27
Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/jh65f2j
Google Play Books: http://tinyurl.com/jygmuo3
KOBO: http://tinyurl.com/gs6bo3r
Smashwords: http://tinyurl.com/ha9gv3t
Paperback: http://tinyurl.com/j7nr9g6
If you haven't had a chance to start this series yet, Good Intentions (The Road to Hell Series, Book 1) is now FREE wherever ebooks are sold.
Find out why readers are saying, "It has everything readers of the paranormal love- witty dialogue, great plot lines, empathetic characters, and steamy love scenes!"
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/hheaa3s
Apple iBooks: http://tinyurl.com/hoxgswo
Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/z3y29hr
Google Play Books: http://tinyurl.com/hm8cdlg
KOBO: http://tinyurl.com/hvjxmes
Smashwords: http://tinyurl.com/h4fnmvt
January 12, 2017
I really liked the first book in this series but this one didn't impress me as much. All of the battles started to feel a bit repetitive. I found the plot to be slow moving and characters started to feel dull. At about the 60% mark I found myself losing complete interest. I still finished it but I don't think I will move on to book 3.
February 15, 2021
This series is so good...I'm having to pace myself!!
May 12, 2021
It's a road trip book! River and Co. and Kobal encounter demon factions along the way, along with a few other paranormal oddities. It was fine, but I got the distinct impression that this book was designed for horror thrills for 14-year-olds if it weren't for the romance and sex. I'm not sure what most of the scary packs of things in the night have to do with the plot, but I religiously waded through them anyway. After all that wading, I landed at yet another unresolved ending to a book that might be marketed as four books but is really just one long, continuous Road to Hell.
2 stars because it needs streamlined that badly. There isn't the slightest bit of subtlety or undercurrent anywhere. Battle demons, be exhausted, have sex. Repeat. Repeat. And then repeat again. The only salvation was the nominal secondary character development with Hawk, Vargas and Erin. For the most part, B-O-R-I-N-G because it just doesn't have that essential thread of making me care for any of the characters or their mission. I'm a sucker because I need to see the encounter with Lucifer. On to book three.
2 stars because it needs streamlined that badly. There isn't the slightest bit of subtlety or undercurrent anywhere. Battle demons, be exhausted, have sex. Repeat. Repeat. And then repeat again. The only salvation was the nominal secondary character development with Hawk, Vargas and Erin. For the most part, B-O-R-I-N-G because it just doesn't have that essential thread of making me care for any of the characters or their mission. I'm a sucker because I need to see the encounter with Lucifer. On to book three.
May 25, 2024
Spoilers ahead
This continues from book 1
The crew of humans and demons continue on their journey to the gateway to hell that everyone's counting on River to be able to close
Along the way they're attacked multiple times as more creatures come to Earth due to Lucifer's actions in hell
Lucifer sends one of his fallen but thankfully they're able to defeat him
River finally makes some friend
Kobal is my love but of course we find another woman he'd slept with 🙄
River was stubborn and foolish sometimes and her consistent insecurity and recklessness got a little irritating
**** I again say this series does not need to be so long, matter of fact a lot of this is repetition and filler just dragging stuff out for no reason. Cliffhanger ending again and on to book 3
This continues from book 1
The crew of humans and demons continue on their journey to the gateway to hell that everyone's counting on River to be able to close
Along the way they're attacked multiple times as more creatures come to Earth due to Lucifer's actions in hell
Lucifer sends one of his fallen but thankfully they're able to defeat him
River finally makes some friend
Kobal is my love but of course we find another woman he'd slept with 🙄
River was stubborn and foolish sometimes and her consistent insecurity and recklessness got a little irritating
**** I again say this series does not need to be so long, matter of fact a lot of this is repetition and filler just dragging stuff out for no reason. Cliffhanger ending again and on to book 3
July 23, 2021
This book was muuuch better than the first. It tended to hold my interest throughout the entire book whereas the first really dragged in the beginning.
This book starts off right where the first one ended. The group is ready to get onto the road to the gateway to Hell. And along the way, let me tell you! They run into so much crap. Yeesh, they're constantly fighting for their lives and it is just so good! Sometimes the descriptions and whatnot were a little much and I found myself skipping those paragraphs. But I really enjoyed all the action in this book.
However, if I know myself, and I do, I love the smut. And this book has more fade to black smut in it than another other "adult" book I've read. There's really not that much smut in these books. And the fact that much of it it just started and then fades out is a bit annoying. River and Kobal are together and I think with the way they're connected the fade to black smut is just blah. Because there isn't a lot of smut I think the scenes that are fade to black could've been actual smut instead. But that's just me.
