Review: Ruined

Ruined by Jus Accardo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! From start to finish, I couldn't put this book down! I read a lot of PNR and it takes a book being re-readable to get a 5 star rating from me and that is exactly what I gave this first installment of The Eternal Balance series. I can't believe I didn't read this book until now!

Jax and Chase are brothers descended from a line of cursed (or infested) men. It skips generations here and there, but eventually someone is born with a demon inside of them. That demon drives the infested brother to do evil up to and including killing the other brother. Jax has struggled with this burden all his life, convinced that he is essentially tainting all of those around him. The only ray of light in his life is Sam, his next door neighbor growing up and his closest friend. He is also madly in love with her. Sadly, for him, happiness is what drives his inner demon crazy, so it is for the best that he runs far far away from this temptation.

Sam is... amazing. She's damaged, dark, but ultimately determined to make the most of her life and that includes dragging Jax back into it. Sure, Chase is around and he might look a lot like Jax (being twins and all), but he is no substitute for her partner in crime. She's also got this little problem with people trying to kill her. The first few times it was easy to write off as coincidence but it's becoming more and more obvious that the target is truly her. The timing couldn't be better, though, because Jax is finally back in town and he's going to have to make a choice.

These two are just my absolute favorite. I thought I would get annoyed by Jax's constant sacrifice, but the book managed to balance that fine line for me. He's a great character and he constantly surprised me. They also manage to have a chemistry that was off-the-charts hot. Sure, it might be cursed or doomed or they're on the road to destruction, but watching these two together was the best. The tension was so good that I wasn't even mad when another twist or turn was introduced. I want more - so much more! I'd read anything as long as these two were the main characters. Something about the combination of gritty realness and paranormal surprises kept me flipping pages at high speed. Obviously, I dove right into the next book. You should, too!

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