New Release Review: Forever by Jacquelyn Frank
Book 2 – The World of the Nightwalkers series
Book provided by Edelweiss and Ballantine Books
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Synopsis from Goodreads: After being brought back from death, police officer Jackson Waverly receives the shock of his life: he has become host to a Bodywalker, a spirit that is reborn in flesh and blood, and part of a proud, ancient race that uses its extraordinary gifts to battle dark, evil forces. Jackson’s spirit is a powerful one—none other than the Egyptian pharaoh Menes, who longs to reunite with his eternal love, the Egyptian queen Hatshepsut.
While Menes is obsessed with finding the perfect vessel for his queen, Jackson cannot stop thinking about Dr. Marissa Anderson, the gorgeous precinct shrink who keeps pushing him to confront his grief over the loss of his K-9 partner. But what Marissa really arouses most in Jackson is intense desire, which is exactly what Menes is looking for. To fight a great enemy, pharaoh and queen must join; but to host Hatshepsut, Marissa will first have to die. Fate has given Jackson a profound choice: save Marissa from Menes’ plan or keep an entire species from the brink of extinction.
AH’s Review – 4 Skulls – A-
I’m so glad that I finally discovered Jacquelyn Frank. (Yes, I know, I’m a bit behind in my series reading). I absolutely adored Forbidden, the first book in her World of the Nightwalkers series. As I settled down to read Forever, I knew I was in for a treat.
The plot picks up right where Forbidden left off, but this book focuses on the hunky Jackson Waverly and his love interest Marissa Anderson. Jackson is a K-9 officer in the Saugerties police force. He loves his job but is grieving for the loss of his last K-9 partner. Jackson is undergoing the transformation to become host to the Egyptian pharaoh Menes. Throughout his transformation, Jackson becomes more and more powerful but he is weakened by the sunlight. Marissa is the police psychiatrist. I loved Marissa – she is very cerebral and analytic. Every step she takes is carefully weighed.
I loved Jackson and Marissa. From all the descriptions of Jackson, who could blame Marissa? Reading some of the descriptions made me want to take a cold shower.
“Pretty? He’s a god. He’s the kind of guy that makes you wish to be a bar of soap in his shower.”
These two have a strong attraction which is compounded by Menes’ yearning for his love Hatshepsut. Think of it as a kind of foursome with two bodies. And wow, Ms. Frank can write some passionate and hot alpha male love scenes.
“I knew then that I had died without ever knowing what it meant to live. Knowing I’d had sex, but never made exquisite love, that I’d known lust, but never true passion. I knew longing, frustration and craving too well and satisfaction not at all. I came back for those reasons, but mostly Marissa, I came back for you.”
The author creates such an intriguing world and manages to create her own unique mixture of Egyptian mythology and the paranormal. The background story is full of conflict, war, and betrayal. The Bodywalker lore is interesting. Bodywalkers are practically immortal, reincarnating themselves once they find a human on the verge of death. They then merge their spirit with that of the human.
I think that I enjoyed the inner dialogue of the characters the most. As Jackson transforms into Menes, the two minds merge and work together. Menes almost seems accommodating to Jackson, “allowing” him to love Marissa.
There were some awesome battle scenes complete with all sorts of paranormal creatures. I loved the gargoyles the best, especially their cute gargoyle names with the extra letter H’s.
I am really glad that I found this series. I would recommend Jacquelyn Frank’s World of the Nightwalkers series to paranormal romance lovers.
Rating:
Series Reading Order:
- Forbidden
- Forever – release date May 28, 2013
- Forsaken – expected publication date January 7, 2014
Thank you to Edelweiss and Ballantine Books for a review copy of this book.
*Quotes are taken from uncorrected ARC.
