Verführerischer Dämon

My Immortals #2

by Carolyn Jewel

Alexandrine Marit ist eine Hexe in schrecklicher Gefahr. Doch manchmal kann die Rettung schlimmer als die Bedrohung sein. Denn der einzige, der zwischen ihr und einem schrecklichen Tod steht, ist der Dämon Xia. Und Hexen und Dämonen hassen einander. Xia ist also kaum ein geeigneter Leibwächter für sie. Aber als sich der Tag zur Nacht wandelt, kann sie der glühenden Leidenschaft, die zwischen ihnen knistert, nicht mehr widerstehen.

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Demons, Witches, Magic, Fantasy

417 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2009

About the author

Carolyn Jewel was born on a moonless night. That darkness was seared into her soul and she became an award winning and USA Today bestselling author of historical and paranormal romance. She has a very dusty car and a Master’s degree in English that proves useful at the oddest times. An avid fan of fine chocolate, finer heroines, Bollywood films, and heroism in all forms, she has two cats and a dog. Also a son. One of the cats is his.

Reviews

[Julie (jjmachshev) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carolyn Jewel has created a very different world filled with mages, witches, demons, and the like. "My Forbidden Desire" is her second set in this world and I loved it. There's a battle going on...and it's been going on for thousands of years but we 'vanilla' humans just don't know about it. Unless we pick up this book of course.

Alexandrine is a witch--but one with almost no power to 'pull' magic. She's also had a very difficult life and things don't seem to be getting any better when the brother she thought was dead reappears...with a smoking hot, but very hostile, buddy with him. If that's not enough of a shock, he's not here for a warm reunion. He's here to tell her that she's in mortal danger and his buddy is her new bodyguard! Oh, and her bodyguard HATES witches...like, wants to kill every one he sees. Isn't that just lovely?

Xia (why not a name we can pronounce?) is a recently 'freed' demon...and he really, really hates witches and mages both. It was, after all, a witch who betrayed him to the mage who then held Xia like a robotic killer pet for centuries...while Xia could think and understand, he could only carry out the depraved and vicious wishes of the mage who held him. Nasty stuff that. But it was Alexandrine's brother who helped free him, so he owes him a debt. Payback's a real #$%@!

Finding something new and different in the paranormal world is, for me, a joyous occasion. Jewel caught my interest with "My Wicked Enemy" and now "My Forbidden Desire" has cemented my fascination with her world. Neither the demons nor the mages are 'good guys'...but in this world, it's the demons who have the reader's sympathy as they fight to live their own lives and free their 'brothers' still held by mages. Unusual, eh?

Jewel did a great job with the relationship between two 'people' who start out despising each other, mostly due to bias, ignorance, and their pasts. Sounds very human to me :) But gradually, as they learn more about each other, they begin to see each other as not 'witch' and 'demon'--but as Xia and Alexandrine. The attraction and tension is smoking hot throughout and again, there's a 'mental' threesome...but NOT physical...and it's not gratuitous sex thrown in as it truly is necessary for the plot. Cool. I'll be tapping my toes waiting for the next installment about this world. I'll also be thankful it's not real. Is it?

[Rain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, this book was very confusing. The overall theme was easy to understand: girl is put in danger, her psychotic father doesn't care if she dies as long as he obtains what he wants, her overprotective foster brother forces a fiend to guard her, they are sexually attracted to each other, eventually emotionally involved, and together they survive through a major tragedy, defeat her father, and live happily ever after. That pretty much seems to be the outline for every novel I read nowadays. It has indeed become old. Despite that, I still enjoyed this novel.

However, I often found myself confused. It wasn’t because I didn’t know what was going on, who somebody was, and didn’t read the first in the series. No, the characters’ gestures and dialogues confused me. Sometimes, one character would touch another in a certain way, and I didn’t understand why. Other times, characters would be conversing and I just didn’t understand why they were saying the things they were. I don’t know if I was tired or what, but I found myself wondering more often than not why they were doing the things they were. After awhile, I just stopped questioning and read.

Xia and Alexandrine’s relationship also had me scratching my head. At first, all they did was bicker. And not even intelligent arguing either. There was no trying to prove a point or open the other’s eyes. Nope, this was just flat out arguing for the sake of arguing. I was to the point of pulling my hair when all of a sudden, they cared about each other. They weren’t emotionally attached yet, just one person caring about the safety of another. I think the turnabout gave me whiplash. Then events actually started happening. By the time I finished the book, I literally had no idea about anything. I think I was just too exhausted to read this novel and actually comprehend it.

[Kelly Moran · Rating 5 out of 5]

When not writing, Author Carolyn Jewel is a Database Administrator. My Wicked Enemy is her other title besides this one, which is set for release in June 2009. She resides in northern California with her son, three cats, a border collie, several chickens, and some sheep.
When Alexandrine Marit’s brother Harsh returns from the dead with a warning about an amulet she found, Alexandrine can’t help but wonder where he was all that time she thought him dead, and what could be so dangerous about a simple talisman? She’s known all along that she was a witch, but she barely had any powers, and couldn’t control the ones she did have. An evil mage craves the powerful stone that supplies her magic, and the only one who can keep her safe is her brother’s friend, a dark and dangerous fiend she thought was only a myth. Xia hates witches because they enslave a mercilessly kill his kind. He’s been ordered to protect Alexandrine from her birth father and his henchmen, and isn’t happy about it one iota. As days turn to nights, this seemingly not so ideal body guard and the witch find the fierce animosity between them dissolving and a flaming passion replacing it. It’s the passion that can unite them, and they must trust it and each other before the enemy can destroy them both.
This isn’t so much a dig on the book as it is a comment about the paranormal romance genre, but why do the majority of these books have desire, temptation, or forbidden in the title? Just a thought.
I found the book to be very captivating and intriguing. It had the perfect blend of dark paranormal with steamy romance that wasn’t over-the-top. The setting and world created was a phenomenal backdrop for the plot. The story flowed smoothly and I didn’t find any areas where I lost interest. The characters were relatable and the secondary ones moved the story along nicely. More than anything, the book was kind of a big, frustrating tease- in a good way. Just when you think you are getting somewhere, or figuring something out, or discovering yourself all hot and bothered, something comes along to throw a wrench in the mix. This made the book difficult to put down.
My Forbidden Desire, by Carolyn Jewel, is a taunting, tormenting, and sizzling tale- A must read for paranormal romance lovers.

Kelly Moran
Author and Reviewer

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

re read on April 18, 2015. This series stand the test of time very well. Still good even on a re-read.
I stand by my review.

I thought My Wicked Enemy was dark, I had no idea this second book could be darker (Kynan: we will get to you sooner or later..). If, like, me, dark is your alley, you'll love this series.
This is PNR with a pure urban fantasy set: an incredible world-building, believable characters, strong plot, no-stop action. I would be surprised if you managed to breath while reading...

The only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is that
-the plot repeated too many bits of the first book (talisman, weak witch caving to demon power, cut-off connection at the end so the lead characters don't understand each other, etc.),
-I didn't expect the hate Xia felt to disappear so quickly (and I mean quickly in the 15-20% range of the book),
-(absolutely personal) I would have preferred a bit more reaction from Alexandrine. She has a self-destructive past, she wants the magic so strongly, I can't believe she reacted so ...blandly to its loss and the fact she was bound to Xia. It didn't ring true to me.

[Celeste · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Carolyn Jewel really knows how to grab her readers and keep them entertained from start to finish. I think I enjoyed this book much more than the first because I knew what to expect along the way. I am definitely looking forward to the next in the series! She really has a way of making you fall in love with the characters, flaws and all!

[Nita · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the mythology of the first book to give this second one a try. But the male characters in these two books are just so... mean. And the way the characters think and talk is just too unrealistic. I just don't see any reason for the two main characters to "fall in love" with each other.

[MrsJoseph *grouchy* · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://bookslifewine.com/r-my-forbidd...

3.5 stars rounded up to 4!


My Immortals #2!

In glomming the My Immortals series, I have my favorites (of course). I'm thinking that My Forbidden Desire isn't really one of my favorites although it is a very good and entertaining read.

I think the biggest issues for me was that I never 100% warmed up to Xia, the moody bastard. Or Alexandrine. But I do like them together - they fit each other.

That had always been his problem. He had a low-key mood and a pissed-off mood and no moods in between.

In reading My Forbidden Desire, I've noticed that the worldbuilding isn't quite as in-depth as I'd prefer. It feels as if there are small threads of the plot that don't quite make it to page - or are never really explored. The plot thread I'm hunting for in this book is communication: how do the magekind communicate with each other and how do the untrained, discarded "street witches" learn about the trained magekind? That's an important question for me, especially relating to My Forbidden Desire. The entire meet-cute/plot arc of My Forbidden Desire hinges on Alexandrine contacting Álvaro Magellan (from My Wicked Enemy ) regarding a talisman she'd found. Alexandrine knew Magellan was a mage who used antiquities as a front and she wanted to use the request for more details regarding the talisman as a way "in" to the mage life. Or something like that. This (unadvised) contact snowballs and now the magekind know 1) Alexandrine has a talisman, 2) the talisman is real and 3) Alexandrine has no real magic - making her a perfect target for any magekind wanting additional powers (read: all of them).

Most of the romantic tension in My Forbidden Desire stems from Xia and his issues. Xia was betrayed by a witch, leading him to become mageheld by Rasmus Kessler - Alexandrine's biological father. Xia is full of anger, hate and confusion after being kept as a slave for a lifetime.

Xia rolled his shoulders and stopped at the sink to wash his hands and face. It felt good to fight with complete freedom. Without the aching, bone-deep pain of compulsion. Without hatred burning through him. The difference unsettled him. Until now, he’d not realized, not completely, how alien his freedom was to him. Talk about messed up. He’d done nothing but dream about freedom, and now that he had it, he didn’t know how to live. In a sick way, he was grateful to be babysitting Harsh’s sister, because it gave him something to think about besides what he was supposed to do with his freedom now that it belonged to him again.
-15%

Xia hates witches. He is also sexually attracted to witches/magekind - like all fiends. I'm sure the juxtaposition of being sexually attracted to something/someone you hate didn't sweeten Xia's disposition any. Ms Jewel has a similar situation between Wallace and Palla in Dead Drop - so I was starting to think that maybe this hate/want/lust thing was a hallmark of the series. I realized that it wasn't quite the same, however. Xia hates the magekind, especially witches and especially Rasmus Kessler's daughter. It's mostly an impersonal, general hate (with the exception of Rasmus, who he wants to kill). Wallace and Palla actually disliked each other - a very personal and specific emotion.

From the first night that Alexandrine and Xia had to spend together - fighting off attacks on Alexandrine's life - Xia and Alexandrine were very attracted to each other. It's been scientifically proven that shared experiences involving large amounts of adrenaline can cause people to become closer, to fall in love. Xia and Alexandrine have to endure multiple heart-racing incidents almost from the moment that they meet: [multiple] Attacks on Alexandrine's life by magehelds as well the unstable talisman that started the entire situation. I can totally believe in the relationship between Xia and Alexandrine: they are very alike for all of their differences and once Xia got over his (well earned) prejudice and fear.

“When one of the free kin finds a talisman, we take it back if we can. And we crack it open. They have no body, so we give whoever it was our bodies.” His tongue came out and touched his lower lip. “It’s never easy to assimilate with what’s left. It’s impossible to know its condition until it’s too late. But if we live through it, we honor the one whose body died. Their magic lives in us. With us.”
-25%

Xia and Alexandrine both had pretty difficult lives and it was so enjoyable watching them fumble through their issues to finally come together.

[Melindeeloo · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the things that I love about Jewel's My Immortals mage/demon series is the 'enemies to lovers' and 'forbidden romance' theme of the books. In this second book, the leads couldn't have more to overcome, not only are their species - demonkind and magekind - enemies but our demon hero Xia was betrayed by a witch and turned into a slave with no will of his own, then forced to commit attrocities by the mage who to whom Xia was 'mageheld' for years. As a result, Xia hates witches with every fiber of his being, and now the newly freed Xia is tasked to guard a woman who is not only a witch, but Alexandrine is also the daughter of the powerful mage Rasmus Keeler, the very same mage who held Xia captive.

What a great conflict between the leads. A conflict which makes for plenty of tension as Xia first fights his shared attraction to Alexandrine and then makes them really work for a HEA once they finally succumb. And all of that build-up makes for some dark, intense and sexy magic fueled love scenes. But the steamy stuff alone doens't make the book, along with the relationship that develops between Xia and Alexandrine, there's a good amount of action too. And the way things play out in the final confrontation with Alexandrine's dad - not really a spoiler, there's no way with that conflict in place not to have a show down with dear old dad - adds another weapon in demon warlord Nicodemis' arsenal in his battle to keep his sworn fiends(demons) free and adds to the overall arc as the series carries forward.

This is my second time reading My Forbidden desire, with the size of my TBR pile a reread is rare. But after really enjoying the fourth book in the series, My Dangerous Pleasure, and not being a little fuzzy on some past characters, I ended up re-buying both this book and the following one, and My Immortal Assassin. I have to say that I enjoyed My Forbidden Desire even more on the second read than I did on the first and I now have a much better handle on some of the characters who carry through all of the books.

For readers new to the series, My Forbidden Desire can stand alone, there is actually a glossary at the end of the book and a quick skim through at the start will give you a leg up as you learn about the world of demons and mages as Alexandrine learns about her heritage.

[Cbackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to get one thing off my chest: it really, really bothers me that there's a character in these books called Durian. Because although dude is supposed to be some kind of badass assassin, all I can think when I read his name is WORLD'S STINKIEST FRUIT.

It is a true thing that Jewel goes for some weird names for the dudes in these books. The hero of this book, for example, is named Xia. Tell me, internets, how you pronounce this. Because my instinct is to give that X a Basque pronunciation, but I find it hard to imagine that Jewel really means for this guy to be named "Sha". Because Sha sounds kind of like the name of an R&B singer, like the kind who would have "tribal" tattoos and wear linen shirts with buttons.

The plot is thin here - this is more relationship-focused than the other books in the series - but the characters are strong. One thing that I enjoy about these books is that the heroes aren't fake bad guys. They don't come off as entirely human, which is appropriate. In the rest of the series, Xia seems about 80% id and 20% ego, and the narrative voice here (third-person, but very close to first-person) reflects that. Alexandrine, meanwhile, feels like a very authentic ex-street kid. She doesn't trust easily, she's vulnerable to addiction, and she's absolutely free of illusions, including some of the ones that we all need to get through the world as sane people.

This book feels slighter than the others (despite his unfortunate name, I like the one that centers on Durian the best, because the heroine is my favorite), but it's worth a read nonetheless. Having now read the entire series, I do think it's kind of funny how Nikodemus always turns up at the end all demon ex machina to throw down some bro-y wisdom, accept everyone's oath of fealty, and scare the pants off everybody with his freaky warlord powers. He's actually my favorite of all characters (well, I have a soft spot for the psycho-killer nutjobbiness of Kynan Aijan, who always gets mentioned by first and last name), and I like to imagine that he hangs out playing Xbox in ironic hipster t-shirts most of the time. Come to think of it, I'd totally read that.

[Vanessa {Planners & Prose} · Rating 2 out of 5]

My Forbidden Desire was an exciting read! It starts off with Alexandrine Marit, a mage (a witch), being held captive by a fiend (a subspecies of demon). Fiends loathe witches because witches enslave and murder his kind, so when Xia, the fiend, is ordered to protect Alexandrine, he's not too thrilled about it. Funny thing is, he needs to protect her against her own father! A father that gave her up when she was only three years old. He's after her for a Talisman she found while searching for him in Turkey. The talisman gives witches the ability to have stronger powers. The talisman is also slowly attaching itself to Alexandrine which makes her extremely vulnerable when she parts herself from it.

Her only hope is Xia. Xia battles his emotions for Alexandrine throughout the entire book. He hates her for what she is, a witch, and he hates her for who her father is, which is the same man that enslaved Xia for years. Xia sees Alexandrine is different from any witch he's ever known. She's unselfish, kindhearted, and sexy as hell! He is drawn to her magic and together they go on a rollercoaster ride trying to figure out what to do about her father, the talisman, and the sexual tension between them!

I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters were intense to say the least! I loved how Xia was extremely attracted to Alexandrine but was trying to fight it because of who and what she was. He hated her yet wanted to protect her. She also couldn't stand him but found herself falling for him. The plot was interesting and I thought it was pretty cool the story had it's own "lingo". I kept having to refer to the glossary but that was part of the fun!

♥ Vanessa BookSoulmates.blogspot.com

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

★ ★ ★ ½

Quick-Cap: Xia, once a mageheld fiend(a type of demon), is now free from mages and has sworn his loyalty to the warlord Nicodemus. Harsh's sister, Alexandrine (a witch), is now a target of the mage Kessler who is greedy to lay his hands on an ancient talisman that she posseses. Nicodemus has charged Xia with Alexandrine's protection but Xia would rather kill every mage he sets his eyes on. This installment in the series is centered on Xia overcoming his hatred and the romance between he and Alexandrine.

My Forbidden Desire continues the story of the fiends and witches we were intoduced to in My Wicked Enemy. This second book is entertaining in itself and lays the foundation for future stoies as well. Although this book does not contribute as much as its predecessor in advancing the overall series plot, it does give us some more insight into the capabilities of fiends in general. Not stellar, but a pleasant read.

[RachelW (BamaGal) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read.

When I started rereading the first book of this series, everything came back to me fairly easily. Not so much with this one; there were big holes of things I had forgotten. In a way that was good, as it made reading it again all the sweeter, and made me appreciate this great series even more.

On to a reread of book three...

[Julie]

DNF. I made it to page 167 and had to call it quits because every time I would start reading I'd get through a few pages and then want to stop or Id' start skipping because I just can't get into the writing style or the story. Action scenes weren't well written, characters would have conversations or thoughts that didn't make sense; they didn't line up with what was happening in the story or where the characters were at mentally. I think one other reviewer touched on that, and I obviously agree. I think the world created is an interesting one, but sadly I can't get connected to it. I also feel like it might have been more helpful to understand the fantasy elements if I had read the first one, so just a heads to future readers you might want to start with book 1 : )
Anywhoozers, on to the next book!

[Jacqueline · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a while since I've picked up a book that was more "romance" than "paranormal". So, going into this one, I wasn't so sure if I was in the mood for something like this. Apparently, I was because I really enjoyed it.

If you like your books very sexy and with super-macho Alpha heroes, then you should pick this one up. The heroine, Alexandrine, was relegated to the damsel-in-distress role in the beginning, but she wasn't stupid and she did fight back on several occasions. The whole "overcoming hate" part of the plot was interesting too. It definitely added a bit of kinkiness to some of the characters sexual urges...

...To continue reading this review, click here to visit my blog, Undercover Book Lover.

[Nightwitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Highly readable, but this, the second book in the series, also involves an innocent heroine and a hero who spends a significant portion of the book wanting to kill her. The dark brooding antihero is a thing, I know, but it's not really my thing, and it's a little over-the-top in this series.

[Danielle Irby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome series! Read all the books up until this one right after another.

[Cinnamon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A paranormal romance the likes of which I haven't read before. MY FORBIDDEN DESIRE by Carolyn Jewel was passionate, no doubt about that. What made it unique was the story; a well developed plot full of twists and turn that took me toward the unexpected at pretty much every turner. MY FORBIDDEN DESIRE was a nice change, a foray into the wild side of paranormal romance.

Alexandrine Marit is a witch; well, sort of anyways. She has magic, sure enough, but unfortunately, her ability to access it is so limited that apart from some limited premonitions she's really no different than your average, every day Joe. What makes her special is the talisman that she wears around her neck; a talisman that should supposedly hold great power but does absolutely nothing for Alexandrine's limited magic. Imagine her surprise when her brother, long believed to be dead, shows up and insists that her very life is in danger due to the innocent-looking necklace. He brings along with him Xia, an ex-mageheld, and one very angry demon.

I really loved Xia's character as he is part of what made MY FORBIDDEN DESIRE so unique. It's hard for me to put a finger down on what special attribute he has, but I think I love him because he is the ultimate bad boy. It's no secret that we women tend to fall for the tall, dark and handsome bad boys out there. That fits Xia to a T, and he is definitely not ashamed to admit it. He absolutely hates Alexandrine with an intense and undying passion. Only problem is that her body and her magic are terribly arousing to him. What is one to do when you despise what another is and yet find yourself attracted to him or her at the same time? Well, try to get them in bed of course!

There are two things that make a great romance for me. One is a strong heroine, and the other is a strong hero. MY FORBIDDEN DESIRE holds both of those. Alexandrine is the type who is unwilling to take crud from anyone and she will sure as heck let Xia know when she thinks he is out of line. Of course, even when he is out of line, he's still intensely attractive so Alexandrine finds herself attracted to the demon just as much as she despises him. This conflict creates an amazing degree of depth that should allow for enjoyment throughout multiple rereads.

Jewel does a fantastic job with building the tension throughout MY FORBIDDEN DESIRE. Very seldom would she immediately give us what we wanted. Instead, she'd tease us, pulling us along just to the snapping point and then she gently release us, only to start the process all over again. This made the book quite difficult to set down and in fact, I only found four spots where I could set it down. When the tension is so delicious that you can't help but to keep reading and experiencing the story, you know you've got a great book in your hands.

The one thing that caught me up a few times were the few disconnects in the story. There were a couple times where it felt like I must have skipped a paragraph or two because the transition from one event to another seemed to be lacking something. The few times I reread the section I discovered that I hadn't missed anything. The best way I have to describe it is like trying to write this huge research paper but being told that you have to keep it to a short word count. You write the paper up, discover it's too long and then have to cut sections out. Only problem is that everything flows together so well, there's nothing that can be cut out. You do it anyways to stay within the limits of the paper and end up with something that is less stellar than the original product. Now, I'm not at all saying that these disconnects were due to editor overzealousness, that's just the best way I have to describe the feeling that I got those couple times. Really, it did not detract from the book too much and obviously I still loved MY FORBIDDEN DESIRE.

Fair warning time: You probably don't need this warning as it should be obvious, but just the same, I'd be remiss if I didn't give it. This book has strong adult themes and scenes. I would give it a sensuality rating of four with the only difference between four and five being the choice of words used. Jewel takes romance to a whole new level here; I suggest a cold drink, or perhaps a cold shower in between chapters.

The passion between Xia and Alexandrine is palpable. There are a few twists and turns in this relationship that make it quite unique, but I'll refrain from explaining them here to avoid spoilers. The originality of the book was also amazing. The same twists and turns that I just mentioned created a whole new atmosphere that I had not yet experienced. The highly developed characters added to the recipe for a great plot and made this story something special. I really loved where Jewel took MY FORBIDDEN DESIRE and think that her plot choices helped to make this book as phenomenal as it is.

[Valorie Dalton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alexandrine Marit is a witch who can barely form a spell, abandoned as a child by her powerful mage father Rasmus for having too little power. However, as a grown woman, what she does have is a talisman imbued with a power her father supposedly wants. So to protect her from her father and his league of fiends, her no longer long-lost adopted brother Harsh puts a fiend named Xia in charge of her protection. Xia is a powerful creature, the tall and dark handsome kind, but hates witches because witches enslave and kill his kind. He would like nothing more than to kill Rasmus with his bare hands, and watching over a witch who is also the daughter of Rasmus is a terrible fate for him. Neither of them trust each other, but slowly Alexandrine sees he is more than just a witch hating fiend, and Xia comes to see that she is more than just a witch. Especially when the two discover that maybe Xia needs to be protected just as much as she does. The closer they get to one another, the less they can deny the chemistry and physical attraction pulling at them.

Nothing like a good book full of magic and sexual tension to curl up with at night. I have a weakness for magic in books, though not only of the ‘witch’ kind. I think the various concepts of magehelds and blood-twins and such are very unique and give more layers to the story than your typical witch-meets-demon-and-they-do-magic-together kind of story. There is more potential for conflict and storyline when relationships are varied and complex. And though you know Alexandrine and Xia are going to end up getting hot and petty, the anticipation is tense and their mutual dislike is amusing.

Xia is the absolute bad boy type and women can’t get enough of men like him. In that way, he is charming but frustrating, but bad boys tend to be stubborn. And Alexandrine, darling, after all the things Xia did and said to you, you still thought he was going to abandon you at the end? Where is your faith, girl!? But hey, the story needed that last surge of drama, I suppose, and it was a great ending to see the two of them together but not sugary. After all, Xia is still a bad boy fiend and Alexandrine is still a ‘take no crap’ kind of girl.

[Paranormal Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alexandrine is surprised, to say the least, when her supposedly dead brother shows up at her door
years later and claims she needs protection from her dear old dad. Alexandrine never new her
father but she knows that her brother and her are witches and the man he's brought to her home
to babysit her is a fiend. They are mortal enemies and while she's not invested enough to
hate fiends, Xia makes it absolutely crystal clear that he HATES her.

It's testament to Xia's loyalty to her brother that he's even here guarding a witch but when he
finds out she's Rasmus Kellers daughter, he wants to badly to let her die. However, he is very
attracted to her and the days they spend together locked up in her house, fighting all the mageheld
sent to kill her and take her talisman he sees she is a fighter and nothing at all like the witches
he's encountered.

