Dark Alpha's Caress

DARK ALPHA’S CARESS is the tenth instalment in Donna Grant’s contemporary, adult THE REAPERS paranormal, romance / fantasy series focusing on Death’s Reapers. This is Reaper Cathal, and Halfling Sorcha’s story line. The REAPERS is a spin off from Donna’s DARK KINGS series which is a spinoff from Donna’s DARK WARRIOR series which in turn is a spin off from Donna’s DARK SWORD series- all set in the Highlands of Scotland. You do not have to have read any of the previous series to understand the premise but many of the events overlap with the events of the Dark Kings. DARK ALPHA’S CARESS is the beginning of a new series arc and can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion. SOME BACKGROUND: The Reapers (believed to be a folk lore amongst the Fae) are a group of Dark and Light Fae, selected by Death (aka Erith), on their own deathbed, to do her bidding-Death is the judge and jury; the Reapers are the executioners. The Reapers are not harbingers of death, but are tasked with destroying the Light and Dark Fae who have crossed a line from which there is no return. All Reapers must follow two rules: never to fall in love; and never to reveal their existence to anyone. Told from third person perspective DARK ALPHA’S CARESS focuses on Halfling Sorcha as she has become the target of a number of fae. Reaper Cathal is tasked with uncovering the who and why of the influx of fae near the Isle of Skye but it is Sorcha who reveals there is something more dangerous developing within the fae community. As Cathal remains cloaked in an effort to follow our story line heroine, Sorcha struggles with ten years of guilt, and her refusal to use the magic with which she was born. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Sorcha and Cathal, and the potential fall-out when the couple discover there is a bounty on our story line heroine’s head, a bounty connected to sins of the past. Sorcha has been in virtual seclusion for close to ten years since the death of her mother and sister. Blaming herself for the loss of her family, Sorcha battles between head and heart but a request from her cousin finds our heroine stepping out of her comfort zone to uncover the truth about a potential threat to the Isle of Skye. Cathal had been following a group of fae and in this he will come up close and personal with our story line heroine. Having no idea if Sorcha is involved in the potential threat to the supernatural world, Cathal and fellow Reaper Aisling begin to uncover the truth about Sorcha, the influx of fae, and a new threat to the supernatural world. Meanwhile, the Reapers continue to search for Xaneth, former Fae queen Useail’s nephew, a light Fae who went missing as the war between the Light and Dark Fae, and the Dragon Kings came to fruition. The relationship between Sorcha and Cathal is one of immediate attraction but Cathal knows that to fall in love goes against the Reaper’s code. As guardian and protector of our story line heroine, Cathal finds himself falling for a woman who is unaware of her true nature, and the power she is able to wield. The $ex scenes are passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text. There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Erith (Death) and her mate Cael, Aisling, Rordan, Eoghan, and Sorcha’s cousin Rhona. The requisite evil has many faces. DARK ALPHA’S CARESS is a story of family, betrayal and vengeance; relationships, friendships and love. The premise intriguing, imaginative and entertaining; the romance is seductive and captivating; the characters are strong, energetic and colorful.

For the past ten years Sorcha has kept herself hidden away in her home, keeping to herself. Yet, she finds herself in Ireland spying on a group of Druids. Worried about what she discovered, in a hurry to return home and report to her cousin, the leader of the Skye Druids, she hurts herself on the way back to her car, only to be rescued by a dark fae. Cathal is intrigued by Sorcha. Tasked with gathering information for Death, he follows her back to Scotland, where he discovers a large number of fae are after Sorcha. The question is why. Cathel us determined to uncover the answer. In the meantime, Cathel plans to stick close to Sorcha and do anything necessary to keep her safe. Ms. Grant has a great talent for world building from her cowboy and suspense to the realms of the Reapers and the Dragon Kings, she creates strong characters that draw the reader in, make them feel what the character feels until the reader is part of the story. The guilt, the pain and the anxiety felt by both Sorcha and was clear. I was drawn in from the first chapter and only unwillingly emerged after the final sentence. I recommend everyone enter the worlds of Donna Grant. You'll never want to come out. I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily offer my review.

Grant never disappoints. Once again she has given us an excellent book with interesting and relatable characters (even if they are Fae, druids, and Reapers). There's also danger, romance, and a satisfying HEA. Highly recommend. I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher via Bookfunnel. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor.