Agave Kiss

Corine Solomon #5

by Ann Aguirre

Chance was gone; he’d sacrificed himself so Shannon and I could escape Sheol. We’d raised him on Shan’s spirit radio, which meant his soul wasn’t wholly destroyed by the demon gate….

Once Corine Solomon only had the touch—the ability to read an object’s past by handling it. Then she inherited her mother’s magick, and that ended up being a hell of a burden. But if Corine can wrestle a demon queen and win, she can bring back her lover Chance after he’s made the ultimate sacrifice. Can’t she? All Corine knows is that she can’t leave Chance behind if there’s anything she can do about it.

But the clock is ticking—and she still has to deal with debt-collecting demons and a maniacal archangel who’s running a recruitment drive. The stakes have never been so high…and this time it’s truly Corine’s last chance to save the love of her life.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Paranormal, Demons, Magic, Fiction, Romance

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 5, 2013

About the author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Ann Aguirre has been a clown, a clerk, a savior of stray kittens, and a voice actress, not necessarily in that order. She grew up in a yellow house across from a cornfield, but now she lives in Mexico with her family. She writes all kinds of genre fiction, but she has an eternal soft spot for a happily ever after.

Reviews

[Maja (The Nocturnal Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
It is difficult to review the fifth book in a series without revealing too much, but when it’s also the final book, it’s close to impossible. I wouldn’t want to spoil anything for those of you who have yet to read it, but there are things I need to say, and this is my final opportunity. I promise to be careful about spoilers, but please be patient with me while I wallow in nostalgia just for a little while.

Although it’s marketed as urban fantasy, the Corine Solomon series defies classification. It’s part urban fantasy, part horror, part high fantasy and at least seven parts pure awesomeness. I have a special place in my heart for authors who constantly cross genre lines and Ann Aguirre is the very best among them.

After the events of Devil’s Punch (God, I love that book SO much), Corine is in a very rough place. Just when she finally figured out who she wants to be with, she lost everything once again. Her powers took an interesting turn as well: there’s no more psychometry, but she has her mother’s magick and she intends to use everything and everyone at her disposal to bring her everything she loves back to life.

Of course there’s no way for her to do it on her own, but luckily, she has a few friends she can count on. Eva and Chuch are always there for her, unflinchingly loyal and steady as rocks. Their relationship is possibly my favorite in this series and they are the main source of humor. Shannon is also there for Corine and she too has changed so much. I finally stopped seeing her as a stray puppy because she stopped acting as one. Self-confidence is such a wonderful thing, and by the end, Shan had it in spades.

Booke is also willing to help, but his own secrets need to be dealt with first. I had no idea what to expect despite spending a lot of time trying to come up with an explanation for his strange behavior and his limitations. In the end, I shouldn’t have bothered at all – his secret was something I never could have imagined and his storyline a wonderful and captivating addition to the final installment.

In the end, there is also Kel Ferguson (Ferguson, get it? Like my Kindle.) He has a huge role in this book and he remains my favorite character in the series. His truths are also revealed and I promise you, your jaw will meet the floor. And you’ll cry. A lot.

We’ve been through so much together, Corine and I. I have many memories, some good, some extremely painful, some laugh-out-loud funny. We didn’t really get along at first, she was indecisive and prone to self-pity, but in time, she became someone I truly admire. In the end, I love who she’s become because she finally knows who she is and she refuses to apologize for it.

This book made me cry so much! Part of it was bittersweet, the soft pain that accompanies goodbyes. Another part were those ugly, unstoppable tears that come with gut-wrenching pain and heartbreak. But in the end, there were some happy tears as well, and I closed this book and said my goodbyes with a smile on my face.

[Ferdy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Spoilers

-Corine sets out to save her twu wuv, Chance, from death… Even though he basically cheated on her, fell in love with someone else in the previous book, and generally treated her like rubbish for years. I swear fictional couples seem to be getting more and more depressing.

-Corine was boring and whiny. Yea, I know she was upset about Chance dying but it was boring to read her 'woe is me' nonsense. She was a lame, self-pitying, weak doormat.

-The pregnancy plot was predictable. I thought Corine's reaction was weird since 1. The baby was conceived when her body was possessed by that demon queen chick 2. The demon queen got Corine pregnant by fucking the love of Corine's life and 3. Chance seemed more passionate and in love with the demon queen than he was with Corine. It was just a bizarre pregnancy yet doormat Corine didn't even think about how the baby was conceived. The whole thing was just glossed over.

