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Lords of the Underworld #5

The Darkest Passion

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For weeks, the immortal warrior Aeron has sensed an invisible female presence. An angel-demon-assassin has been sent to kill him. Or has she? Olivia claims she fell from the heavens, giving up immortality because she couldn't bear to harm him. But trusting—and falling for—Olivia will endanger them all. So how has this mortal with the huge blue eyes already unleashed Aeron's darkest passion?

With an enemy hot on his trail and his faithful demon companion determined to remove Olivia from his life, Aeron is trapped between duty and consuming desire. Worse still, a new executioner has been sent to do the job Olivia wouldn't...

438 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

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About the author

Gena Showalter

251 books27.4k followers
Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of over seventy books, including the acclaimed Lords of the Underworld series, the Gods of War series, the White Rabbit Chronicles, and the Forest of Good and Evil series. She writes sizzling paranormal romance, heartwarming contemporary romance, and unputdownable young adult novels, and lives in Oklahoma City with her family and menagerie of dogs and cats.

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Profile Image for Blacky *Romance Addict*.
486 reviews6,503 followers
March 25, 2015

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"...you aren’t what you believe you are. You aren’t what everyone else believes. You might have delivered countless deaths but you love more fiercely than anyone I’ve ever known. You give of yourself with no thoughts to your own happiness."



Awesome book. Made me cry too. If only there was no Legion in it :(



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Aeron and Paris see a woman screaming and running toward their fortress.
She is screaming for Aeron.
Thinking her a Bait, Paris goes to check the situation, but even though he knows it might be a trap, Aeron is compelled to help her.
Olivia is the angel that's been following Aeron for months, and now she has fallen, her wings torn off, her body completely human and wounded from escaping from Hell.
She has done it all to save Aeron's life, for refusing to kill him herself.
Even though he knows what sacrifice she's made, Aeron still doesn't want her near him, but he can't stay away from her himself.
The war between Hunters and the Lords is progressing, and when they find out that Olivia is the one that can help them, Aeron will be forced to work with her, and she will force him to show her all she's been missing in Heaven.
She wants to have fun ;)




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Faced with a choice to either kill Aeron, or become fallen, Olivia decided to follow her heart and seek refuge with the Lords, and of course, Aeron.
All does not go according to plan, for Aeron doesn't care about her or what she did to save him, he just wants her as far from him as possible.
That doesn't work because Olivia does whatever's necessary to keep him with her, and to make him show her fun and passion.

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I think Olivia might be my new favorite heroine from this series :D
She is pretty different from the others, and her seduction attempts were completely hilarious!
Olivia is basically clueless, but learns fast, and she is convinced she is right for Aeron even though he pushes her away all the time :)))
I admit I didn't expect what happened in the end, or near the end with her but seriously, it makes sense with everything that's been going on, for someone




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He carries the demon of Wrath, one that seeks justice and wants to hurt everyone that has sinned somehow.
Imagine how awesome it must feel to the demon to be close to Olivia, an angel who has never ever sinned :DDD
Aeron is one lucky bastard ;) He just doesn't know it :D
He is convinced he will hurt every person he gets involved with, and that of course means he has to get Olivia away from him, especially because of the angel Lysander's threats.
But soon, he will no longer be able to stop himself from caring for her, no matter the threat or the consequences.

----------------------------

First you have to know that I started this series and read four books with totally disliking Aeron. I really didn't feel anything for him, and I certainly wasn't looking forward to his book, well maybe when I read book four, there were some hints and he was getting better, but still.
I did not like him.
Now?
Love. Seriously.
Maybe it's because I love the jerkish types and he was it for the first half.
Maybe it was the heroine drawing the best out of him.
Maybe cause this is the hottest book in the series so far.
Anyway, loved his character and what he did in the end, it made me freaking cry!! :((




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“I think I’ll stay here.” And you’ll like it, she projected to him. Some people didn’t know what they needed to achieve happiness. Clearly, Aeron was one of them. She’d just have to instruct him, as she’d already planned.

----------------------------

Concentrate. Question her. Yes. That’s what he’d do. No stripping her. Unless her clothes were too tight, then he would be doing her a favor, removing them and helping her breathe.
Concentrate, damn you.

----------------------------

“Fuckers,” William grumbled in his ear. “Those two are mine. They went for my sweet, innocent little kidneys.”
There was nothing sweet or innocent about William. Not even his kidneys.




