ARC Review: The Sweetest Burn by Jeaniene Frost

“It’s also clear that the author has tried to make it less New Adult and more PNR and Urban Fantasy in style. I’m not sure how I feel about this because it does make it seem inconsistent. Even the new covers reflect a more Adult style. However if you are a PNR fan, the sexiness is amped up and the tension between Ivy and Adrian becomes more pronounce.”
~ Under the Covers

THE SWEETEST BURN is the highly anticipated second book in the Broken Destiny series by Jeaniene Frost. It’s been three years since the first book in the series debuted so I was really wondering what happened to this series and if there was ever going to be a sequel. When I realized that we were finally going to get it, I jumped at the chance at reading it.

Now I would it’s important to read this series in order. Or, if you’re like me, to take the time to reread the first book again before jumping into this one. While Frost does do some recap in the beginning of this book, I really think it’s important to refresh yourself because of the relationship aspect of this book. The worldbuilding is complex and unique but actually fairly simple to pick up and understand. I think the real thing readers need to focus on is the relationship between Ivy and Adrian. In the last book, a big betrayal occurs and therefore, in this book, we are looking at a second chance. I think if you jumped into this book without reading or refreshing yourself then you’d miss that emotional impact to connect with Ivy’s character.

The writing in this book is fairly simple. I remember when the first book debuted, it was marketed as a New Adult Paranormal Romance. I do still kind of get that feeling from it, but it’s also clear that the author has tried to make it less New Adult and more PNR and Urban Fantasy in style. I’m not sure how I feel about this because it does make it seem inconsistent. Even the new covers reflect a more Adult style. However if you are a PNR fan, the sexiness is amped up and the tension between Ivy and Adrian becomes more pronounce.

The book is on the shorter side and I did feel like everything kind of happened really quickly. The action scenes are fast, which I normally don’t mind, but I didn’t think there were enough moments of pause to really maintain a good balance. That being said, you can easily finish this book in one sitting.

The epilogue didn’t hit as hard as I imagined it would be. But it does create some questions that I’m sure will be addressed in the next book. I look forward to seeing what Frost has in store for readers next.