-Chance was as slimy as usual. I HATE that Corine never bought up his passion and love for the demon queen. He cheated on Corine multiple times yet it wasn't even bought up or discussed. WTF?! How was Chance supposed to be madly in love with Corine when he fell for the queen and was cool with her taking over Corine's body and then got all upset that Corine managed to kick the queen out of her body??! Or was I meant to find it romantic that Chance fell passionately in love with someone other than the heroine?!

-Booke, Chuch, Eva, Kel and Shan were all likeable. The Booke and Kel arcs were interesting - I'm glad Booke got his happy ending, and Kel got some sort of peace.

-I wasn't a fan of Shan and Jesse's romance. Shan deserved better than Corine's sloppy seconds. I would have preferred her living her life and dating around before settling down.

I started of liking the series but all the WTFery surrounding Chance and Corine's relationship ruined the series for me. I won't be starting any future series by Aguirre - she writes the most depressing and lame romances.

[Pocki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh man. This was perfect. Such a fitting way to end this series. But let me tell you, it hurt.

I was reluctant to start this series. I had fallen in love with Ann Aguirre's writing through the Jax series. But the covers are not exactly my taste and make me think of trashy supernatural novels (I know I shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I can't help myself). The titles maybe even more so. Especially Shady Lady (realizing they're all drinks made it so much better. Which is now one of the first things I tell people when recommending the books. Cause "Shady Lady" as a reference to the main character would've been a bit too corny) Waiting for the last book in the Jax series that was just around the corner, I got he urge to read more of Ann's work again (as Outpost was even further away) and gave in. I was not disappointed. Fell in love with all the characters and devoured the books rather quickly.

Now, this is not a review of the series but just of Agave Kiss, the last book. Cause well, I just finished it. With tears streaming down my face. It was the perfect way to end Corine's story. It really was. I got everything I wanted really. I'll tell you why so SPOILERS ALL OVER.

During the previous book Corine finally settled on Chance, only to have him die to get her and Shan out of Sheol. Knowing this books would be partly about getting him back (he's half god after all, it's possible) it was quite satisfying to not have Corine wrestling with her romantic feelings anymore. And let me just say, first time she vomited I called pregnancy. I would love to know more about that baby though. Gotta be one special kid!

I knew that however her quest ended, there would be a high price to pay. Be it Chance choosing to be a god to save everyone, or someone sacrificing something very dear o bring him back (I thought the baby would be too easy though. Not for Corine ofc, but as a narrative device). Well, I think the price couldn't have been higher. Having Kel actually dying was very emotional. Not just losing one of my favorite characters, but just the way it happened. Or rather, that he pretty much wanted that to be the end. He wanted to die. It was the only way out that he could see. And really, someone like him couldn't live with the burden of knowing everything he had done was for a maniac, not a higher power. Just everything around that and the aftermath was quite darn emotional. I think I cried the last four chapters or something. And then they're naming their child after him, perfect.

I love that we finally got to meet Booke "face to face". It was time. Both for Corine (and everyone else) to meet him and for us to find out his secret. And the end of his story was very satisfying as well. In the beginning I was afraid he would actually die, this being the last book and all. But he got his dream and if Twila's vision-gift to Corine is true, he has one hell of a future ahead of him.

The book had a good pace, and enough sense of danger and uncertainty. The end was the perfect mix of sacrifice, loss, victory and happily ever after.
I'm sad to let go of the series of course (hoping there might be some short stories/novellas later though. One can always hope), but I am happy.

In the end this was just a really satisfying book. In all regards.
Ann Aguirre continues to be one of my absolute favorite authors, maybe even the favorite.


eta: One thing I love with Ann's writing (or at least he way she did it with this book, can't really remember how she dealt with it in the others) is that she subtly reminds you of the important stuff that happened earlier. It's not a "previously on" type thing, where everything is summed up in the first chapter. It's always neatly tucked into the regular narrative and related to what is happening. And it's spaced throughout the book. I don't have the best memory so I definitely forgot some important details. I wondered for maybe a chapter and then she made sure to remind me. Lovely.

[Kathy Davie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fifth and last in the Corine Solomon urban fantasy series revolving around a woman who is a touch sensitive with a past.

My Take
I do believe that Aguirre has set us up for a spin-off starring Ian Booke and possibly the little one. I'm rather relived she's finished this series. The first two books in the series were great, and then it seemed to just go downhill. This particular story rose up from the last two although I'm still saddened by the ending. It was too easy, and I fear for them in the future.

In some ways, at the start of this story, Corine finally has a purpose in her life. In the past stories, she's mostly been reacting to events, this time she has a cause for which she will fight harder than she has fought for anything before.

Interesting back history on Ian! Who'd'a thunk? As for Barachiel, how can anyone think he's an angel with the way he behaves? I'd sure like to give him some penance!

