Review: Ruined by Jus Accardo

Ruined by Jus Accardo

(The Eternal Balance #1)

December 30, 2013

325 pages

Genre: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance 18+

Contains: strong language, sexual references and sex

Source: Personal purchase

Hell is looking for a way to break loose…

Jax lost the genetic lottery. Descended from Cain, the world's first murderer, he's plagued by a curse that demands violence in exchange for his happiness. He left everything behind, including the girl he loved, but thriving on the pain of others is lonely… And it's killing him.

After a series of heartbreaking losses, Samantha put rubber to pavement and headed for college as fast as her clunker could carry her. But she can't outrun her problems. When an attack at school drives her back home, she's thrown into the path of a past—and a guy—she's been trying to forget.

Sam strains Jax's control over his darkness, but running isn't an option this time. Someone—or, something—followed her home from school: a ruthless monster with a twisted plan centuries in the making. Forced together to survive, and fighting an attraction that could destroy them both, Jax and Sam must stop a killer bent on revenge.

'Ruined' was a solid start to this very engaging series. In a world where the descendants of Cain, the world's first murderer, carry a curse, Jax's life has not been easy. Imagine fighting the demon within yourself, trying to do the best you can, but knowing only violence will appease it, and only temporarily? Talk about a tortured existence. I really felt for the guy. But even demon-possessed, I couldn't help but like Jax. Then there's Samantha, the girl he loves but can't be with because of what he is. Ouch! Talk about throwing salt on the wound. And I can't blame him for feeling tortured, because Sam is a great girl. They also had great chemistry and a sweet backstory, so I couldn't help but root for these two.

But then we don't just have a miserable existence and future. Nope, this story steps it up with the nefarious goings on amongst the demon world. And this demon world is in no hurry to leave Jax and Sam alone. This story became a mystery, which I really liked. I'm normally pretty good at figuring things out, but this story kept me guessing. Which was great! And which is also why I won't go into details about the plot. I loved the mystery, and I hope you do too. The ending was also quite exciting, and I love that there was resolution but also anticipation for what's coming next. Looking forward to the next book!

Amazon ~ Goodreads

The Eternal Balance series:

Ruined #1

My Review ~ Amazon ~ Goodreads

Embraced #2

Expected publication date: November 16, 2015

Amazon ~ Goodreads