4 stars! Black & Blue (Otherworld Assassin #2) by Gena Showalter

Corbin Blue is a man of many talents. One of the most powerful otherworlders ever born, he is wealthy, a professional football star, and a legend in the bedroom. But only a select few know he is also a black ops agent…and there is no better killer. When he and his crew are attacked and separated, he’s forced to turn to his boss’s daughter for help—a woman with even more secrets than Blue.

Evangaline Black has always been wary, guarded. No man has ever breeched her walls. Until Blue. He has never been denied something he wants, and now, he’s decided he wants her. As he sweeps her into his double life of seduction, intrigue, and danger, he helps her see beyond the darkness of her own past. But as an enemy closes in, Blue will have to let Evie go to keep her safe—even though he'd rather die than live without her…

Type: Paranormal Romance, Aliens?
Heat: 3 out of 5
Rating: 4 out of 5

Amazon Book Depository Goodreads

Heh. So, Black and Blue. I loved this one. It's got some nice heat, has some awesome gut churning action and a nice dose of cheesy goodness. The characters are fun and really grow on you and holy crap some of the things Black and Blue get up to--in and out of the bedroom--had me squirming.

Corbin Blue and Evangeline Black are both linked to each other because of their involvement with a black ops team her father runs and the two... Lordy they push each others buttons in the worst way. I mean, they totally despise each other. Kinda. Maybe. So when a turn of events--his team being attacked-- lands them in a tricky situation of having to trust and depend on each other in order to find and save the people that mean the most to them you know things are going to get...interesting.

"Sometimes that power builds up and requires an outlet."

She thought for a moment. "Kind of like the world's worst temper tantrum with deadly results?"

He nearly choked on his tongue. She wasn't afraid of him, and clearly she never would be. "Yes."

"What kind of outlet?" she asked.

"A physical fight." He paused, watching her expression for the minutest change. "Sex."

No horror. Only interest.

The interest nearly slayed him.

"In that case..." she said. She punched him once, twice, three times. "Better?"

Each of the blows knocked his head to the side. Blood trickled into his mouth, and sharp stings registered.

Amusement doused the hottest threads of the rage--but not his sexual hunger. He spit out the blood, his desire for her even worse. "Amendment. I have to do the beating."

"Oh. Well, my bad. I'm going to decline on that one."

So, when you first meet Corbin Blue... dude is a douche and I was so prepared not to like his ass. But--brownie points for the guy--he totally knows he's a douche. And amazingly over the book he grew on me like you wouldn't believe. I loved seeing him grow and change as a man and seeing how he really felt about his job as a black ops agent and the assholery moves with women that resulted from it. He turned out to be a really nice surprise and, yeah, totally had me going girly swoony over him like all the women that cross his path.

And Eve was a treat and a really bad ass heroine. She's got attitude, is wicked smart and a bit blood thirsty. And I just loved her and all her fierceness.

I really liked these two together. They're both a bit, hrm, emotionally stunted? And it was kinda sweet seeing them both dealing with their emotions, their attraction to each other and just dealing with being in a relationship at all since really neither of them have ever seriously gone there. Things get nicely heated up between the sheets and there are some pretty make you bust out laughing moments as they go about uncovering the culprit behind the attacks on Blue and his team and found out that there's a fine line between someone driving you crazy and being crazy in love. ::snort:: If you like human/otherworlder pairings and action/danger mixed with your romance give this one a go.

Have you read Gena Showalter? Have a favorite?

Have a character you were sure you'd hate that completely won you over?