It was weird with the Luren demons. So very powerful, and so easily scared off. In some ways, it's like this series. So many powerful possibilities that got scared off. As if Aguirre simply wanted to be able to tick this series off her list.

I've enjoyed the characters in this series---they're people I would enjoy becoming friends with, and Aguirre brought a warmth to it all. It certainly was a treat to meet Chuch and Eva, and I loved Corine's place and Tia in Mexico City. Chance. Hmmm, I like him much better at the end than I did at the beginning. And the journey with Kel has been a lifetime of ups and downs, of fears and sadness. As pleased as I am for the series to finish, I also regret not finding out what will happen in the characters' futures, as Aguirre has left possibilities open. A very practical move for an author.

The Story
Somehow, escape from Sheol means a London alley. Without papers or money. Yet perfectly situated to lend Ian Booke a hand in Stoke, to promise a proper send-off.

Corine is determined to bring Chance from the dead. He's the son of a god after all. The demons are determined to wrest her promise from her. Ian Booke is determined to die to escape the curse laid on him by his lover's husband.

And Barachiel is determined that Corine will accept his commands and build his armies.

The Characters
No longer able to wield the Binder power, Corine Solomon still has too much power, especially after events in Devil's Punch , 4, when she discovered she shared her body with a demon queen! Butch is her Scrabble-using Chihuahua. He knows more than Corine can understand.

Chance isn't so lucky anymore. Now that he's dead. Min, his mother, is human and mourning. Chance's father is Ebisu, the god of wealth, and intends for his son to accept his mantle of godhood. Ian Booke is a lot older and more resourceful than I expected. And once he's free, he intends to make up for quite a bit before he dies. Donal Macleish is Ian's father's greatest rival, and the husband of the woman Ian loved. Anzu is the Birsael demon who kept Ian connected.

Tia is a witch who is teaching Corine to use her magick and lets her stay at her place while her old place is rebuilt.

Kel is a fallen angel, a Nephilim, in love with Corine, but charged with destroying evil who is about to learn a very unwelcome fact. Barachiel is Kel's master, an archangel with plans for Corine. Ahadiel is also Nephilim, the enforcer of divine will and proof positive that Barachiel has lied.

Shannon is back to being Corine's best friend, and she's still with Jesse Saldana, an empath and a detective. Ian Booke is an English Internet friend of Chuch's with an expertise in hermetic magic and astral projection. Seems he's had years and years to become proficient.

Chuch, who restores classic cars and was an arms dealer before he met his wife, and Eva Ortiz, a talented forger, have a little girl, Camellia. Ramon is Chuch's cousin, and his girlfriend, Caridad, may be able to help Booke and later Kel.

Jeannie and Bucky are husband and wife and tend Twila's bar, Twilight; Twila is a voodoun priestess who rules Texas. She will require Booke to run the arcane library in San Antonio in return for her aid. Dolores Devlin, the current librarian, has just about paid her debt.

Sibella is the demon Luren Knight, to whom Corine owes a debt. A Luren demon is seductive with certain rejuvenating qualities, and a Birsael is a bargaining demon.

The Cover
The cover is orange in a collage of story elements: the cityscape behind Corine, the magic circle, and Corine herself holding the blade, cautious as to who might be watching.

Aguirre likes to title her stories after drinks, and the Agave Kiss is like the ending, dessert.

[Nicole Luiken · Rating 4 out of 5]

End of the series. We finally meet the mysterious Booke and find out what his deal is. Kel is also back, but the main plot is bringing Chance back from the dead so Corine can have her happy ending. Everything ties up nicely.

[Book Binge · Rating 4 out of 5]

But the clock is ticking—and she still has to deal with debt-collecting demons and a maniacal archangel who’s running a recruitment drive. The stakes have never been so high…and this time it’s truly Corine’s last chance to save the love of her life.

Corine is a shadow of her former self. She’s devastated by the loss of Chance and isn’t sure how she’s going to get home as Sheol spit her out in jolly ole England. She’s a numb woman when she gets a phone call from her friend Ian Booke telling her that he needs help and he needs her to come to England. He’s a bit surprised to hear she’s already there but not as surprised as Corine is when she drives up to his cottage and it’s nothing but a shack. When she walks in with Shannon she’s even more surprised to find out he’s a very old man who has been cursed to live in his cottage for many years. He wants Corine to break the curse somehow and let him die as he becomes weaker every day. Corine gets help from her friend Kelethiel and he breaks the curse which makes Booke age at an alarming rate (he looks about 60 but is actually about 102 or so). Corine manages to get him to America as he wants to see Chuch and Eva before he dies.