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This would have been my first 5 star rating for this series... if only there wasn't a character named Legion in it.
I couldn't stand her before, can't stand her now, and honestly her whole relationship with Aeron (even before) was UBER-freaky and weird. I don't care if he thinks of her as a daughter, it's just weird!
Plus, everything she did in this book just got on my nerves cause she's just a total b*tch! OMG! So yes, I'm sorry cause I totally loved this book but I just can't give it 5 stars cause Legion irritated the sh*t out of me :((((((
BUT!
That scene at the end with her was great, and I think I could stand her only if she keeps that attitude :D
OK that's done, on to the next bit...
This is the hottest book in the series. I am very happy cause it looks like the author is getting better at writing the sex and it was really yummy here, totally loved it :)
The big storyline in the series is moving on as well, the artifact thing, and for some reason I am thinking she's gonna make Galen
William!!!!!!!! Ok now I seriously can't wait for his book!!!! OMG that little teaser was wicked and I'm hoping he'll be with her in the end :DDD I can't wait!!!!!!!
Gideon!!!!!! Now that was interesting!!!!! Can't wait for his book, I think it's next!
The ending... It made me cry. Really did, it was uber emotional.
But!
I don't like it how everything has to be perfect. It isn't believable in the universe they live in, that every single time everything ends completely fantastic and great and uber happy.
I am a HEA girl but I don't need everything that sugared up, this is a PNR series that's pretty dark and gah, I guess for me it just isn't believable.


And so, this was an almost-5-star read, but I still loved it and I'm uber-happy to still be into this series after five books :)))



Profile Image for  Danielle The Book Huntress .
2,697 reviews6,442 followers
October 18, 2010
Yet another favorite for me in this series. I found Olivia and Aeron to be a great couple. I loved how Aeron just couldn't resist her, and how Olivia was so drawn to Aeron, that she was willing to 'fall' for him, instead of killing him as she had been ordered to do.

As this series progresses, I am seeing more investment in developing the heroines. I liked Olivia's steadfast ability to love. Her determination to enjoy her time with Aeron, and for him to be happy. Even though Legion was a real pain, she tolerated her as much as she could, because she knew how much Aeron loved her. Olivia was a heroine who brought to mind 1 Corinthians 13, which explains what love is. For Olivia, her love for Aeron wasn't an easy thing. It wasn't simple, but complicated her life, and she knew that she wouldn't have him forever, but she was willing to be with him as long as she could. Truly, she was hesitant to define it as love because she didn't view it as a sacrifice (she was wrong about that). In the end, her love helped to save him. As you can tell, I really loved this heroine.

Aeron had closed his heart off from people, so that he could avoid the pain of loss. To him, dying and having those he loved die was the worst thing possible. He didn't seem to understand that it's more important to live the time you have to the fullest. In some ways, I could understand why he had boxed himself in emotionally. His demon caused him to harm and kill people for their sins, and he had seen so much death. He knew more than anyone just how frail humans were. When Olivia comes along, he does all he can to resist her. But even Wrath, the demon that possesses him, knows how important she was to him. Even though Aeron didn't realize it, his actions showed love. The way that he watches out for Paris, the tenderness and care he shows for Legion. He doesn't want to let Olivia in his heart, but when he does, she becomes so important to him, he's willing to do just about anything for her to be happy. And in the end, his true, deep love for Olivia causes him to make a great sacrifice, one that is very much rewarded by the One True Deity, the god that Olivia loves and serves.

I think the theme of this book was love. You could see this played out through the actions of the various characters. Interestingly, Legion truly believed she loved Aeron, more than Olivia ever could. But her actions showed a very selfish aspect to her love. Olivia, her nemesis, taught her a lesson about what real love was. One that I hope she takes to heart.

This book had some exciting twists and turns. The focus wasn't exactly on the war between the Lords and the Hunters, but on the issues that Aeron and Olivia faced instead. I liked that. And there was an unsuspecting angle that tied into Aeron's relationship with Legion. That was pretty interesting.

I was pretty surprised at how this one ended. I didn't expect things to unfold the way they did. It wasn't quite a cliffhanger, but pretty darn close. Things promise to get very complicated in the forthcoming books. But I have to say, I really did like Aeron and Olivia's happy ending. It was the best one so far--a silver lining to the dark cloud of how things progressed at the climax.

