Review: Tempted by Elisabeth Naughton

Tempted by Elisabeth Naughton
Series:  Eternal Guardians #3
Release Date:  September 6, 2011
Publisher:   Sourcebooks 
Page Count:  336
Source:  Barnes and Noble via my wallet

DEMETRIUS—He’s the hulking, brooding warrior his fellow Guardians avoid. Too dark. Too damaged. And given his heritage, he knows it’s best to keep everyone at arm’s length.

Isadora is missing. The words pounded through his head like a frantic drumbeat. For her own protection, Demetrius had done all he could to avoid the fragile princess, his soul mate. And now she was gone—kidnapped. To get her back, he’ll have to go to the black place in his soul he’s always shunned. As daemons ravage the human realm and his loyalty to the Guardians is put to the ultimate test, Demetrius realizes that Isadora is stronger than anyone thought. And finally letting her into his heart may be the only way to save them both.

I’ve been waiting to see how this story would play out since Demetrius flipped out in Entwined at the thought of being bound to Isadora.  Sure Isadora came off as a truly pampered princess in the first two books and maybe someone as hard as Demetrius would have a hard time being mated to someone like her, but his reaction was totally over the top.  However,  reaction makes complete sense when we learn that he knows Isadora is his soul mate but given the evil her believes lurks inside him, he’s done everything he can to make her hate him.

What we find with Demetrius is a man who is scarred by who his mother is (I won’t reveal that one) and by the abuse he suffered by his father.  He feels he isn’t worthy of anyone like Isadora and rather than give himself any hope, he lashes out in hopes of making them hate him.  He is, in fact, one of those alpha males that I love.  Hard as rocks on the outside, but nice and squishy on the inside. 

Isadora, who was a little annoying at times in the earlier books, truly proves herself in Tempted.  She may not be used to having to do things for herself, but she’s willing to try.  She was stronger than Demetrius or herself thought she was and became the strong warrior woman that our Eternal Guardian’s sole mates need to be.  Her ultimate triumph came when she finally stood up to her father and demanded he give her her birthright in order to save the man she loves. 

The next book in the series, Enraptured (which comes out April 2012), will feature Orpheus who will journey into the underworld to save his brother Gryphon from the Underworld.  Seeing as Apophos stole his body for his evil deeds, this should be quite interesting.

If you love Greek mythology, these sexy Argonaut decedents are just the men you’ll want to sync your teeth (or nails) into.