When they get to America Chuch talks Booke into looking into getting his youth back and when they have a party to celebrate his curse-breaking they are visited by Luren who are working for Sibella who wants Corine in return for the bargain she feels that Corine broke in Sheol. On top of that Kel’s boss, Barachiel wants Corine to work for him to become a figurehead in his war but Corine’s pretty sure that Barachiel isn’t an archangel – but a demon. On top of THAT she gets visited by Chance in a dream and he tells her that there’s a chance that he can come back to her but his father, who is a God, is trying to talk him into become the God of wealth.

Corine has lots of stuff on her plate, including finding out that she’s going to be a mother. She wants to solve everyone’s problems and she’s feeling bad that she’s constantly “using” her friends but they’re there to help her. She has to figure out how to save Kel, get the Luren off her back and get Chance back but in the end just wants to live a normal life with the love of her life.

This was a great ending in a wonderful series. In this story Corine’s insecurities came out in droves but I thought they were all pretty justified in the end. Yes, she did go overboard a bit with the “using” of her friends when in actuality they just wanted to help her any way they could, but even that seemed par for the course with the way her life was going.

I really liked the wrap up of all the different parts of Corine’s life that we’d been reading about all this time. Kel was a wonderful character and I was sad to see him when he realized that he wasn’t working for God but for a demon. He was really a kind soul and part in this story was a bit heart wrenching for me as I’ve liked him so much in previous books.

We get resolution between Shannon, Jesse and Corine and with Booke added into the mix I thought it was well done. Chance, while he played a huge role in the overall story of the book played a very small role on page. the parts he was in though were great. He has changed so very much over the course of the series and I loved seeing him finally admit to all of his feelings for Corine.

A great series comes to an end – if you haven’t read the books I would definitely recommend them – but I’m sure we’ll get more great books from Aguirre in the future.

Rating: 4 out of 5

This review was originally posted on Book Binge by Tracy.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ann Aguirre has quickly become one of my favorite authors. With her unique ability to submerge her readers into another world, I feel as if I’m taking a short vacation and spending time with old friends. I say this all the time because I mean it. I wish Corine Solomon was my friend. She is an amazing heroine – intelligent, intuitive, and independent. You see her growth across the series and it’s amazing to see her come to find her own happiness at the end of this book. As I flipped the last page, I sighed with satisfied contentment. It is perfect! But the road to getting there hasn’t been as smooth…

AGAVE KISS continues where DEVIL’S PUNCH left off. Corine’s best friend, Shan is safe but at the cost of Chance’s sacrifice. What will this mean for Corine and what other obstacles lie in her way? Demons and archangels are just some of the problems she must deal with but her main priority is getting her love, Chance back whatever the cost.

Major development happen in this book and like I said, it made the fangirl in me smiling brightly. I really enjoyed Kel in this book. I think it made me appreciate his character more under a different light. This series has such a great cast of characters, where each of them is willing to give up something great for another. I do believe that sacrifices happen a lot in Urban Fantasy, but I don’t think any of them are as selfless as these ones.

I wish more people read this series. I don’t think it gets enough love as it deserves. Fans of Kim Harrison would enjoy this world. The phenomenal worldbuilding and the cast of supernatural characters all play a part in making this series as strong as it is. Add in Aguirre’s stellar writing and you’ve got a series that readers will gobble up like candy.

Rarely do I find a Urban Fantasy series that effortlessly blends kickass action and heated romance in one book, but the author manages it every time. Aguirre delivers on the promise of “one hell of a good ride!” AGAVE KISS ends the Corine Solomon series on a perfect note.

*ARC provided by publisher

[Ses · Rating 3 out of 5]

I fell in love with this series last year, and was looking forward to this book for months. I hadn't realized it would be the last of the series, but it only heightened by expectations.

Unfortunately, the book didn't match it.

Maybe it was because it has been so long since I've read her books, and I've forgotten Corine Solomon's voice, but this book was a great disappointment to me.

There were good parts. I enjoyed Booke's story, and the overall plot made sense.

Personally, I was never happy with Shannon and Jesses relationship because I always felt the way it was handled was a little bit lazy. Yes, the book is in first person and yes, Corine wasn't around so of course we couldn't see is development, but they way both characters confronted Corine fell flat for me.

I really love the world Anne Aguirre created for the series, but the ending was a huge letdown because it just felt so rushed. Half the time I found myself skimming the book for the ending and then staring in disbelief that it came together this way, and the other half I wanted to tear my hair our in frustration.

