Book Review: FORGED BY FATE by Reese Monroe

Forged By Fate, by Reese Monroe
Published by Entangled Embrace,  December 2013


About the Book (from Goodreads):

He’s waited more than 900 years to love her…

Being the Gatekeeper to Hades is no small feat, and waiting almost a millennia to meet your mate is damn near impossible. But Theo Bradford’s mark has finally surfaced on his intended. Now all he has to do is find her and convince her to embrace her supernatural heritage.

Young genius, Sadie Nowland, has got life figured out. Graduating college at the age of eighteen and accepting a six-figure job is just what she needs to prove she’s made something of herself. But when a strange tattoo mysteriously appears on her shoulder and Theo starts talking about Mates, it catapults her neatly laid out life into chaos.

Somehow a vicious demon banished to Hades defies Theo’s vanquish and returns, setting his target on Sadie, and she is thrust into the volatile world of Shomrei warriors and a connection to Theo her brain can’t comprehend and her body can’t deny. That primal bond proves more imperative to their survival than either could have ever imagined—and just may be the key to the world’s survival.

MY TAKE:
 

In this New Adult tale of Good versus Evil, Reese Monroe gives us a new take on angels and demons, with the addition of a supernatural being called a "Gatekeeper," or "Shomrei," created by the breath of God. They may look like incredibly hot humans, (male and female) but they have extraordinary powers to battle the demons who sneak into the human world.

Theo Bradford is the 911-year-old Gatekeeper to Hades, charged with sending escaped demons back below. His territory is the continental US, apparently a busy stomping grounds for demons looking for a little fun. In addition to being nine centuries old, he's one hot supernatural being, with chiseled features and hard muscles honed over years of battling evil.

He's waited all his life for his Mate to appear and join with him to unlock the rest of his powers. The only downside being that, although he becomes stronger, he also becomes vulnerable through the mating. And, oh yeah, the nine hundred years of waiting for love.

His brother Justin is his second, his Companion, and a womanizer.
Justin doesn't believe in taking One Mate for life - he's more of the love 'em and leave 'em type, as we find out in the very first scene - and thinks his brother is crazy for remaining a virgin for over nine centuries. But he has Theo's back in any battle, even the one to win the heart of his chosen Mate. 

Sadie Nowland, an almost-18-year-old college student, is just about to graduate early with her degree and coveted job position with local high tech firm. Orphaned at birth, she's struggled through years of group homes and foster care to get where she is now, and worked her way through college. Strong, confident, and smart, she  hasn't met the right guy, too focused on moving forward.

When a strange tattoo appears on her shoulder overnight, she's more than a little freaked out, but its nothing compared to the week she's about to have, meeting supernatural beings both good and evil and battling for the future of the world. 

Ms. Monroe does an interesting job with creating a new supernatural creature and setting. The Point of View (POV) shifts between Theo and Sadie, and I have to admit I enjoy Sadie's POV more. It's easier to understand her motivations and confusion at being thrust into this new world, as the reader is right there with her. There is a lot of background info that Theo needs to convey to the reader in his first few chapters, which makes him seem a little stiff, although once the story gets going I warmed up to him as well. There were a lot of sizzling almost-sex scenes between Theo and Sadie, until she finally finds the answers she's been searching for and they finally consummate their Mating.

If you enjoy tales of angels battling with demons, with a healthy dose of smoldering hormones thrown in for good measure, check out this New Adult novel. It seems to be the first book of a new series, so hopefully Ms. Monroe has a few more in the works. (Personally, I'm hoping the next story features Justin, the adorably hot brother. Let's see him fall in love, please?)

Forged by Fate is available HERE and was available for 99 cents on Kindle when I typed this review.

About the Author:

Originally from Minnesota, Reese Monroe currently enjoys living in the sunny Arizona desert with her husband of seventeen years and her loveable Shetland Sheep dog, Maddux. Monroe holds a degree in psychology from Southwest Minnesota State University and a master’s degree from the University of Iowa. When she’s not busy writing her next trilogy, she can be found pounding the pavement, training to run her first marathon.

Reese Monroe is a contributing blogger at the widely popular site New Adult Alley and has been part of the New Adult revolution for years having penned over twenty-five novels in the exciting new category.