Anywho, on to book three! :)
This book starts off right where the first one ended. The group is ready to get onto the road to the gateway to Hell. And along the way, let me tell you! They run into so much crap. Yeesh, they're constantly fighting for their lives and it is just so good! Sometimes the descriptions and whatnot were a little much and I found myself skipping those paragraphs. But I really enjoyed all the action in this book.
However, if I know myself, and I do, I love the smut. And this book has more fade to black smut in it than another other "adult" book I've read. There's really not that much smut in these books. And the fact that much of it it just started and then fades out is a bit annoying. River and Kobal are together and I think with the way they're connected the fade to black smut is just blah. Because there isn't a lot of smut I think the scenes that are fade to black could've been actual smut instead. But that's just me.
Anywho, on to book three! :)
October 24, 2016
3.5 stars.
Lots of action and sexy times. I just wish more time would have been covered. I think the book only covered two weeks - 1 week to get to the gate and another week of the h becoming use to the flow of life at the gate (that second week was covered in 1 chapter though....)
Lots of action and sexy times. I just wish more time would have been covered. I think the book only covered two weeks - 1 week to get to the gate and another week of the h becoming use to the flow of life at the gate (that second week was covered in 1 chapter though....)
December 9, 2016
I like this series and I'm looking forward to the next book.
April 12, 2018
WOW. I am completely blown away with this series so far! It's been awhile since I've been as excited as I am right now to read a story that has sunk it's hooks in me as deep as this one has.
There is so much action in this book and it's written in such vivid detail that I feel like I'm watching it in first person - that's how amazing this author is at describing every important part, and some of these details are so subtle but they pack a major punch with the description. The way she captures the sights, the sounds, the movements, the actions, the emotions...just everything is utterly FANTASTIC and captivating.
Okay.. so a bit about what goes on in this book...
At the end of the 1st book, River is mad as hell at Kobal for decapitating a human that tried to kill her. Of course, he was only trying to protect her and to set an example for all the others that River is not to be messed with or harmed in any way (point taken), unless someone wants to try out to be the next headless horseman. She is his Chosen and he ain't playing games where her safety is concerned.
Which, yeah.. okay... Kobal may be an over-bearing, arrogant ass...but damnit if that demon doesn't make me swoon and give me tingles all over.
"River was mine to protect and cherish, but I began to realize there was more to what I felt for her than the Chosen bond forged between us. I cared for her, I respected and admired her, and now it sank in that I was also in love with her."
Anyway, moving on..
They both makeup pretty early on in the book (THANK GOD) while on their journey to the Gateway to Hell, along with fellow comrade demons and soldiers. But then they encounter numerous obstacles like gargoyles, rival demons, incubi and succubi, some-what friendly yet frightening ghosts and skeletons, and a psychotic fallen angel with telekinetic powers that's hell-bent on bringing River to Lucifer. This group of people get knocked down so many times by these evil demons from Hell but come back swinging so much harder. And River.. this chick has balls of steel. She has grown into something fierce and doesn't back down from a fight, not even from her powerful King of Hell counter-part, Kobal. I have immensely enjoyed watching her character grow and develop with each situation she's put in. And the same goes for Kobal. His character went from a bad-ass with no remorse to a bad-ass with a big heart and I absolutely LOVE him and River together. Their chemistry is off the charts explosive, even with all of the bite marks.
"Hell, Heaven, Earth, none of it mattered when I was inside of her."
Just take my word for it y'all and READ THIS SERIES!
There is so much action in this book and it's written in such vivid detail that I feel like I'm watching it in first person - that's how amazing this author is at describing every important part, and some of these details are so subtle but they pack a major punch with the description. The way she captures the sights, the sounds, the movements, the actions, the emotions...just everything is utterly FANTASTIC and captivating.
Okay.. so a bit about what goes on in this book...
At the end of the 1st book, River is mad as hell at Kobal for decapitating a human that tried to kill her. Of course, he was only trying to protect her and to set an example for all the others that River is not to be messed with or harmed in any way (point taken), unless someone wants to try out to be the next headless horseman. She is his Chosen and he ain't playing games where her safety is concerned.
Which, yeah.. okay... Kobal may be an over-bearing, arrogant ass...but damnit if that demon doesn't make me swoon and give me tingles all over.
"River was mine to protect and cherish, but I began to realize there was more to what I felt for her than the Chosen bond forged between us. I cared for her, I respected and admired her, and now it sank in that I was also in love with her."
Anyway, moving on..
