Review: Beyond the Darkness

Beyond the Darkness by Katie Reus
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

So, I jumped right into this series at book 3. I don't feel that I missed anything but not reading the books in order.

Keelin is the only daughter of the Petronilla Dragon clan's Alphas. When they went into hibernation she joined them because they felt she wouldn't be safe on her own. But then she woke and joined the modern world. She is tiny for a dragon shifter and she was almost killed a year ago by a deranged cousin. She works as a waitress in Bo's (a half-demon) supernatural club in Biloxi.

When she feels her parents come out of hibernation she is worried. They have always treated her as fragile and unable to look after herself and she is afraid they will try to force her back home. Added to that, Bran Devlin, the Alpha of the Devlin Dragon clan is being all possessive and her dragon likes it but Keelin is fighting the attraction because she feels she would be overridden by such a large powerful Alpha.

After Bran tries to speak to Keelin in the club she rushes out to her car where she is attacked by three strange guys, only Bran's quick responses managed to save her. More worrying it seems that the guys weren't really guys at all but some kind of demons and they were specifically looking for Keelin.

Now some of the lead up to this story may have been in the previous books, there was certainly enough lead in for Nyx and Bo's future story and for one or two other couples, but it wasn't entirely clear how the demon escaped his imprisonment or why Keelin has suddenly started wearing her grandmother's bracelet. Anyway, the demon has vowed to kill all females of the Petronilla line after Keelin's grandmother imprisoned him and stole his bracelet. Now that Keelin is wearing the bracelet he can track her movements, unless she shifts into a dragon.

Soon Bran and Keelin, along with Keelin's brothers, sister in law and friends, trying to find out who is trying to kill Keelin whilst Keelin and Bran try not to mate each other.

I haven't read a paranormal romance in a while and this ticked all the boxes with special powers, mating frenzies, almost virginal women etc. I would have liked a bit more story and a little less tab A in slot B, stroke C rinse and repeat but I know that is par for the course. The actual showdown with the demon (yeah, I know but it is a secret) is over VERY quickly which was a disappointment.

Overall, it wasn't Thea Harrison but it was a fun read and I will definitely be reading others in the series.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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