Normally I love Corine, but she just came cross as a little bit annoying. When Booke takes a moment to yell at her for not calling him, I agreed. Is a little pet peeve of mine with romance in general when characters have this whole
'I can't live without you' without prioritizing the child!

I also wanted to roll my eyes with how Kel was handled.

I don't know, the ending just fell flat, and upset me enough to post a review.

Another small pet peeve was the use of Korean. The word ddal for daughter is actually not used in that manner. For a korean it comes across as awkward, and the same with the world for Omma.

Just not what I was expecting.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always so sad when a series ends. Corine has had many ups and downs throughout her life and AGAVE KISS rounds everything up and throws everything out there.

The events of AGAVE KISS start up immediately after DEVIL'S PUNCH. Events move at a pretty nice pace from start to finish without any downtime for the characters. Corine's newest situation was apparent to me from the beginning but I still enjoyed her ups and downs until she realized what was going on. I loved that we finally get to KNOW Brooks. He has been in the background for a while now and it was great to have him front and center. We had all our favorite characters in the final installment. Everyone comes together to help Corine and everyone who makes it to the end is closer because of it. I don't always agree with things that have happened in the series but in the end I didn't have a huge issue with any of it.

She lost, she gained, she cried, she laughed, she conquered. I was happy with how everything ended. Everything was tied up nicely and Aguirre ended the series on a nice note.

[Carien · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a confession to make.

I'm a big Ann Aguirre fan, I really love this series, but... I never liked Chance.

I know! He's the main love interest in this series, and knowing Ann Aguirre's thoughts about endings I knew where this series would lead to, so I knew I shouldn't hold hope for a certain other character. Still I did!

That's the power of Aguirre's writing: You get gripped by the story and forget about everything else. This book made me hope, fear and cry. It's a fitting, bittersweet ending of a great series.

I loved how there was a story line revolving around Booke, a character that has showed up throughout the series as a minor supporting character. It was cool to see him take the stage for once.

All in all this is a great, compelling and intense book, and I was both happy with the conclusion and sad to have to say goodbye to this series. I will most certainly reread it in the future.

[Starfire · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely the best of the three books I've read over the past week or so, but then, it's an Ann Aguirre, so I'd expect that to be the case.

This has everything I've loved about the Corinne Solomon books (OK, yes, Book 1 didn't grab me, but pretty much everything since then has, and they've tended to get better and better as the series went on)

I don't even know where to start with what I loved about this book. The characterisation - the way both Corinne, Shannon, Jesse and and Chance have developed as people since we first met each of them. The interactions between them all. The sheer pragmatic SENSE that said characters show in places that makes my competence-pr0n appreciation circuits light up. Oh, and FINALLY getting to meet Booke, who is AWESOME.

Basically, after an admittedly rocky start, this has become one of my favourite urban fantasy series, and I continue to eat up anything Ms Aguirre writes with a spoon from this point forward!

[Hali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just when it seems that Corine has lost everything, her father, her power and her love, it seems that fate will give her one last chance to be happy, but, as always for Corine, it will not be easy. After all she has to try to part the curtain between the worlds to get Chance back, save Booke, not become a pawn in a brewing war between the "angels" and the demons, figure out how not to be drawn back into Sheol to pay off a debt to the demons, and help Kel break his bond of servitude. Oh, and of only is she on a timeline, but since she's been back everything is making her ill.

I really enjoyed this book, I was not sure I would after the events of the last book (the trip to Sheol, her being possessed by the demon queen, freeing and then losing her father and Chance's sacrifice) but Ms. Aguirre comes through, deftly weaving all the hanging plots into one fine ending.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

It...ended. There are three pretty big storylines jammed into one three hundred page book, so no single one of them gets a lot of attention. Corine wants to bring Chance back to life, Kel is struggling with his origin story, and Booke reaches out to Corine for a very important favor.

Sirantha Jax is the balls. Too bad she isn't in this book. I just never connected with Corine the way I did with Jax. I don't understand Corine's motivations a lot of the time, or why everyone thinks she so great. Her series didn't end with a bang as much as a "huh, so...that's it then."

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit too tidy an ending. But then I always liked Kel better than Chance

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a disappointment. It’s the last in a series, so it had to go out with a bang I guess, but it felt more like being at a party that’s supposed to be Epic where everyone else gets a little too drunk, there’s an excess of drama and a couple of fistfights, and someone’s mom is tidying up while lecturing the whole time.

After the everyone-is-horny-for-Corine vibe earlier in the series, suddenly there’s a lot of “well actually” they’re just friends and she’s so totally devoted to Chance blah blah blah. I swear, I started feeling concerned for the author. Was she being blackmailed to write the story this way? Was she just so invested in her outline that she refused to let the story and characters evolve? It makes little sense to me. If you have to say repeatedly that there are no romantic feelings, that the obsession is love, it just comes across as denial either by the character or the author.