They both makeup pretty early on in the book (THANK GOD) while on their journey to the Gateway to Hell, along with fellow comrade demons and soldiers. But then they encounter numerous obstacles like gargoyles, rival demons, incubi and succubi, some-what friendly yet frightening ghosts and skeletons, and a psychotic fallen angel with telekinetic powers that's hell-bent on bringing River to Lucifer. This group of people get knocked down so many times by these evil demons from Hell but come back swinging so much harder. And River.. this chick has balls of steel. She has grown into something fierce and doesn't back down from a fight, not even from her powerful King of Hell counter-part, Kobal. I have immensely enjoyed watching her character grow and develop with each situation she's put in. And the same goes for Kobal. His character went from a bad-ass with no remorse to a bad-ass with a big heart and I absolutely LOVE him and River together. Their chemistry is off the charts explosive, even with all of the bite marks.
"Hell, Heaven, Earth, none of it mattered when I was inside of her."
Just take my word for it y'all and READ THIS SERIES!
October 7, 2016
This author continues to surprise me. I finished Carved in about 24 hours even though it wasn't really a short novel. I was rather engrossed in the book as River and Kobal's journey progressed further. In this book they leave the relative safety of the wall and start towards the opening to Hell. Unfortunately they encounter some nasty demons and...things along the way. There are human casualties as well as a few humans who are barely keeping it together as they watch the atrocities unfolding. I mean, you've got gargoyles, screaming blood lusty vines, and a creepy angel room. It's no wonder people are losing it. Whereas the first book was not as scary, this one is definitely demon and the pits of Hell oriented. One of my favorite things in this book were the skelleins. They were hilarious and yet kind of creepy. But I would love to see more of them! Can't wait until the next book in the series comes out. I am hooked!
October 21, 2023
Okay, the book would be higher in stars if something dramatic happened. Nothing really happened in this book. You know we’re still going on about going to hell but nothing actually happened in getting to have all like dramatic action which is what I wanted. It’s a lot of fluff in between, and whilst it is good story development I do think it’s a little bit unnecessary and probably could’ve been condensed into the one book that was the last book and then the second book could’ve been actually fighting Lucifer and closing the portal, whatever instead of just this fluffiness.
August 10, 2017
Getting good!
June 30, 2023
Not as good as Book #1. Hoping Book #3 is way better 🤞🏼
April 13, 2022
AUDIBLE EDITION!!! NARRATION VERY GOOD!!
Okay I don't know why I am reading this The Road to Hell series. It is not like anything I normally would choose to read or listen too. The storyline is more in tune with the Young Adult mine. I just needed something different and out of my wheelhouse. Lots of blood, gore, fight scenes, weird demons, ghost and all kinds of weird creatures that have escaped from Hell.
Carved is about the journey River and Kobal take to get to the gate of Hell that has to be closed. Kobal and River relationship grows as they are each other's chosen mate. On their journey they run into to some very strange circumstances.
Anyway, I will keep listen to the audible editions to find out what happens when they actually get into Hell and their confrontation with Lucifer!!
Okay I don't know why I am reading this The Road to Hell series. It is not like anything I normally would choose to read or listen too. The storyline is more in tune with the Young Adult mine. I just needed something different and out of my wheelhouse. Lots of blood, gore, fight scenes, weird demons, ghost and all kinds of weird creatures that have escaped from Hell.
Carved is about the journey River and Kobal take to get to the gate of Hell that has to be closed. Kobal and River relationship grows as they are each other's chosen mate. On their journey they run into to some very strange circumstances.
Anyway, I will keep listen to the audible editions to find out what happens when they actually get into Hell and their confrontation with Lucifer!!
December 13, 2025
In the second book of the series Kobal, River and the rest of the group travel to the gateway in an attempt to close it. The story is essentially a road trip, with the group facing various opponents along the way as their bonds grow stronger.
One aspect that frustrated me was the repetition of information already covered in book one. Rehashing content that doesn't advance the plot feels unnecessary. Very few readers start a series with book two or three, and when they do, they should expect to be a little lost. For me, this repetition made it feel as though my time was being wasted; it was almost like filler added simply to pad out the book.
On a more positive note, I enjoyed learning more about the group of humans travelling with the demons and watching their relationships deepen. The evolving dynamic between River and Kobal was interesting, and there is noticeable character development for both of them. Unfortunately, beyond this growth, there isn’t much advancement in the overall plot.
I did enjoy the variety of creatures the group encounters on their journey to the gate, and there is plenty of action throughout the book. The Skelleins were a standout for me—they’re fascinating characters, and I’m excited to learn more about them. My favorite scene takes place in the warehouse with the ghosts and Azote; it was also the most thrilling part of the story.
