Review: Pawn of the Phoenix by Jamie McLachlan

Title: Pawn of the Phoenix
Author: Jamie McLachlan
Series: The Memory Collector #2
Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Adult/Mystery
Publisher: Penner Publishing
Publication Date: February 9th 2016
Edition: eBook, 350 pages
Source: Gifted by publisher for review
Purchase: Amazon US | Kobo | Barnes and Noble | iBooks

Synopsis:

Braxton, 1903.

     The serial killer known only as the Phoenix continues to roam the streets and a new victim falls prey. For Moira and Detective Keenan Edwards, still on the hunt for the Phoenix, the rules have changed. The killer remains beyond their grasp. 

     Moira is willing to give into her fierce attraction to Keenan. However, the detective proves to be more reluctant despite a moment of heated passion. Then discovery of a secret Keenan never planned to share creates an unwelcome rift between the new lovers. 

     Keenan isn’t the only one hiding something. In this continuation of the Memory Collector series, Moira makes a startling disclosure about her past. This revelation will not only test the boundaries of love, but might also prove to be the clue that will finally unravel the mystery of the Phoenix.

Review:

This book was just as intense and engaging as the first. I enjoyed this book, but the romance was a little off putting in a way. I expected it to happen, it was pretty much set up kind of early on. But it honestly happened too fast, and seemed slightly forced. Not them hopping into bed together but proclaiming love, it seemed really unrealistic and didn't really add any depth to the story. 

Finding out more about Keenan's past was interesting, and I liked learning more about him. Maybe that's why I didn't care for the romance both characters are still kind of mysterious even after two books that I didn't really feel like I knew the characters well enough to feel like they could love each other the way the claim. 

A lot of other secrets were solved and came to light in this book, which I also liked. More about Moria and all the facts surrounding the night she killed her former owner.

The epilogue was really the best part of the book, and while I know it was supposed to be a big shock and surprise that, A certain character is an emath and possibly The Phoenix, I kind of saw that coming, or at least suspected he was more involved than he let on.

I will definitely be reading the third book, even though this one was a little slow at times, and 

the characters are still a not very relatable at times, I am really excited to see how this story plays out. 

My slight indifference to this book hinges a lot on my reading slump that I am still recovering from a little.