Marked by Hades by Reese Monroe – a Review

Marked by HadesBound by Hades – Book #2
by Reese Monroe
Release Date: April 14, 2014

Links or order Marked by Hades:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Description:
One choice away from eternity…

For 911 years, Gatekeeper companion Justin Bradford has denied the possibility of being mated to only one woman. He enjoys them all too much to settle down. So when he feels his mate’s Ahavah mark surface, his first instinct is to ignore it. But when he sees the leather-clad beauty in need of his help that’s easier said than done…

Yvonne wakes up naked on a cold park bench in a small town with no memory of who—or what—she is. All she knows is the gentle man who woke her was turned to dust when she touched him. And now the strange mark that appeared on her shoulder throbs in the presence of the raven-haired man now offering to help her…

As Justin and Yvonne navigate the mystery of her past, their bond grows, but the secrets they discover and the sacrifices that must be made could be enough to rip them apart for eternity


Review:

Marked by Hades is the 2^nd book in Reese Monroe’s Bound by Hades series.  If you haven’t read my review of the first book, (Forged by Fate), this series revolves around the Gatekeeper of Hades, who vanquishes demons to hell.  Theo is our gatekeeper, and the first book’s hero, and his Gatekeeper companion (helper) is his brother, Justin.  This book belongs to Justin, whom we fell in love with in the first book, as he was the fun loving womanizing one of the two. 

We meet our heroine Yvonne immediately, as she wakes up on a park bench naked, and with no memory of who she is.  A Good Samaritan comes to her aid, and much to her horror, she accidently kills him just by her touch.  Yvonne clothes herself in leather, especially the gloves, so that she doesn’t kill anyone else, but has no idea where to turn for answers.  One night, she is attacked and in her defense she pulls off the gloves.   Justin just happened to be near and saw her dust the bad guy.  Before he could get to her, she runs away.

We all know that Justin vehemently does not want a mate, which is expected at some time.  After all, like Theo had to wait 900 years to find his mate in Sadie, Justin has waited that long and has no problem waiting another 900 years.  Much to his chagrin, he senses the Ahavah mark being branded on his shoulder, and that of his mate somewhere near.  Eventually he finds Yvonne, and recognizes that she is his mate.  

What follows is a non-stop action filled story, and a beautiful romance.  When Justin brings Yvonne to Theo, it is Sadie who recognized Yvonne as Dyre, the demon who helped her escape her captivity in Hades.  The immediate reaction is to kill her, as she is a demon, even if she shows no signs of being one.  Watching Justin fall in love with Yvonne, and she with him was really so well done.  Their romance was very sexy, even when she had her leather clothes on.  Lol  I loved how Sadie and Yvonne became close, knowing this human side of Yvonne was one of them.  The battle does begin, as the demons want her (Dyre) back, and Theo’s life is in danger. 

Reese Monroe does another fantastic storyline, where we get to see both sides of Yvonne/Dyre, as she returns to Hades.  The excitement builds throughout, as we head to a very exciting climax. Will Yvonne ever return?  Will Justin be able to claim his mate?  Is Yvonne truly a demon?  Will the Great One be able to stop Lucifer?

The great cast of characters in this series, both good and evil were nicely written.  I loved Theo, Sadie, Dasha (Can’t wait for her story), besides Justin and Yvonne.  Halena is one of the good guys, but for now she is rough and brusque.  I’m sure in time, she will have her own storyline, and this will change.   Marked by Hades is another wonderful addition to this series, and I really do enjoy Reese Monroe’s writing.  If you like fantasy with Gatekeepers, Demons, God, Lucifer, Angels and Humans, and a story filled with action, excitement, romance, steamy sex, and great characters, then this series is for you.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher