BITTER BITE (ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN BOOK 14)

Which is stronger: blood ties or a battle-tested friendship?

It’s not easy being queen bee of an underworld abuzz with crooks and killers. Wielding my potent Ice and Stone elemental magic will only get me so far—my real secret is my tight-knit makeshift family, a motley crew of cops and criminals, dwarves and playboys. My foster brother Finnegan Lane is my right-hand man, but when his suddenly not-dead relative comes back into the picture, I’m the one on the outside looking in. 

It’s funny how life works: one minute your best friend is rock-steady, and the next he’s doe-eyed and buying into this whole loving-relative routine to the point of ignoring you. I’d like to be happy for Finn, I really would. But all of my instincts are telling me that beneath the syrupy sweet demeanor and old-fashioned charm, this sudden interloper is planning something. The whole shtick leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. This person might have avoided the grave once, but I’ll put anyone who hurts Finn in the ground—for good.

Release Date: February 23, 2016

Pocket Books

Elemental Assassin #14

Review copy provided by publisher

With each book in the Elemental Assassin series I think there is no way I'll like this book more than the last book, and I'm wrong every single time. I absolutely adore each book in the series and feel the books get stronger with each addition to the Elemental Assassin series.

Gin Blanco remains one of my favorite characters in the Urban Fantasy genre. She is such a strong character partially due to everything she has gone through in her past and partially because she must always be the one to step up and protect her friends and family. When her foster brother Finnegan Lane's long dead mother reappears, I knew it wouldn't be pretty for Gin for long. I didn't trust Deidre any more than Gin did and just knew she was using Finn for something bad. I hated that Finn, who had known Gin pretty much their entire lives decided to trust Deidre and blow off Gin's concerns about her. I did love that Ms. Estep addressed the elephant in the room, since Gin had just gone through a similar situation with Owen right up front. I will say with all my love for Finn, I still wanted to "Gibbs smack" him across the back of the head multiple times while reading Bitter Bite.

I always know in my heart of hearts that everything will work out for Gin and her family and friends, but have to say Ms. Estep kept me on the edge of my seat a little longer than I really wanted. I have to say I really kind of loved to hate Deidre as a villain, and couldn't wait to see her get hers. Bitter Bite was a can't put this book down until I finish reading the story for me. Seriously I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish reading it because I had to see where Ms. Estep was taking the story next.