My Review:

Believe me when I tell you- this is probably the best book I have read all year! J.A Redmerski delivers another mesmerizing book in the incredibly exciting series, In the Company of Killers. I was actually a little hesitant to read this book, especially after reading the synopsis because Niklas has never been one of my favorite characters in the book. But I am so glad I did. He needed his own book and it blew me away.

First of, can we take a moment to ponder just how complex Niklas is? I mean, after reading the previous books I just thought he was an asshole, plain and simple. But now he is human to me. I can understand why he is the way that he is. From being forced into a life he didn’t choose just because he loved his brother to being betrayed by that same brother, all I can say is ‘wow’. It all makes sense now. And how could you not love his rough exterior, even when that exterior is hiding a heart of gold? So many layers- love it, love it, love it. Redmerski is a master at writing 3- dimensional characters and Niklas definitely didn’t disappoint.

Another thing that this book did beautifully was it brought just the right mix of action and romance, even though most of the romance occurred in the midst of all the action. Normally, this is a hit or miss for me but she is a master at this skill. Nothing seems out of place and the story flows effortlessly. Not only that, but it astounds me how she comes up with such a twisty, messed-up plot that I can’t stop thinking about days after finishing her books. I honestly hope these series never end because they are my favorite series by far. Hands down.

Also, how unique is it that the chapters consist of different perspectives from all the major characters in the story? Extremely unique and so tastefully done. It adds to the excitement and the anticipation of what’s going to happen next. I love that personal touch. 

Going back to the complexity of the characters, it is also amazing how they progress and change as the story develops and things they haven’t foreseen happen. Now, in book five, all the characters have come a long way and they have changed immensely and in many ways. And it’s all a result of what happens to them and how they deal with it or don’t. However, at the same time, they are still fundamentally true to themselves and who they are and I don’t find myself questioning whether or not a certain character would act like that or not in a particular situation. I love being able to follow their development, especially from inside their head. Bravo, Redmerski! Bravo!

My Review:

Wow, I thought Redmerski's In the Company of Killers series couldn't get any better but I was wrong. She is a master at writing dark/romance/suspense novels and I can't believe I have to wait for the next book in these amazing series. Well, I am happy that there is another book, especially since this one left of with a bit of a cliffhanger at the end but I was never a patient person.

Let me just begin by saying that as much as I loved Fredrik's story in the pervious book, this one topped that for me. Partly because I missed Izabel's and Victor's story but also because it was nice to see so much interaction between all of the amazingly developed characters, especially in such an interesting and at the same time infuriating setting with another horrifying character introduced in this book, Nora. Oh, Nora. I hate her but I also love her because she added so much intrigue and depth to the other characters that she was very much needed in this book, at least in my opinion. Also, I loved how we got to follow each character as they developed and changed and were molded by the secrets they revealed, with their past laid out on the table for everyone else to see. I don't think any of them remained the same, they all progressed or regressed in some significant way. 

The stakes were higher and this book was on a whole new level. I loved that each character was forced to reveal a part of their past that we didn't know anything about by confessing their secret to Nora. It made them even more three-dimensional and they literally jumped off the page at me. I could feel everything they were feeling, and their emotions were so complicated and intense and I just loved it, I couldn't get enough. This book swallowed me whole and didn't spit me back out until I was done.

Of course, the writing was flawless, as it always is with Redmerski's books and it was a very smooth read all the way through. 

And as angry as I am by the abrupt cliffhangers (yes, more than one) at the end, I still think the book ended in a perfect place, I'm just not used to having to wait for the next book since most of the books I read this year have been out for a while already and the sequels too. 

I am so glad that I'm going to end this year with a bang, since this is probably the last book I will read in 2014 and it was by far one of the best. I just hope my next year's books will be just as amazing as this year's have been. This year has opened me entirely to the wonderful world of books and now I am literally hooked. I have become much less picky about the books I read and for this reason I am willing to give almost all books a chance, since so many have pleasantly surprised me in the past.

My Review:

A book hasn't touched me this deeply in so long that I don't think I will have the right words to describe just how amazing this book was, in every sense of the word. It was extraordinary.

At first I was reluctant to read this once I found out that it wasn't about Sarai and Victor anymore because their story mesmerized me to my core and I was sad to have to switch to Fredrik's story. But I am so glad that I gave this book a chance because I think I loved his story more than I loved Victor's and Sarai's. 

First of, Redmerski will forever be one of my favorite writers because it seems that each book of hers I read is better than the one before it. It's astonishing how she manages to weave a very complex story flawlessly infused with heart and feeling and everything else. This book took me on a very emotional roller coaster ride and I had a lot of what the fuck just happened moments as well. I don't think I have ever been as blindsided by any book like I was by this one. I just didn't see any of that coming, any of it. Totally took me by surprise.

And the writing I can describe in one word: flawless. It flawed perfectly and wasn't overly simplistic and this made for a fast paced read that I couldn't put down for the life of me. 

And the characters? I think Fredrik is now my favorite "book boyfriend". He's just so mysterious and dark and tortured, such a complex character as he jumped out at me from the pages of my Nook and made my heart literally ache for him with everything that he went through in his story. And Cassia as well, a character with so many layers and complexities and it was just perfect, so perfect. I'm so sad that Fredrik didn't get the happy ending he deserved but that made the book that much more real and meaningful because in real life we often don't always get the happy ending we want. I loved that sadness and truthfulness of the book.

And the smut was also phenomenal. It didn't even feel like I was reading smut, it was so masterfully woven into the whole story and felt like it belonged there. Vocabulary was perfect and not too forward without being too vague either. Perfection, as with everyone else about this book.

I doubt any book I read after this will move me as much as this book has and for that reason I am entirely very sad that it ended but I will carry Fredrik's story with me forever. It was that meaningful and deep to me. I think if anyone hasn't read this book before they are missing out because it's the kind of book that has the potential to change our perception and to stay with us long after we finished reading it. 

And how astonishing was the plot? Very, I'd say. It had a lot of ups and downs and ups and downs, just the way I love it. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I needed to keep reading to find out what would happen next. And the climax, there are no words. All I can say is that everyone should read this astonishing book and that I will probably read all of Redmerski's books soon because she is a phenomenal writer and knows exactly what I love in the books I read. I just loved every single part of this book and I'm even happier to know that the next installment in the series is also about Fredrik and Seraphina. Such a beautiful yet heartbreaking story, it surpassed my expectations by far.