The Darkest Passion is my favorite in this series so far. I loved the romance aspects, and the underlying message about love. I think Olivia was a great heroine. And the love scenes were pretty darn steamy. I thought I liked Aeron in the previous books, but seeing him as the hero in this book showed me more depth to him that made me love him even more.

I will take a short break before reading The Darkest Lie, because I don't want to go too long without more Lords of the Underworld books. These books feed my paranormal endorphins, and my spirits took a downer when this book was over. What will I do when this series ends?
October 2, 2019
5 Fallen stars



I'm going to keep this review short, because as with most series that are really long, all the reviews start to sound alike with different names. I enjoyed The Darkest Passion. The first time I read it I rated it a five star. This time I would have gave it a 4. While I still loved Aeron and Olivia as much as the first time, Legion made me want to punch something. She was a selfish pos. I couldn't believe that Aeron just overlooked her bullshit. Olivia was great. I loved her more that Aeron. I liked getting to meet Baden and I even liked getting a bit of Pandora. I wonder if she will get a book. William gets better with every book. The Sienna twist was crazy, and I can't wait to see how that goes. Poor Gideon. That is all Imma say about him for now. I didn't like that Paris and Kaia slept together, as in a later book she get with Strider. Stefano OMG I want that pos to pay I hope he gets his in the next book. Overall a great book and I'm on to the next one!
Profile Image for Exina.
1,251 reviews404 followers
November 1, 2019
"Better a fool who plays the game than one who remains on the sidelines."

The Darkest Passion is the fifth book of the Lords of the Underworld series, the story of Aeron, keeper of Wrath and Olivia, a fallen angel.

It’s an amazing, thrilling, heartbreaking, exciting story. I have only one serious problem with it: Olivia’s character. I’ve read this book twice, and even for the second read I see Olivia as selfish.

Olivia, a former joy-bringer, now a newbie warrior angel, is assigned to execute Aeron, because he had unintentionally summoned a little demon, Legion, from Hell, and bounded her to himself. But Olivia is so fascinated by Aeron that instead of accomplishing the command, she chooses to fall.
A respectable sacrifice, but the problem is that she makes it mainly for herself and not for Aeron. She knows that another executioner will be sent to Aeron, and there is no way to escape his fate. But until then they have fourteen days, so she wants to have fun! Because she deserves it…
“I watched you,” she continued, “as well as those around you, and I… ached. I wanted you, and I wanted what they had–freedom and love and fun. I wanted to play. I wanted to kiss and to touch. I wanted joy of my own.” Her gaze met his, bleak, broken. “In the end, I had a choice. Fall…or kill you. I decided to fall. So here I am. Yours.”



After arriving to the fortress, endless conversations start about if she should stay or go. She is hysteric and importunate. She constantly reminds Aeron of her sacrifice. And now what does she want? To have fun, to have sex, to pierce her navel, to dye her hair, to persuade Aeron to accept his upcoming death, and until then to have fun with him.
“She wanted Aeron here with her, yes, but he apparently needed time away to reflect on how lucky he actually was to have her. That wasn't egotistical of her, she told herself. Truth was never egotistical.”

A little bit arrogant, our angel, isn’t she?

When Aeron is injured, all Olivia can think about is that she can’t enjoy her nine days left with him, if he dies before his execution.

When Olivia thinks that Aeron all Olivia can think about is the consequences of this act for her. HER broken heart, HER pain, HER hurt. Never thinks about how Aeron feels

And after everything is revealed, and everything seems hopeless, and Aeron storms out of the room helplessly, what does she think???
“He didn't gently shut the door behind him. He slammed it, rattling the pictures on the walls. After everything she'd just agonized over, realized and decided, a little compassion--and a goodbye kiss--wouldn't have been amiss.”

She has one great moment though, when she is finally given the opportunity to help the Lords. I really appreciate her bravery.



But at the end, she just whines some more, and instead of


No, I’m not jealous. Aeron is not my type. He is too morose. But he is also fierce and caring. Admirably caring.


He was disciplined, distanced and brutally honest. He trusted no one but his friends. Weakness was not a trait he tolerated. And yet, to those he loved, he was kind, nurturing and solicitous. He placed their well-being above his own. ... This man, he isn't evil, despite the evil inside him. He's kind. He's considerate. He's capable of great affection and boundless loyalty.


He has so much burden on his shoulders and now Olivia also pins herself on him. His deeds are highly respectable. His decision at the end is heartbreaking.