However, the smut scenes, were less engaging than I’d hoped. They often felt more like fade-to-black moments. Instead of two or three fully developed scenes, there are several shorter ones that feel rushed and are less enticing as a result. They lacked authenticity and emotional depth, coming across more like surface-level attraction than a meaningful exploration of River and Kobal’s connection.
Overall, this series remains a solid read, though the quality didn’t improve as much as I had hoped for with this installment. At this point, I can’t help but feel that the series could have been tightened into three books, with more substantial content in each one.
Story: 2.75 ⭐️
Spice: 2 🌶
One aspect that frustrated me was the repetition of information already covered in book one. Rehashing content that doesn't advance the plot feels unnecessary. Very few readers start a series with book two or three, and when they do, they should expect to be a little lost. For me, this repetition made it feel as though my time was being wasted; it was almost like filler added simply to pad out the book.
On a more positive note, I enjoyed learning more about the group of humans travelling with the demons and watching their relationships deepen. The evolving dynamic between River and Kobal was interesting, and there is noticeable character development for both of them. Unfortunately, beyond this growth, there isn’t much advancement in the overall plot.
I did enjoy the variety of creatures the group encounters on their journey to the gate, and there is plenty of action throughout the book. The Skelleins were a standout for me—they’re fascinating characters, and I’m excited to learn more about them. My favorite scene takes place in the warehouse with the ghosts and Azote; it was also the most thrilling part of the story.
However, the smut scenes, were less engaging than I’d hoped. They often felt more like fade-to-black moments. Instead of two or three fully developed scenes, there are several shorter ones that feel rushed and are less enticing as a result. They lacked authenticity and emotional depth, coming across more like surface-level attraction than a meaningful exploration of River and Kobal’s connection.
Overall, this series remains a solid read, though the quality didn’t improve as much as I had hoped for with this installment. At this point, I can’t help but feel that the series could have been tightened into three books, with more substantial content in each one.
Story: 2.75 ⭐️
Spice: 2 🌶
Read
October 11, 2016I'm happy to announce that Carved (The Road to Hell Series, Book 2) is now available wherever ebooks are sold!
Now available on:
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/j74d4w4
Apple iBooks: http://tinyurl.com/jra7b27
Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/jh65f2j
Google Play Books: http://tinyurl.com/jygmuo3
KOBO: http://tinyurl.com/gs6bo3r
Smashwords: http://tinyurl.com/ha9gv3t
Paperback: http://tinyurl.com/j7nr9g6
If you haven't had a chance to start this series yet, Good Intentions (The Road to Hell Series, Book 1) is now FREE wherever ebooks are sold.
Find out why readers are saying, "It has everything readers of the paranormal love- witty dialogue, great plot lines, empathetic characters, and steamy love scenes!"
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/hheaa3s
Apple iBooks: http://tinyurl.com/hoxgswo
Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/z3y29hr
Google Play Books: http://tinyurl.com/hm8cdlg
KOBO: http://tinyurl.com/hvjxmes
Smashwords: http://tinyurl.com/h4fnmvt
Now available on:
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/j74d4w4
Apple iBooks: http://tinyurl.com/jra7b27
Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/jh65f2j
Google Play Books: http://tinyurl.com/jygmuo3
KOBO: http://tinyurl.com/gs6bo3r
Smashwords: http://tinyurl.com/ha9gv3t
Paperback: http://tinyurl.com/j7nr9g6
If you haven't had a chance to start this series yet, Good Intentions (The Road to Hell Series, Book 1) is now FREE wherever ebooks are sold.
Find out why readers are saying, "It has everything readers of the paranormal love- witty dialogue, great plot lines, empathetic characters, and steamy love scenes!"
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/hheaa3s
Apple iBooks: http://tinyurl.com/hoxgswo
Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/z3y29hr
Google Play Books: http://tinyurl.com/hm8cdlg
KOBO: http://tinyurl.com/hvjxmes
Smashwords: http://tinyurl.com/h4fnmvt
July 28, 2019
River and Kobal's story and mission continue. Much is the same this book, still enjoyable, but I am wondering if this realy needed to be drawn out for 4 books. There are some new characters introduced with do help.
October 15, 2021
This is going to be a quick review on this one.
Our book opens with River still upset with Kobal, you know because of that whole ripping the head off thing. However, it doesn't take too long for these two to get back together.
Plus, when they make up?
💙 Fisting my long hair in his hand, he leaned back, pulling me off the ground so that my back was against his chest as he continued to drive into me. His other hand wrapped around my throat, holding it loosely in his grasp while he pinned me against him. My fingers dug into his arm as his next bite caused fresh waves of pleasure to radiate through my body.
