Deadly Desire (Riley Jenson Guardian, #7)

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Deadly Desire (Riley Jenson Guardian #7)

by Keri Arthur (Goodreads Author)

4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 · rating details · 6,732 ratings · 208 reviews

BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Keri Arthur's Bound to Shadows.

Seduction that kills. Pleasure to die for.
She just can’t resist . . .

Guardian Riley Jenson always seems to face the worst villains. And this time’s no different. For it’s no ordinary sorceress who can raise the dead to do her killing. But that’ s exactly what Riley expects to find at the end of...more

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Published March 24th 2009 by Bantam

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Mar 22, 2009 Julie (jjmachshev) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009-reads

Half wolf, half vampire and with abilities that are still manifesting, Riley Jenson's work as a Guardian is never boring. Her latest cases involve dead humans and dead vampires. And if that's not enough trouble, it's also coming up on the full moon when her wolf demands sex...and lots of it. Good thing she has her hunky vampire, Quinn, to meet her demands. Of course, nothing is so attractive to her wolf than another wolf, and wouldn't you know it, this case has her running into the same wolf ove...more

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Sep 24, 2009 Summer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, shifters-werewolves, vampires, urban-fantasy

So Riley is on yet another case of a serial killer. It starts out where she's already failed to catch the killer once and she's determined not to make that mistake again. However, its near the time of the month where the moon is full. In Riley's world that means her body wants to have A LOT of sex. NOW. This makes keeping her mind serious about the case rather difficult. She tries to overcome her urges and follows her instincts to an old building. There she discovers that she's been following a...more

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Apr 11, 2009 Shannon (Giraffe Days) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, paranormal, romance, vampires, shape-shifters, urban-fantasy, movie-book

Half-werewolf, half-vampire, Riley Jenson is a Guardian working for the Directorate which polices the nonhuman races, and she's very good at her job. Even though there's a drug in her system that keeps changing her and they're not sure what it'll do to her, she still strives for what every werewolf wants: a soul mate, and kids.

The kids are beyond her now thanks to the drug in her system, but she's still hoping to one day meet her soul mate - who, sadly, can never be Quinn, her sexy, ancient vam...more Half-werewolf, half-vampire, Riley Jenson is a Guardian working for the Directorate which polices the nonhuman races, and she's very good at her job. Even though there's a drug in her system that keeps changing her and they're not sure what it'll do to her, she still strives for what every werewolf wants: a soul mate, and kids.

The kids are beyond her now thanks to the drug in her system, but she's still hoping to one day meet her soul mate - who, sadly, can never be Quinn, her sexy, ancient vampire boyfriend, but she is at least willing to give the relationship a go.

Teenage human girls are turning up dead in the city of Melbourne and there seems to be no connection between them. It's not long before Riley finds the zombie that killed them - along with two hellhounds and the sorceress who's controlling the beasties, who can take the form of a crow. That's not all she finds though: Kye Murphy, a werewolf bounty hunter and killer, is on the sorceress' trail as well, and he has a few secret talents of his own.

With attraction and desire sizzling between them, and the full moon approaching, Riley puts all her energy into finding the girls' killer, figuring out who's killing and draining wealthy vampires in the area, and keeping distance between herself and Kye.

This is a series you need to start from the beginning with, if only because of the changes Riley goes through and her history - especially the story between her and Quinn, which is worth reading the series for. The first three are excellent and make a neat trilogy; #5 was disappointing because there was no Quinn in it and the crime/mystery plots were sloppily handled, but overall it's a superb series, very inventive and with a wonderful protagonist in Riley. As different as she is, her concerns are very real and familiar.

The pacing of Deadly Desire is swift but not so fast that you lose the plot - rather, it compels you to read it in one sitting. The tension is great, especially between Riley and Kye, and I absolutely loved the ending.

Really my only complaint is one for the series as a whole, and one that leaves me disappointed: the books are set in Australia - Victoria, to be exact, and Melbourne in particular - but apart from a few place names, you'd never know it. The only word in this book that made it feel at all Aussie was "Macca's" - truly, it could have been set in any American city, and may be designed that way so as not to "alienate" a U.S. audience (I'm guessing here), and I find that to be a real shame. It also does nothing to help with my homesickness.

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Jan 30, 2010 I ♥ Bookie Nookie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: species-weres-and-shifters, species-vampires, genre-pnr-uf, 2010-read-in, zz-reviewed, genre-paranormal, i-love-this-old, a-series

This one was a little slow in the beginning, but it got much better at the end. I enjoyed all the little surprises that Keri Arthur threw in regarding Riley. Riley has come a long way since those first books--although her "wolf" is craving the free loving lifestyle she was so comfortable with, her heart is leaning towards being with one man. Of course, she wouldn't be Riley if she was that forthcoming with her lover--so she always keeps her options open.

Although I am glad that Riley has finally...more

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Feb 09, 2011 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Riley has finally faced the fact that she can never leave the Directorate, especially with affects of ARCI-23 in her body. In book 7, she is on the hunt for someone whose raising zombies and killing off vampires. During her encounter with some gruesome hellhounds, she is saved by Kye, a bounty hunter who loves to kill for profit.

She finally take her next steps in exploring her relationship with Quinn, but making sure that this sexy vampire, fully understands that she is still looking for her sou...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Miraphora rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, urban-fantasy, vampiri

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. La Arthur è diabolica. Ha chiuso il romanzo precedente lasciandoci un senso di pace: Quinn è tornato nella vita di Riley e una vera e normale relazione è all'orizzonte. Con tutti gli stravolgimenti di trama che ha fatto in 6 romanzi, avrei dovuto aspettarmi che niente poteva rimanere così semplice a lungo.
L'illusione di normalità, in questa serie, sparisce talmente in fretta che non si ha nemmeno il tempo di metabolizzare ogni cambiamento. Un secondo c'è Kellen, sono felici e innamorati, il sec...more La Arthur è diabolica. Ha chiuso il romanzo precedente lasciandoci un senso di pace: Quinn è tornato nella vita di Riley e una vera e normale relazione è all'orizzonte. Con tutti gli stravolgimenti di trama che ha fatto in 6 romanzi, avrei dovuto aspettarmi che niente poteva rimanere così semplice a lungo.
L'illusione di normalità, in questa serie, sparisce talmente in fretta che non si ha nemmeno il tempo di metabolizzare ogni cambiamento. Un secondo c'è Kellen, sono felici e innamorati, il secondo dopo non c'è più. Poi torna Quinn, e sono felici e innamorati, e poi...poi arriva lo stravolgimento che tutti si aspettavano dal primo romanzo: l'anima gemella.
In questo nuovo episodio si riconferma vincente la soluzione narrativa di creare due indagini parallele, entrambe seguite da Riley. Un aspetto mi ha colpita, in questo caso, è che la brutalità degli omicidi aumenta esponenzialmente. Se nei primi romanzi avevamo tutta la questione legata ai laboratori e agli esperimenti che, a dirla tutta, non erano poi così 'orribili', ad ogni nuovo romanzo la Arthur aumenta sempre di più la violenza, estremizzando gli episodi. Dal semplice omicidio, a omicidi multipli con torture, cadaveri smembrati e sangue a litri. E' come se il culmine emotivo si sia sviluppato assieme a quello 'horror'. Più sangue e omicidi brutali, più tensione in tutto il romanzo. In un certo senso questo aspetto mi ha ricordato i romanzi di Anita Blake, anche se non si raggiungono gli stessi livelli di gore.
Le cattive di questo romanzo sono ben due: due streghe che agiscono in due modi diversi, ma con un unico scopo. Ogni loro azione si svolge in modo tale da deviare i sospetti del lettore, perché ci si lascia annebbiare dalle apparenze. Solo alla fine, alla risoluzione degli omicidi, ogni dubbio viene chiarito. Anche se le streghe e la magia in generale non sono elementi nuovi alla serie, la Arthur ha apportato nuove caratteristiche che ampliano di molto il raggio d'azione della magia. Queste due streghe, infatti, possono bloccare i vampiri e addirittura resuscitare i morti.
Altro nuovo elemento della serie, quindi, sono gli zombie. I morti viventi sono dei cattivi tosti da sconfiggere e Riley suda parecchio per riuscire a salvarsi la pelle.
Attorno alle indagini, come al solito, si svolgono le vicende personali di Riley. Il romanzo si apre con lei e con Quinn ormai felicemente coppia fissa. L'intesa sembra non essere diminuita, anzi, i due fanno scintille al minimo tocco. La felicità che sprizzano da tutti i pori non poteva essere per sempre, ovviamente.