Legion is selfish too, yes, but it is in her demonic nature. Her bargain with Lucifer is surprising, and gives new perspectives for the series. She is a credible and perfectly drawn antagonist. And most importantly, she improves! When she finally realizes the consequences of her deeds, she does her best, the only thing she can do to help and avenge Aeron.

The story and secondary characters
Complex, coherent, well-worked-out storyline, where everything has significance.

The quest for the artifacts goes on in the Temple of the Unspoken Ones. I loved Strider:
The Unspoken Ones. Without a doubt. Strider let out a breath. They should have remained the Unseen Ones, as well. 'Cause damn.
Win.
No challenge has been issued yet, moron.
Thank the gods, he added, just for himself. Would he be able to defeat these things?

New demon-possessed immortals show up, and unexpected ones appear () And Galen! Yes, Galen! Very intriguing.



All in all
Aeron is an unforgettable hero.
The secondary characters are amazing.
The antagonists are creepy, disgusting, provoking, and outrageously evil.
The enemy is very capable, with powerful allies.
There is action, drama, oh, so much drama, so many tears, bargain after bargain, unexpected twists and turns.
I could go on, but it seems impossible to say more at this point of the series, without giving away important details. Only the development of the romance, especially Olivia’s character was not satisfying for me.
Profile Image for Sophia Triad.
2,240 reviews3,656 followers
April 26, 2017
Aeron:Demon of Wrath
Butterfly: in the middle of his back. (Although he kind of likes tattoos. He has several others.)
His curse: He craves violence. His Demon senses the sins of anyone nearby and forces Aeron to attack and to punish – no matter how small or big the sins are, no matter if there is a good reason for them or not.

Olivia:warrior angel
Supernatural ability: She used to be an angel, so she had a number of abilities including creating weapons from air, shielding herself from the world’s evil and flying with two amazing wings. Unfortunately, her wings were removed violently from her when she decided to become fallen in order to be with Aeron.

Aeron is a bad boy with tattoos and piercings. Oh, and he has wings. Black ones. He is another tortured Lord who likes torturing. Aeron owns a big favor to Paris, the Lord of Promiscuity. Because Paris has chosen to save his best friend instead of finally being with the love of his life, Sienna.

Aeron is lonely. He has of course Legion, but she is really a demon minion and not that trustworthy. And then he meets Olivia an angel who was trying to kill him, but then she fell in love with him. And now she is no angel any more. More precisely she is weaker than a human now and totally in Aeron’s mercy.

“What are you doing here, Olivia?”
“I’m here…I’m here for you.”

The way Olivia has lost her wings in order to be with Aaron, it kind of reminds me the fairytale of The Little Mermaid who lost her tail in order to be with her prince.

Olivia believes in Aeron. She became fallen for him, weak and easy to kill. Just because…

“Because you aren’t what you believe you are. You aren’t what everyone else believes. You might have delivered countless deaths but you love more fiercely than anyone I’ve ever known. You give of yourself with no thoughts to your own happiness.”

Most women love bad boys and tortured heroes. Fortunately, Aeron will love Olivia back. He will love her more fiercely and more passionately than Olivia would hope.

I just love Aeron and Olivia together! I cannot really decide who made the biggest sacrifices for the other.

Final note: The book also starts the love story of Galen (the Demon of false hope) and Legion. Their HEA is one of the books I am looking forward to reading hopefully soon :)
“Kiss me,” he commanded.
“No.”
“Kiss.”
“No!”
“Why not? Not like it’s anything special.”
“Cease…talking!” she growled.
His snarl was like a caress. “Fine. You want a quick fuck, that’s all you’ll get.”

8 books and 7 years after this one-night stand Galen cannot stop thinking of Legion.
Profile Image for Μaria Vrisanaki .
189 reviews172 followers
November 14, 2018
4,5


Τι;;; Τιιι;;;;; ΤΙ;;;;;;;;;



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ΝΑΙ ΝΑΙ ΝΑΙ!!!!

Ανάθεμα σε, Gena Showalter, με κοψοχόλιασες λίγο πριν το τέλος αλλά το καταχάαααααααρηκα!!!!!!

Profile Image for Kristen.
842 reviews4,984 followers
January 12, 2014
3 Very, Very, Very Low Stars (and that is only because the story is well written)

I'll make this review quick and to the point. If I don't, I will do nothing but rant!!

I've never been a fan of Aeron and after reading his book, I'm still not, though he did redeem himself at the end. But Legion, Aeron's little demon pet fiend...OMG! I hated her character with such a passion that I almost gave this book 1 star! She completely and utterly ruined this story for me. Even the awesome heroine couldn't save it. This will definitely be one book in the series I will NEVER read again.

Well, I guess I didn't quite achieve the "no ranting" part.
Profile Image for Michelle.
944 reviews220 followers
September 9, 2015
4 My Fallen Angel Stars!
This was the fifth book in the Lords of the Underworld Series. Aeron and Olivia's story.
Aeron the keeper of wrath. He's full of tattoos and has wings. Flying through the night punishing those that need to be punished.
Olivia a fallen angel that has finally become visible to Aeron after months of following him around.
I loved Olivia. She wanted Aeron. She wanted to experience so much in life. She wanted to experience her own joy instead of just making others experience it. She wanted to have sex with Areon and she cracked me up with everything she did to try and tempt him into soiling her. lol These woman that are at the fortress are always ready to corrupt a new woman brought in. They defiantly slutted her up for Aeron. Haha!
Aeron was awesome too. I loved how loyal he was to all his brothers. How he took Paris under his wing to try and help him feel better. How he made his room all girly for Legion...the daughter he always longed for but never would allow himself to have. He tried to stay away from Olivia. His demon was not happy about it. His demon loved Olivia right away.
Of course we still have Legion. Trouble causing Legion. Aeron thinks of her as a daughter but Legion thinks of Aeron as a man she plans to marry. When Legion bargains with Lucifer I probably screamed NO so damn loud I woke up the house. lol
Once again this book was filled with lots of action, betrayal, kidnappings and even death. Ugh!
Does Legion's bargain with the devil go as planned? Does Olivia listen to Lysander and return to Heaven to be an angel again? Does Danika's painting come true where Lysander kills Aeron and his demon wrath is freed?
Why not a 5 star? Well I had issues with the ending and I'm just not sure I liked it. I mean I'm thrilled that things ended how they did but I'm sad because of how something was not put back where it belonged. lol Sorry...I can't say more because I don't want to spoil anything.
I love how in each book we also get some of the other warriors. I love being in each one of their minds. They are all so fierce and loyal to each other. I love them all!
I'm super excited to get to Gideon keeper of lies and Scarlet keeper of nightmares story next. What fun it's going to be! Lies and nightmares together and something was revealed in this book about them. I can't wait.
I will be reading it soon:))
Profile Image for Jen.
1,655 reviews1,117 followers
September 29, 2021
This was a reread for me, and I’m super happy I have decided to reread this series with my daughter! There’s so many details I had forgotten!!!
I adore this series and even though over the years my tastes have changed… I still have a strong love for the Lords of the Underworld!!!
Profile Image for Eda**.
720 reviews438 followers
May 1, 2016

** 6+++++ STARS **

Starting this series, and rereading this particular book approximately 13765 times...

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Profile Image for Azet.
1,061 reviews269 followers
February 6, 2021
"The Darkest Passion" is the 5:th instalment in the "Lords of the Underworld"series and follows the carnally romantic,humorous,action-packed magical love-story between Aeron keeper of Wrath and the loving passionate woman who will be his ruin,the fallen angel Olivia.The search for the next artifacts are still going on and the war against the Hunters.Gena Showalter have...without a doubt become one of my favourite authors right now!Its about time i admit it!

Olivia was the angel who had the mission to end Aeron`s life in the former books but wasn`t able to do it.She choose to become a fallen angel and win the heart of Aeron,a man that simply fascinated her and who she can`t stay away from.I loved the way she went at wooing and seducing him so innocently but determinedly,she made him absolutely flabbergasted as he simply couldn`t resist her and that was so funny to watch.She saw through all his dangerous edges and those tattoos and saw the good heart that was willing to do everything for those he loves.As a heroine,i simply adored her!She was perfect for the brooding Aeron!

AND OH MY,Aeron the demon warrior possessed by Wrath just turned my heart over all places.Like all the other warriors he is stubborn,fearless,gifted, and oh so deliciously dark and dangerous.But to the people he loves he was kind,nurturing and solicitous.Olivia came crusing into his life and nothing ever became the same.He stumbled and fell and eventually loses his heart to her.I love that at first he planned to get rid of her but never could bring himself to do it.He knew she would bring trouble to his ordered life,and he knew his heart was in danger.Yet he simply couldn`t resist!He is so sexy when he turns all protective,possessive and jealous and could never stand another male having Olivia`s attention.My tears fell for Aeron and Olivia near the end,what Aeron did for her just made me cry buckers because i want a man to love me like that!

I couldn`t hate Legion despite her childish jealous behaviour,not after the way Lucifer and the other demons treated her in hell,but i am glad she pulled her childish ass from her head and strived to do something good for Aeron by the end,but i found many sparks between her and the villian Galen and it seems they are soulmates!!!I am so happy about that since i sense a depth in Galen`s villainy.Gideon meets his soulmate in Scarlet and i am sooooo curious about these two,lucky me their book are the next!And they are married!??Now Sienna will get Aeron`s demon inside her so it must be possible that she will resurrect from the death and finally reunite with Paris!William is fun and i found Gilly extremely adorable,its fun watching William trying to lessen her crush over him.
Profile Image for Anna.
484 reviews370 followers
May 4, 2016
“I watched you,” she continued, “as well as those around you, and I…ached. I wanted you, and I wanted what they had—freedom and love and fun. I wanted to play. I wanted to kiss and to touch. I wanted joy of my own.” Her gaze met his, bleak, broken. “In the end, I had a choice. Fall…or kill you. I decided to fall. So here I am. Yours.”
Profile Image for Darien.
861 reviews322 followers
November 21, 2010
^^THIS WAS PASSION ALL OVER MY FACE!^^

I like tattoos oh yes I do, I like tattoos how about you. I like them on hot faces, and some that are hiding in his pants. I like them in places, places I can grab. Oh Aeron I do love you, oh Aeron my winged baby you have enough for me and you.

So here it is right in your face, I loved Aeron, this crazy ass man lights my fire, and as this series goes on I just love it more and more. I freaking cried for this book, I felt sad at times, not for the book, but for the characters. They are so energetic and real that I sometimes forget I am reading a book and should get over the heartbreak (easier said than done).

Aeron I have been waiting to finally read his book, and let me say it was no disappointment. Aeron is everything that was portrayed and more, he loves fiercely and hates just as fierce. He lives with guilt and has drawn a conclusion that he deserves nothing good. When he feels an invisible presence tailing him he knows that his time has run out and he is about to be killed, but weeks go by and the presence wont make themselves known. Frustrated and annoyed by this invisible person, Aeron just wants to get it over with, when this very person is keeping away his love and soothing demon Legion. Well he meets his invisible person and it was nothing he expected.

Olivia just got booted from the heavens, and fought her way out of hell, all for the tattooed hottie that gets her blood boiling. Well the reception is somewhat cold, but one thing is clear Aeron wants her and if only, would he listen to his body instead of his head and start trusting her. Olivia knows there is only a matter of time before someone takes over the job she was meant to do and come for Aeron. Olivia is coming to realize she would do anything for Aeron even give up her life.

So let’s talk, this book was feckin sexy! My face fell of a few times cus I found this book the far most erotic of the bunch, there was something very sensual and carnal about it and it just blew my freaking mind. I wanted to hop on Aeron and go for a ride, this man is tortured and all types of good. Plus there was Legion, F.Y.I that bitch be crazy not regular crazy, like demon bitch in hell crazy. This created one hell of a triangle and Olivia managed it like a pro.

Overall, I really liked it and LTU is one of my fave series out there, these men always float my boat. Lysander I want to stroke those golden wings and take him to a new heaven but that’s just me going places I shouldn’t. On that note, Aeron and Olivia were good together, only disappointment was that it just ended, kept flipping the page going WTF “That’s It”.


Mmmmmmm Aeron you sexy tattooed beast!!!
Profile Image for Alkyoni.
111 reviews170 followers
April 14, 2013

Meet Olivia. Olivia is an angel. She used to sit on her white cloud in Heaven and watch us mortals having such a great time, but one day she realized that she wasn’t having any fun. Then her superiors sent her on a mission to kill the man who seemed to be so much fun.

Meet Aeron. He is the keeper of the demon Wrath. He has fancy black wings. He is covered in tats that tell the story of his gruesome killings from head to toe. He is obviously the epitome of fun.

Olivia refuses to kill Aeron and as a punishment she falls from heaven. The clock is ticking since another avenging angel will be coming soon in Olivia’s place but that doesn’t stop the sparks from flying all over the place.

This series had always been a fast and fun read for me. Despite the cheese, it’s loaded with action, humor, intriguing characters and interesting world building.

That being said, I absolutely hated Olivia. This is a matter of personal taste of course, but I never cared for the innocent heroines in romance. Not that Olivia acts all that innocent, mind you, but all this “I’m new to the fun element, show it to me, now” is just not my cup of tea.

Moreover, sweetheart, there are so many other fun things for you to do down here on earth. Sure, dressing like a slut and trying to do the nasty with the guy who insists that he’s not good enough for you can be one of them. But so is chocolate. Did you try some chocolate? No. Why? Because there would be one less paragraph of you thinking about seducing the poor guy and we couldn't possibly have that now, could we?

Half the book is about Olivia trying to jump Aeron. From the moment she opens her eyes till bedtime, that’s all she’s thinking about.

Kiss. Breasts. Bodies. Moving. Kneading. Sliding. Taking. Possessing.Licking. Sucking.

Yeah. The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

He on the other hand does want her, but he grinds his teeth in sexual frustration and refuses her for various reasons that I don’t even care to explain at this point.

His Demon isn’t helping any since Wrath wants Olivia too and keeps saying Mine, Mine, Mine like a broken record.

Moreover, a little female demon that Aeron loves like a daughter wants to jump him too and plots to wipe Olivia off the face of the earth at the same time. No argument from me, but that’s not the point.

The point is that the guy is a mess...

"Want to take you...can't take you...taste so good...need more...can't have more..."

Yeah. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.

Don’t even get me started about the ending.

Anything that I enjoyed? Everything but the Romance and everyone but the main couple and the bitchy demon.
Profile Image for Buggy.
533 reviews689 followers
May 13, 2012
Opening Line:"They Don't seem to care that they're dying."

THE DARKEST PASSION is book #5 in the fantastic and addictive Lords Of The Underworld series and this time its all about the winged and tattooed immortal Aeron. A warrior cursed (along with several others) after opening Pandora’s box and bound ever since to a demon, his being Wrath (sort of like a devilish alter ego you can’t ignore)

Recently Aeron has sensed an invisible female presence around him and here we learn that she is in fact an angel-demon assassin sent to kill him. Of course nothing is as it seems with this series and when Aeron confronts this angel, Olivia claims that she means him no harm, that she couldn’t kill him and has in fact fallen. Giving up immortality and her life in the clouds to experience her now earthly life with him. It’s a match made in Heaven/Hell right? What could be easier then a demon lord and a fallen angel hooking up? Throw in Lucifer, Shadow girl and Aeron’s altered little venom spitting girlfriend Legion, more deals and bargains with Greek gods then I could keep track of, a continuing war with the ‘hunters’ and you’ve got yourself the makings of a perfect romance.

This was a great read and an excellent addition to the series as a whole and really is worthy of 5 stars however because I didn’t read Heart of Darkness first which (who knew) contained Lords Of The Underworld 4.5 there were major plot holes and a whole lot of confusion in the beginning chapters along with certain details that were never filled in. For example how and when did one of the immortals get both of his hands cut off?

I just hate it when authors put semi-important details or move along an ongoing series within an anthology. I’ve been burned too many times with them, spending the money to read 75 pages and usually only enjoying or bothering with the one story by the one author. I won‘t be reading HOD on principle alone now. Anyways enough with my rant. Did I mention how frickin sexy this book is?

Yeah sexy and erotic too, that Showalter can sure write a love scene. Aeron as our hero is awesome he's also the one most in harmony with his demon (now) and as the protector, the one that keeps the others safe. Covered in gruesome tattoos from top to bottom he also sports a pair of wings, flying around during battles and in one instance during love making (that was a new one for me, sex while in flight!) And as improbable as it seems his and Olivia’s romance is a perfect match, once the pair get out of the bedroom that is (I just have to say why does Showalter deem it necessary to lock every one of her heroines in a warriors bedroom for a period of time while one or the other recovers and until the warrior and demon both declare “mine” Its done in almost every book and frankly its getting boring.)

Our couple face insurmountable odds with exciting twists, kidnappings, double crossings and in the end the ultimate sacrifice in the name of love. The ending is …well you’ll get your HEA but at what cost?