They continue their journey to meet up to head to the gateway to hell. There is a brief time when River and Kobal are separated for a bit but it isn't too long. Kobal is of course, desperate to get back to River. The scene where the get back together and he releases his hounds to protect her? Swoon.
Also, again, with all the softness with her! HE. IS. SO. SOFT. WITH. HER.
HE. BRUSHED. HER. HAIR.
BRUSHED HER HAIR.
THE MAN IS SOOOOOOFFFFFTTT.
Anyway, there are battles along the way and friendships forged. I hope we get to see more about Erin, Vargas and Hawk. Especially Hawk after what happened to him in this book. If we don't get some sort of HEA for him in this series, then we better get (or have) a book for him. Really, I hope they all get a happy ending.
Random Thoughts:
💙 Ah, at last, since we didn't get it in the first book.
💙 A hero who eats.
💙 Did I say he is so soft with her?
💙 Well, he is.
💘 “I’ll get them.” I walked over to kiss her forehead. My eyes closed as I inhaled her delicious scent and pulled her against me. I hated this vulnerable, unfamiliar feeling within me. I was leading her toward her possible death and all I wanted was to protect her from any harm.
💙 Legit, his releasing his hounds?
💙 So awesome.
💚 Throwing my left arm out, a surge of power slid over my body and down to my fingertips when I set them free. The female, Phenex, erupted from me first in a ball of fire. Flames encircled her as she hit the earth, even her eyes held fire when she lifted her head to look at me. Crux, her mate, followed closely behind her.
💘 Clasping my face, he cradled it gently within his hands as his black claws retracted. “Are you okay?” I barely recognized the roughness of his voice, the desperation in his eyes.
💙 SOOOOO. SOOOOOOFTTTT.
💘He didn’t look at his stunned friends as he bent to swing me into his arms. I smiled at him before draping my arms around his neck and resting my head on his shoulder.
💘He kissed my forehead and opened the passenger side door of the pickup to slide me onto the
seat.
💘 “You drive,” he said to Bale before climbing inside, lifting me, and settling me onto his lap.
💘 He cradled me against his chest while the others climbed into the back of the truck.
💙 Seriously, so soft.
💙 I just can't with his softness.
Well, not so short after all. LOL Anyway, if you like an alpha hero but one who is so soft with his heroine, then this series is definitely for you.
Our book opens with River still upset with Kobal, you know because of that whole ripping the head off thing. However, it doesn't take too long for these two to get back together.
Plus, when they make up?
💙 Fisting my long hair in his hand, he leaned back, pulling me off the ground so that my back was against his chest as he continued to drive into me. His other hand wrapped around my throat, holding it loosely in his grasp while he pinned me against him. My fingers dug into his arm as his next bite caused fresh waves of pleasure to radiate through my body.
They continue their journey to meet up to head to the gateway to hell. There is a brief time when River and Kobal are separated for a bit but it isn't too long. Kobal is of course, desperate to get back to River. The scene where the get back together and he releases his hounds to protect her? Swoon.
Also, again, with all the softness with her! HE. IS. SO. SOFT. WITH. HER.
HE. BRUSHED. HER. HAIR.
BRUSHED HER HAIR.
THE MAN IS SOOOOOOFFFFFTTT.
Anyway, there are battles along the way and friendships forged. I hope we get to see more about Erin, Vargas and Hawk. Especially Hawk after what happened to him in this book. If we don't get some sort of HEA for him in this series, then we better get (or have) a book for him. Really, I hope they all get a happy ending.
Random Thoughts:
💙 Ah, at last, since we didn't get it in the first book.
💙 A hero who eats.
💙 Did I say he is so soft with her?
💙 Well, he is.
💘 “I’ll get them.” I walked over to kiss her forehead. My eyes closed as I inhaled her delicious scent and pulled her against me. I hated this vulnerable, unfamiliar feeling within me. I was leading her toward her possible death and all I wanted was to protect her from any harm.
💙 Legit, his releasing his hounds?
💙 So awesome.
💚 Throwing my left arm out, a surge of power slid over my body and down to my fingertips when I set them free. The female, Phenex, erupted from me first in a ball of fire. Flames encircled her as she hit the earth, even her eyes held fire when she lifted her head to look at me. Crux, her mate, followed closely behind her.
💘 Clasping my face, he cradled it gently within his hands as his black claws retracted. “Are you okay?” I barely recognized the roughness of his voice, the desperation in his eyes.
💙 SOOOOO. SOOOOOOFTTTT.
💘He didn’t look at his stunned friends as he bent to swing me into his arms. I smiled at him before draping my arms around his neck and resting my head on his shoulder.
💘He kissed my forehead and opened the passenger side door of the pickup to slide me onto the
seat.
💘 “You drive,” he said to Bale before climbing inside, lifting me, and settling me onto his lap.
💘 He cradled me against his chest while the others climbed into the back of the truck.
💙 Seriously, so soft.
💙 I just can't with his softness.
Well, not so short after all. LOL Anyway, if you like an alpha hero but one who is so soft with his heroine, then this series is definitely for you.
November 23, 2025
Carved (Book 2, Road To Hell) - Brenda K. Davies
I was so happy when hubby found me this audio book!
Brenda K. Davies is an American author who writes a lot of historical fiction and paranormal romance stories.
We’re back with River and Kobal as they navigate their relationship, who River is and where she came from and all the powers that come with it.
As time passes so do River’s powers grow. She tries so hard to avoid becoming anything like her father, like Lucifer. But all this seems to do is deepend the divide between her and Kobal, between her and the new friends she has made.
Kobal is determined to protect his people, to protect River and he will not hesitate to do what is needed – no matter the cost, no matter what River thinks, he will get it done.
Kobal knows if he can just ensure that Lucifer is stopped, his throne is reclaimed, and he has River safe, with him. He just needs to do the hardest thing he probably has ever done – keep River alive long enough to see it done.
“Carved” is a story with lots of action and just as much spice. River and Kobal really struggled with their relationship in this story and what they expected of each other. I think River should have been a lot of more understanding of Kobal and how things are for him. Kobal really did try but I mean seriously he’s a demon what did River expect?! Most of the book was about the journey from one gate to another, so that wasn’t as intriguing as the first but overall, it wasn’t too bad of a read. I still feel this series would do well with a full graphic audio adaption rather than the same two actors trying to do several voices.
I was so happy when hubby found me this audio book!
Brenda K. Davies is an American author who writes a lot of historical fiction and paranormal romance stories.
We’re back with River and Kobal as they navigate their relationship, who River is and where she came from and all the powers that come with it.
As time passes so do River’s powers grow. She tries so hard to avoid becoming anything like her father, like Lucifer. But all this seems to do is deepend the divide between her and Kobal, between her and the new friends she has made.
Kobal is determined to protect his people, to protect River and he will not hesitate to do what is needed – no matter the cost, no matter what River thinks, he will get it done.
Kobal knows if he can just ensure that Lucifer is stopped, his throne is reclaimed, and he has River safe, with him. He just needs to do the hardest thing he probably has ever done – keep River alive long enough to see it done.
“Carved” is a story with lots of action and just as much spice. River and Kobal really struggled with their relationship in this story and what they expected of each other. I think River should have been a lot of more understanding of Kobal and how things are for him. Kobal really did try but I mean seriously he’s a demon what did River expect?! Most of the book was about the journey from one gate to another, so that wasn’t as intriguing as the first but overall, it wasn’t too bad of a read. I still feel this series would do well with a full graphic audio adaption rather than the same two actors trying to do several voices.
June 21, 2017
Are we there yet?
Are we there yet? River, Kobal, and the others have been on what seemed like a never ending road after River arrived at the wall a few months prior. While the story seems to stretch on it did keep my attention with the short, but exciting fight scenes peppered throughout the book. This series is more "narrated" then my typical read but I'm honestly enjoying it.
Are we there yet? River, Kobal, and the others have been on what seemed like a never ending road after River arrived at the wall a few months prior. While the story seems to stretch on it did keep my attention with the short, but exciting fight scenes peppered throughout the book. This series is more "narrated" then my typical read but I'm honestly enjoying it.
January 19, 2018
This second book in the series continues to be very interesting. The relationship between the two main characters continues to be interesting and at the same time sort of with a sense of doom hanging over them. I think if you enjoy any sort of the end of the world surviving type story you will certainly enjoy this series. Many thanks to the author.
December 2, 2023
4 stars
Kobal and Rivers' story continues with their journey to the gateway. They encounter many obstacles and learn more about what has been unleashed on earth, as Lucifer starts to break the seals. I love their story, and the side characters are amazing.
Kobal and Rivers' story continues with their journey to the gateway. They encounter many obstacles and learn more about what has been unleashed on earth, as Lucifer starts to break the seals. I love their story, and the side characters are amazing.
