This was a fitting end to the Phoenix Rising series. The main character, Helina, basically gave up her life and happiness to save Mitch. Her psychic power of seeing the future made her believe that she and Mitch could never be happy without Mitch ending up dead. All of the characters from the previous books were part of this story and ended the series perfectly. Some of the dialogue at the end was a little over the top and some of the actions of the characters, especially the villains, were pretty far fetched, but otherwise a good story with a satisfying ending. ( )

MITCH!!! You couldn’t help but fall for this tough as nails lawyer that was always much more who had resources galore and even though he didn’t have a special power he became just as big a part of the team as the rest with his sexy gruffy self.. Throughout the books we learned there was a woman many years ago that hurt and betrayed him and it seems she is tied to what happened to the firefighters in that warehouse.

As this is the 4th book in the series and we’ve been given lots of information on Senator Schaeffer and his research with chemical and biological weapons that’s been at the core of this series. While gathering information on Schaeffer they come across a 3rd scientist who had worked on the project that affected them all and it turns out to be a woman Mitch loved 7 years ago. This book picks up with Mitch locating her and years of secrets both personal and professional finally come to light. As these two work through their personal issues the threats against Mitch and Halina have them heading to the rest of the team where as a whole with all their unique gifts try to finally bring an end to Schaeffer and his rein.

Mitch has always been such a unique character and his woman needed to be the same. Halina Beloi was certainly that woman. This was a great addition to the series with lots of answers finally given and quite a few threads wrapped up. Some of my favorite moments from the book were Tex the dog who only takes orders in Russian and Tai who was the comic relief.
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Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: A fast-paced installment with a kickass heroine, some laugh-out-loud moments and lots of sexual tension. Definitely recommend reading the series in order to fully appreciate the intricate plot and number of important characters.

Opening Sentence: Heather Raiden sat on the floor of her darkened home on Lake Washington in Seattle and stared at the midnight blackness through her night-vision goggles.

The Review:

Halina Beloi isn’t the helpless little girl who grew up in a brutal Chechnyan crime family anymore. Nor is she Halina Dubrovsky, the genetic scientist recruited to work for a secret program funded by the United States Department of Defense and loving girlfriend to an up-and-coming defense attorney named Mitch Foster.

Now going by the name Heather Raiden, she is a woman who has sacrificed everything to protect the only man she’s ever loved from her powerful and corrupt former-boss-turned-Senator. She’s learned how to be self-reliant and never allows herself to get close to anyone other than Dex, her attack-trained German Shepherd. She’s also a weapons expert and skilled fighter prepared to do whatever it takes to keep her many secrets safe. Even if it means killing another person.

Which is exactly what she intends to do to the man who’s been stalking her, until she finds a naked Mitch at the business end of her gun.

Of course running into an ex the first time after a breakup is always awkward. The rush of feelings, mental flashbacks to happier times, the continued physical attraction and resulting sexual tension; all of these rise to the surface a second before the sense of loss or bitterness from a failed relationship has a chance to take over. But the absence of clothes, addition of a loaded weapon and enough emotional baggage to fill a fleet of U-Haul trucks ratchets the meeting from “uncomfortable” to “excruciating” levels pretty quickly thanks to Swan’s use of the multiple point-of-view.

In fact, the double whammy of Heather/Halina’s angst and Mitch’s anger became a bit of a disappointment after a while. Which is odd for me because the ability to read someone else’s mind is honestly the only superpower I’ve ever wished for. Barring the possibility of the government actually developing a chemical that can make that happen, stories with a multiple point-of-view are the closest I’m ever going to get to my dream. It’s a deliciously maddening way to keep both interest and tension high even when nothing else is happening, not to mention the insane sexual tension this approach creates.

It can backfire, though. Where Heather/Halina’s inner turmoil adds to her character’s complexity and the story, Mitch’s bitterness morphs his Alpha Male persona into that of a spoiled child who’s had his candy taken away. His responses don’t read as someone who’s had his heart broken as much someone who’s had his ego bruised.

Yes, Halina both lied and kept a lot of secrets from him. She didn’t tell him about her involvement with DARPA, the Department of Defense funded project responsible for the genetic mutations that gave the seven firefighters of Mitch’s extended “family” their superhuman powers. She also didn’t tell him about Schaeffer, her powerful and corrupt former boss who now wants them all dead, and a multitude of other things including her chemically-induced ability to see the future or how she’d sabotaged one of his important legal cases when they were together.

But Mitch’s continued anger and petulant reactions even after learning the truth displays a selfishness that’s hard to empathize with, let alone find attractive. How deep could his feelings for Halina really have been if he didn’t even know, didn’t even attempt to get to know, about her childhood during their passionate year-and-a-half relationship? How self-involved was he during their time together that he didn’t recognize the changes in her behavior? His past actions — and current reactions — dampened the intensity of the sexual tension mid-way through the story because it just didn’t add up to a character supposedly in love.

The multiple point-of-view also made the story difficult to follow in some spots because of the intricate plot. It was a bit confusing and became clear that there was a lot of backstory that I simply didn’t have any reference for with the other characters. I fully believe this wouldn’t have been an issue if I’d read the series in order though.

Overall, Swan did an excellent job of creating an intriguing story with several enjoyable moments that peaked my interest in reading the rest of the series. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for a paranormal thriller with a bit of a mystery and some sexy times.

Notable Scene:

“After?” Near rage filled his expression. “You mean you didn’t leave Washington after you left me? You were still there?”

“I stayed until I was sure you’d gotten out of DC and back to California safely.”

Cash pushed from his seat, stepped in front of Quaid and up beside Mitch. The gaze he turned on Mitch was one of the most fierce looks Halina had ever seen. “I thought you might need to see my face. I’m hoping it will remind you that you’re missing…The. Big. Fucking. Picture.”

FTC Advisory: Brava/Kensington Books provided me with a copy of Shatter. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )

I love this series! There are so many layers to it! Mitch has been one of my favorite characters from his very first appearance. He is such a smart-aleck, yet so sweet! I think Halina was a great match for him! I love how much crap she gives him too!! She is definitely spunky!! I can't wait to see what awaits us next in this series!! I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )

The fourth book in the Phoenix Rising series is an intriguing story with lots of action and romance.

Halina Beloi has been in hiding for seven years after she had to leave the one man she can’t forget behind, Mitch Foster. Halina broke his heart and then disappeared and now Mitch has new information that implicates her as a player in the deadliest game of Mitch’s life. Now terror, danger and heat with fuse them together or shatter the future.

This fast paced and action packed romantic adventure keeps the reader on the edge of their seat with lots of suspense, romance and surprising twists that keeps the reader guessing. The author brings the story to live with vivid images, great detail and strong compelling characters that are easily related to and grab the reader’s attention and leave them wanting to know more.

The attraction between Mitch and Halina radiates heat from every page while at the same time keeps the reader their toes as the sparks fly throughout their drama filled journey. The author conveys their turmoil leaden romance with lots of passionate and intensity that makes the reader as if they are a part of the story.

The fascinating the world that the author has created is an action filled journey with lots of suspense, drama, romance, wonderful characters and surprising twists along the way. Each adventure captures the reader’s imagination and ensures that they want to know more. The stories are well written and believable with a great blend of elements and great timing,

I love this series and I always look forward to the next book and this one is just as exceptional and mesmerizing as the others. I love that the heroine who had such a horrible past and went through such a terrible ordeal still did what she thought was best to protect her man. I can’t wait for the next one. ( )