The Darkest Torment (Lords of the Underworld)

Gena Showalter has an amazing gift for reaching out from her books and grabbing hold of the reader, almost making my us a part of the world she has created. I love this series and I can't wait till the next book comes out.

So I was wary about Baden's story because I felt it wasn't his turn. I wanted to follow Cameo's story and of course William and Gilly, but I at least was interested in all the characters. The heroine was great and Baden quickly became a favorite. He definitely reminded me of Maddox's character...very He-Man.

What I found not inline with the previous stories was Gilly's character. We got to see Gilly's point of view for the first time and I saw the discrepancy of how she interacted with Will previously and this story. Previously, there was obvious statements about Gilly having a crush on Will and in a scene, she hinted that sex with William would be great. In this book she's scared of sex and never wanted to be touched...even by Will. Now this attitude is more believable because of her abusive past, but it contradicted what we knew of Gilly before.

What I did enjoy about Gilly and William's story is that FINALLY....something happened, even though it wasn't what I would want for the characters.

I'm excited for the next book...hopefully Cameo and more Will and Gilly.

Loved every moment of this book. I listen to the audio book and follow along with the book itself when I'm not driving. I'd recommend this series to anyone that likes romance, action, and paranormal/ demons/ Angels

I'm glad Baden's back with the LOTU and I'm happy he got a chance to assuage his guilt of his beheading. I'm not sure how I feel about Katarina. I feel she gives Baden too much of a hard time. She continually wants him to see her as his equal but she really is a fragile human. She cannot compare herself to a immortals that have lived through centuries of war, torture and betrayal with undying physical and mental strength. I'm not sure she belonged with this family. The hellhounds was a nice twist but I'm still not sold on Katarina. (3.5 Stars)
SPOILER:
My heart hurts for Gilly and Liam, although I don't care of Liam's man whoreness while waiting for his mate to become of age, I don't agree with Gilly's decision to bond with someone else when Liam will and would give her the world. I know it was a life or death decision, but so many people have come back from the dead in this series, I'm sure something would have brought her back. I think the LOTU are still hard on Galen, especially when they know they all have past regrets. Hopefully Galen and Legion's story is coming soon. Cameo left to find her Lazarus, she deserves to be loved also. I hope Bjorn and Xerxes (Sent Ones) get a story. I guess Pandora can get a story, although the verdict is still out on her.

Interesting read. This book will definitely appeal to those fans who want to know what is happening with those Lords and the beauties they love. If you are new, this book will actually serve as a gateway into this world and the characters that have already been introduced and/ or their story uncovered. Therein lies the real problem with the book. The author is so bent on introducing this story while retelling what has already transpired in the series, it becomes tedious in places. So, if you are looking for a paranormal romance, but have never read this series, this is a great book for you. If you are a fan and have all of the other books, this book will be something you will enjoy, but it will not leave you breathless as some of this authors books in this series can do. If you are not really invested into the series, you'll want to read this book and look forward to seeing what happens next but you will be tempted to skip pages to get through parts of the storyline that is bogged down with trying to reintroduce storylines from past books. I am looking forward to finding out which of the three characters sh will write about next...hummmm.....

Was waiting patiently for Baden's story! I wasn't disappointed. Ms. Showalter puts you right inside the character's head. I'm happy that he finally got his HEA. Yay for the Hellhounds! If you liked the previous Lords, you're going to love this one!!!

Gena never disappoints. Each book is vividly written and filled with adventure. The romance is always on point. I love getting to know the characters on a deeper level and watch them evolve throughout the storyline. Love this story!

Once again Gena proved what a great writer she is. This book was excellent, but I really do have an issue with the $11.99 price tag for and e-book. The publisher has to do better or I will have to kick my reading addiction.

Why do you make me wait so long. For the continuation. I have read every Lords of the Underworld book, and each one is awesome. This one didn't let me down either. Spoiler alert!!

At first I was like what's up with the dogs, I mean really, a heroine that loves dogs so !such she's willing to marry a drug lord. But then the hell hounds came and it all made sense. And Baden, oh man I love a red head. And I'm a red head, we will have ginger babies.

Why do I have to wait for the next one, will Cameo meet Lazarus, does Pandora love the hell king guy. Did Pandora lose a baby, is that what happened when she was stabbed in the stomach. So impatient over hear.

I actually wasn't looking forward to Baden's story. I just didn't feel he deserved one yet. That being said, Gena is one of my go to authors and I one clicked it without bothering to read the description. Needless to say this one threw me for a loop! I did not see this one coming at all! For some reason I really thought that Baden was going to end up with Pandora. I never saw Katarina Joelle and boy did she surprise me! She is one feisty as hell human with a backbone of steal! Not only did I love their story but I loved all the many, many, many sub stories that were included bringing all my favorite characters back for updates and furthering the stories yet to be! This turned out to be one of my absolute favorite LOT books yet!!! There was laughter, pain, intense emotions, serious topics and everything in between!

I actually wasn't looking forward to Baden's story. I just didn't feel he deserved one yet. That being said, Gena is one of my go to authors and I one clicked it without bothering to read the description. Needless to say this one threw me for a loop! I did not see this one coming at all! For some reason I really thought that Baden was going to end up with Pandora. I never saw Katarina Joelle and boy did she surprise me! She is one feisty as hell human with a backbone of steal! Not only did I love their story but I loved all the many, many, many sub stories that were included bringing all my favorite characters back for updates and furthering the stories yet to be! This turned out to be one of my absolute favorite LOT books yet!!! There was laughter, pain, intense emotions, serious topics and everything in between!

OMG I think I'm in love with Baden. William is still my man, Gillian???, Hades is growing on me..... the world is coming to an end all because of Gena Showalter's awesome writing. Need More is an understatement. I laughed, I can't say how many times I went OMG, and can't tell u how many times my heart broke for certain characters. It was so good to get to know Baden and discover who he is now and then. Katarina proved she can hang the guys and tame a beast Hell bent on destroying everything and everyone. Read the book and u won't be disappointed. Cameo's up next and can't wait to see what happens next.

I love this series!! Gene showalter has a way of pulling you in and keeping you excited through out all of her books!! This book was exciting and heartwarming. I just loved the idea of a woman "training" the beast within the man.

Seriously, dogs! This book just didn't do it for me, it's like she just phoned it in. Part of the problem for me was that it just took her to long between lotu books. She has a lot on her plate and this story showed that.

Gena Showalter is one of my favorite authors. Even if this book is not my favorite of the LOU series, it was hard to put down and left me hungry for her next book. I like to see heroes and heroines from previous books come back in the new books and Gena never has taken me out in left field to introduce a new character. I am anxiously awaiting William's story, now that it has finally started, like Cameo's. And for those who may not remember, the satyr is from Paris' story.

I used to LOVE Gena and LOTU. The first few stories were well thought out. Like Aeron and Olivia? Yas! Baden and Katarina? Eh. She was all over the place in personality. The whole dog trainer thing was weird and obviously only used to have the hell hounds make sense. I only wanted to finish the story out to see what happens to Cameo, William and Gilly & Puck (for which I'd love to see a story). Overall, good for side story, otherwise unnecessary.

I wanted to love it, honestly. I'm a HUGE Showalter fan - I own almost all her books both digitally and physically. This one felt like filler in an anime - sure, the cast is there. The world we love is being explored. But it's just flat, with little to no development. Not only that, but Baden wasn't even a character people were interested. Either Gena got very lazy and isn't feeling LOTU anymore, or this is a book that's supposed to set up other great ones (Cameo, anyone???? But I'm looking forward to Hades' to be honest) Either way, it felt flat. Maybe it's because she's bored with the LOTU world. Maybe it's because she has such a right writing schedule. Who knows - all I know is, if the next book is like this one, I'll be really disappointed. Where's the Romance!!! Where's the hard to get female who stands on her own? I felt as if this heroine was annoying, whiny and treated everyone (including Baden) like a dog that needed to be trained/comforted. I didn't really find too much chemistry between the characters like, let's say, Anya and Lucien. Their story was FANTASTIC!!! Chemistry between those two was crackling - these two? Not so much. The upside to this book was the information and scenes with the other characters, and I found myself sulking every time their parts of the books ended. I want to see Cameo be happy, William be happy - and Taliyah (sp?) get down and dirty with Hades and chain him up!!! I'm looking forward to the next one... But I'm not expecting it to be as good as the ones earlier in the series.

Another page turner by Gena Showalter. She has a way of writing that makes you feel part of the world she has created. That you are standing in Hades lair to witness the chess pieces he moves. I cannot wait for the next book and the next player to be moved on the board. Exciting!

Have you ever read a book that just clicks on all levels for you? Do you love books with heart pounding danger, non stop action, sizzling passion and all the feels? What about fierce, possessive, protective and oh so drop dead sexilicious heroes? How about smart, witty and stands her ground heroines? Love all of those things? Well you are in luck, The Darkest Torment has all of that and more!!

I adored this book so much! First off, it has my absolute favorite theme ever, Beauty and the Beast! Second, we get to see more of the whole gang again like my book husband Maddox!!! *ecstatic girly scream* Forgive me Baden, you are epically awesome but Maddox will always own my heart. :) And third, Lords of the Underworld is THE series for me. My holy grail of PNR. The whole reason why I started reading PNR. It's an autobuy without question. Haven't read the previous books? *gasps* What are you waiting for?????

Baden was once the keeper of Distrust but now he is possessed by something even more sinister. Something that is full of rage and wants him to destroy his friends. He is also overwhelmed with guilt for allowing himself to be beheaded and leaving his friends to deal with the Hunters without him.