September 14, 2020
I'm really getting into these, crazy world, character growth and a swoon worthy romance
What's not to love - plus it doesn't hurt that books about demons and angels are my jam
Oh and gore......lot's of gore
What's not to love - plus it doesn't hurt that books about demons and angels are my jam
Oh and gore......lot's of gore
December 13, 2021
2nd Read Review:
Still love this series so much. Kobal might be one of my all time favorite fictional characters. River is so strong and determined. I'm loving every book even more the 2nd time reading it.
Original Review:
I really love how this story is progressing, I liked the first book but loved this one. It is action packed and I can really picture the fighting scenes. I also love the character development. I dislike how the beginning of the books recap the past ones so much, but I get the point and reasoning behind it, I'm just reading them back to back so seems a bit redundant for the first few chapters. Besides that, I'm loving the story.
Still love this series so much. Kobal might be one of my all time favorite fictional characters. River is so strong and determined. I'm loving every book even more the 2nd time reading it.
Original Review:
I really love how this story is progressing, I liked the first book but loved this one. It is action packed and I can really picture the fighting scenes. I also love the character development. I dislike how the beginning of the books recap the past ones so much, but I get the point and reasoning behind it, I'm just reading them back to back so seems a bit redundant for the first few chapters. Besides that, I'm loving the story.
January 21, 2023
Enjoying this series a fair bit - good balance between urban fantasy and romance😊🤩
June 9, 2020
2.5 stars!
December 31, 2021
This whole read ended up being a 2 star ok read. Neither here nor there, unfortunately.
The main reason for this is the main h chosen as the eyes through which the reader experiences the world created by the author. On the surface, one can see the effort the author has put into creating this world. The story, the characters, and the overall plot. While I find biblical apocalyptic stories a rather problematic thing to try to realize as Christianity is not really conducive to being embodied in a realized story that will have character question and uncover all its little flaws and contradictions that cannot fully be questioned now as for now it's just a metaphorical story of the religious script that primarily based on the faith of belief that any facts that can be proven. So when authors try to bring all those many contradictory stories to life they can fall apart rather easily with some level-headed reasoning and questioning and usually prove a rather shaky ground on to base one's fictional world.
In this case, it was kind of like that as well, but I was sort of on board with the world as I saw the author tried to establish her world with some info and characters and lead the reader to understand how everything works. The point where the story falls apart for me is in its overall feel of YA. While the h is not exactly a teenager she is mentally very young as such she is just a lamb in the woods of this crazy world. The author imbues her with these awesome powers and potential, she is all speshul as all paranormal h tend to be, but her mindset is all 'why me, how ever shall I save this world on my own while watching all these people die for me and resist the evil draw of my ancestry.' It… gets old after a while.
Here is the largest pitfall in choosing to have your heroine be so young and inexperienced in all things: THEY. NEVER. ASK. THE. RIGHT. QUESTIONS. And in this way the information dolled out to the reader is painfully slow and many times repetitive as it's focused on all the internal drama of this post-pubescent hormonal girl.
There is this point in the second book where we learn (not sure if this was mentioned in the previous book, but this is when it caught my attention) that demons and angels when they die just disappear whereas the humans have a soul that is eternal and either goes to hell or heaven and gets reincarnated later on once it's served its time. Not an altogether novel notion as this has been mentioned in many other fiction worlds and has even been used as the reason for Lucifer's rebellion in some. As it was the bone of contention which showed God's greater love for men to give them an immortal soul and make angels their servents which made Lucifer rage out and rebel against him. If there ever is a reason for a child to rebel against their parent this is as strongest as one can imagine. I mention this as this is not used as the reason for Lucifer's rebellion here. He is mostly just described as an evil creature that has broken with the goodness of life (whatever the h explains it, its kind of weak sauce so I forgot it), and then the h just spirals over and over about turning evil like him and takes away from any point this epic story might carry and the message it might have. It just simplified as seen by our very naïve h who only sees the world in black and white as God is the ultimate good and Lucifer being the worst and there is no other nuance that can be glimpsed by the reader from any motives as to the God/Lucifer ultimate story that can be explored. Again this is largely due to the h being so young and never wanting to ask the relevant questions.
Probably will be putting the rest of the review in some spoilers as I reviewed this as whole of the 3 book series as I read it and some details from the later books will be in here too:
The fascinating part of finding out that demons and angels just go puff when they die and humans have an immortal soul is
As such this story fell short in this regard and I was not as engaged in it as I was just not attached to the h and how she uncovers the story. I wanted to know more than she was willing to uncover and it just cheaped the great story the author tried to establish. I understand some universe created by the author sometimes will have questions that the author cannot answer as such she cannot have her characters picking it apart and revealing the gaping holes in the fabric of her creation. But I just felt it was all just a cheap romance plot that did not dare delve deeper cuz of this. So I was not particularly attached or engaged with the outcome and was just along for the ride to see how it ends and gets resolved, but I was not at the edge of my seat wondering what happens to this character and that and having my mind blown.
