HIS DARK BOND - Anne Marsh
Fallen - Book 2
Kensington Brava Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-0758-26679-8
February 2012
Paranormal Romance

M City - Present Day

Fallen angel—or goblin—Zer has indulged in every sin possible. Now, he finds himself on a mission tougher than he imagined, rescuing and finding a soul bond mate for Nessa St. James. Nessa and others like her carry the salvation of the fallen with them; they can restore the wings the angels lost.

Nessa wants nothing more than to prove her thesis and develop science. When she hits a roadblock like cut funding, she must discover some way to press on. Zer's offer of bonding in exchange for a favor, any favor, might sound promising to some, but Nessa takes no freebies.

However, with a danger creeping closer and Nessa the only one who can help put a stop to a serial killer and restore their wings, Zer won't stop until he changes her.

HIS DARK BOND is a compelling story in the paranormal romance genre. Anne Marsh is a gifted storyteller with wonderful characters. Nessa St. James is a stubborn woman with a woman's needs. Her desires, science and passion, war with one another throughout the book. Zer is an alpha male of alpha males. He displays all the usual characteristics: struggles with anger, is afraid of loosing control, is a passionate but controlling lover, and in the end is enthralled with his mate.

The concept behind the Fallen series is original and intriguing. Readers will enjoy how Marsh transforms the legend of how the angels fell with goblins and other supernatural creatures.

Content advisory: Readers, including myself, may be turned off by the language that constantly appears throughout the book. While crude and foul language can be necessary, important, and even crucial to describing a scene or developing characterization, readers will most likely consider Zer's constant use of the "f-bomb" to be irritating and without point. Zer also calls Nessa baby at every turn, which, when read by some in the context, could have been taken as a derogatory term toward women. It does not seem that Ms. Marsh intended it this way after reading book one, BOND WITH ME, with the male protagonist's love and equality for his female in that book.

Overall HIS DARK BOND is an entertaining read that is full of promise. Readers need not have read book one, BOND WITH ME (2011 reprint), to grasp the world of the Fallen. Paranormal romance fans should definitely give this book a try, and be on the lookout for the next book in the series, SAVAGE BOND, a novella coming soon.

Lenore