When a spell book lands on Ariana's doorstep, her world is thrown into turmoil. That's nothing new for her, except this time it involves bizarre and terrifying creatures who attempt to kill her. Then there's the little fact that she now has the ability to perform magic.
Hadeon is another new addition in her life. He happened to drop in at the same time the spell book appeared. He's dark, sexy, and alpha as hell, and Ariana doesn't know if she wants to kill him or love him.
But all this chaos is nothing compared to what destiny has in store for her. A future is promised of royalty and immense power, palaces and undying love. But hers is a destiny that is not easily won. She will have to fight to the death against those who want to take it all for themselves. And when the real battle begins, just who the true enemy is will surprise everyone.
Content contains explicit language, sex scenes, and some violence
Jacquie Underdown is an Australian author celebrated for her gripping psychological thrillers and deeply emotive romance novels. Whether she’s exploring the darkest corners of the human mind or the tender vulnerabilities of the heart, Jacquie’s storytelling is immersive, visceral, and unforgettable.
Based in the steamy heart of Central Queensland—where the heat is relentless and the air hangs thick with humidity—Jacquie finds inspiration in the tension between extremes. Her thrillers delve into manipulation, power, and control, while her romances offer catharsis, healing, and the redemptive power of love.
Over a decade ago, Jacquie left behind her business career to pursue writing full time. Since then, she has published over a million words across novels, novellas, and short stories. Her novel Bittersweet was a finalist in the Romance Writers of Australia’s Romantic Book of the Year Awards.
Jacquie holds a Master of Letters in Creative Writing and brings literary precision to every book she writes—whether it’s a slow-burning psychological descent or an emotionally charged love story.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Ariana is 20 and is a survivor. She has survived foster homes and abusive foster parents. Currently she is working as a waitress in a bar. She has no real friends except for Matt, a guy she was once fostered with. They have a friendship but also a sexual history, sex without emotion.
Because of the way Ariana's life has been, she feels she ruins everyone's life. She feels she can't get close to anyone because she loses eveyrthing and everyone.
One night when leaving for work, she walks out her door and trips over a package, hurting her ankle. In the package is a book, an old book that reads "Spells and such" on the front. She just throws it into her house and goes onto work as she will be late.
Work is proving difficult because she has indeed sprained her ankle and it pains her more and more as she walks on it. Her boss is not happy to see this but she has promised him she will be able to finish her shift.
This is the night she meets Hadeon. He and 3 others have some into the bar. As much as she tries to deny it, she finds him very attractive. At one point when she serves his table he tells her she should not be walking on her ankle. She can barely stand the pain now and has to leave. She goes home and props her ankle up.
This is the first time she looks at the book left on her doorstep. Most of the pages are blank but she does see a healing spell and manages to heal her ankle. It takes every bit of energy out of her and she sleeps.
The next day she goes to work. Her boss is angry about her leaving early because of her supposed sprained ankle, one that is now healed. He fires her. She searches for a new job and gets one at a high end club. Hadeon just happens to work there as does one of the friends he was with when she met him.
Hadeon watches her constantly which thrills yet angers her. At one point he gives her a business card with his name and phone number on it, telling he to call him if she needs him.
The next couple of nights is when the evil starts coming for her and will continue until it kills her This is when Hadeon becomes her savior, her guard, everything to her. Regardless of what has happened in the past, she never thought the future would be like this!
I did not think this story would turn the way it did. It was brilliant, it was great! Ariana has so much thrown at her so fast and she really handles it pretty well, not always with grace though, lol. Plus there is so much more she isn't being told.
I love the feelings between her and Hadeon. It is a love so deep that they know they will never love another. At times, they had me tearing up, the emotion was that intense.
In a way, this book was like a fairy tale, for the outcome is not really what one saw but how they dealt with it and how it effected them and their feelings about themselves.
Wow, motor mouth here doesn't know what to say! I honestly haven't ever ventured into a fantasy book! Paranormal and shifters, yes. Nothing like this.
We start the story with Ariana, living day to day just trying to survive after being in a foster home. She has no one except for her friend Matt, another foster she resided with. She has this overwhelming need/lust for sex from males... anyone. Matt is who she turns to satisfy those urges but eventually he wants more, so she cuts ties with him.
Ariana stumbles, literally over a book at her doorway one morning on her way out, hurts her ankle but continues on to make it to work. That is where she meets Hadeon. The lust is instantly there but she has no clue why or who he is. Most of all that he's there for her.
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This story is just wow! Every detail put me right along beside of them, it was an exciting journey. Not one moment did I want to put it down. I couldn't wipe the stupid smile off my face when it came to that sexy Hadeon! The sexual tension at the start was killing me but when he let go, we banged the rest of the way *snickers* His devotion and love were beyond measurable, he just was the perfect package. You could not help but love Ariana's strong willed personality. You just feel their love and emotions.
