Hardest Fall by Juliette Cross

February 25, 2019 Sparkles Book Review, The More The Merrier Review (TMTM) 0 ★★★★

Hardest Fall by Juliette Cross
Series: Dominion #2
Also in this series: Darkest Heart
Published by Entangled Publishing on February 25th 2019
Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy
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The tattooed demoness, Bone, doesn’t like anything except the magical weapons she makes. But she has hidden talents few know about. When I was brought to her near death, she used her Seraph song to manipulate flesh and bone to save me. But she wasn’t happy about it.

Now I must return the favor. Even though she refuses to take sides in the apocalypse, there’s one job she’s not willing to do for the demon prince Rook. If she doesn’t, her head will end up on a spike. Of course, there’s a good chance we’re all going to die anyway, but I will do anything to protect this fierce woman—and not just because she saved me.

So now we’re both off to kill a demon—or three—and possibly save the world.

This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

By Lily Hardest Fall is the third Juliette Cross book I have read in as many weeks. I can see why Sparkles is quick to pick up every new release, and she is now rolling her eyes reminding us that she has been singing her praises for some time now!

A desperate plea for help brings Bone and Xander together. She agrees to heal Xander and from the moment he is well enough to realise his surroundings he is instantly aware of his attraction to her. The feeling is mutual but whereas Xander is open to what he feels, Bone is determined to not go there.

Bone is renowned for her weaponry craftsmanship. She’s a mysterious character that impressed me from the moment I came across her in the Darkest Heart. We learn there’s a lot more to her solitary persona as the story unfolds. Her ability to make a difference through her singing and compassionate nurturing soul along with her want to keep her stance of not becoming involved in the ongoing fight for control added to her appeal.

“I didn’t fall from grace, Xander. I walked away.”

Xander took a lot more convincing to impress me. While they had undeniable chemistry, I had hoped for someone more than him. Initially he appeared to be out of his league. Before I knew it I had accepted his place in her life and it became more about Bone letting down her guard.

“She wasn’t truly lost…just frozen in her walled-off field of neutrality.”

Xander challenges Bone on her neutrality stance. It takes an innocent child to slowly sway her thinking. I found a lot of the story predictable but it didn’t detract from the story. The pace, action and ever looming danger kept me turning pages and smiling when I discovered I was right in my predictions.

Nothing is black and white in the new world they find themselves in. Past characters add a good level of familiarity without detracting from the main characters. Music references add a fabulous dimension, so much so I had to stop to listen to Ciara’s version of Painted Black.

You won’t want to miss Hardest Fall if you like strong heroines and action packed paranormal romances where the moral lines are blurred.

4+ Stars

You know how good is this story? I need the next installment in the series ASAP, I don’t care what Ms. Cross has to do, even if means she has to become a hermit and abandon her family and friends for as long as it takes to get it written. That’s how good Hardest Fall and the Dominion series is.

I strongly suggest reading Darkest Heart first as the overarching story and the whole world where our story takes place is set up there. Actually, the Dominion series is a spinoff or sequel to The Vessel Trilogy (which I haven’t gotten a chance to read yet but it’s up there in my TBR), but I didn’t have any problems understanding how this apocalyptic world works.

Now, this one had a bit of a slower start for me. With the level of kick-assed-ness that Bone is, I was expecting this to pretty much hit the ground running, especially after the very first chapter. And although it took me a bit to get into the groove of the story, it soon picked up its pace and I was in battle-action heaven.

Bone was an epic leading demoness. She had grit, sass and a fierceness that I totally adored. I especially loved to witness her surrendering the walls she had erected around her heart… and we had Xander to thank for that.

Xander was sexy, charismatic, charming and alpha enough to butt heads with Bone. Granted, he acted somewhat jerkishly in the beginning but all things considered; he was pretty timely in getting his head out of his ass and realizing what he felt for her. Now, as much as I loved Xander and the insanely hot chemistry he shared with Bone, I can’t say he surpassed Dommiel as my favorite… he’s a really hard act to follow. But I can’t deny he gave a really good fight…

“No demon prince nor legion of devils nor all the bloody apocalyptic spawn in creation could ever keep me from her.”

With lots of action, intrigue, battles and the hottest sex, Hardest Fall had everything I was waiting for. The story just keeps getting more and more interesting and I can’t wait to see how it’ll all unfold. With so many fascinating characters I just can’t decide whose story I’m hoping for next!