A questo punto entra in scena un personaggio già conosciuto: Kye Murphy, ovvero il licantropo che aveva lavorato come guardia del corpo del capobranco dell'ex branco di Riley e Rhoan. La cosa curiosa è che tra i due nasce subito un rapporto di sfida e di antagonismo che va ad alimentare la tipica reazione dei lupi alla luna piena. Se all'inizio entrambi, Riley e Kye, danno la colpa alla luna per la loro crescente attrazione, ad ogni loro incontro - impepati dal pericolo, dal sangue e dall'adrenalina dell'azione - si scopre che la luna c'entra ma neanche tanto. Riley fa molta fatica a resistere al magnetismo del lupo di Kye e anche lui non riesce a trattenersi dal cercare di dominare Riley.
Quando i due cedono, perché non c'era alcun dubbio su questo, arriva la mazzata che tutti temevamo. Kye e Riley sono anime gemelle. Con questa bomba si chiude il romanzo, lasciando il lettore in preda ad una crisi isterica intensa quanto sconvolta. Non è possibile che questo Kye spunti fuori una seconda volta e come niente fosse sconvolga l'equilibrio romantico della serie. Ora il dubbio riguarda il futuro di Quinn e di Riley, e ci si chiede se Kye entrerà a far parte della vita di Riley. Dopotutto, alla fine del romanzo, Kye è tutto fuorché un personaggio negativo.
A questo punto non ho potuto fare altro se non iniziare l'ultimo romanzo uscito, che tra l'altro mi era arrivato il giorno prima di aver finito il settimo.
L'ombra del cuore si apre con una Riley sempre invischiata in indagini, sangue, pezzi di cadaveri e un Quinn sempre più innamorato. Lo schema base della serie si ripropone anche questa volta, mantenendo lo stesso ritmo narrativo e introducendo gli stessi personaggi, ormai vincenti.
Tuttavia la Arthur ha deciso di dare una scossa alla serie, trasformando in pochissimo tempo il personaggio di Kye. Se nel romanzo precedente ero dubbiosa se farmelo piacere o meno, adesso non posso fare altro che seguire i sentimenti di Riley. Kye è uno psicopatico con manie di controllo. Uno stronzo colossale a cui non importa nulla se non il suo lavoro e l'avere potere totale su chi vuole lui. La Arthur, doppiamente diabolica, ha deciso che né Riley né Kye sono felici di quello che il destino ha riservato loro.
Riley non apprezza Kye e Kye non vuole per nessun motivo rimanere soggiogato da qualcosa e da qualcuno su cui non ha controllo. Il risultato è che l'infelicità si mischia in modo velenoso con l'attrazione tanto che Kye girerà la frittata a suo favore, cercando di usare Riley e di dominarla per darsi una parvenza di controllo.
Una situazione già complicata diventa diabolicamente difficile quando, durante le indagini che portano Riley e Kye sempre più vicini, ogni indizio sembra indicare che Kye non è estraneo agli omicidi.
La cosa strana, che mi ha lasciata un po' male, è che Quinn rimane in disparte durante la lotta di potere tra Riley e Kye, come se la Arthur lo avesse messo da parte in modo forzato. In nessun momento si rischia di avere una scenata di gelosia o uno scatto di violenza da parte del vampiro, e ogni volta è Riley, da sola, che deve gestire il suo odio/amore per Kye. La lotta interiore che deve subire arriva a dei livelli altissimi, talmente alti che ad un certo punto ci si chiede se la fine sia vicina. Quinn ha potere nel momento in cui Riley lo usa come scudo contro Kye. Non vuole perderlo e allo stesso modo non vuole coinvolgerlo per non farlo soffrire. E' un Quinn molto più sensibile di come siamo abituati, sempre spietato - certo - ma innamorato e per questo più 'vittima' di quanto lo sia Riley o lo stesso Kye.
Che Kye non fosse un personaggio positivo, l'avevo capito nel momento in cui la Arthur ficca nella testa di Riley odio e fastidio, ma che potesse raggiungere delle vette di bastardaggine tali da rovinare un personaggio fisso della serie proprio non me lo aspettavo. Non volevo una fine del genere, così negativa e cattiva, ma allo stesso tempo sapevo che o succedeva quello che è successo, oppure Kye avrebbe rovinato tutto.
Ora sono costretta ad aspettare l'uscita del nono romanzo e spero che la tristezza che ha pervaso la fine di questo romanzo sparisca e che si ritorni allo spirito a cui mi ero abituata.
Voto massimo per entrambi i romanzi. Bellissimi, ricchi di emozione di azione e con un personaggio femminile che migliora sempre di più. Cosa si può volere di più?(less)

