I possibly gave it the fourth star simply because it was a much better read than the book I just read yesterday. I couldn't help but compare that this book has a general lack of internal anguish in the lead female character. Raine will fight first and then ask questions later. She was not in any way weakened by any moral debates. There was enough snark and humor to give it a less than adult feel, but this book is definitely for adults. I simply liked how the lead male, Mychael, was described as "yummy."

The character situations seemed way more honest. Yeah, we're dealing with fantasy creatures like elves and goblins, but they all had decidedly human challenges with no excuses for their responses to them. They just are the characters they are and they don't try to be more. The fun was in how they used their different powers in dealing with their situations which translates to awesome fight scenes.

And, furthermore, there's something so basic about Raine's response to Tam--girls love the brooding bad boys--that I applauded the author's decision to not explain it at all. She still had her Mychael moments which came off as a truthful character trait rather than a flaw.

Spelling Raine with an "e" and Mychael with a "y" left enough silliness for the story to not be taken seriously. It was just a really fun read.

I have to add that I didn't read the first book in the series and I do not think I was any worse the wear for it.