It was a bit boring and repetitive, but the writing is mostly good. It did need another couple of editing rounds to address the awkward overexplaining. This lost a star for me because of that.

This book is nine years old, now, which is apparently a very long time when you’ve lived through the past seven years or so. It feels like two dozen. Elements of this, particularly the relationship dynamics, are clearly rooted in the beforetimes.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fifth and final book in the Corine Solomon series by Ann Aguirre. This book is an Urban Fantasy. In the last book Chance sacrificed himself so that Corine and Shannon could escape from Sheol. His dying words to Corine were "Even death can't keep me from you." Corine has decided to hold him to this. Because Chance is a demigod and not entirely human Corine decides to try to bring him back from the other side. Shannon can contact Chance on her spook radio so they know that he hasn't moved on and wants to cross back over. Corine will need all the help she can get but first she must help Kel and Booke with their own problems before they can help her with Chance. As in the other books Corine makes deals with several shady characters to reach her goals. Corine will do most anything to bring Chance back but before she does some surprising news will complicate things even further. This book is a great conclusion to this series and another great read by Ann Aguirre.

[Diane ~Firefly~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good to have a definitive end to the series.

What I enjoyed:
* Booke's backstory was very interesting and I'm glad he got a second chance to live his life
* The group of friends - Church, Eva, Shannon, Jesse, etc
* Butch the dog who uses scrabble tiles to communicate
* the wrap up

What could have been better:
* Corrine. It was the same thing over and over. Must save Chance. it should have been me instead, I can't ask anyone for help even though I always help them. Plus she was dealing with stuff above her limit now that her powers have greatly diminished.
* Kel's boss and the whole idea that the demons thought they were angels is a bit weird. Happy to see Kel go out on his terms.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not really sure how I feel about this series. For most of it I really disliked Corine and the choices she made. Then the fourth book was the worst but I had to know what would happen to Chance. I think he is the only reason I finished the series, I really loved his character in the first book even though he got worse as the series went on.

[Jewlsbookblog · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book, determined to find out how things would end, and I was not disappointed! The last book in the series tied up loose story threads-and relationships-in a fantastical story that made the series, in general, worthwhile.

[Rhapsody Phoenix · Rating 3 out of 5]

Redeemed ✍️ ⭐⭐⭐.5
This final to the series was refreshing. I struggled through 1, 2 & 4 , 3 & 5 were the best. Considering I am a sucker for happy endings I liked the wrap up though I am left wondering about her father's heart 💓 stone and wishing Kel got an angelic after life.

[Josephine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yippee I loved the end, I did not like that Chance was who she ended with. I wanted Kel to be her love interest. But it was okay. I love Butch still. It ended well

[Gaylin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is wonderful when a series ends in a believable way. Ties ups loose ends and has an HEA without being sappy.

[Kay Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Final in the Corine Solomon series. Probably a Happy Ever After for some characters after a rocky road fighting against and alongside demons to get there. Literal demons not temptations of the flesh. Humour and interesting characters keeps the story rattling along.

[Kristin Taggart]

I don't use star ratings, so please read my review!

(Description nicked from B&N.com.)

“Chance was gone; he’d sacrificed himself so Shannon and I could escape Sheol. We’d raised him on Shan’s spirit radio, which meant his soul wasn’t wholly destroyed by the demon gate….

Once Corine Solomon only had the touch—the ability to read an object’s past by handling it. Then she inherited her mother’s magick, and that ended up being a hell of a burden. But if Corine can wrestle a demon queen and win, she can bring back her lover Chance after he’s made the ultimate sacrifice. Can’t she? All Corine knows is that she can’t leave Chance behind if there’s anything she can do about it.

But the clock is ticking—and she still has to deal with debt-collecting demons and a maniacal archangel who’s running a recruitment drive. The stakes have never been so high…and this time it’s truly Corine’s last chance to save the love of her life.”

This book wrapped up the series fairly well. In the last novel, Chance died, but there was some hope of resurrecting him and finally letting him and Corine be together for good. That’s what takes up the lion’s share of this book: the search for a way to bring back Chance. Given that the series began with the two of them and their tumultuous relationship, putting the focus on them at the end works well to close out the story.

There are, however, some side trips on the way to this conclusion. The biggest one is a side plot involving Booke, Corine’s enigmatic English friend. He is much more than we’ve been led to believe until now, and he plays a key part in the final outcome of the novel. I would have liked it more if he’d shown up before the final book, because the story feels a bit rushed with trying to cover his story and Chance’s at the same time. Another side plot involves Kel and circumstances surrounding his servitude to the higher powers. Again, this is a lot to cram into one novel.

