**ARC Review** of Sweet Ruin by Kresley Cole

Sweet Ruin is crucial to the IAD storyline and it is very important to the Ascension storyline. This is Rune and Jo’s story.
Rune is a demon who happens to be a killer archer with a mysterious and haunting past. Rune also happens to be a master of sex and persuasion. He is on the hunt for one of the oldest and strongest Valkyrie, Nix. He happens across Jo and tries to seduce her only his guiles do not work. Josie is different than other women. He can tell; however a drop of his blood or one kiss and your’re dead-That is how potent his poison is. However Josie is immune. Rune needs to know why this is.
Josephine has had a rough life. She cannot remember much of her past, for there is a blank. The only person in her life is her baby brother and she loves him and she spends her days with him until one day something horrible happens that rips them apart and he quit recognizing her. There is more to her past. She is tied to a main character in this cast of characters in IAD. She has to watch him from a distance and in walks Rune the Baneblood. Rune starts flirting with her and the twists start coming. She found a man who is interested in her and she is flattered. But before she can be flattered further, he starts his games. But what are his games and what does he want with Josie?
There are questions within questions. Rune needs revenge yet he also is looking for “his mate”. All Josie is wanting is to be loved. Who is going to get what they want first? Both Josephine and Rune were forced at a very young age to experience things they never should have. Josie will end up finding out that Rune was using her and Rune will end up having to backtrack to win back Josie. That’s what happens between two people who have issues of trust. Also their issues are about to get even bigger when they do not know if they belong with each other. There are twists, turns and betrayals before the MC decide if they are really for each other or just passing ships in the night.
I am going to say this is a different type of story that I have read before by author Kresley Cole. The Hero Rune, well he doesn’t seem to be much into loving and more into sexing the females whereas the heroine, Josie, she is very much a loving and sweet person. Two very different types attracted to each other. I , at times, didn’t know how they were going to end up together yet found myself engrossed and seeing they wanted Nix’s head on a platter. This was a darker type story. At times I wanted to beat Rune and shake Josie but in the end, well the ending will give you chills. It will explain why the pain and agony the characters had to go thru. I will admit I was angry at the author for giving the readers such a flawed hero, one who wasn’t so devoted to the heroine but I see why. Kudos Ms. Cole and I cannot wait for another IAD book!

My rating: 4.6 stars *****

***A gifted copy was provided by the publisher for my honest review***