What can I say? Shanora Williams just never disappoints. I really braced myself when I dove into this book. With the way Passion & Venom ended, I just didn't know what to expect or what will happen next. This was just as crazy as the first book, that's for sure. But for some reason, it was bloodier, gorier and so much more intense. More emotions were involved and more revelations blew my mind. This author truly never ceases to amaze me with her wild and vivid imagination and the way she cooks up her tales.
There was never a dull moment. I felt like there were parts where I always held my breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop. And man, did that shoe—the size of a meteor, I must say—drop hard on that last part. I still can't get over it. I want to rewind the last few chapters, rid my brain of everything that happened on those pages and pray that it gives me a different result the second time around. But that isn't how it works now, does it? I'm still sad and raging mad at the same time. Believe me, you would too if you only knew what happened. Those scenes would bring the enraged, animalistic side out of anybody with a beating heart.
I did love the character growth in both Draco Molina (aka El Jefe) and Gianna Nicotera (aka La Patrona) though! We see a very different side to Draco in this book and his appeal gets even more magnetic in this one. He's still very much brutal and cold hearted, yet he shows a vulnerable and softer side to his persona here as well. The cracks in his armor become a bit more visible to us and that's what will lure you in even more. Gianna, on the other hand, shows her stronger side. She gets bombarded with truths, revelations and even betrayals that could bring a normal person to their knees with the impact they bring, yet Gia took it all in stride. Yes, she was still hurt and heartbroken, but the way she absorbed it all in and started to move forward with her head up high is admirable at best.
Venom & Ecstasy is the second book in the Venom series and cannot be read as a standalone. It starts right where book one left off, so you have to make sure to read Passion & Venom before this one. And be forewarned that just like book one, this too has a cliffhanger. To me, it's not as bad—like you're going to pull all your hair out, beg for the next book already, bad when you reach the end, but—it still is a cliffhanger nonetheless.
This book is a very dark, violent and erotic book that will certainly push boundaries and test your limits, yet once you dive into the world of Draco Molina, there's no going back. You won't be able to stop. You'll just keep asking for more. Especially now that we're getting to understand Draco so much more and Gianna is starting to find her footing and her place beside El Jefe. I'm just hoping the next book in this series comes sooner rather than later!