And That’s the Bottom Line….. Stone Cold Seduction by Jess Macallan

Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Published: 9/05/2011
Buy link: Buy here
Rating:

 Stranded on a ledge outside her father’s penthouse, Elleodora Fredricks was forced to examine her life to date. Although she had been fairly successful at playing Robin Hood to her father’s Prince John, she really was just a mild mannered shop keeper at heart. She felt totally justified in stealing a few gems and antiques from her father in order to help some of the people whose lives he’d ruined. Contemplating his horrific punishment, she is surprised to find her new assistant Jaxon West leaning out of a window. What surprises her even more is when Jaxon sprouts wings and flies her to safety.
I had to let this book marinate for a day or two before I truly appreciated it’s brilliance. I usually am not the biggest fan of books written in first person, but after thinking about it, I could not have really appreciated Elle’s journey in this book if I had to deal with other characters’ points of view. This is not only a book of paranormal romance, it is the coming of age story of a traumatized young woman becoming a being of power and confidence. Every knock that Elle takes in this story ( and she takes a LOT) just adds a layer of steel to her backbone that had been broken and bent from her abusive father. Don’t get me wrong, there is enough male hotness to pacify the most discriminating reader (me) and there are some extremely steamy passages, but they are a tiny part of Elle’s journey. Elle starts out as an extreme pacifist but has to develop a taste for violence or die. She is forced to face unimaginable betrayals by those she should have been able to trust.
Getting Elle through her journey are some delectable men or should I say males, because none are strictly human. Jaxon, who claims Elle as his fated mate, is a gargoyle. He has appointed himself Elle’s protector. McLean is a phoenix, one of the hunters on Elle’s trail, and her ex-fiancé that she has no memory of, but who wants her back. Teryl is Elle’s BFF and an oracle, he knew Elle’s heritage as a shadow elf and never told her. His fiancé, Clio is under the thumb of Jedren, Elle’s father, and he just wants to keep her and Elle safe. There are many threads to this story and not all will be unraveled because Stone Cold Seduction is book one of a trilogy. Nothing like a little anticipation to make you haunt the bookstores. I highly recommend this book and that’s the bottom line..