So just a meh read, and by the looks of it, I can see the author prefers all her heroines collage age being thrust into this epic world-altering stories while they have no clue what is going on and just stumbling through with the help of some hunk to survive at the end and… I just do not think I can go along the ride anymore. Maybe years ago I would be intrigued but I just need more now.
The main reason for this is the main h chosen as the eyes through which the reader experiences the world created by the author. On the surface, one can see the effort the author has put into creating this world. The story, the characters, and the overall plot. While I find biblical apocalyptic stories a rather problematic thing to try to realize as Christianity is not really conducive to being embodied in a realized story that will have character question and uncover all its little flaws and contradictions that cannot fully be questioned now as for now it's just a metaphorical story of the religious script that primarily based on the faith of belief that any facts that can be proven. So when authors try to bring all those many contradictory stories to life they can fall apart rather easily with some level-headed reasoning and questioning and usually prove a rather shaky ground on to base one's fictional world.
In this case, it was kind of like that as well, but I was sort of on board with the world as I saw the author tried to establish her world with some info and characters and lead the reader to understand how everything works. The point where the story falls apart for me is in its overall feel of YA. While the h is not exactly a teenager she is mentally very young as such she is just a lamb in the woods of this crazy world. The author imbues her with these awesome powers and potential, she is all speshul as all paranormal h tend to be, but her mindset is all 'why me, how ever shall I save this world on my own while watching all these people die for me and resist the evil draw of my ancestry.' It… gets old after a while.
Here is the largest pitfall in choosing to have your heroine be so young and inexperienced in all things: THEY. NEVER. ASK. THE. RIGHT. QUESTIONS. And in this way the information dolled out to the reader is painfully slow and many times repetitive as it's focused on all the internal drama of this post-pubescent hormonal girl.
There is this point in the second book where we learn (not sure if this was mentioned in the previous book, but this is when it caught my attention) that demons and angels when they die just disappear whereas the humans have a soul that is eternal and either goes to hell or heaven and gets reincarnated later on once it's served its time. Not an altogether novel notion as this has been mentioned in many other fiction worlds and has even been used as the reason for Lucifer's rebellion in some. As it was the bone of contention which showed God's greater love for men to give them an immortal soul and make angels their servents which made Lucifer rage out and rebel against him. If there ever is a reason for a child to rebel against their parent this is as strongest as one can imagine. I mention this as this is not used as the reason for Lucifer's rebellion here. He is mostly just described as an evil creature that has broken with the goodness of life (whatever the h explains it, its kind of weak sauce so I forgot it), and then the h just spirals over and over about turning evil like him and takes away from any point this epic story might carry and the message it might have. It just simplified as seen by our very naïve h who only sees the world in black and white as God is the ultimate good and Lucifer being the worst and there is no other nuance that can be glimpsed by the reader from any motives as to the God/Lucifer ultimate story that can be explored. Again this is largely due to the h being so young and never wanting to ask the relevant questions.
Probably will be putting the rest of the review in some spoilers as I reviewed this as whole of the 3 book series as I read it and some details from the later books will be in here too:
The fascinating part of finding out that demons and angels just go puff when they die and humans have an immortal soul is
As such this story fell short in this regard and I was not as engaged in it as I was just not attached to the h and how she uncovers the story. I wanted to know more than she was willing to uncover and it just cheaped the great story the author tried to establish. I understand some universe created by the author sometimes will have questions that the author cannot answer as such she cannot have her characters picking it apart and revealing the gaping holes in the fabric of her creation. But I just felt it was all just a cheap romance plot that did not dare delve deeper cuz of this. So I was not particularly attached or engaged with the outcome and was just along for the ride to see how it ends and gets resolved, but I was not at the edge of my seat wondering what happens to this character and that and having my mind blown.
So just a meh read, and by the looks of it, I can see the author prefers all her heroines collage age being thrust into this epic world-altering stories while they have no clue what is going on and just stumbling through with the help of some hunk to survive at the end and… I just do not think I can go along the ride anymore. Maybe years ago I would be intrigued but I just need more now.
February 16, 2021
The storyline is becoming even more compelling as the characters grow 😊 the FMC is slightly annoying at times, but she’s a lot less demanding or purposefully stupid on this book. Her demon lover is what makes it worth pulling through on the times where she does get to be too much 😅
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