It is, however, nice to see Corine and all of her friends working together, rather than Corine going off on her own and only finding allies incidentally. Everybody pulls together in this book to create the feeling that Corine has a family that will stand by her no matter what. This is most evident at the climax, when one final effort is made to bring Chance back to the world of the living.

I also liked the little moments of humor and normalcy (for varying values of “normal”) that Aguirre includes. My favorite ones involve Butch the Chihuahua. Quite a bit smarter than a normal dog, he communicates using Scrabble tiles and he definitely has a big-dog attitude. The party at Chuch and Eva’s house was also a nice touch, allowing the characters to interact without being in the middle of a crisis.

Even though I wish some of the sub-plots had been dealt with before the last novel, I still enjoyed reading them. Agave Kiss is a great wrap-up to an interesting and action-packed series.

This review originally appeared on Owlcat Mountain on April 1, 2013.

[Shara · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Review: 9 - Couldn't Put It Down

Funny, because until I saw Ann Aguirre update her Facebook page, I didn't realize that Agave Kiss was the last in the Corine Solomon series. So if you haven't started this series yet, don't start here! Aguirre's urban fantasy has definitely been quite enjoyable. Admittedly, it took me a bit to warm up to the debut, but I was so enthralled with her Sirantha Jax space opera series that I was bound to feel that way. Yet there's so much that's wonderful in the Corine Solomon books. My favorite? Butch the chihuahua. He answers yes or no questions with a given set of barks, and he also talks to the characters using Scrabble tiles. It's awesome. Butch is more than welcome in my imaginary fantasy home (which also includes a rose goblin and Aeslin mice).

At any rate, this is definitely a finale. Still reeling from the events that capped book four, Devil's Punch, Corine ends up on a path that definitely resolves arcs and subplots, sometimes giving me answers to questions I never knew I had. We finally meet Booke. We finally met Kel's boss. And Corine learns the value of friendship and family in a way that you know puts her on a better path. There's sacrifice, some predicable plot twists, but damn if I didn't enjoy it all the same. I had a horrible time putting the book down once I got started, so it was just as well that I had the weekend to read it. Fans of this series won't be disappointed.

One last note: the covers to this series have been so boring and bland for me. Devil's Punch is, by far, the bright and shining jewel of the bunch, and I figured after THAT awesome cover, that Agave Kiss would be just as awesome, if not more so. Nope, not so much. We're back to the weird, just-obvious-enough, Photoshop blandness.

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fifth and final book in the Corine Solomon series.

Let me first state that I enjoyed the first three books of this series. I was disappointed with the fourth book—not its surprise ending but just the story in general. It seemed to stray from the rest of the series and I found myself needing to skim a bit to keep my interest. I hoped that this last book would redeem the series and revert back to the interesting story the other three books followed. Unfortunately this book followed in the footsteps of the 4th book.

Overall—the book was mostly enjoyable but I felt as though I were reading a Cliff’s Notes of several books all at the same time. There were too many story threads to follow and most of them were either completely preposterous or tiresome and repetitive endings.


I think my biggest complaint would be THE ANGST. Ugh. It was worse than reading a YA novel. The repetition of the angst reminded me of when I was a student trying to get a certain word count for a paper so I repeated myself over and over again with the same idea.


The ending was too HEA and neat to be believable. After all the crap this woman has been through I cannot believe that she just sails off into the sunset without any worries. Sorry—just not convincing.

Some characters (Kel & Barachiel, for instance) were given completely unrealistic scenarios. Without spoiling anything, it is completely unbelievable to think someone, who has been alive for hundreds, if not thousands of years, would not realize crucial information about themselves. I know that I have pondered my life (nature and nurture) and how I’ve become the person I am. I’m nowhere remotely close to their age either so I call BS to their storyline.

Wrap up—I liked the series but I wish the writing had stayed closer to the first few books. Would I recommend it? I guess I would. It wouldn’t get a whole-hearted “YES!! You will love this!” but I would suggest it if someone enjoyed that genre.

[Paris · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending of a series is usually bittersweet. You want things to be wrapped up in a satisfying way so that you know the characters you’ve devoted so much time to are going to live happily ever after, but then you also don’t want things to end. Sometimes, what the author sends out as the final product in an otherwise amazing series isn’t up to snuff. It leaves you wanting, and sometimes angry. But that is definitely not the case in Agave Kiss. This was a very satisfying and real ending to a series that has seen its share of highs and lows. The characters we’ve grown to know and love are all represented. We get plot lines wrapped up, even if they aren’t always in a happy way. I’m not sure what Ann Aguirre could have done to make this ending any better for her devoted readers.