When Rasmus does make an appearance, taking Xia enslave him again, it's a witch that comes to his aid


I was so excited to read another installment of a series I have already read before but had forgotten
it's brilliance. I remember to joyous rush of delight having read the first novel and I'm happy
to say that the sequel is not disappoint. While I will say it didn't capture me quite the same
way as the first, I love it all the same. I was happy to see Xia as the hero as I adored him from
the first book and his balance between hatred for witches but his growing affection for one witch
in particular was fantastic. Alexandrine (odd name) was a badass heroine who never backed down from a fight regardless of her lack of psychical strength or lack of control of her magic. She was also willing to take Xia on his terms because she's used to being cast aside by everyone in her life.

My only issue with this book really, was the pacing. It was very slow to start and compared to
the action packed adventure of the first book, could be mistaken as boring. But luckily it did
pick up and with it came a truly deep bonding of a fiend and witch, even more so I say then the first.

Can't wait for the third installment!

[Nely · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alexandrine is in terrible danger. She is still in shock after finding out her brother, Harsh, is alive. It’s been years since she’s heard from him - but it gets even worse when he tells her that her biological father wants her dead. It seems she has acquired a Talisman that he wants and will stop at nothing to get it... even if it means killing his daughter for it. In order to protect her, Harsh asks his friend Xia for help in protecting his sister. The problem with this scenario is that Xia hates her for being a Mage (or witch). He especially doesn’t like Alexandrine because her father was the Mage who enslaved him for years. Due to honor and the respect he has for Harsh he agrees to protect Alexandrine not knowing the danger she’d be to his own heart.

I liked this story. It was not your average paranormal romance. It had plenty of new concepts that I found quite unique and interesting (i.e. magehelds and blood-twins, etc.) - with a nice, little glossary at the front to explain same. Xia is the epitome of the bad boy and I really enjoyed him as a character. Alexandrine was the perfect mate for him. They were both strong, intense, flawed, yet also very likeable. I really loved the dialogue and interaction between them.

This was a fantastic introduction to Ms. Jewel’s writing and I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more titles from her. This is required reading for any paranormal romance lover.

[Llaph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the book that started it all for me. I read this book first and had to find/buy My Wicked Enemy as soon as I was able.... which thanks to accessibility failures took me a while to do. Thnx companies not making things accessible for blind people lol @ all of you who lost revenue because you didn't think it mattered

I met Xia for the first time in this book. If I was able to read the first book where we first met him some of his proclivities would have made sense in a different way. I especially loved the interactions between him and Alexandrine. That opening scene when Harsh sees his sister for the first time in years and then tells her she’s going to be guarded by this big scary looking dude… I mean… what a heroine to pick for Xia… the daughter of the mage who kept him mageheld for so long? That is one of the many things I like about Jewel’s books. The characters are so complex. I was kinda ehhh about Alexandrine’s thing for drugs/alcohol. She seemed too zealous at times about it. I liked her smartass mouth and bravery when confronting the scary.
This book introduced Maddy… Just something about her I didn’t like. I think it is her shoes. I will also say that I don’t like her much throughout the whole series … and even her book was lackluster for me. I wanted a lot more for Kynan…. He’s my favorite after Iskandar.

[Wendy Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alexandrine Marit is a witch. She's always known she was different when she was growing up, but not until she sought out her biological parents did she learn the truth. Her search leads her to Turkey and to the name of her father. She also is given an amulet that a woman claims once belonged to him. Alexandrine wears the talisman all the time.

When her brother, Harsh, suddenly appears in her apartment one day, Alexandrine is stunned. Harsh disappeared ten years ago, and the family believed him dead. He doesn't stay long though, just long enough to let her know that she was in danger because of the talisman, and that he had a bodyguard for her.

His name is Xia and he hates witches. Witches enslave and murder his kind, kin. But even though he hates Alexandrine's father, who recently had enslaved Xia, and despises the fact that Alexandrine is a witch, he is determined to guard her against the forces that would have her dead and the talisman theirs.

MY FORBIDDEN DESIRE is chock full of paranormal entities, down and dirty action, and steaming hot romance. Her first paranormal, My Wicked Enemy, was an exciting page-turner, and this one is even better and hotter!

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

The brother who’s not dead leaves a creature that hates witches to guard his sister, who just happens to be a witch. And the sister’s not happy. The fact that the creature hating her is the image of everything desirable in a man might have something to do with that. But soon the fact that her apartment’s under attack from screaming demons and she’s on the run, still with the enormously desirable, enormously forbidden guardian, gives her no time to consider how to react.

Carolyn Jewel’s novel leaves no doubt how her characters feel about each other. And the misunderstandings about who and what might be bad, who’s enslaving whom, and definitions of entrapment, etc. can’t hide them from their love.

My Forbidden Desire always knows where it’s going. It creates an intricate and fascinating world, peoples it with flawed and wonderful characters, and tells a fascinating tale of passion and intrigue. A fun, exciting read.

[Saba · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great conflict between the leads, the vengeful Xia forced to protect the 'spawn' of his greatest enemy. A conflict which makes for plenty of tension as Xia first fights his shared attraction to Alexandrine and that same conflict makes the pair really work for a HEA once they finally succumb. All of that build-up makes for some dark, intense and sexy magic fueled love scenes. But the steamy stuff alone doesn't 'make' the book, along with the relationship that develops between Xia and Alexandrine, there's a good amount of action too. And the way things play out in the final confrontation with Alexandrine's dad - not really a spoiler, there's no way with 'that conflict' in place not to have a show down with dear old dad - adds another weapon in demon warlord Nicodemis' (My Wicked Enemy) arsenal in his battle to keep his sworn fiends(demons) free, not to mention adding to the overall story arc as the series carries forward.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this one, and apparently it's the second in a series. But I didn't feel as though I missed that much. Maybe some of the other characters were prominent in the first book but I don't think it affected my understanding of the storyline.

I really liked this one. It had a nice romantic aspect to it, a very interesting storyline that I haven't really seen before and some action. But I really liked that it wasn't similar to other books I've read. After awhile some themes become overdone.. This involves witches and mages. Mages are pretty evil bastards.. and they can take control of other beings. There are a group of fiends (kin) who used to be enslaved to a pretty evil mage. Some of them have escaped and banded together to protect the rest of their kind. Just an intriguing idea that made a great book. I'm interested to go back and see the first book and how everything started.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is actually the second book in a series but I found it fine to just jump in although by the end of the book you will probably want to go back and check out Jewel's other book in the series, My Wicked Enemy. Alexandrine was the perfect mix of vulnerability and ability to kick some butt. I really enjoyed her story although sometimes you do really want to strangle Xia and some of the other demons butts over their pig headed hatred of mages and witches as a whole. I get that there are evil ones out there killing and enslaving demons but really that is like saying all demons are horrible (although maybe they would agree?). Either way the chemistry between Alexandrine and Xia is smoking! For those that love paranormal romances this is one to check out.

[Creative_Mii · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want a knife like Xia's. A guy/fiend like Xia...well that's a whole other issue. He is a great soldier and excellent to have on your side in a fight but not so sure about the love thing. I appreciate that everyone in this series has major issues and that is most of the fun. Watching people move from fairly intractable positions to something new that improves them is great. Carolyn does a fabulous job of getting into their heads and hearts during this transformation. However, Xia didn't do it for me. Alexandrine a cool heroine dealt a crap hand. First she can't touch her own magic then it get controlled by a fiend with issues. I liked the book and continue to love the series but this was not my fave one. Onward!

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alexandrine has just found out that her brother, Harsh, is still alive. He's got some very unpleasant news for his sister. Her birth father wants her dead. Harsh decides to make his friend Xia stay with her as her protector. The only problem is Xia hates witches with a passion but not nearly as much as he hates Alexandrine's father who enslaved him.

Alexandrine and Xia both fight their desires for one another but in the end are unable to help themselves. They fall deeply for one another and end up making some mistakes that may be irreversible.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you like Paranormal Romance then this is a great book to add to your to be read list.

[Carol Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jewel has created an interesting world of mages and fiends (kin). This is the first book I've read in the series, but I don't feel like I missed too much by not reading the first. I'm planning, though, because I enjoyed this one and it probably has some background that I didn't know I was missing. I'm not going to say this was the best book I've ever read, but the romance was good and the characters interesting. For me, though, it comes down to the fact that I just couldn't put the book down. When I should have been cooking dinner, I was engrossed in Alexandrine and Xia's story.

[Mhollie · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK...I really liked the book. But there was something that freaked me in it. There is a minor character in it, Maddy Winters, who seems, from another characters point of view to be of American Indian descent.

So here's what freaked me... My great grandmother's name is Maddy Winters. She was a full blooded Seneca Iroquois. We don't know what her real name was because in those days you covered that up when you married a white man in the northeast.