Slightly better than the first entry in this series but just by a hair. At least the heroine in this one wasn't a mewling idiot. She had more backbone. But the hero is pretty much the same as the one from "Burning Alive" the beat my chest over the top macho type. "I am Tarzan, you Jane" and you have no say in the matter. This formula gets a little annoying to the reader in my opinion to the point where you want to kick the guy in the behind. Even though Butcher tries to make him a sympathetic character by giving Paul a 'heartbreak' past; because of his attitude, even though you know where it's coming from makes it so you really can't feel that way about him. It really takes away from the meat of the story.