I loved getting to really know Booke and see who he was and where he came from. He had always been a strange enigma throughout the series, never close enough to really know. But having him there in the flesh for the majority of the book was one of my favorite things about Agave Kiss.

I look forward to hopefully reading more from Ann in this world. Perhaps another Jesse and Shannon novella (or even a series) to follow Forbidden Fruit or maybe a spin-off following one of our other characters like Booke. This world is too vast not to be explored more. I feel like what’s out there has barely been addressed in this series, so it’d be great to see more and to really get a feel of what’s out there. Whatever happens, I loved this series, even if it took me a couple tries to really get into it. Ann Aguirre is a fantastic writer and she has definitely earned a place on my must read list.

[Has · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review posted at The Book Pushers:
http://thebookpushers.com/2013/03/26/...

Wow. I have just ended an epic journey with this series and I can’t believe it has ended. But what a wonderful and bittersweet ending it was. When we last saw Corine Soloman, she found herself and her best friend, Shannon, in London after escaping Sheol. But there was a a huge and tragic price to pay and that was with the death of Chance who sacrificed himself to allow them to escape. Grieving and battered with the lost of her witch powers, Corine is determined to find a way to be reunited with Chance because there is hope that she could bring him back due to his divine mixed heritage. Corine also has to deal with a pissed off demon over a debt owed, an even more pissed off and dangerous archangel who wants to use her for his own agenda to start armageddon, and saving an old friend from a dire fate.



If I had to sum up and describe what this book in two words it would be ‘epic romance’. I hope I tried not to give anything away in this review because I think it really would spoil the joy in reading the surprising twists and turns in the final installment. But Agave Kiss is a fantastic resolution in Corine’s gauntlet of adventures from discovering her past heritage and the fall-out it has brought on to her life and it ends beautifully, albeit bittersweetly. I loved every moment from following her story from the highs and lows and fast pace heart-in-throat antics. I will miss these characters but this was a beyond perfect ending. I turned the last page with a huge smile on my face. Ms Ann Aguirre, I salute you for writing a fan-fucking-tastic series!

[MaryB · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a sad day in Corine's world -- she rescues her best friend only to lose the man she loves. She's stuck in London in a crappy little hotel with no passport, her magic is on the fritz (well, gone, actually) and she's caught some kind of bug. So when her buddy Booke needs help, she's all about it. Something's got to take her mind off her problems.

We finally get to find out Booke's secrets in this one (I really want to talk about it but don't want to spoil it so I'll just say they're some pretty good and big secrets, ones that have kept him trapped in his house for too long.). With some finagling, they finally get back home, Booke in tow, and immediately run into trouble.

There are demons out for Corine's blood -- something about a broken contract that totally wasn't her fault since, at the time, she was possessed by a bitchy demon from Hell -- and they're willing to do just about anything to collect. But she can't worry about them since she's on a deadline to rescue the love of her life from becoming a god (long story).

Corine barrels forward from one problem to the next but she realizes she's tired. She wants a happily ever after complete with a white picket fence and the man she loves at her side and she's willing to give up everything and do just about anything to have it.

As always, Aguirre weaves a fantastic tale, sucking the reader into her imagined world effortlessly. While I'm sorry to see this series end, I fully enjoyed the ride and look forward to seeing where Aguirre takes us next.

[mlady_rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fifth and final book in the Corine Solomon series.

To some extent, the author spoils the ending with her dedication.

"For Laura Bradford, who said, "A series set in Mexico? Really? Well, let's see...." Told you I could make it work. Corine's HEA is for you."

At least those who consider the HEA warning a spoiler.

As for getting a series set in Mexico to work? For me, not so much. I thought the parts of the series set in Mexico were the least successful. I found the "going home to Mexico" epilogue scenes to be rather drawn out and anti-climatic. I was hoping the newly reunited couple would stay in Texas with their friends and have their new baby grow up with Church and Eva's little one.

In fact, I pointed out in my last review that I believe the author does better with entirely fictional worlds, as opposed to real ones where the fantasy is a sort of overlay. The fourth book in this series was definitely the high point. Although I did enjoy seeing Booke escape his prison and Chance return from the afterlife.

Except for the predicted HEA, the only thing I really figured out early in the story was Corine's pregnancy. Otherwise the suspense stayed pretty high until Chance's big entrance.

Good finale for the series. I put off reading it for some time because I was expecting a tear jerker. Not so much. Corine was rather steadfast in her faith that Chance would find his way back to her.