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Oct 30, 2012 Ladyvishous rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In questo settimo capitolo della saga troviamo Riley Jenson coinvolta in un'indagine che riguarda l'uccisione di vampiri e adolescenti umane ad opera di una strega in cerca di vendetta. Sul piano sentimentale, Riley si sta impegnando a portare avanti un rapporto quasi esclusivo con il vampiro Quinn, nonostante la lupa che c'è in lei sia ancora alla ricerca dell'anima gemella. Anima gemella che fa "irruzione" nella vita di Riley proprio in questo volume, nella figura di Kye, spietato assassino e...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Jilly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I remember starting this series and not being that impressed by it. I remember thinking that while I liked Riley and a couple of the other characters, it just wasn't spectacular but that I would give it a chance as a friend assured me the series only got better. How true that was! I think I like each book more and more which is a rarity. Usually you get this feel that the series is going downhill rather than up at a steady pace! This is a book I plan on keeping.

Now while the story was wonderful,...more

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Mar 10, 2011 Amanda rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

The Riley Jenson, Guardian novels cross the fantasy genre with paranormal romance, and Deadly Desire somehow gets lost in the translation.

The premise of Riley's world is unique and interesting, set in modern-day Australia where supernaturals live among humans and are policed by a Directorate of Guardians (a combination James Bond/Navy SEAL squad comprised of supernatural races including vampires and werewolves). Unfortunately, the protagonist Riley Jenson, who is a rare werewolf-vampire hybrid...more The Riley Jenson, Guardian novels cross the fantasy genre with paranormal romance, and Deadly Desire somehow gets lost in the translation.

The premise of Riley's world is unique and interesting, set in modern-day Australia where supernaturals live among humans and are policed by a Directorate of Guardians (a combination James Bond/Navy SEAL squad comprised of supernatural races including vampires and werewolves). Unfortunately, the protagonist Riley Jenson, who is a rare werewolf-vampire hybrid with expanding psychic talents, has a host of annoying personality traits that make it very difficult for readers to take her seriously as a skilled investigator.

Riley's promiscuity is written into the core story as a preoccupation of werewolves due to "moon heat" and often dominates her limited investigatory skills. Additionally, every male character with the exception of her boss Jack and her twin brother Rhoan and his partner Liander, are essentially interchangeable: stereotypical hunks with different hair and eye color. With few exceptions, all of these physically perfect men eventually or immediately become Riley's lovers in the context of each new investigation. Often, the prose is literally recycled in each book with phrases like "kaleidoscope of sensations" and "happy hormones" that make repetitive appearances in all 7 books to date! Riley's investigations largely consist of wisecracking with CSU workers at murder scenes, chasing suspects around the city, and going undercover at exotic locations, which often serve to further her expanding collection of lovers.

Deadly Desire opens with Riley pursing a murder suspect while grousing to herself about the interruption to her sex life with on-again off-again vampire lover Quinn. Riley tails the suspect to an abandoned warehouse where she bumps into Kye, a werewolf bounty hunter paid to find the killer by a victim's parents. Their suspect turns out to be a zombie reanimated by magic who is controlled by a black crow--a shapeshifter who gets away--and who looses a pack of hellhounds on Riley and Kye. Thus begins the investigation of why vampires are being murdered in Melbourne.