You know, when I first found out that Baden's story was up next I was a little disappointed but only because my heart was breaking for my sweet, tormented Cameo. However, I was also intrigued. I mean the LoTU boys have such a deep love for their fallen friend so this guy has got to be pretty awesome, right? And HE SO IS!!! OMG, can Gena write a tormented hero! Poor Baden! Not only is he unable to bear a single touch without feeling intense pain but he has a monster inside him worse than his demon ever was and it wants to punish and kill anyone within striking distance. Baden wants nothing more than to remain by his friends side but he knows that it is just a matter of time before he loses control of the beast and hurts someone. Baden knows that he has to leave his friends again only this time it's for their own safety. So damn heartbreaking.

Katarina is my hero! She is absolutely fearless and that is saying a lot considering that she is surrounded by a bunch of supernatural bada**es! She is also the only heroine that I've ever felt such a deep connection to. Oh don't get me wrong, there are plenty of others that I adore but Kat is like my soul sister. We share the same love and compassion for our fur babies and I felt every bit of her pain and anguish that she went through after losing her precious pups. Her inner strength is incredible and despite the crazy situations that she was put in she never faltered. I loved how she went about approaching Baden like she would a wounded dog. She knew she had to gain his trust to tame the beast. *sighs* Loved, loved, loved this book!

Oh, and without giving out any spoilers let me just say.... Hades? Holy sh** that dude rocks my world! Mine, mine, mine!! *throws him into the book boyfriend vault* And........ you know you want to know. I shouldn't say anything...... but I totally will because I love to torture people as much as a certain naughty father of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse does. So.........................

William and Gilly? Oh yeah, lots of book time for them and guess what happens??

..................You won't believe it!!..............

................HOLY FREAKING MOLEY!!!.................

**********************SCREAMS!!********************

So what happened? I seriously sat there for like 15 minutes with my mouth gaping open after reading THE SCENE.

Am I going to say more? Nope. Why? Love to torture, remember? As in William = My spirit animal kind of torture. Buy The Darkest Torment. Read The Darkest Torment. Have the same shocked face after reading The Darkest Torment.

I struggled to finish this installment but since I've enjoyed most of the LOTU series I had faith it would get better. It didnt. I had difficulty relating to the heroine who agreed to marry a homicidal maniac so he wouldn't kill her dogs. Seriously? She is an orphaned dog trainer w/ a drug addicted brother ****eye roll accompanied by a yawn*** so she agrees to marry a gangster to save her dogs and her loser brother. I like dogs but will never take anyone seriously that uses the phrase "fur babies" & stays in bed for weeks because she thinks they're dead. She stays in bed feeling sorry for herself for herself for weeks.Ive had enough of these ridiculous over the top,orphaned, damsel in distress plots I think I'm done w/ LOTU. This was lame & I was generous with 3 stars bcz I was a GS fan for so long.

I am a Gena Showalter fan and have waited on this book for a long time! Not going to give away anything from the book for those who have not read it yet, but all I can say is "Awesome"! Now, waiting for the next book!

Katarina('s), if you can believe it?

* * *

Once upon a time, I remember thinking that if the book series had ended with Paris' book, it would have been okay. Because after that book, Showalter's writing style changed.

We all now know it was because of her convalesence, and I'm happy that she has gotten better! But I remember the change wasn't all that well recieved by a lot of readers, and it made Kane's book so different that a lot of readers hated it (me, after reading the reviews, started reading it with the assumption that it could have been a loooot worse than what it was...).

And then, when Torin's book came out, it was as if Showalter had once again flipped a writing style switch, and I was relieved because it was closer to her "old" style and thus written with more tongue in cheek.

And now, with Baden's book?

I must say (and I think it's because of the fact that my reading habits have changed since our children came and I'm currently sleeping a max of 3-5 h a night and reading books in snippets) that I found this book...

...utterly forgettable.
I couldn't connect with anything in it, and while reading I just skipped all of the sex and skimmed through all the fighting.
(What's up with Paranormal ROMANCE and all this "casually written" ultraviolence? Jeez.)
On a more positive note, I think all the scenes with Galen and Fox in this book more than well makes it deserve 2 stars instead of 1. So, here's to hoping his book will be better.

The blurbs include a lot of gushing about how popular the books are. Any truth in this is a direct indictment of the western cultural decadence that gave us Trump. There's a lot of physical detail provided of the various "demons " and their various exploits, including the sexual ones. There's some interest in passing references to theologies and cosmologies of the past. The unifying factor is the understanding that our principal characters were the ones creating hubbubs at various points. The sex scenes were kinda fun. One wonders when the gay, bi, trans, questioning versions of the biologically detailed, yet over-the-top descriptions are coming. Maybe they already came, and I just didn't bother to read on.

Baden is interesting. I like Baden. But Katarina... Katarina was...a disappointment! She was interesting up until her reason to marry that physco husband of hers was made known! Married to save her dogs! Really!!! I would have fallen for storyline if it was orphaned kids! That would make much more sense. Baden's story could have been so much better. One stars is generous for this Book! Im giving it such rating because the only great thing out of this Disappointment is the side characters! I can't wait for either Williams or Cameo's story. Hopefully, those do not fall flat as this one did.

I've read the first four books in this series but not the rest. I easily picked up this one and could follow it. It is a complex world with several subplots going on at a series level but I was able to follow.

The Lords of the Underworld guarded Zeus. When a women, Pandora, was given the task to guard a box above them, they became angry and stole the box. Zeus was less than pleased and forced the Lords to each carry one of the demons from the box in their body to torment them. Each story in the series is focused on one of the Lords but the overall series has the focus of how to be free of their demons.

This was Baden's story. He actually lost his demon when he was beheaded. The demon now torments another but Baden has returned from his death and purgatory with a new problem and mission. He's now bound to the King of the Underworld and forced to do his bidding. Inhabited by a beast that desires the death of everyone around him, Baden struggles to control himself. He feels the need to be away from the rest of the Lords because he feels he failed them and because he's too dangerous. But his missions lead him to Katarina and even greater problems.

What I loved about Katarina was her love of dogs. She agreed to a horrible marriage to save her dogs. And she has such a connection to them. I really enjoyed that aspect of the story. She was a little overbearing with Baden considering she was a human. I guess that gives her spunk but she was annoying at times. I did cheer for them as a couple. Clearly they needed each other and it was just interesting watching how things would finally fall out.

I enjoyed this story. The writing was well done and the story was vivid and full. The world is interesting and dynamic where many stories can come to life. I love the mythology that saturates this series. I enjoy the strong friendships among the Lords. I enjoy the women that bring those strong Lords to their knees. It's a rich and intriguing series that I'm sure I'll return to.

-The word of the day is familiar. From characters to plot, from crazy heroines to tortured heroes, everything in this book is familiar. It was easy to read, but that’s because I felt as if I’d read it before. I took my time reading this because I’d seen mixed reviews on it, and now I know why. Also, the cost? Yeah, way too steep.

-The main characters, Baden and Katarina, don’t necessarily click as a couple. Individually, both are drawn with the broadest of strokes and neither really stood out from the pack of heroes and heroines I’ve already known and liked. Furthermore, it seemed to jump from “I hate you/I don’t need you” to “mine!” in a heartbeat and I wasn’t buying their “love.” It felt generic and inauthentic, and for a paranormal romance, the romance is crucial, especially since everything else is so fantastical.

-The storyline itself is a hot mess. It’s gone from straightforward PNR to underworld soap opera in twelve books. Now, I like soaps, but even this is getting a bit unwieldy for me. I’ll admit it’s been a while since I read the previous book, but they are blending together. All the heroes are the same tortured angst, all the heroines are the same crazypants type, much like Anya. Even the quips, while humorous, sound familiar to all that’s gone on before.

The Bottom Line [2 stars]
This was only ok and only because I’m a longtime fan who just wants to know what’s going to happen to the last faves of mine who haven’t gotten their HEAs. I wouldn’t say I’m done but I am concerned about the direction of the overarching storyline because it’s gone off the rails at this point.

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3.5 stars.

It took me a little while to get really into this story but once I did I didn’t want to put it down.

Baden has become an assassin/servant to Hades, Katarina is a strong but desperate woman who is trying to save her three precious dogs by marrying Alek, the horrible man who has them locked up. Hades wants something that Alek has, Baden has been tasked with getting it back. When Alek doesn’t give it up, Baden kidnaps Katarina. And so begins their journey.

The last 250/300 pages were really good and I couldn’t put it down. However the first 150-200 pages were difficult for me to get into. In general I do have an issue with just how Showalter writes, for some reason it doesn’t completely click with me and it takes a bit to get used to it and really get going in her books.

I liked Katarina, didn’t love her though. She did get on my nerves when she was kept talking about “training” Baden. I could see where she was coming from and what she meant by it but having her constantly call it training, wasn’t cool. If Baden had said he was training Katarina, she (and I think the readers), would have been furious. But I did love that she got a couple of hellhounds. I thought they were weird from the get-go because, if I remember correctly, they just showed up at the Lords place.

Baden, I loved him. I just wanted more Baden. I loved that Baden’s “beast” was at ease with Katarina, for the most part.

The chemistry between Katarina and Baden could have been better though. There was banter, which I enjoyed but the actual sexual chemistry lacked. And the romantic chemistry was ok, there weren’t a lot of swoon worthy moments.

So…the whole thing with William, and Gilly/Puck, I realize I’m going to be in the minority here but…I don’t mind it. I was never hugely gung-ho about Will and Gilly together to begin with, I did like them and I would have been fine with it, if it happened, but I’m also fine that it seems to be going a different direction, especially since Gilly and Puck are married now.

Overall I did enjoy this, I’ll be reading Cameo’s book and I’m curious about Gilly and Puck.

