Rating: 4.25 stars
Buy Links: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
When Valentino’s younger brother comes to him terrified about an angry demon on his tail, Valentino jumps right in to help. Nothing is more important than family and Valentino isn’t going to let his brother get hurt, even if Mac did steal a ring that belongs to the demon. Figuring he can solve two problems at once, Valentino goes to a club to try to track down the demon looking for Mac, as well as to find a hookup for the night while he is there.
When Valentino meets incubus, Montrose, the two have an instant connection that leads to a searing hookup. Something is just calling the two men to one another and they can’t stop thinking about each other, even when the night is over. But when it becomes clear that Montrose is the same demon after Mac for stealing his ring, Valentino is furious that the incubus deceived him, sure it was all a ruse to get to Mac.
Montrose is prepared to stay away from Valentino, but when he learns that Mac is in far bigger danger than any of them realized, he can’t just sit by and let him get hurt. When Valentino and his brothers learn what is really going on, their only hope is to keep Montrose by their side. It means that Valentino finally has to admit that there is something real going on between himself and the demon. But even as Montrose and Valentino grow closer, the threat to Mac gets ever more dire. Now, it is going to take all they have to stay out of danger and escape with their lives if they have any hope of making it to a future together.
Inferno is the fourth book in Mika Nix’s Drake Security series and another fun and sexy installment. This one actually stands alone pretty well in the sense that both the plot and the relationship are new to this book. That said, the Drake brothers and their mates all play a big role as side characters here, so this is going to be a richer experience if you are familiar with some/all of their stories. Like with Wild Fire, this story takes us out of the supernatural bodyguard/human pairing of the first two books and once again teams up two paranormals. There is a bit of an enemies-to-lovers vibe, as Valentino is protective over his brother and initially distrustful of Montrose, especially since Montrose realizes Valentino is Mac’s brother before Valentino realizes Montrose is the demon in question. The chemistry between the men is scorching and they have an immediate physical connection. But it is also clear that the two have an emotional bond that neither really understands.
The first portion of the book focuses on the guys meeting and Valentino’s confusion/misunderstanding over their connection. It does not go on overlong and is enough just to add some tension for when the men have to work together. It also gives some time to establish that this isn’t just a hot hookup with feelings that are going to fade away, but a real bond building between them. Enough so that when Montrose catches wind that Mac is in real trouble, he risks his own safety to give warning. This then transitions into an opportunity for the men to work together toward a common goal, which I enjoyed. We also get the whole assorted Drake clan and their mates involved, and I particularly liked how Montrose is made to feel part of the gang with the other mates.
I thought it was a fun twist to introduce Mac as one of the younger generation of Drake brothers, having only met the older group so far in the series. It also reinforced the strong bond the brothers have and their willingness to do whatever it takes to protect one another. I did wish to see Mac take a little more accountability for his actions and be more involved in the resolution. The guys act like he is a kid, but while he is younger than them, my impression is of a man still hundreds of years old. Even if my timeline is off, he is not a child in human years. I appreciated the protectiveness of the older Drakes, but I also wanted to see Mac not just hide behind them to solve his problem. There are also a few issues teased about Mac that aren’t resolved; I’m curious if we are going to expand the series at some point to include the younger round of siblings.
The end of the book teases the next story and it sets things up nicely. I am enjoying this series quite a lot and appreciate that the authors have diversified the storylines over the course of the last two books. I am really looking forward to the next installment.
