Search - The Darkest Passion (Lords of the Underworld, Bk 8)

When I first started reading this book I didn't think I'd like it very much. Every time I turned a page Olivia was crying again. I don't require my heroines to be emotionally dead, but come on, you're embarrassing me and I'm not even in the scene! I feared that she'd spend the whole book sobbing at the drop of a hat. That is definitely not the heroine for me. Luckily, Olivia bounces back pretty quickly. She's still a little bipolar at times, but for the most part she becomes well adjusted.

This book was a quick, light read. I know that they're supposed to be angsty and tortured with the demons and all, but that's not how this series comes across to me at all. They had some really funny parts in this book. I liked watching Aaron struggle with himself. He cracked me up when he'd cave to her pressure and compliment himself on what a great guy he was. I wouldn't have been surprised if his demon had slapped him on the back and congratulated him for taking one for the team (metaphorically of course).

Watching Olivia learn to be human was also entertaining. She had the right idea in making sure she experienced the most in life. If you're going down, you might as well make it worth it. The angel council seemed pretty harsh. I don't know whether humanity should be worried or not with these guys pulling the strings.

Legion, and Aaron's blindness toward her, got old really quick. What a selfish creature. I didn't enjoy so much page time devoted toward her and after her actions in the bathroom (trying to avoid spoilers) toward the end I wonder what part she's going to have in the future of the series. Also, Aaron's willingness to do that-thing-to-save-them-all (vague again!) was totally upsetting to my romance-reader heart. It was really depressing because I didn't see a way out of it. Even though he was upset about it, it still pissed me off that he even agreed. That's not the way it's supposed to happen! The author did choose the one route I didn't see him taking, so it all worked out. Sort of...

The events at the end kind of seemed to come out of nowhere. I thought Olivia's explanation for why she was able to help Aaron was pretty weak. You argued that? And it worked? Also, meeting that friend toward the end left the book with a somber note. You're happy for Olivia and Aaron, but you still can't help but feel bad.

It was a toss up between 3 stars and 4 stars for this book. I swung toward 4 because even though the end seemed really weird and out of place, I had a good time reading it and was entertained.

Long book, at over 430 pages you might think that you would never get to the end. There are alot more stories going on besides Aeron and Olivia. I still find Showalter's characters fascinating and likable (the good guys anyway). But at times this book seemed to drag for me, occasionally the book was bogged down by the dialogue in Olivia or Aeron's head, and Legion's tantrums. And I was not really satisfied by the ending. Even though i was not 'head over heels' about this installment, by no means am i dropping this series. My issues with this particular book do not sway me from the series as a whole. I still love all the Lords of the Underworld and Olivia is a charming character. And I'm glad Legion got what was coming to her for trying to trap Aeron. We get some glimpses at some new characters and some old ones pop back up (Baden) and I can't wait to see what will happen next.

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This was one of the best in the whole series for me. I was up past 3am last night finishing this book, I just could not stop reading. I've loved Aaron since way back when and was really excited to read his story. I loved Olivia, when she wasn't cracking me up (her visit with Gideon) I was feeling her sorrow (having fallen and lost everything she once held dear and at times thinking after all that Aaron would still reject her). The book was long and I was glad for it, I didn't want it to end. There was just enough strife balanced with hope.

*****SPOILERS********
That being said... I did NOT like the ending...how we were lead through so much strife, so many obstacles, so many impossible can't see your way out situations, just for Mrs. Gena to wrap it all up in 3 pages, tie it up with a neat pretty little bow and there you go. I was like "What! it was that easy?" The Angel Counsel would not relent when Lysander begged for Olivia to not have to kill Aaron in the first place and they were the ones who stripped her of her wings in the first place... and in 2 pages she just goes to them and begs and says I need him and they say ok.

I hated (still do) Legion. Someone compared her to Simi in the Dark Hunter books. I would totally disagree, that's an insult to Simi. Ok, so Showalter peaked my interest with the attraction between her and Galen... and I kind of like that he's on his way to Hell to find her, supposedly to kill her but we all know that he was so taken with her during their "time together" in the bathroom. So that might be interesting. But I hated her with Aaron, it was sick and disgusting the thought of him sleeping with her.

I hated that he's no longer paired with Wrath. I hated that he no longer has his tattoos and wings... I don't like that at all, to me he's not Aaron w/o those elements, ah gosh... those beautiful black wings are gone! sob...

Him having to leave Baden behind was heartbreaking. And it'll be forever before they find that damn box and are able to free him.

Gideon has also been one of my favorites ever since he was introduced, but I don't like it when the Hero is paired with someone he already knows, even if he's forgotten her. So I'm a little disappointed that Scarlet was once his wife. Also how long does it take to grow those hands back.

The Lord I most want to read about is Torin. Can't wait!!! I'm most worried about William... don't know where this thing w/ him and Gilly is going and I don't know if I want them to be together or not, it's a little creepy because she is so young and because of the abuse she suffered, but still he's connected to her and she him... then there's that prophecy... so I'm worried she might be his downfall. So anyway... even though I thought the ending was plucked outta nowhere I still loved this book. To me Aaron and Olivia had the best chemistry of them all.

L-O-V-E-D it!!! Best book (#5) in the Lords of the Underworld series! Nobody could rip this book from my hands until I finished. Aeron keeper of Wrath was sexy and soooo consuming. I was hesitant when I first started this because of all the damn whimpering from Olivia over giving up her wings to be with Aeron, but it was soooo worth the read. Except the ending. Without giving up the juicey details, it felt very forced to give these characters a resolute finish for readers. I think I would have been happier if it ended in complete misery balling my eyes out crying and carrying me into a second book for these two. I could have easily read a part two for these two lovers. The way this book reads Aeron and Olivia could carry their own.

The plot just keeps getting thicker for these lords. I'm dying to see how this all turns out. The side stories with William are peeking my interest. Over all still a thumbs up.

Enjoyed this book..I always do. The end gives a good twist and look into the future of how they will get "old" friends back....

Love this series from Gina Showalter. She is ranking right up there with Christine Feehan, Lyndsay Sands, Marjorie Liu and a few others in my estimation of must have books. All of her books could stand alone, but, I think it is better to read them as written. I get engrossed in these books, but laugh a lot too. Great stories and great romance.