Falling for a phoenix, the hellhound Loren is desperate to protect Indy, but feels like he is failing at every turn. There doesn't seem to be a happy ending in sight as they are constantly torn apart and now hunted. Can they eventually get their HEA?
From the Hounded blurb:
As a hellhound, Loren has given his life to the service of his demonic owner, but he keeps one thing for himself: his relationship with a phoenix named Indy. Protecting Indy from those who would exploit his power has always been paramount to Loren, but it becomes far more difficult when word of the phoenix reaches Hell.
Rumors that a phoenix’s tears can purify even the most corrupted soul make Indy a valuable asset to any demon, and Loren’s owner is no exception.
Intervening in the hunt for the phoenix would reveal Loren’s treachery and guarantee his death, but he can’t stand by and allow the destruction of the man he loves.
His devotion cost him dearly before, and now he may pay the ultimate price.
SNik's review:
First in duet (Hounded). Paranormal. Hurt/comfort. Very slow burn. Dual POV. Cliffhanger. Heed content warnings.
Indy is a phoenix and Loren a hellhound secretly protecting him as they have been living in the mortal world for decades together, constantly torn apart and refashioned, each time breaking Loren’s heart even more.
This story is fraught with heartache and loss, and Loren’s silent acknowledgement that no matter what he does he will inevitably either die or be separated from Indy. There is quite a bit of the world building that unravels slowly and still leaves quite a bit of questions, and even though the writing is emotional at times, at other times it is abrupt as Loren doesn’t communicate with Indy. I would have really enjoyed more scenes from their pasts, but there is never any doubt that Indy and Loren love each other and are happiest when they are together. Intriguing characters, a harrowing cliffhanger, and two characters that you really want to root for definitely has me wanting to read the finale of this duology.
A heart wrenching story about love, loss, grief, and struggling with addiction.
I was not expecting Indy and Loren's story to be so gut-wrenching, these two men have been through the wringer but despite the challenges, they are still drawn towards each other. I can't really go further into detail on what these two men struggle with the most, mainly because I don't want that to be too big of a spoiler. So what I will say is that Indy is an addict, and he struggles with his addiction, and that is very prevalent throughout the whole story.
I think Quinn did a good job in writing about the struggles of addiction from the perspective of someone who cares... Seeing someone you love constantly choose to put poison into their bodies changing who they are is hard, and Loren's perspective was very accurate on the matter. There are so many emotions that arise in a situation like that and Quinn nailed it.
It took me a while to get into this story but once I did I was hooked. I was hoping that Loren and Indy would work things out between them, and I was also hoping they could figure out a way to set Loren free... I became fully invested into wanting to know what was going to happen next. I found this story to be interesting and very unique. This first story primarily focused on giving us all the relevant background information. How Loren became a hellhound and Moira's pet, how Indy and Loren met, what they were to one another, along with building up both the demon realm and the mortal one.
While there is an undercurrent of romance it's not the main focus as it is in other romance books. Loren loves Indy, that much is clear, and Indy loves Loren back in his own way, but romance isn't the focus in this particular story. Which I didn't mind, I liked that this book is different and stands apart from others. There is a lot of angst in this story, so be prepared for the emotional upheaval while reading this. Another thing I want to point out is this ends on a cliffhanger, not too bad of one but.. enough of one that leaves you wanting the next book to be out already so you can find out what happens next.
Overall, a great start to a new series and I'm looking forward to book 2!
Hounded is currently available as an e-book and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited Subscription
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