Review: Kissing Sin (Riley Jensen, Guardian, Bk 2) by Keri Arthur

Book two of this series wasn't quite as good as book one. It was still good, but not as good. However, the set up we're given for book three leads me to believe it's going to be much better.

There wasn't as much sex in this book, mainly because it doesn't take place around the full moon. I was happy with where the romance stuff went in this book, and I like that Riley stays in control of what she is and is not willing to do when it comes to her many guys. She's clear about the fact that she won't commit to monogamy, and she's honest about how she does and does not feel about each of them. She also does not try to hide who she has had sex with, not even from one of her guys. She's never promised monogamy and therefore none of them have a right to be upset if she's just been off for a few hours with one of them, having sex.

And can I just say that I loved Kade? I've never really considered the whole horse shifter thing before, and the idea of a.. well, a stallion. But wow, now that I've imagined the possibilities, there is much fodder for the imagination.

The other thing that is interesting here is what it necessary for two people of two different supernatural races to compromise on in order to have a relationship. The needs and culture of each race of beings makes it hard to merge into a relationship with someone of another race. That's not necessarily prejudice against other races (though it can be that), even without prejudice, the compromises needed to make a relationship work when two people may have such different needs can seem insurmountable. And not just sexual needs, but also social needs. And quite possibly, some of the obstacles this creates really may be insurmountable. Or, maybe not. 

The plot in this book is a continuation of the plot in the last book, completing what didn't get finished in the previous book. And it is obvious that the next book will just be another continuation of the same plot.

But, this book's plot wasn't quite as good as the one in the previous book. It really felt like the middle of a longer book, and that's quite possibly what it is, since this one plot is going to take so many books to finish off. It kind of felt like this book was just setting us up for the next book. I'll let you know after I've read the next one.

That's not to say it's one you can skip, though. A lot of important things happen in this book. New characters are brought in, a lot of the deviousness of the ring they are investigating is made clear, and a few kind of important people die, too. It's an important book and a whole lot of things happen in it. And it was a mostly enjoyable read. Just not as enjoyable as the first.

This book gets a 7 of 10, and I'm giving the series an 8 of 10 after having read two books.

Book Rating: 7 of 10
Series Rating: 8 of 10






1. Full Moon Rising (2006)
2. Kissing Sin (2007)
3. Tempting Evil (2007)
4. Dangerous Games (2007)
5. Embraced by Darkness (2007)
6. The Darkest Kiss (2008)
7. Deadly Desire (March 2009)