Couldn’t put it down, actions action and more action, if you want their hot togetherness ypu will have to wait until in the middle of the 300s pages, Baden hosts something new, a part of his ‘master’ that he hates to be tied to, his friends all support him but he can’t deal with that. He will have his perfect opposite in a women, their connection will gradually become one but in the meantime she will put him through the ringer, but Kat will have to fight to be the person her parents raised her to be. Snippets for Cameo and Gilly, since Keely gave some to the girl to her current issue. War is brewing and Hades and his one son Lucifer are getting their key players in order but Baden is an enforcer for one and trying to slow down the other. Tasks, tricks, taming and old well new species comes into this story, one thought to long extinct .

Katarina a dog trainer all her life, became a ‘slave’ to her future husband because of her brother and the safety of her fur babies 3 rehabilitated fighting pit bulls and one other dog. The man she’ll marry has a few secrets he keeps close to his heart.
Baden is back for the dead but so is Pandora, they have their wrath’s bands from Hades and each one has tasks to fulfill to win their lives back, with out killing the other. Yep that lasts a few hours at most before Pandora tries to kill him again. Hades wants a coin from Alex a Slavonic drug lord and Baden has to retrieve this coin. He crashes a wedding and meets Katarina and her now husband Alex. Baden has a dilemma, what can he take to make Alex produce the coin, kidnap the bride.
Kat and Baden will be at odds but one thing is for sure is the Kat will try to train this mad and the demon/beast inside of him to be used to others. Baden will fight his emotions towards this human girl and keep her at arms length, he can trust anyone friend or human around him because everything is weakness and his beast hates weakness. Will Kat tame the beast?

Cameo will have a few parts and it all centers around the time she has forgotten when she was in the other realm and the man she can’t remember but craves, Lazarus .

Gilly is dying, Will is panicked begging his father for the cure of giving her immortality, but Hades is adamantly refusing to give Will what he wants and evens threatened Gilly with death is Will thinks about bonding with her. Puck a former prisoner of Tartarus, keeper of indifferent, Saytr, gets into Gilly’s head with gifting her the immortality if only she would bond with him, on her last breath she does. Gilly now unsure it was a wise choice especially when Puck tells her she can never go home to her family with the Lords and his home is her only home, and if she leaves him his fight with William will be Will’s last, her life is now his to do as he sees fit to make her give into him to make him feel something and sex will be one of the times no matter if she won’t give him want he wants he will try to get it from her no matter the pain it causes her. She told her past and the abuse she suffered at the hands of her step brothers and her stepfather. Oh btw William will tear every realm to get Gilly back. Too bad Will don’t do as he plans and take Gilly back and lock up the goat man for eternity, since they can’t kill him or Gilly will die.

There is some more facts, guides and chapters of right after Cameo and Baden came back.

I had a difficult time with this story. I wish I could blame it on not reading the other ten books before this one (there are eleven but I read Book 1) but I can't.

The connection between Baden and Katarina was hard to feel. Mainly because, well, it wasn't there. Not for me at least. The attraction felt minimal, barely existing beyond the physical. Physical attraction is good but I wanted more. The longer I read the harder it was to believe their relationship had moved from lust to love. Maybe that growth is there and I'm just not catching it. Maybe?

Katarina kind of grated my nerves too. Baden was worthy of so much more in a mate, a lover, a friend. She just wasn't it for me. He is a strong male who is, unsurprisingly, demanding and sometimes unyielding, but he has heart and loyalty when and where it counts. He needed a woman at his side who understood and appreciated those qualities. Katarina approached him more like one of the dogs she trained except...slightly worse? I don't know. At times it felt like she was condescending toward Baden. Sarcasm is sarcasm. Not everyone appreciates or understands a dry or biting sense of humor. This wasn't that. Not to me.

The highlight of this story is actually one of the other characters. This is when reading the other books probably would've helped. There's an intense story going on in the background involving Gillian that, I hope, will receive it's own book.

I think I'm in the minority about this book. Maybe if I read the Book 2 through 11 my opinion of it might be different. I'm not sure. The lack of spark in the romance between Baden and Katarina coupled with how my annoyance with Katarina grew as the story went on makes me hesitant to pick up those other books or recommend this book.

Complimentary copy received from publisher

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

The Darkest Torment by Gena Showalter
Book Twelve of the Lords of the Underworld series
Publisher: Harlequin HQN
Publication Date: May 31, 2016
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley

***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***

Summary (from Goodreads):

Driven to his death by the demon of Distrust, Baden spent centuries in purgatory. Now he's back, but at what cost? Bound to the king of the underworld, an even darker force, he's unable to withstand the touch of another…and he's quickly devolving into a heartless assassin with an uncontrollable temper. Things only get worse when a mission goes awry and he finds himself saddled with a bride—just not his own.

Famed dog trainer Katarina Joelle is forced to marry a monster to protect her loved ones. When she's taken hostage by the ruthless, beautiful Baden immediately after the ceremony, she's plunged into a war between two evils—with a protector more dangerous than the monsters he hunts. They are meant to be enemies, but neither can resist the passion burning between them…and all too soon the biggest threat is to her heart.

But as Baden slips deeper into the abyss, she'll have to teach him to love…or lose him forever.

What I Liked:

I haven't read most of this series - in fact, I've only read this book and The Darkest Touch - but I've enjoyed what I read so far. Even only having read two of the twelve books, I can say that this series is incredibly easy to love. After reading The Darkest Touch, I found myself deeply invested in the stories of the myriad characters - and there are so many. While I was a little disappointed that book twelve was not going to be Lazarus and Cameo's story, I was pleased to find out that it would be Baden's story, and we would meet his perfect mate.

Baden was beheaded long ago, but brought back by Hades, and he is now bound to Hades. Hades has tasks that Baden must complete, and one task involves retrieving a coin from a half-immortal, half-mortal man masquerading as a mortal. But obtaining the coin from the man is not easy, and Baden finds himself with the man's freshly-married wife, Katarina. Katarina never wanted to marry Aleksander Ciernik, but he forced her, by holding her dogs hostage (she's a dog trainer, and a very devoted one). She just finishes saying her vows when men show up - and they claim to be immortal. Katarina didn't want to be with Aleksander, but she certainly didn't want to be held captive by the infuriatingly sexy immortal, Baden. But she quickly finds out that he is more a protector than captor, and he will never hurt her. Passion simmers between them, but so does a tug-of-war for control. When it comes down to choosing, will Katarina stay with Baden, an ice-cold warrior who has gotten past all of her defenses?

I don't remember too much about Baden from The Darkest Touch, but that didn't matter because I adored him from the start of this book. He is riddled with crippling guilt; he's back among his friends, but Destruction lies within him, and he is constantly at war with himself. He has to fight Destruction within himself so as not to attack any of his friends. And years ago, when he was beheaded, he did it to protect his friends (but they don't know this). Baden was one the Gentleman of the Lords, before he was beheaded. He is empty and scowling and almost cold now, but as the story begins to pick up, we see that he is just as noble and protective as he ever was. Baden has a good heart, and he is a loyal almost to a fault. While he is definitely a broken and tortured hero, he is such a likable one.

Katarina was a little more difficult to like. I liked her, I didn't like her, I liked her... in the end, I think I liked her overall. But there were times when I was so frustrated with her, because she was such a fool. She is portrayed as a tough, alpha female, and I think this works with Baden, but I didn't always like her (foolish and irrational) decisions. She threw a tantrum every now and then, but I tried to remind myself to put myself in her shoes. Yes, I am more inclined to adore Baden from the start, because I'd been exposed to his character before. But still, Katarina was on and off for me. I did like her spunk and her drive, her devotion to her dogs, and eventually, her devotion to Baden. Katarina falls for Baden pretty quickly, and while they do fight (mostly because of her), Katarina always has his best interests at heart.

At first I was weirded out by the fact that Katarina was married (even if she had just gotten married, minutes before she meets Baden and he whisks her away). But technically, she wasn't, since she signed no papers (an argument that Showalter never brought up). She is referred to as that man's wife throughout the story, but clearly, there is no love there. I wanted to kill Aleksander on many occasions - and trust me, he got what he deserved. The whole already-married thing didn't really bother me, surprisingly, especially with how that gets resolved. I only wish it had gotten resolved quicker.

The romance between Baden and Katarina is a push-and-pull one, a constant tug-of-war. Baden is a domineering alpha who throws around commands like nobody's business. Katarina has been an independent woman for a long time, and she doesn't appreciate the commands. But the passion (and lust) between the pair is so strong, and eventually, so are their feelings. I like how both the chemistry and the feelings grow as the story goes on. Things get pretty heated between the two, but it is also very clear that both of them care so much about each other.

You could read this book as a standalone (like I did with The Darkest Touch, and this one), but I love how each book builds on the series. Showalter does a greet job of cluing in a new reader, but she also does a really good job of moving the series plot forward with each book. There is a battle between Hades and Lucifer, and all of the Lords of the Underworld are involved.

I also like how there are multiple stories happening in this book. No, it's not confusing at all. This book is written in third-person POV, featuring Baden's POV, Katarina's, Gillian's, even Cameo's. This is why I was rooting for Lazarus/Cameo's story to be next - because of the side-plot in The Darkest Touch involving Lazarus and Cameo. Thankfully, their book is next.

Overall, I have to hand it to Showalter. She really knows how to diversify the personalities and characteristics of each of her Lords and their mates, and cook up some intense and fiery passion in a story. I definitely want to binge-read books one through ten!

What I Did Not Like:

I already mentioned my on-and-off like/irritation for Katarina. She's not the b***hiest heroine I've encountered (in fact, not at all), but I think she could have cut Baden a break a little more often. And I think she was a little too fixated on the dogs (don't hate me, animal lovers!). I personally think she should have fought for Baden twice as hard as she fought for the dogs. Katarina got on my nerves on more than one occasion, but she wasn't enough for me to discourage someone from reading this book.

Would I Recommend It:

If you have enjoyed Showalter's adult romance books in the past, definitely keep going. I can't speak for books one through ten, but the newest two in this series are so good. The Darkest Touch is probably my favorite of the two, but this book did not disappoint. And if you're new to the series, I highly recommend this book! Or The Darkest Touch. This is good paranormal romance!

Rating:

4 stars. I have a feeling that Showalter won't disappoint me, moving backwards in the series or moving forward! I am hopelessly excited for The Darkest Promise. Please please please be amazing!

***Before you go on reading this review, know that I may slip in a spoiler or five. It can't be helped, they may be needed to prove points.***

I have been waiting for the next LotU book with bated breath. Like other major LotU fans, I'm sure. So many questions and no answers! This book took its sweet time, I have to say.

Now, I didn't immediately read it, upon its release. Why? After waiting two years, I didn't want to read it because I knew I'd finish it way too fast and then what? I'd be left with more questions and more scenarios in my head. Because there are so many ways a LotU book can go - as Ms. Gena Showalter had already proven this to us. I didn't always agree with the direction the story went.

I'll be honest, I wasn't all that excited about Baden. I tried to understand but couldn't. Why Baden? Why not Cameo? William?

Can't say that I still got it, 100% but I went with it. I got more of my precious Lords. They're really special to me and was happy that they played minor roles in this book as well.

Thing is, this book is like a major detour from the original plot. That goes to the background, while this one focuses on Baden - obviously - but Hades too. I was happy that it focused on William and Gilly too, though I still don't know what to think of THAT twist thrown in - I know a wake-up call was needed, for William to DO something but man, poor bastard!

Baden. I didn't like him much, at first. Or his girl, Katarina. I didn't like how they treated each other. He constantly told her she was too weak - 'scuse me, Mr. Big, Bad Immortal, some are just mere mortals but strength isn't always about how well you can knock someone on his a** - while she treated him like a dog that needed training. That's right, you read that right. Okay, so I sort of got Baden. He was dead for thousands of years, times changed etc. But Katarina? I just couldn't get her. She confused me, most of the times and wasn't all that endearing.

So, putting all of that aside, secrets are revealed and it kind of shows us what to expect in the next book. Or we could guess, truth be told. One never knows with Ms. Showalter. Hence why the rating kept climbing or falling. It started at 5 stars because I was just so giddy to finally, FINALLY delve back into this world - which kind of changed, due to the whole different plot thing, but eh - but then it went to three stars - the whole Baden & Katarina back-and-forth - but I decided on a 3.5 because I liked this different plot, it just goes to show that there are still a few books to come, in the series, which makes me crazy happy.

Are Baden & Katarina my fave couple? No. My fave will always be Strider & Kaia.
Did it feel like this was a fill-in in the series? It's with a heavy heart and I'm sorry to say this, but yes.

Unfortunately, something was missing. That je ne se quois from the LotU books. I hope I'll get to feel it in the next one.

The Darkest Torment, book 12 in the Lords of the Underworld series. These books are best read in order but if you don't they are still understandable and interesting. Especially when previous characters are included in each book. This book is well written with fantastic characters and a outta this world plot. It contains humor and lots of action.

Baden, Master of Distrust, spent centuries in purgatory, then beheaded and now he's back. Baden is bound to the King of the Underworld, Hades and a demon who he calls the beast. He is also cannot stand to be touched and his temper is uncontrollable. Hades demands he plays a game of sorts with Pandora and they must do his bidding for points. On one such mission he interrupts a wedding and takes the bride.
Katarina Joelle, a dog trainer is being forced to marry a "dirtbag" to save her brother and her dogs. Her wedding is interrupted and she is taken by force by Baden, who she thinks is beautiful but bossy. Baden's demon is as drawn to Rina as much as Baden himself and they both want to protect the small, weak human. Desire and passion cannot be denied or resisted but she will not give him her heart until he changes his demanding, over protective ways. He needs to learn how to ask instead of demanding.
Baden finds the fight into the deep, dark abyss is pulling him under and the only "calm" is Katarina and her love. Will she lose him to Hades or can her love over come the pull of darkness?

I just finished reading this latest installment of the LOTU series and while I was entertained, the story of Baden and Katerina probably won't be one that I remember or one which compels me to reread the book.

Without going too much into the plot of the novel the biggest problem I found was that the story fell into the same formulaic pattern as previous installments. That is:
A) damaged hero is instantly attracted to heroine
B) heroine is caught up in the drama and finds herself forced to cohabitate with said hero
C) lust/love ensues
D) hero misunderstands heroine and feels betrayed for whatever reason
E) heroine leaves in a fit of pique due to hero's misogynistic ways
F) hero grovels
G) heroine becomes immortal if not already
H) all is forgiven and happily ever after

Im almost positive i have read this same plot at least in three previous books of this series.

So whilst this detracted somewhat from the overall enjoyment of the book I was intrigued with certain side story lines such as the introduction of Puck into Gilly's life.

I'd always been weirded out by the idea that William had been lusting after a 15 yr old sexual child abuse survivor And whilst it probably wasn't intended that way by the author, the fact that William spent all that time gaining her trust, playing computer games etc all the while having adult feelings for a child felt a little too close to grooming.

I get that all the Lord's have mostly been much older than the heroines in previous books due to immortality. However when all the parties met and started having sexual feelings for each other they were both adults.

Anyway, I know lots of fans are shipping the Gilliam pairing but I'm really hoping that the author sticks with the Puck storyline. If anything because it would be much more interesting, much less predictable and infinitely less icky.

For those of you interested in giving this book a whirl I recommend looking at it as a stepping stone story rather than a series game changer.

Pleasant enough but it won't really make a ripple.

I forgot how much I love paranormal. Good paranormal stories I should clarify. What I love most in reading is the escape a story takes me to. That can be hard in fantasy, paranormal stories, to create a realistic fantasy world filled with beasts, mythical creatures and monsters. Gena Showalter's stories never disappointed. From page one, I was entranced and found myself immersed in this fantastical world that puts humans and immortals together.

I do admit, my own fault, I haven't read all the books in this series. The last trip I made to the Underworld world was a handful of years ago when Paris met Sienna. It took me two chapters to get my bearings, but even with my absence, I understood the plot and fell in love with Baden. He reminded me a lot of Maddox, my first love in this series. He's a good guy, stuck in a horrible situation---carrying Destruction with him, inside him. But through it all, the reader grasps his goodness, his battle to do what's right when all he wants to do is give into his inner beast. Kudos to Gena for making him look like Jamie Frasier. Swoon. What a mental image!

Katarina is a strong heroine from the get go. At times, I thought she was almost too strong and opinionated. But she is perfect for Baden. I loved where her story line went and so pleased at the ending!

If you like a story like Beauty and the Beast, you'll love this installment in the amazing Lords of the Underworld series. I love the hints for what's to come. Poor William and his dilemma with Gilly, who I am a bit heartbroken for, what will happen to those two? And Cam... geez, she really deserves a happy ending. So until the next book releases, I'm going back to the series and picking up where I left off. This was the perfect reunion for me to get antiquated with these characters who I love so much again.

Gena's writing doesn't disappoint. A true storyteller who weaves words into an all day escape from reality for all romantic readers. Gah, I loved this book! I want more.

I've been following Gena's books for years now. So suffice to say I always look forward to a Lords of the Underworld novel. So to say this was disappointing is putting it mildly. The Female lead was honestly just annoying as hell.
[Slight Spoilers ahead...]

Not only that but I just found her backstory to be so ridiculous...? I mean you're willingly throwing yourself in a world of extreme violence and danger for the rest of your life for... Dogs? I love dogs, I'm all for them, but jesus christ this was way over the top.

Not only was her backstory ridiculous but just her personality altogether. I'm all in support for a strong female lead, and one who maybe it's at odds at first with the male lead... But this wasn't the case at all. She was just a disrespectful brat.

I can admit, the side stories were pretty interesting and it makes you look forward to next instalment, but other than that, there really isn't much to praise of this one.

Love you, Gena, but this one was simply not good :(

“I am not the monster who lives inside me”

The Darkest Torment is the 12th book in the Lords of the Underworld series and even though it is the 12th book, I do feel that it can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone novel. This is my first book by this author and after reading this book, I can definitely tell you that it will not be my last.

Now, I will be the first to tell you that it did take me a little while to get into this story. There was a ton of world building and I enjoyed the set up of the story-line. However, once I got into the story, I really enjoyed it. I loved the paranormal aspects to the story and was very intrigued by the characters. Braden is demanding, frustrating and an enjoyable alpha male. Katarina was damaged in her own way and I appreciated the way she was with Braden. Despite their circumstances, she did everything that she could to bring light into Braden’s life.

Overall, I thought this book was a good read. The paranormal world this author has created has totally fascinated me and I am super excited to discover more about it. This series is one that I have been dying to try and am so glad that I finally took the plunge into this series.

The Darkest Torment is told through multiple points of view and I enjoyed the different stories that were being told. There are a few characters that have peaked my curiosity and have me looking forward to getting my hands on their story.

If you’re looking for an exciting paranormal romance that is filled with action, suspense, gritty and frustrating moments with thrilling romance, than I definitely recommend checking this book out. I for one am excited to see where this series is going to go and can not wait to start this series from the very beginning.

4.5 Stars rounded up

The Darkest Torment had everything that makes Showalter such an impressive writer; action, romance, the people around you that make up your family and an intrinsic force that just pulls a reader in and does not let go until the final page.