Riley's case is constantly thwarted by Kye, who also frustrates her personal life, as their mutual attraction interferes with Riley's intention to remain faithful to Quinn. When a prominent vampire and friend of the head of the Directorate is murdered and a witness fingers a stripper as a possible suspect, Riley goes undercover at (where else?) a strip club. Kye shows up to conduct his own investigation which includes a lap dance from Riley and hints that this werewolf is not all he seems.

While the story itself could serve as a stand-alone in the series, Riley's preoccupation with men and her attractions to her workmates overwhelm her investigation, and the prose in relation to the ever-present love scenes (at times) reaches the level of soft-core porn as opposed to mainstream fiction, or even mainstream romance. Riley's continuing quest for her soulmate becomes a major factor in this story by book's end.

Readers who enjoy erotica will be delighted by the steamy content of Deadly Desire, but for those who prefer more of a focus on police procedural urban fantasy may want to look elsewhere.
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Jan 11, 2011 Ithlilian rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

The Riley Jensen series has been one of my favorites for a while. Unfortunately, the last few novels haven't wowed me. It's feels like Riley is talking about the same issues in every novel. She will be in grave danger and she will never be happy with Quinn because he's not a werewolf. Her thinking is very one dimensional, and she hasn't grown much as a character from novel one. She is still lusting after random strangers when she has a man at home, and frankly it's starting to get old. The serie...more

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Apr 21, 2009 Lunasea rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: parnormal-romance, shifters, vampires

This is another six star, if not seven star book. Keri Arthur is easily one of my top five favorite authors, maybe even in the top three. Hers is the one universe I want to live most in. Riley is one of the few characters I want to be. She is one of the authors I MUST get the day the book comes out. I even call the bookstore to make sure they got it for me. She's on my list of books I gave the bookstore to get for me.

Now that I've gotten the gushing out of the way, to this book specifically. Don...more

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Apr 17, 2009 Tina (Fantastic Book Review) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, paranormal, urban-fantasy, vampires, werewolves

So Riley is back at it again, there’s no time for rest and relaxation in her world. This book is another great addition to the series. I always want to hear more about the sexy men in Riley’s life and how the full moon affects her relationships. As for her current lover Quinn, I love how he’s willing to give Riley everything she desires….what a perfect man and how can I find one that’s undead.

Who is this sexy bounty hunter Kye Murphy? If you have been keeping up with the series, he was introduce...more

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Mar 08, 2012 Blake16 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Finalmente siamo arrivati alla parte più bella e interessante dell’intera serie, non che quella riguardante i primi libri non mi sia piaciuta, ma aspettavo questo risvolto della storia sin dall’inizio – mi ero spolierata traducendo le trame di tutti e nove libri e ho avuto la sensazione che la Arthur il bello l’aveva lasciato proprio per ultimo… e non mi sono sbagliata.

Questo settimo libro è il più sorprendente e il più bello tra quelli che ho letto fin’ora della serie Riley Jenson… Riley Jenson...more

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Jul 07, 2011 Sharon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-mystery, fantasy-paranormal, magic, shifters-weres, vamps

Soooooo, this installment in the Riley Jenson series was very enjoyable. She's found herself in the middle of a very interesting murder investigation involving murdered teens, decapitated vamps, hellhounds and zombies. She's also found a smoothness in her relationship with Quinn. They are getting along great--she's staying monagamous and he's being the doting, sweet Manfriend. But during this case, she runs into Kye, a werewolf bounty hunter, that she doesn't really like. He represents everythin...more

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Jul 13, 2009 Falling Off The Shelf rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2009

This review was originally posted on my review blog : Falling Off The Shelf (http://fallingofftheshelf.blogspot.com)

Review :

This was the seventh installment in the Riley Jenson, Guardian Series and I can honestly say that each time I finish each book in the series I tell myself 'oh that's definitely one of my favorites from the series!'. It's taken me this long to realize that I have declared this each time I have finished a novel by Keri Arthur. I absolutly love this series, and it's only gett...more

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Apr 11, 2013 April rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, kickass-heroine, magic, parnormal, romance, series, shapeshifters, supernatural-creatures, vampires, werewolves

I have a complicated relationship with this series. I wasn't impressed with the first book, but with each book after that I started to really like the series. Now I'm back to the series being blah. I think Quinn is an ass, and stand him. And Riley must be dumb to jump right back into bed and a relationship with him without questioning anything.

