Dark Taste of Rapture (Alien Huntress 6) by Gena Showalter

• Title: Dark Taste of Rapture
  
• Classification: Adult Fiction
  
• Genre: Paranormal Romance
  
• Format: Paperback, 464 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Star; Original edition (August 23, 2011)
• ISBN-10: 1439175780
• ISBN-13: 978-1439175781
• Author's website:  http://members.genashowalter.com/
• Excerpt: Click Here
• Notes: Contains violence and language some may consider offensive.      

     "You're clearly upset about something."
      He did. He knew. But how did he know? "I'm not upset."
      "Bullshit."
      How dare he call her on her lie! "This is my best friend's most special day and I have never, ever been happier--"
     "--more miserable."
     "--than I am right now."
     "I can't believe you ever fooled me," he said, all kinds of self-disgust in his tone. "You're a terrible liar."
     How. Did. He. Know? Dallas hadn't. Ava suspected, but even she hadn't realized the depths of Noelle's misery.

Have you ever met someone who just totally gets you? Someone you don't have to explain why you do certain things, they just instinctively know? Someone who can see beyond the facade you erect around yourself? A person you feel a deep connection to? That's the case of Hector with Noelle. Some would probably call that individual their soulmate, and while some couples seem fated for each other, sometimes timing is everything...

Almost from the beginning Hector figured Noelle out. To most she'd appear to be a spoiled rich girl with more luck than brains. While Hector has feelings for Noelle, he feels he can't act on them for many reasons. One, she's Jaxon's cousin. Two, she's a new recruit. Three, he's got a power, or, as he'd put it, a curse that could kill the individual he loves if they were allowed to get too close. He'd have to get that power under control before he could even contemplate the possibility of a relationship.

To complicate matters, Dallas has been having two recurrent visions. One of him and Noelle in bed and another of Hector and Noelle in bed. Only one vision can and will come true, and each vision offers up a different fate for Dallas. One could save him, while the other destroy him. In 'Ecstasy in Darkness', the dream is briefly mentioned, however, Dallas didn't know the significance at the time. Some dreams, however, can be interpreted in more than one way and what you may think you saw might be totally wrong. Case in point being what happened in 'Savor Me Slowly', when Dallas thought Mishka would shoot and betray Jaxon. The real question here is which vision will lead to which destiny? I'm wondering if this will be a teaser that leads into Dallas' book. *crosses fingers* 

For anyone wondering, 'Dark Taste of Rapture' starts before 'Ecstasy in Darkness', then fast forwards to just after 'Ecstasy of Darkness' ends. So it starts off when Noelle and Ava are new recruits and then fast forwards to just before Ava's and McKell's wedding. The agents are working on a case that stretches out over a year, beginning when Noelle and Ava were still newbies at the training facility. Women of different alien races are being kidnapped and left in abandoned warehouses. Other than being denied food, they appear to have not been abused. Where the woman are being taken and why they've been kidnapped is unknown. A.I.R. has been tipped off by an anonymous caller about the women. All that is known is that the women are all abducted from their homes and are there one moment and somewhere else the next. Also, the prologue describes a murder. It's not until late in the second half of the book that the significance of that scene is revealed. So keep that thought in the back of your mind so you can make the connection.

I absolutely loved this book. I loved finding out about both Hector's and Noelle's past. Each having endured their own little peace of hell on earth. I liked seeing what went on in each one's mind and getting to know each. I loved the witty banter and hilarious scenes. The chemistry between Noelle and Hector was scorching hot and incinerating. While each book of the series can be read without reading any of the previous books, I highly recommend reading them in order. At the very least, I'd read 'Ecstasy in Darkness' before reading 'Dark Taste of Rapture'. The two stories are intertwined and you might lose something if you don't read the previous book first.

Song the book inspired to dance through my head? Hot N Cold by Katy Perry. "(You) You don't really want to stay, no. (You) But you don't really want to go. You're hot then you're cold. You're yes then you're no. You're in and you're out. You're up and you're down..."

On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one gets a SHOWER rating - a cold shower may be necessary after reading this book. Need I say more? I believe some books should come with a warning - make sure your significant other is handy or your shower is in working order. I felt this was an extremely appropriate rating, as the book contains a very hot and steamy shower scene. Overall, I gave this one 5 out of 5 roses.  

Order series should be read:




























1)    Awaken Me Darkly
2)    Enslave Me Sweetly
3)    Savor Me Slowly
3.5) Deep Kiss of Winter - Novella within Anthology
4)    Seduce the Darkness
5)    Ecstasy in Darkness
6)    Dark Taste of Rapture