Review: Obsession by Jennifer Armentrout

Published: May 31, 2013 Entangled Publishing, LLC (Covet)
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format: Kindle

Source: Purchased

Goodreads Summary 

This is a stand alone novel that is an adult spin-off
of the Lux Series

He’s arrogant, domineering, and... To. Die. For.

Hunter is a ruthless killer. And the Department of Defense has him firmly in their grasp, which usually doesn’t chafe too badly because he gets to kill bad guys. Most of the time he enjoys his job. That is, until he’s saddled with something he’s never had to do before: protect a human from his mortal enemy.

Serena Cross didn’t believe her best friend when she claimed to have seen the son of a powerful senator turn into something... unnatural. Who would? But then she witnesses her friend’s murder at the hands of what can only be an alien, thrusting her into a world that will kill to protect their secret.


Hunter stirs Serena’s temper and her lust despite their differences. Soon he’s doing the unthinkable—breaking the rules he’s lived by, going against the government to keep Serena safe. But are the aliens and the government the biggest threats to Serena’s life… or is it Hunter?

"Most Guys Aren't Human"

This story is a stand-alone in the Lux Series stories and is adult rather than YA. I admit the covers on The Lux Series have always been pretty hot, but this one blows them out of the water. You can tell immediately that it's more adult just by looking at the two of them, and I was mighty intrigued to see if we could get a character like Daemon that I didn't feel like an old lady for swooning over. You don't see muscles like that on a teenager.

The Good

When I started reading The Lux Series, I didn't know how much I was going to get into a story about aliens, especially if one of them was supposed to be swoon-worthy, but Armentrout has really created a complex and lovable world here. In Obsession, Hunter is an Arum, which is the enemy to the Luxen. My favorite cocky, crush-able alien, Daemon, just happens to be a Luxen, so this unique look into the mind of the other side is worth the read in and of itself. The rose-colored glasses are off, I got a look through his eyes at how most Luxen truly are (as well as Arum). After reading this one, there is no black and white. It's a lot of shades of grey.

Obsession switches POV between Hunter and Serena who is a human. Hunter is a "bad" guy. He is the epitome of hot bad boys everywhere. He's bossy, arrogant, strong, prone to breaking rules, and he likes beautiful women. He's given an assignment that he's very unhappy about and the pages proceed to smoke a little around the edges from there. If you thought the laptop scene was great, just wait until you read the study scene. Armentrout is such an excellent writer, the snark and chemistry just flowed the whole time I read.

It was nice to see a couple of cameos and not only that but this one really sets the stage for Origin. The central plot of this book aligns so well in the world that I gleaned a few tidbits about what will come in the future for Daemon and Katy as well.

The Bad

The only little thing of mention is that there were times that Serena said something that sounded just like something that Kat would say. I think it would be pretty hard to keep anything like that from happening though when it's the same author's voice supplying the dialogue and the characters have similar personalities.

The Romance

This is just my kind of romance. Hunter and Serena really don't want to have anything to do with each other, but you cannot deny the chemistry. They get an A+ in that class! Everything builds naturally and the romance and hesitancy all feels real. I really like these two together on the same page.

Conclusion

You don't have to read any of the previous Lux books to enjoy this story about Hunter and Serena, but my humble opinion is why on Earth would you skip such a great series? The writing is fun, easy to read through in one-sitting, and includes repetitive use of one of my favorite words: ninja. The characters are so easy to love and the romance is rocking that house. The story-line and action are intense at times and I got to see a recognized face a time or two. I wouldn't miss this one at all if you are a Lux fan or if you enjoy Paranormal Romance!

Excerpts

"Miss Cross?" His voice was like whiskey, deep and smooth, but there was something about the hard line of his jaw that said the man didn't smile a lot. Two eyes such a pale blue they seemed to lack color stared back into mine.

"Don't come near me."
One single brow went up. "Wasn't planning on it, but I at least thought there'd be a 'thank you for saving my life' statement thrown in."
"You're not human," I said slowly.
"And that obviously has nothing to do with the fact I saved your life," he replied. 
Maybe not, but I was beyond caring. There was a dead...something on my floor and a whatever standing in front of me. "Thank you, but please-"
"That didn't sound sincere, but it doesn't matter. We-"
He had taken a step toward me, and I shrieked, "Don't touch me!"

Hunter leaned in again, bringing our mouths within kissing distance. Restlessness unfurled, spreading through my veins, spiking my pulse. I froze.