I learned about mystical "things", oh my gosh did I ever!
1. A fuckin' man - dog, crazy fuckin'... that cracked me up! 2. Soul Seekers 3. Oracles 4. Shifters 5. Corpse Thieves 6. Sealusters 7. Messenger Dragons 8. Flying bees for transport 9. Moving trees
** And then some...
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Being my first time with this type of read I'm happy it was this Lust Born. I can say that even though I haven't read one before because this was excellence in my eyes!
***Arc*** kindly provided by Jacquie Underdown via Netgally
I received a copy of Lust Born in exchange for an honest review. To begin with I am not a fan of this genre. I find that it is usually written for teenage girls who don't understand love and often confuse obsession and possessiveness with love. But this book changed my mind. Not only is it exceptionally well written, the xharacters are deep and engaging. They have detailed and meaningful back stories that influence the way they interact with other characters. The two main characters share a love that is profound and realistic. And on top of this wonderful love story Jacquie Underdown has managed to create a world so vivid that all fantasy elements played out in my mind like I was watching a film. This is what fantasy writing should be like. Dark, gritty and sexy as hell. This book is not for teenagers and for that reason it has opened my mind to all other reading possibilities. I could not recommend this book more highly. Everyone should read it, well everyone old enough should read it. I can't wait to read the rest of her books.
**NEW AUTHOR ALERT** This is the first book I have read by the author, it was a good story. This book was a little slow for me in the beginning but the more I read the more I got into the story. This for me is a fantasy book and new things that I wouldn't of thought to read about. The plot starts from beginning and stays till the end. The connection between the two you will be able to feel from the start and you'll have different emotions that will run.
Ariana's life hasn't been easy on her and still isn't. Being a 20 year old trying to survive the life she is living and the job's pay isn't all that great but she does what she can. When a mysterious book lands on her door step she doesn't know how to react until she goes through the book and realizes that she can cast a spell. Things start to change for her and then she meets Hadeon. The guys she wants to love and hate at the same time. Hadeon is the one person she can count on.
Hadeon is your alpha bad boy persona but when he sees Ariana, he knows that he will do whatever he can for this woman. He doesn't understand it at first but when he has a chance to talk to her, he knows why. Now he needs to make sure that he protects her and returns her home.
Ariana & Hadeon will take you on a journey that will have all kinds of things going on. You'll be on your toes the entire time, wanting to know what's going to happen or how things will play out. The chemistry between the two is hot let alone the sex, oh goodness. You'll experience it all with the characters.
Great job to the author on a good story. I highly recommend.
This is a fantasy where a "normal" young woman's life is changed entirely by the appearance of a book. Ariana grew up in the Foster care system with all the trauma that can bring. She is broke and struggling to pay her rent. Limping through her shift as a waitress she meets just about the sexiest and most maddening man she has ever seen. She doesn't know whether to punch him or f**k him. When the weird things start happening there is only one person to turn to. Hadeon has been sent to the area for one purpose, that is to protect Ariana, and return her to the home of her birth. To fulfill her true destiny. The physical feelings that burn between them are so strong, but must be resisted. The world that our author created for us is incredible. Beautiful, but with lots of danger and intrigue. The creatures fascinating. I would love to ride the two very different forms of transport. An absolutely enthralling book. It has got some hot sex scenes, but not as much as the title might suggest.
Let me just start by saying that Jacquie Underdown is an excellent writer and A TRUE STORYTELLER. Her writing style is absolutely amazing and so vividly described that all fantasy elements played out in my mind as if I was in the middle of it all. All the characters/creatures are fascinating, engaging and well develop, but the connection and chemistry between the two main characters is beautiful and very palpable. This is an adult fantasy genre, and even though as a fantasy, was very believable.
Being raise in the foster system, Ariana has had a hard life. As an adult, now she lives a lonely life, with the exception of her friend with benefits Matt, with whom she grow in the same system. But her life is about to change, bringing with it, immense power, palaces, magic, excitement, adventure, terrifying creatures, danger, and perhaps true love in the form of a dark, sexy as hell alpha, named Hadeon.
I highly recommend this book and can't wait for what's next on store from this amazing author.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Enjoyed the book to the core. Starting from characterization to the story portrayal, the book is justified according to the story line till the end throughout. Super satisfying read. Loved it. Surely recommendable. Thank you.
This was a great story it had a wonderful set of characters it was well-written it kept me guessing ended fantastic and I would recommend this book to anybody that loves anything about paranormal or supernatural or good overcoming bad.
I got this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.. MAN am I glad to be back from a reading freeze. Two great books in a row.. MAN THIS BOOK IS HOT!! I honestly didn't think I would like this book from the description, but I wanted, no needed to read so I thought what the hell lets do this... I am so glad that I did.
Ariana had a horrible up bringing. She went to foster care to foster care, and finally was able to be on her own. She lives in a very shitty apartment where she can barley pay the rent and get threatened to be evicted every month.
One bad day when nothing was going right she falls before work and brakes her ankle on a package addressed to her. She didn't know how she was going to finish her shift as a bar waitress and if she didn't make enough tips she would not have a home to go to. That was until this tall handsome man carries her and helps her back home.
Now that ariana is back at home she decides to open this special package that gave her all this grief. It was a book. It was emitting lots of lights and great smells. The book opened by itself and gave you a page to help fix broken bones. She thought she was seeing things because of all the pain she was in. Little did she know everything was going to change.
This sexy guy named Hadeon keeps coming into her life. Every new job, and even there when things start to go bad. Ariana was almost attacked and he showed up out of no where and took care of it. Things kept getting stranger and stranger. Till Hadeon demands that she live with him because it wasn't safe.
The sexual energy between these two are likes soul mates, but they both fight the temptation of each other. Hadeon keeps talking in riddles and Ariana is not allowed to leave the house. She still will leave because she is strong willed. This will cause more danger and more revielling of what is going on.
Hadeon now has to take Ariana back to her home town. This is a totally different world. He tells her everything will change. Ariana will have to learn how to use her power. She is a witch. She will find out what Hadeon is. They will meet new friends along the way but you will not know if you can trust them or not. everyone wants Ariana dead, but why??!! I can tell you.. She is a queen!!!!
Ariana of course will fall in love with her protector, but she cannot have him because when she turns 21 in a couple weeks her town will find her soul mate and marry her off. She cannot believe that will happen. She also finds out that she is to save the town and defeat the sun queen so everything can go back to normal.
Ariana is a sex addict. she loves casual sex and did so back in the united states. Now, being in her own town sex is a normal thing and everyone turns a blind eye. That is unless you claim an unclaimed mate.. then things will get really bad real fast... get me drift??!!
Wow! It takes a brilliant imagination and a gift for story telling to write fantasy, and Jacquie Underdown has both in spades!! Such a clever read with twists and turns that kept me completely hooked. The chemistry between the characters was hot and flawless. I love when a man loves a woman, fights for her protects her with everything that he has, and I love when the woman is strong enough not to need it. (I've said love a lot, but I mean it) Ariana and Hadeon are addictive! Well done Jacquie on such a fast passed, vivid read. Please, let there be a sequel...
Expecting a magical story, I was slightly confused as the story began in the rather sleazy everyday world. In fact, I almost gave up, but I am glad that I persevered. Ariana had no one to turn to growing up and has been treated badly almost her whole life, so she has trust issues. Hadeon could be her protector or her worst nightmare, but she has to trust someone when life takes a totally unexpected turn. To me, part of the story read like a modern fairy-tale and had some unique magical touches. I am happy I continued to read this book.
This book held a lot of promise but didn’t quite deliver. I found it moved quite quickly without much explanation at times. The whole transition from ordinary girl to queen was abrupt and the fact that Ariana was suddenly confidently planning wars seemed a bit far fetched. Enjoyable enough tale that just needed a bit more bridging between events
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Any interested in fantasy, magic and life journeys will like this book. Lots of action many twists and surprise at the end. A l good love story although I won't recommend any youngsters read as it does have adult content.
I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.
This was a pretty good book. I think Ariana has had a rough life, and we see that at the very beginning with her struggling with life. I thought the connection she had with Hadeon was forced and even though she was attracted to him, she kinda seemed to be attracted to any male, so at the beginning it wasn't as special, for me.
I liked how this became fantasy and how well Ariana adapted to the vast changes that were happening in her life. I think Hadeon could have helped her adapt a bit better, so he's obviously not high on my life of love right now.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Oh, and I also called who the Sun Queen was, even though I was doubting my decision but was happy to be right in the end :)
Ugh. I got to page 18/6% (which was painful as it was) and couldn’t stomach any more when the MC had casual sex with her ex-foster brother and then when he asked her to have a relationship with him, she said she couldn’t. Why? Because she needed sex like she needed breathing, but with zero commitment. Then she waltzes in to a skanky club the next day like nothing ever happened.
I suppose I should’ve suspected from the cover this book might be a little racier than other YAs, but I didn’t expect this. There was NO indication in the synopsis.
Be warned ahead of time and don’t even pick this book up if this kind of thing turns you off as much as it does me.