Hard Breaker (Gargoyles #6)
Ivy Beckett has a special gift. She can hear voices, feel events, and receive messages from great distances. Which is also a curse. The moment her family is killed by the servants of the Darkness, she knows it. And the only way to fight these evil forces is to align her powers with a Guardian. A legendary warrior of stone who strikes fear in her heart―and fire in her soul…
Baen is a fierce and powerful gargoyle who has sworn to protect all humans from the Darkness. But when this mighty winged warrior swoops down to rescue Ivy from the jaws of death, he is drawn into a battle that is more dangerous―and more intimate―than he ever bargained for. The beautiful, gifted Ivy touches something deep within him, an all-consuming passion that puts both their lives at risk. Can he conquer the armies of evil itself . . . without losing the woman he loves?
~ Goodreads
| Book DepositoryFluttering Thoughts:
Worldbuilding: I liked the world, even with this Light vs Evil theme that I’m not necessarily into. I liked the Guardians vs demons, the Guild vs the Order, nocturnis vs gargoyles, and the magic just tops it off. Nice mix of London&Paris settings too.
Characters: Ivy is genuinely cool. Clairaudience is a kickass gift to have, pretty original – this might be the first instance of it I read of – plus she’s action-prone ans has a snarkalicious sense of humor for the win.
Baen is a knight in shining armor, alpha badass with a righteous cause, and also snarky which is always a plus.
I loved their super hot chemistry and their banter.
Plot: The surprise/accidental meant-to-be-mates trope was entertaining, resulting in slow burn romance and loooots of yummy tension. Active pace of events, lots of action. Unfortunately, I got a bit disconnected from the story when the gang got together, since this is my first in the series and I was really invested in the Ivy/Baen tangent. It was still interesting from that point on, but things felt somewhat slower.
Writing: Third person, past tense narrative, his/her POV.
Curb Appeal: Cool cover, hooking blurb – impulsive buy material for my PNR needs.
I recommend Hard Breaker to fans of PNR with a bit more unusual beings – like gargoyles for the win – that include a good vs evil background, hot chemistry, and snarky banter.