At first I was bummed as this was not William’s book. Those who read the series will probably agree (just check out the Goodreads for this and see the outcry of despair that this was not his book) and I was grudgingly okay with reading about Baden. Baden is the former host of the demon Distrust and he has just now been yanked out of purgatory after centuries alone. He is now attached to Hades and is at his bidding, a situation Baden is less than thrilled with. Then an assignment for the underworld puts him in the path of Katrina, a women beaten down by family obligations and married to her enemy. Baden grabs Katrina to use her as a pawn, but fate is a cruel mistress and he soon finds that he needs her in more ways than one.

“There are three ways to look at the glass. Half empty, half full, and why are you eyeing my glass, bitch?” —Gwendolyn the Timid, Harpy from Clan Skyhawk

The plot of The Darkest Torment is standard LotU. Host of evil demon/powers struggles against them, finds a mate that is not wanted, fighting, sex, some more fighting, realization of that love and then lots of build up for the next story. Now this may seem standard and even a bit repetitive and boring, but that is where Gena Showalter comes in. Her writing makes each of these tales distinct and gripping. Even though I know the basic framework, each character is unique and they way they reach their HEA is special to them. The action is fast and nothing lags in her stories. The world building is not vital to these tales, as at number 12 the world is set. There is a wide array of emotions in each of her books and this was no exception. I found my self tearing up, angry and excited, and sometimes all in the same chapter. The characters are like old friends at this point and I love that I learn a bit more about each one with each book. Baden was a happy surprise as he has been mentioned in the earlier books, but you never really got to know him and he really was the perfect tormented by his past leading man. I was not a huge fan of Katrina in the beginning. A dog trainer who prized her pooches above almost everything else, she was a bit flat to me. However as the story progressed she really grew on me. She was smart and sassy and just wanted to be free to be herself for the first time in her life.

“The definition of marriage? When a woman adopts an overgrown man-child who cannot be handled by his parents any longer.” —Olivia, fallen Sent One

The Darkest Torment was a needed addition to the LotU series. It was a great bridge to the next set of stories (seriously, William’s cannot come soon enough!) and I am very intrigued to see where the series is going to go next. Gena Showalter has a way of writing that just makes me happy and I am glad she continues this series. I think there are certain authors that just fit us as readers. Everyone has them, the people they turn to when they just need a good read. Showalter is that for me, and I glad I discovered her as she is happiness to me in book form.

Original review @ 125Pages.com

Like everyone else, I feel as though I have been waiting an eternity for the next book in the Lords of the Underworld Series. These are my absolute favorite paranormal books. There are a few reasons why. Gena manages to create a very intricate and vivid world for her readers. Her characters are hilarious and her heroines are always my favorite. For this very reason, I have also been reading her Contemporary books lately and they are just as amazing. So, I have to recommend that you read all of her work if you love this series, and then it won’t feel like you have to wait forever for this particular set of books. Although, this series is quite fantastic and this book was no exception. I adored it.

“Your hardest times often lead to your greatest moments. So get hard.”
-William the Ever Randy

I know that everyone wasn’t expecting Baden’s story next but I am telling you that it needed to happen this way in my opinion. I truly loved his and Katarina’s story. Probably because I really love an over-the-top alpha male and that is exactly what Baden is, much to his own detriment. And Katarina is no shrinking violet so there are many many crazy lovers quarrels which I thoroughly enjoyed. I love me some angst. And when they aren’t fighting these two are so very very hot. The sexual tension was thick and full through out the entirety of the novel.

“All I want from a man is everything and nothing at the same time but different times, sometimes and never but always.”
-Kelleycael, the Red Queen

But, the main reason, that I feel like Baden’s book had to be right now was simply because Gena set up the next books in this series beautifully during his story. I was seriously excited for Cameo and Lazarus, William and Gilly, and Galen and Legion before I read this book but now I am positively dying for these books. These characters appeared quite a bit through out the novel as is common with Gena. She always does such a magnificent job of setting up future books and I was just as absorbed in these side stories as I was in Baden and Katarina’s. Also, revisiting with all of my favorite immortals always plays a significant part of why I love Gena’s novels and there were an abundance of hilarious scenes with my favorite angels, demons, harpies ect…

“If this situation sucked any harder, I’d have an orgasm.”
-Paris, keeper of Promiscuity

Basically what I am saying is that this book is just as awesome as the rest in the series. Even if it wasn’t who we all wanted to be next or expecting for Gena to give us a book about. I loved it and I cannot wait and I really mean CANNOT wait for the rest in this series. But I will. Because that is all I can do, is wait and run out and buy the book as soon as I can and support the authors I love by doing just that.

“Game of Thrones? No. Game of loans. I’m going to loan my foot to your a$$.”
-Taliyah, the Cold Hearted

These books are always a guaranteed good read. They’ve got action, adventure, mythology, and smut. What more could you ask for in a paranormal romance?

This book gives us the story of Baden as he struggles to become part of his old life again. He no longer has the demon of Distrust inside of him, but in order to escape, he had to make a deal with Hades. This deal apparently also came with a new resident inside his head/soul. Baden is unwilling to put his family at risk and works pretty hard to separate himself from everyone. It could be a combination of guilt and honor, but the end result is that he is pretty isolated by the time he meets Katarina. With Baden’s deal, he also becomes a participant in a race against Pandora. The two of them are given tasks they must complete for points from Hades. The first task, to obtain a coin from a corrupt man, introduces him to the enigma that is Katarina.

Katarina has been blackmailed into marrying a horribly evil man in order to save the dogs she trains and loves. This dedication to those she loves it what ultimately puts her on the course to help Baden adjust to his new life and reconnect with his old friends. While they end up having probably more miscommunications/assumptions than other couples, they certainly know how to light up a page. The entire struggle is worth it for the reward. On top of the continuing war with Lucifer, we also get nice teasers for the Cameo and Gillian’s stories. Things are not looking good for William, though. I hope we get some resolution for those characters soon.

4.5-5 stars

This was a great story and addition to the series. I liked Katarina and Baden and their story was very enjoyable and kept me engaged throughout.

Katarina is a famous dog trainer that got pulled into a bad situation. Katarina's parents are both dead and her only relation is her brother. Unfortunately, Katarina gained an unwanted suited (Alec) that is the head of a drug syndicate. After her brother became Alec's lapdog, he got hooked on heroine and then betrayed Katarina to Alec, allowing Alec to blackmail her into marrying him.

Baden is one of the immortal warriors that were responsible for opening Pandora's box. As a way to imprison the demons and punish the warriors responsible, the greek gods decided that the warriors should act as hosts to the demons. Baden hosted the demon of distrust but got killed centuries ago and ended up in purgatory. Baden was brought back by Hades but is link to him and has a new beast inside him that's worse than his demon was.

Hades used his link to Baden to force him to do tasks for him. Actually, both Baden and Pandora are doing the tasks and for each one completed, they get a point and whomever gets the most points gets freed from Hades' control. One task Baden is given is to steal back a coin of Hades' that's owned by a human. Unfortunately, the coin is well hidden and the human is unwilling to share it's whereabouts so Baden is forced to try something else so he kidnaps Katarina from her wedding, telling Alec he'll get her back in exchange for the coin. Katarina actually tries to get back to Alec because he's holding her precious dogs hostage and she's afraid that if she's taken away, Alec will kill her dogs. Baden thinks that Katarina is just a gold digger that doesn't care how evil her husband is because she just wants his power and money so their first day or 2 together don't go well.

Baden is forced to keep Katarina around longer than he originally planned and he's worried about it. He doesn't want to hurt Katarina and the beast inside him is unpredictable and tends to want to kill anything near it. Things change gradually though and after a few weeks, Baden becomes more used to Katarina and finds himself wanting to be closer to her. Katarina quickly realizes that Baden is very similar to a rescue dog that's been badly abused and uses the methods she uses on her dogs to "train" Baden into better behavior. They find a mutual attraction and that grows into something more, something that was supposed to be temporary but turns into a much deeper and binding relationship than either expected. There's a good amount of action going on to keep things interesting while Katarina and Baden work through their relationship issues and once things are settled (for the time being at least), Katarina and Baden end with a well deserved HEA.

I really enjoyed this story a lot. Katarina was a great heroine and even though she wasn't a warrior chick, she still showed a lot of courage and fortitude. Baden was great and I was so pleased to see him get a happy ending...he deserved it. I was quite happy with both the action and romance plot...they were balanced nicely and blended into a great story that I'd recommend. :)

* note - I listened to the audio version of this story and the narrator did a great job.

At the start of this audiobook I really wasn’t sure I cared for the direction it was going in. This is one of those series I have really loved, and for the first time, I was like “what is this?” Me, like so many others, felt surprised that we got a story about Baden, instead of William or Cameo. However, after reading a letter from Gena to her fans, I understood why. The Darkest Torment helps close loopholes, and open new story-lines by introducing new characters. I couldn’t see it at the start, but once the book got going, I totally got the madness.

I really loved Katerina, with all of her sass and attitude. She is one female I can get behind and love. Baden grew on me, also once you understood why he was acting like a lunatic, and he got control of himself; I really liked the by play between him and the beast. I loved how Katerina referred to him as her junk yard dog, and decided she was going to treat and train him like a feral dog. It was funny.

So why not give it a 5 star rating? ****Spoiler!!!*** Once Katerina discovered the dogs were hellhounds, I pretty much pegged where that part of the story-line was heading. It's always disappointing when i can guess part or all of the outcome of a plot line.

The Darkest Torment was another steamy addition to the Lords of the Underworld. Showalter can write a love scene like no other, and combines action, sarcasm, and witty banter in such a way, that you love all of her characters, even the evil ones. I am giving it four boundless stars; I can’t wait to see what comes next...Sara

Holy Cipes!!! This book was probably my favorite in the entire series, I loved it. I was a little reluctant when I first heard it was coming out because Baden coming back from purgatory … books and books into the series … I was not really all that invested in him but once again, I was wrong. Maybe this is why I love to read but cannot write a sentence?? Maybe I lack the vision but one thing is clear, Ms. Showalter doesn’t. In this installment she did the Lords a solid and pushed this series into epic. Wow!

In recent books I felt that she was going lighter on the sensual aspects that used to be a big part of her story. Now she didn’t eliminate it, there were plenty sexy but less so I thought, which was fine as her stories, her plots and future threads were spot on but maybe she thought the sexy gods owed poor Baden because BANG! this book was smokin. Whew, I wasn’t quite expecting that. lol I actually listened to the Audible version, which was really good btw, but anyway here I am riding around town, going to work, going to the gym and I am absolutely positive that I was blushing, for real! hahaha

Anyway the story, this one follows Baden as he struggles to re-orientate in not only this new modern world but also as a pseudo-spirit that is tied to Hades by mystical bands. While his old demon, Distrust, found a new host long ago, he now has a whole new beast to wrestle with. I really enjoyed Baden’s character. He was far from boring as I feared he would be as he had been billed as the level headed, sweetheart of the Lords but um no… that is not the Baden that comes back to life, not even close and he was magnificent! Oh and there is the fact that I am a BIG Outlander fan and he was described as a Jamie Frasier doppelganger… what is not to love about that???

Katarina… well hum… how to adequately describe her… I guess I have very few words other than, self-assured, strong, focused and so damn intelligent, oh maybe precocious? That probably would do. She shot her way up to the top of my favorite female list. She grabbed Baden by his “ahem” and took control, fantastic to read any page where she was on stage! She was great.

The series itself took a surprising turn that I really didn’t see coming and honestly I am not completely sold on. I mean, when you get to that part you’ll completely know and I am very interested to see what others think. Hum…. lots of pondering going on and how in the world is Gena going to spin it? I guess if anyone can then it is her so I am very interested to see where it goes, where the whole series goes because at this point I am completely invested.

So any who, overall I would give this book a solid 4/5, one point taken off because of that head scratching twist. I just really don’t know …

What I do know is I loved the story between Baden and Katarina. I loved that we got to see our nearest and dearest Lords and Torin (who is one of my greatest book loves of all time) gets a lot of page time … well there was a lot to love!

P.S. Hades….. I think I am liking him too. …. Oh lordy what does that say about me??:)

✦Review: THE DARKEST TORMENT (Lords of the Underworld) by Gena Showalter
Publication Date: May 31, 2016 (Hardback/ eBook)
Mass Market Paperback Releasing November 22, 2016
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Cori
Rated: 5 Stars

I loved it! Baden is my new favorite Lord! I think I say that after each book but I can't help it. Baden and Katarina's book was so much fun. I just loved them together. Katarina is a dog trainer so we got dogs in this release which made me happy. I was hoping for William's book, but we get a lot of William and Gilly in this book. Baden's story needed to come before William and Gilly's book. The Darkest Torment took the series storyline in new directions and I can't wait for the next release to see what Gena Showalter has in store for us next. The Lords of the Underworld series is one of my favorites and never gets old. It's exciting and action packed, with sexy immortals and hot romance. I love the entire series and highly recommend it for paranormal romance lovers.

*Review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What an excellent read!!! Once again Showalter delivers a delightful, filled with violence, blood, mayhem, secrets, surprises, LAUGH OUT LOUD moments and most IMPORTANTLY LOVE with both Baden and Katarina. I loved all the different elements of this story and the introduction into even more of the LOTU series. We finally get some more information about William the Ever Randy and his parentage and not to mention a special surprise with Gillian's character too. Katarina has an affiliation with dogs, which once she meets Baden turns to her being Alpha over Hellhounds. Perfect. Lol. Then we have Baden former keeper of Distrust, now inhabited with Destruction and slave to Hades. Beautiful! Let the blood and violence flow. We also have Pandora who is pitted against Baden in a bid to be free from Hades as well. All I can say is I loved it so much, that I re-read parts twice. I have to also give kudos to Showalter for the quotes at the beginning of every chapter. Genius!!! My favorite being " I mixed a vial of poison, called it Kindness...and killed people with Kindness." by Josephina, Queen of the Fae. Hahahahahahaha...Lol Love that one so much! 5 star rating and I cannot wait to get my hands on Cameo and Lazarus's story next!!!!

I was a little disappointed when I realized that this story went to Baden. I also a had funny feeling with Katarina when all she seemed to love was dogs (I was wondering if she was gonna have a hellhound or the 3 headed dog Cerberus or be one herself) But was glad I read it. Turned out to be a great story. It was definitely a little weird for Katarina to treat Baden like a scared animal, but it did show how much he had to go through to become a man again. Can't wait for Gillian and Puck's story and who Gena thinks William's female will be...hope she stays course on Gillian not being William's female. He deserves a woman who can make him beg for her affections, kinda like Viola. Can't wait for more books Gena.

I know many people are probably screaming and wondering why the latest installment to the Lords of the Underworld happens to focus on Baden. I happen to be in the few minority of people who was excited that it was Baden and I knew I couldn’t wait to get my hands on The Darkest Torment.

Gena Showalter once again proves to loyal PNR fans on why we need to read her books. Ms. Showalter not only gave readers a story to get lost in but she delivered a story that exceeded my expectation. She held me hostage as I was immersed into a whole new world where my main focus was on Baden and Katrina. The outside world did not exist as Ms. Showalter beautifully tormented our imaginations with this intense burning passion brewing between them. Two lives clashed and collided and in the end readers are left stunned and begging for more. So if you are looking for a story where action, suspense, darkness, grittiness, and passion are intricately weaved into a story then this book is for you. As always, Ms. Showalter’s wicked prose and raw storyline will keep readers of this series entertained and begging for the next installment, The Darkest Promise.

The Darkest Torment (Lords of the Underworld, #12) by Gena Showalter is a Paranormal Adult Romance.
I liked both Baden and Katarina, but there were a few things about their relationship that struck my 'No Way' chord. Baden is definitely a Kick Butt character when it comes to taking care of enemies. Katarina has some very interesting qualities too. It's just certain aspects of Katarina's personality and their relationship was a bit insulting to Baden's personality.
I enjoyed most of this story. I loved the humor. I loved that William, Gillian and Cameo all had great scenes that carried their stories forward. There is a lot to love about this one. I just wish she hadn't written Baden so 'weak' when it came to some of Katarina's actions.
It is well written and flows smoothly and quickly. No editing problems that I saw. I have to say a solid 4 stars. It just didn't hit my super wow factor to get 5 stars.
The Darkest Torment (Lords of the Underworld)

Spoilers...There is a lot of action, character interaction, romance, and laughter. It's a great story and I loved this one. I am a huge dog fan and love pit bulls so I totally related to the heroine in this book. I would die or marry evil to save my pets. I loved Baden and his devotion to Katarina. I love how a male only wants one women and remains true to her. This is true romance to me.

I have a really hard time liking William, I can't get past how he sleeps with everyone while caring for Jillian. I know she is young and they are "together" yet and he thinks he can't have her, but the fact he doesn't seem to mind getting it on with everyone bothers me and in a sense to me is to close to cheating. Yeah I know it's not cheating if they aren't together, but I read romance for a reason and either character sleeping around while in love with someone else, takes away from the "love". I couldn't be with someone else while in love with my man. So I expect the same in my romance books. I wouldn't mind if Pippin won Jill, because William doesn't deserve her. I am looking forward to Misery and Lazarus's I hope they get their own book.

I am a die-hard Showalter fan so I needed this book after waiting (not so patiently) for it. And it tears at my soul to give her work such a bad review, but OMG! I literally CAN. NOT. DEAL. With Katarina. She's just an annoying brat. Whining and constantly trying to make poor Baden feel worthless. I understand that the only way she knows how to cope with people is consistently referring to her dog training knowlege. I get it, and I tried really hard to like her. But I cant. With the condesending tone, the bratty attitude that is NOT cute or funny, and her need to put people down pissed me off. She feels sorry for herself for most of the beginning (not a good first impression) and tries to be cunning afterward, only to look like an idiot. In every single one of her chapters, I was rolling my eyes and getting angry. The ONLY reason I kept reading was for for the side characters. With all Baden has been through and all of the time he lost with the other Lords, I believe he deserved better. It felt rushed and strained. I didnt really look forward to finish reading it. I think Gena was trying something new with this girl but it definitely missed its mark. By like, a continent. But I absolutely adore her so I have faith that Cameo's story is going to get us all back on track. We'll just call this one a fluke, okay Gena (I love you). Cant wait to read The Darkest Promise. ❤

Gena never fails to deliver!

I love Katarina's nickname for Baden and his co-personality Destruction: Baduction. It's hilarious! And that fact that she trains him like she does her dogs. It's just too funny. Honestly, I never thought about training a man like I do my critters...But come on - it would so work! I train my dogs and horses the same way. Come to think of it, it works great on the kids, too..... LOL

And I love all the stuff Gena included at the end of the book about the Lords. Just to mention, though, I want Bjorn's, Xerxes', and now Hades' stories, too!

***Contains spoilers***

I won an advanced readers copy of The Darkest Torment a few months ago and I was beyond excited when it showed up on my doorstep. I am a huge PNR fan and the Lords of the Underworld series is my all time favorite. I can't count how many times I have reread this series, it always gets better and better. If you have read the other books, you don't need to reread them. This book ties up all what has happened in the previous novels.