While working a new case, Riley runs into bounty hunter Kye Murphy, who was serving as a body guard to her old pack when she was working a case for them....more I have a complicated relationship with this series. I wasn't impressed with the first book, but with each book after that I started to really like the series. Now I'm back to the series being blah. I think Quinn is an ass, and stand him. And Riley must be dumb to jump right back into bed and a relationship with him without questioning anything.

While working a new case, Riley runs into bounty hunter Kye Murphy, who was serving as a body guard to her old pack when she was working a case for them. Riley becomes annoy when he keeps popping up at her crime scenes and repeatedly threaten to have him arrested. Which in lie my first annoyance with this book. After the hundredth time threatening to have him arrested I just want to tell her to STFU. If she wanted to have him arrested she would of done it the second time he showed up. But at the same time there's an attraction that neither one of them can deny, no matter how much they don't want it.

I just want to know is Riley the only guardian that actually works on cases? And why does Riley always gets the worst ones? This book had way too much Quinn in it for my taste, and not enough of Rhoan and Liander or even Kade. I was disappointed that Quinn was her only lover in this book. She has said before that her nature needs more than one lover. And I don't buy this she has two souls so she has more than one soul mate bs. Rhoan is the same thing she is, and he doesn't have more than one soul mate. Riley is more wolf than vampire while Rhoan is vice versa, so if anyone would have two soul mates it would be him and not Riley.

I knew exactly who the killers were once Ben told her that two women own the strip club and couldn't get more information on them. Once Riley starts digging into records and saying oh these must be coincidences, how stupid can you be?! After the first coincidence she should of been very suspicious. And what was with her saying my vampire every page? I get telling strangers I need to get home to my vampire, but beyond that? It's like she wanted everyone to know that she has a vampire. Usually I love Riley. But in this book I just wanted to come through the pages and bitch slap some sense into her.

And luck would have it she finally finds her soul mate, and it's none other than Kye. Which Riley is very upset over claiming she doesn't even like him. She doesn't even know him to make that conclusion. Not to mention both were very flirty and playful during the whole book. All because he's a bounty hunter? He does the same thing she does, except she works for the government and he's pretty much a gun for hire.

From the end of the previous book I could tell what direction the series is going into. And honestly I didn't want to read this book or finish the series. I'm thankful there's only two more books left.(less)

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Oct 29, 2010 C rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, read-in-2010

This series seems to be getting better and better. Unfortunately, the plot still kind of sucks. Some things just don't make sense - you don't kill everyone to keep the authorities from knowing you're breaking the law. Murder is the worst crime, you don't use it to cover up lesser crimes. The revenge part was fine, but there's absolutely no development on the villains of this book. Which is why it feels like the purpose of the case was to provide a platform for Riley's romantic situation rather t...more

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Oct 05, 2009 Dorri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sexuality, shape-shifters, urban-fantasy, vampire

In the seventh installment of Keri Arthur's Guardian novels, we find Riley accepting her new role as a Guarding of the Directorate and as a lover to the still mysterious Quinn. Trying to live in the now, Riley is focusing on the case involving zombies. Someones raising them and using them to kill teenage girls, which leads Riley to a shape-shifting sorceress and a small batch of zombies. All of which put Riley in the deep end, until Kye, a werewolf mercenary and general pain in the tush, shows u...more

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Oct 05, 2009 Lori rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks, urban-fantasy

Pretty ok addition to the series. Not as good as the last two books but for different reasons than the first four. I like to see Riley growing as a character, doing things like wearing sneakers to work instead of stilettos and trying to be--for the most part--a one man gal. What strikes me most about this book is just how boring Quinn has become. He's lost his teeth. Not literally, but... he's a char with a lot of depth and while I have been annoyed in the past by some of his poor choices I also...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Federica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: serie-terminate