Now I will say this, Baden's story needed to be told first before Cameo's or even William's. The Darkest Torment set's up with the Lords are still trying to find the Morning Star and the Box. William and Gillian's dilemma and the war between Hades and Lucifer is still brewing.

I am a huge William fan and I have been rotting for him and Gillian from the beginning. I wanted to see the cocky man whore finally let that mask slip from his face, and in this book he does just that. He loses his calm and collected manner, something happens to Gillian and he has to find a way to save her. I have no idea if these two will ever be endgame, just like I thought Torin would be with Cameo, she introduces us to a new character Keeley. If Gena does this with William I would be okay with it, I just want Liam to be happy. He is one of my favorite Lords, and I might sound awful but I can't wait for the prophecy to begin. The apocalypse is coming, I can feel it. It's only a matter of time.......

P.S. - I also am curious to see just who William's biological parents are.

Baden's story was very interesting indeed. Being dead and imprisoned for centuries he is finally free or so we thought. He is bound to the demon of Destruction, and also Hades lap dog to do his bidding. He is also in a competition with Pandora, who ever has the most points of doing Hades deeds wins and is free to live his or her life. The other sadly will die forever.

Baden's first job is to find a coin, not just any coin. It grants one wish of anything in the world. And in doing so he meets his match Katarina Joelle.

Katarina Joelle, what can I say. I liked her. She is a passionate dog lover/trainer that would do anything to protect her precious pups. Including marrying a psychopath who threatens her every move. Baden thinks that she is the key to finding that coin, so he abducts her and uses her as ransom so to speak. There is no insta-love with these two folks, Baden thinks she is weak, but in reality she is the exact opposite. They are a team and protect each other when necessary.

Soon the bond turns to love, and Baden would do anything to protect his girl.

My favorite part was when Kat decides to make Baden jealous when she gets a massage by a man. Oh boy was he an angry male. Alpha male to put it nicely.

The Darkest Torment is a ACTION PACKED, HOT, SEXY, READ and my new favorite in the series.

Can't wait for Cameo and Lazarus in The Darkest Promise.

- Julia <3

The Darkest Torment is fast paced and full of action. Braden is broody yet he has a little vulnerability that makes him charming. I loved how loyal he was to his friends even when things got difficult. Katarina is quirky to say the least. It was easy to connect with her and her love for animals. The banter between her and Braden was absolutely hilarious. I loved her sense of humor. The story was engaging from the very beginning. This is just one of those series that keeps you wanting more and more. I loved everything about this book.

2.5 Stars, rounded off to 3

I used to love this series. First four or five books were great with amazing world building, interesting characters and creatures of myth and lore all over the place. Then the world got ridiculously blended up with every possible paranormal, supernatural, god-like creature and it was just too much.

I decided to pick it up again with this 12th book in the series because the blurb actually sounded intriguing.
Well.
Not so much. More of the same thing that made me abandon the series in the first place.
The writing is professional - no doubt about that. Showalter is a master of her craft in her genre. I like her wit and the current, snarky pop culture references (which will probably not help her books age all that well). Some of her books are on my favourites shelf, in fact. But this series is not among those books, despite the basically appealing style.

This is all personal preference, of course.
Some - actually, quite a lot of people - love the cast of hundreds type of stories with the basically the same tortured hero in every book. Honestly, they have become interchangeable to my eyes.

Also, this is definitely not a stand alone story. I've read about half of the books in the series and I was still pretty lost when a lot of the earlier events/people were mentioned. Yet those recaps slowed the story down and I would have been happier not quite understanding but moving along at a faster pace. The dialogue lagged because of these quite a bit.

In conclusion - this is definitely for the fans of the series only. Anyone else will be frustrated, in my opinion.

I want to finish on a positive note.
Showalter's Angels of the Dark series as well as Alien Huntress series are amazing and so far, getting better with each book. Burning Dawn is one of my all-time favourites and I've read it four times already. Likely to read it again and again in the future too.
I can't recommend those too enough!

Amazing series!!! The books just keep getting better!! I loved Katarina's fiery personality and her undying loyalty to the things that she loves! Baden was totally epic if not a little slow in coming around to how his woman thinks but he is a guy ya know!! This had a really good story and left some unfinished business that I cannot wait to see where that goes! I do not give spoilers so you just have to read to find out!!

This was an action packed read of mythology that doesn't disappoint. A bloody tale with a happy ending. Gena you know how to write with the myths in mind great detail into mythology. Hades exist and hellhounds exists in this fairytale of reality and myth. You had me hoping for all hope that Katarina and Baden would find each other. Can a human love an immortal and if so how do they exists together if one can die? A must read.

I know many people are probably screaming and wondering why the latest installment to the Lords of the Underworld happens to focus on Baden. I happen to be in the few minority of people who was excited that it was Baden and I knew I couldn’t wait to get my hands on The Darkest Torment.

Gena Showalter once again proves to loyal PNR fans on why we need to read her books. Ms. Showalter not only gave readers a story to get lost in but she delivered a story that exceeded my expectation. She held me hostage as I was immersed into a whole new world where my main focus was on Baden and Katrina. The outside world did not exist as Ms. Showalter beautifully tormented our imaginations with this intense burning passion brewing between them. Two lives clashed and collided and in the end readers are left stunned and begging for more. So if you are looking for a story where action, suspense, darkness, grittiness, and passion are intricately weaved into a story then this book is for you. As always, Ms. Showalter’s wicked prose and raw storyline will keep readers of this series entertained and begging for the next installment, The Darkest Promise.

The Darkest Torment (Lords of the Underworld, #12) by Gena Showalter is a Paranormal Adult Romance.
I liked both Baden and Katarina, but there were a few things about their relationship that struck my 'No Way' chord. Baden is definitely a Kick Butt character when it comes to taking care of enemies. Katarina has some very interesting qualities too. It's just certain aspects of Katarina's personality and their relationship was a bit insulting to Baden's personality.
I enjoyed most of this story. I loved the humor. I loved that William, Gillian and Cameo all had great scenes that carried their stories forward. There is a lot to love about this one. I just wish she hadn't written Baden so 'weak' when it came to some of Katarina's actions.
It is well written and flows smoothly and quickly. No editing problems that I saw. I have to say a solid 4 stars. It just didn't hit my super wow factor to get 5 stars.
The Darkest Torment (Lords of the Underworld)

Spoilers...There is a lot of action, character interaction, romance, and laughter. It's a great story and I loved this one. I am a huge dog fan and love pit bulls so I totally related to the heroine in this book. I would die or marry evil to save my pets. I loved Baden and his devotion to Katarina. I love how a male only wants one women and remains true to her. This is true romance to me.

I have a really hard time liking William, I can't get past how he sleeps with everyone while caring for Jillian. I know she is young and they are "together" yet and he thinks he can't have her, but the fact he doesn't seem to mind getting it on with everyone bothers me and in a sense to me is to close to cheating. Yeah I know it's not cheating if they aren't together, but I read romance for a reason and either character sleeping around while in love with someone else, takes away from the "love". I couldn't be with someone else while in love with my man. So I expect the same in my romance books. I wouldn't mind if Pippin won Jill, because William doesn't deserve her. I am looking forward to Misery and Lazarus's I hope they get their own book.

I am a die-hard Showalter fan so I needed this book after waiting (not so patiently) for it. And it tears at my soul to give her work such a bad review, but OMG! I literally CAN. NOT. DEAL. With Katarina. She's just an annoying brat. Whining and constantly trying to make poor Baden feel worthless. I understand that the only way she knows how to cope with people is consistently referring to her dog training knowlege. I get it, and I tried really hard to like her. But I cant. With the condesending tone, the bratty attitude that is NOT cute or funny, and her need to put people down pissed me off. She feels sorry for herself for most of the beginning (not a good first impression) and tries to be cunning afterward, only to look like an idiot. In every single one of her chapters, I was rolling my eyes and getting angry. The ONLY reason I kept reading was for for the side characters. With all Baden has been through and all of the time he lost with the other Lords, I believe he deserved better. It felt rushed and strained. I didnt really look forward to finish reading it. I think Gena was trying something new with this girl but it definitely missed its mark. By like, a continent. But I absolutely adore her so I have faith that Cameo's story is going to get us all back on track. We'll just call this one a fluke, okay Gena (I love you). Cant wait to read The Darkest Promise. ❤

Gena never fails to deliver!

I love Katarina's nickname for Baden and his co-personality Destruction: Baduction. It's hilarious! And that fact that she trains him like she does her dogs. It's just too funny. Honestly, I never thought about training a man like I do my critters...But come on - it would so work! I train my dogs and horses the same way. Come to think of it, it works great on the kids, too..... LOL

And I love all the stuff Gena included at the end of the book about the Lords. Just to mention, though, I want Bjorn's, Xerxes', and now Hades' stories, too!

***Contains spoilers***

I won an advanced readers copy of The Darkest Torment a few months ago and I was beyond excited when it showed up on my doorstep. I am a huge PNR fan and the Lords of the Underworld series is my all time favorite. I can't count how many times I have reread this series, it always gets better and better. If you have read the other books, you don't need to reread them. This book ties up all what has happened in the previous novels.

Now I will say this, Baden's story needed to be told first before Cameo's or even William's. The Darkest Torment set's up with the Lords are still trying to find the Morning Star and the Box. William and Gillian's dilemma and the war between Hades and Lucifer is still brewing.

I am a huge William fan and I have been rotting for him and Gillian from the beginning. I wanted to see the cocky man whore finally let that mask slip from his face, and in this book he does just that. He loses his calm and collected manner, something happens to Gillian and he has to find a way to save her. I have no idea if these two will ever be endgame, just like I thought Torin would be with Cameo, she introduces us to a new character Keeley. If Gena does this with William I would be okay with it, I just want Liam to be happy. He is one of my favorite Lords, and I might sound awful but I can't wait for the prophecy to begin. The apocalypse is coming, I can feel it. It's only a matter of time.......

P.S. - I also am curious to see just who William's biological parents are.

Baden's story was very interesting indeed. Being dead and imprisoned for centuries he is finally free or so we thought. He is bound to the demon of Destruction, and also Hades lap dog to do his bidding. He is also in a competition with Pandora, who ever has the most points of doing Hades deeds wins and is free to live his or her life. The other sadly will die forever.

Baden's first job is to find a coin, not just any coin. It grants one wish of anything in the world. And in doing so he meets his match Katarina Joelle.

Katarina Joelle, what can I say. I liked her. She is a passionate dog lover/trainer that would do anything to protect her precious pups. Including marrying a psychopath who threatens her every move. Baden thinks that she is the key to finding that coin, so he abducts her and uses her as ransom so to speak. There is no insta-love with these two folks, Baden thinks she is weak, but in reality she is the exact opposite. They are a team and protect each other when necessary.

Soon the bond turns to love, and Baden would do anything to protect his girl.

My favorite part was when Kat decides to make Baden jealous when she gets a massage by a man. Oh boy was he an angry male. Alpha male to put it nicely.

The Darkest Torment is a ACTION PACKED, HOT, SEXY, READ and my new favorite in the series.

Can't wait for Cameo and Lazarus in The Darkest Promise.

- Julia <3

The Darkest Torment is fast paced and full of action. Braden is broody yet he has a little vulnerability that makes him charming. I loved how loyal he was to his friends even when things got difficult. Katarina is quirky to say the least. It was easy to connect with her and her love for animals. The banter between her and Braden was absolutely hilarious. I loved her sense of humor. The story was engaging from the very beginning. This is just one of those series that keeps you wanting more and more. I loved everything about this book.

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING......
Another brilliant instalment of The Lords of the Underworld by Gena Showalter.
I loved reading Baden's story as I felt he was the one I knew least about. Gena always seems to find the perfect partners & has succeeded once again with Katarina.
Left in complete shock over William & Gilly, what on earth is going to happen with them next? I felt like pulling my hair out over Gilly & Puck, I never saw that coming. Well done for that twist Gena, you certainly know how to keep us gripped & I'm desperate to find out what's going to happen in the next book.
I couldn't put this book down until I'd finished the whole story & I'll be reading in over,& over again.
5 stars isn't enough for this story so thank you Gena Show alter for this outstanding edition.

2.5 Stars, rounded off to 3

I used to love this series. First four or five books were great with amazing world building, interesting characters and creatures of myth and lore all over the place. Then the world got ridiculously blended up with every possible paranormal, supernatural, god-like creature and it was just too much.

I decided to pick it up again with this 12th book in the series because the blurb actually sounded intriguing.
Well.
Not so much. More of the same thing that made me abandon the series in the first place.
The writing is professional - no doubt about that. Showalter is a master of her craft in her genre. I like her wit and the current, snarky pop culture references (which will probably not help her books age all that well). Some of her books are on my favourites shelf, in fact. But this series is not among those books, despite the basically appealing style.

This is all personal preference, of course.
Some - actually, quite a lot of people - love the cast of hundreds type of stories with the basically the same tortured hero in every book. Honestly, they have become interchangeable to my eyes.

Also, this is definitely not a stand alone story. I've read about half of the books in the series and I was still pretty lost when a lot of the earlier events/people were mentioned. Yet those recaps slowed the story down and I would have been happier not quite understanding but moving along at a faster pace. The dialogue lagged because of these quite a bit.

In conclusion - this is definitely for the fans of the series only. Anyone else will be frustrated, in my opinion.

I want to finish on a positive note.
Showalter's Angels of the Dark series as well as Alien Huntress series are amazing and so far, getting better with each book. Burning Dawn is one of my all-time favourites and I've read it four times already. Likely to read it again and again in the future too.
I can't recommend those too enough!

Amazing series!!! The books just keep getting better!! I loved Katarina's fiery personality and her undying loyalty to the things that she loves! Baden was totally epic if not a little slow in coming around to how his woman thinks but he is a guy ya know!! This had a really good story and left some unfinished business that I cannot wait to see where that goes! I do not give spoilers so you just have to read to find out!!

Loved it. What I like most about this series is each couple is different -- it does not feel like the same story over and over -- yet they all blend. The supporting characters are fantastic in each story and the saga is pushed a bit forward as each LOTU finds their love. The extras at the back of this one is fabulous. "Top Ten Hellhound Rules for Humans" -- BAHAHAHAHAHAH! We all have our favorite LOTU -- Baden is towards the top of my list. William... I hope your story is soon!

This was an action packed read of mythology that doesn't disappoint. A bloody tale with a happy ending. Gena you know how to write with the myths in mind great detail into mythology. Hades exist and hellhounds exists in this fairytale of reality and myth. You had me hoping for all hope that Katarina and Baden would find each other. Can a human love an immortal and if so how do they exists together if one can die? A must read.

I love the world that Gena has created with this series. Every character and story has just drawn me in and made me feel a part of it. This story was no different. Yes Baden was not on the top of my list of characters to read about, but I thought the story was really interesting, and I thought the author definitely did justice and added to the series. I really enjoyed it and absolutely can't wait to read more.

This is the twelfth book in the Lords of the Underworld series by Gena Showalter, and it’s Baden’s story. He was the Lord who was killed thousands of years ago, and has recently been released from the afterlife. When the story began, I thought that I had missed something from the previous books or just didn’t remember some events, being that the releases are a year apart. Still, I was able to catch up easily and get immersed in the story.

I have to say, I don’t understand why the author wrote Baden’s story when there were so many other characters that we were all looking forward to get their happy ending. This wasn’t my favorite book by her. I think that I found the subplots more interesting than the actual romance between the leads.

The main thing was that I didn’t really care for Baden or the heroine at all. I didn’t feel their connection, and it seemed like they were forced together for the sake of Baden getting a strong heroine to appease his darkness. Well, it didn’t work for me. The characters felt one-dimensional, and I just felt disappointed in general.

I feel like the author’s writing has shifted, and the last three books were not as enjoyable as the others. This novel set up for other stories that I’m looking forward to, and I will be reading Cameo’s book. I really hope that Gena Showalter does it justice.

I enoyed the book up until Katarina solely saw Baden as a dog that she could train. I understand taht she is a dog trainer and may draw parallels but half way through the book that became her sole goal; for example, at one point her thought process it "To begin her seduction-training- of Baden." It becomes clear that she does not want a man but only a dog she can train. That ruined the relationship, and thereby the book for me.

I'm a huge Gena Showalter fan, and I love the Lords of the Underworld series and was excited to read the next installment. So I pre-ordered it and thought it was just as good as the rest. The only problem that I had was the female lead training the male lead as if he was one of her rescue dogs. I'm usually not sensitive to that type of thing but for some reason it just kept irking me. Other than that, it was good.

The real trouble I had with this addition to the Lords Story was Baden. First of all we know next-t0 -nothing about Baden and we didn't get much of his history here. We got a little bit but I don't think we got enough for me to understand and justify some of his actions in this book. All the rest of the Lords we've gotten to know well throughout the series and I missed that from Baden.
Baden was very harsh and hard to relate to in the beginning of the book. He was very much,"Do what I say because I am in charge," and that type of personality really annoys me. I think that may have been one of the reasons I had trouble with him; because I hate nothing more than someone constantly telling someone else what to do. He did get better as the book went on but it took a long time.

I think I would have liked him more if we had gotten more of his past, maybe through flashbacks? It would have helped me to understand how he acted at the beginning if I knew who he used to be.

Now I did love Katatrina. I loved her relationship with the dogs and her finding her own voice.I love that she stood up to Baden when she needed to and found her own control. She is probably one of my favorite female characters throughout the stories. She needed to find her voice and use it instead of just constantly telling herself that she was strong. I liked that she got a way to prove that. I liked also the way she was able to gradually change Baden's attitude. It was nice to see.

I also did like the bit of different romance aspect to this one. They didn't spend as much time saying "We can't be together because of XYZ," it was more we have to find a way to work with each other's personalities and compromise when necessary. It was a nice change to see.

I am really hoping William is the next story line because the set up here made me eager to see how his story plays out!

I love any book by Gena Showalter, Her books are fun, sexy, and the male characters have just the right amount of possessiveness....Baden is strong but filled with guilt and needs to prove that the lovely Katarina needs him, when in fact he really needs her. I hope everyone reads this book and experience their love story.

Some series get old as they go on, but the Lords series has only gotten better! The storyline has gained so much depth, and I can't put these books down!

I loved Katarina's strength and independence despite being a seemingly typical human. So happy Baden returned and got his own story and that he had more depth than just being "the gentleman".

Keep 'em coming!!!

As always the Lords rank above 5 stars . I know mama's playing favorites . Not only did I enjoy Baden ' s story but I am dying to know how all the new players and pieces are going to fit together . Hades now has two new children , no I'm not telling . William is in a major snit, again not ruining that suprise for the world . Lucy is mad at daddy and is throwing the mother of all tantrums , greedy little child . And the rest of our Lords and their Ladies, as always , are keeping the family together one beat down at a time .

Well I must say Katarina is my least favorite mate. This book was disappointing. The only reason why I kept reading this book because the other side stories were more interesting. Baden's and Katarina story was lame and very boring. I did not like their storyline at all.

I can not believe people have given this travesty any sort of high score. The story hops all over the place and, honestly, doesn't make sense. I'm not even halfway through, and am having to force myself to read it, which is sad, as I've enjoyed the series.