Quello che salva questa serie dall'essere improntata troppo sul sesso,sono le storie di spietati omicidi,sempre paranormali,che Riley si trova a risolvere in ogni libro.
Questa è la volta di macabre uccisioni di vampiri e adescamenti di giovani ragazzi e ragazze da parte di due donne negromanti che gestiscono un club per soli uomini. Qui,la nostra eroina del Dipartimento si troverà a combattere contro zombie e,ammetto che pur non piacendomi questo genere di creature oscure,la storia mi è piaciuta...more

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Dec 28, 2012 Neska rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bit-lit, adult-erotica-romance, urban-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 30, 2012 Noodle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm never going to learn. I have since read book 8 and am on to book 9 in this series and have only just realised I haven't written the review for book 7. This, of course, means I have forgotten how good/bad/ugly this particular instalment was. I do know it was better than book 5, so I guess I'll have to go with that.

But, being better than book 5 can't be hard. I almost gave it all away at the end of that one. I'm thinking that something must have improved for me to get distracted enough to go o...more

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Feb 28, 2012 July rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: home-library

Riley Jenson is a Guardian who does some kick ass work for The Directorate. She is on a case of a serial killer that is leaving dead vampires and young teenagers. It is up to her to find the connection.
When Bodyguard Kye starts showing up every time she turns around and she threatens to arrest him, his crazy ass drugs her.
Now she begins to wonder if he doesn't have powers that the Directorate would be interested to know of. The full moon is bringing out her werewolf hormones and when she gets cl...more

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Nov 10, 2009 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's hard to like a book when you don't really like the main character: Riley Jenson. All she seems to do (from the 1st book all the way through the 4th book - Dangerous Games) is complain, complain, and COMPLAIN about how she doesn't want to be a Guardian, and how she thinks her lover Quinn is too narrow-minded when he doesn't want her to have sex indiscrimmiantly. "Oh, boo-hoo, my boyfriend doens't want me to have sex with other men!" And the sex scenes are not even that good: there's no real...more

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Apr 15, 2009 Nichole (Dirty H) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, urban-fantasy, vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed by this book. I have given all the Riley books 3 stars, but there was always something innately compelling about them that kept me reading. And I probably will still continue to read them, but this one lacked that certain je ne sais quoi.

I gave this a lot of thought while reading, and I think I figured out what it was. It's actually a combination of a few things.

1. While Riley has always been the central focus of the series, there was something about...more I have to admit, I was a little disappointed by this book. I have given all the Riley books 3 stars, but there was always something innately compelling about them that kept me reading. And I probably will still continue to read them, but this one lacked that certain je ne sais quoi.

I gave this a lot of thought while reading, and I think I figured out what it was. It's actually a combination of a few things.

1. While Riley has always been the central focus of the series, there was something about the other books that felt a touch more collaborative. Whereas in this book, she's pretty much by herself the entire time. There's not nearly enough Rhoan, Liander or Quinn in this book, and Kade barely makes a cameo.

2. Quinn and Riley are finally making a go of things. They are attempting to be monogamous, and are so far successful and very happy together. Unfortunately, this doesn't translate very well. As long as we've all been waiting for Quinn and Riley to finally just be together, it's kind of boring. Quinn plays no part in this book other than to satisfy Riley's full moon needs, and I think it would have been a better book if we'd gotten to see a more three-dimensional Quinn.

3. This is kind of embarrassing to admit, but all the things that irked me and rubbed me wrong about the series up until now - namely Riley's rampant horniness and penchant for nudity - are missing from this book, and I felt their lack. Riley's constant nudity was always distracting to me if for no other reason than that I was pretty sure she was going to hurt herself, and being a large chested girl myself, I know that it's not quite that easy to run around and get in fights with the girls loose. But apparently Riley's nakedness and public sex with random strangers added a certain zip to these books that left this one feeling a little lackluster.

4. The mystery itself was kind of blah. Riley's out solving a new crime, and it was sort of interesting at first, but the wrap up was really anticlimactic and predictable and yadda yadda. I did enjoy the zombies, though.

And finally, this isn't one of the things that made the book less than exciting, but it's something that bothered me.

And also why this review contains spoilers. Be warned!

Riley finally finds her wolf soul mate, an assassin named Kye that we apparently met in a previous book but I don't remember. He's kind of hanging around the whole time because he's also working Riley's case, apparently on behalf of a friend who was the father of one of the victims. Riley warns him off the case because he's not Directorate. He doesn't listen.

What bothered me was this. Riley spends the whole book saying how she doesn't like him, and when she discovers that he's her mate, she's really upset because she doesn't want him to be.
Now, the idea of this was great. I think having Riley's soul mate turn out to be someone she has no interest in was really interesting and a great twist to the series. However, Arthur does a piss poor job of explaining why Riley doesn't like Kye. In fact, she never gives a reason at all other than that Riley doesn't like that he's a killer for hire. And in fact, when they're working together toward the end, they make a really great team. So what the heck?
I can understand Riley resisting Kye because she's trying to be monogamous with Quinn. I'm cool with that. But she always told Quinn that she was still looking for her wolf mate, so what's the problem? This was a story element that could have been so much better but just left me kind of scratching my head and saying "but why?"

Overall, a very blah book and a disappointing addition to the series, though I'm sure I'll keep reading.(less)

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Mar 31, 2013 Melanie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The month of March has been very busy for me, so I have had to take a Riley break! I picked up this installment, and was still pleasantly surprised, but I found myself wanting this series to be over. I am not sure if it’s because a lot of series I’ve read over the years have been releasing their next book, or what, but I am excited to be done with this series. I love Riley, don’t get me wrong, but her books are all starting to feel the same to me. And now this soul mate stuff is getting to be a...more

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Mar 04, 2012 Wendy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I absolutely love the Riley Jensen series! These books are always an adventure topped with steamy romance. Definately a must read and a series I highly recommend. Riley is an amazing character that draws the readers into her world easily!

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May 25, 2011 WildAboutBones rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This 7th book in Arthur's Riley Jenson Guardian urban fantasy series has vampires, werewolves, zombies, sorceresses, hellhounds, strippers, murder, lots of smouldering lust and the full moon which all make for an interesting and action-filled time for Riley.

Quinn is back as a featured love interest and is even more his gorgeous, hot sexy self. Also reappearing is Kye, Patrin's ex-bodyguard from an earlier book, hunting the same killer Riley is. Additionally Shadow is back in a cameo appearance....more

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Dec 30, 2010 Bronwyn Rykiert rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: series, paranormal-general, erotic-fiction, australian

This is book 7 in the Riley Jensen Guardian Series and it is as good the rest. I think she is such a great character and her chemistry with Quinn is terrific!

Someone is killing young girls and vampires - Riley quickly realises that someone is raising zombies to do the killings but she has to find out why. In comes Kye another werewolf, he is a bounty hunter after the same people Riley is, there is an unwanted chemistry between these two, they try to fight it but in the end they do discover that...more

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Sep 11, 2011 Grete rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, favorites

Life is never normal for Riley Jensen. Being a rare hybrid of vampire and werewolf she often finds her dual natures at odds with each other, often wanting or needing different things.. or people. Add in her Guardian duties for the Directorate, a role which she never wanted in the first place and it fast becomes a pain in the ass. When strange murders of both humans and vampires start happening, it’s up to Riley to find out if there is a link and if so, to stop the killer. But how does the myster...more

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About Keri Arthur

Keri Arthur, author of the New York Times bestselling Riley Jenson, Guardian series, has now written more than 25 books. She's received several nominations in the Best Contemporary Paranormal category of the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Awards, and recently won RT's Career Achievement Award for urban fantasy. She lives in Melbourne with her daughter and two crazy dogs

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Books by Keri Arthur

Full Moon Rising (Riley Jenson Guardian, #1)

Dangerous Games (Riley Jenson Guardian, #4)

Tempting Evil (Riley Jenson Guardian, #3)

The Darkest Kiss (Riley Jenson Guardian, #6)

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Deadly Desire (Riley Jenson Guardian #7)

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