The Darkest Lie is up next and it has been set up perfectly for Gideon and his long lost----- also because of events in the last couple of chapters many new and exciting doors have been opened up for this series as a whole. Cheers.
Profile Image for Anja.
717 reviews13 followers
March 15, 2015
2.27 stars.

I am so frustrated with this author. I am starting to think the only good book in this series (The Darkest Kiss) was an accident. The characters are always in instant lust that after 2 days they call love. There is so much internal monologue about wanting to shag each other. I get it already.

All the heroines in the series are starting to blend together for me. Apart from Anya, they are all bland, passive, and boring. Olivia annoyed me more than any other heroine. Her attempts to experience life on earth felt forced by the author and not as actual character growth.

Aeron was a wimp. "Oh, woe is me. A fallen angel wants to sleep with me. Must resist or her BFF will beat me up. Oh, wait, he said it was okay if she was into it. Must resist for no reason then." He was better in previous books but became a self-pitying cry baby in this one. The demons are underutilized and basically become someone to respond to the heroes when they talk to themselves in their heads.

I hated Legion. She became a bratty, stupid, and immature teenager for all that she is as old as Aeron.

The last scene from William's POV creeped me out.

The series plot arc took an unexpected turn and at times I was intrigued and pleased with the author's imagination and at other times kept thinking the author was plotting each novel on the fly rather than having a vision of the series as a whole. The parts of the story not related to the romance were much better and I found myself skimming the romance to get to the good stuff. Isn't it usually the other way around?

Awesome twist for Paris that I never saw coming.

I was glued to the book during all of Gideon's POV scenes. His story is next and it better not disappoint. I am thisclose to breaking up with the author. After Amun's story. And Paris's.
Profile Image for ♥  Sam ♥.
348 reviews9 followers
May 10, 2011
http://shamelessromancereviews.blogsp...

BEST YET! LOVED IT FAN-FRIGGIN-TASTIC!!

FIVE STARS!!!!


First things first, the cover -HOT Gotta love a guy with a back like that,I cant tell you how many times my husband must walk in on me with a little bit of drool hanging from my mouth in an almost catatonic state while I have been thinking about these men! Plus Aeron has tattoos and I myself am a lover of Tats.

So how does a man possessed by a demon, literally covered in tats, oh AND has wings *drool* - wind up being involved with an honest to the word Angel? Well you will just have to read it to find out wont you!

So to go on without revealing anything I can say that the action was great, the romance was phenomenal and the intertwined story lines are getting deeper and deeper - Paris especially.

By far the best LOTU book to date!

Lies book is next so I don't really know if Im going to be able to handle a whole book of Gideon language.
Profile Image for Laura.
471 reviews572 followers
July 19, 2016
It's so hard for me to rate this book beacuse I liked it a lot and it was so much better than a few of its predecessors -therefore I think I'm harder on it. I liked Olivia and Aeron and while in some aspects they work as a couple, I just can't shake the uneasy feeling I have. Olivia is so plain and it's such a shame because I think she could've been written so much better.

Like I've said before: there's so little development when it comes to these women. It's sad and kinda insulting.

That's the only negative thing I have to say about this book, and the series as a whole.

There were a lot of things going on in this book and so much drama. I loved it.
Profile Image for Suzanne (Under the Covers Book blog).
1,745 reviews556 followers
April 23, 2011
I didn't like this book as much as the others. I didn't really like Olivia, and Aeron was just a bit "meh" for me. I also didn't feel the chemistry between them I thought it felt a little flat, for me it seemed that Wrath loved her more then Aeron. What I also didn't like was how abruptly it seemed to end, on minute they were fighting the next minute everything was okay and everything resolved.

I did like this book though, just not as much as the others, and I look forward to the next book as I can't wait to see what happens with Sienna and also with Gideon and Scarlett.
Profile Image for Paige  Bookdragon.
938 reviews631 followers
June 23, 2016


I skimmed the rest after reading 60% of the book. The Darkest Passion is the kind of book that you will enjoy if you have read the previous books of the series. Olivia (the heroine) confuses me and the Aeron didn't really wow me. The story is more like:

Angel gave up her wings and all that goodness because she's attracted to the guy and wants to have sex with him. Guy wants the angel but is trying to be "distant" but the angel is oh-so-yummy that he cant help himself blah blah blah.

description

The only thing that amuses me is William. That fuckboy is amazing and I might read his book in the future. But for now..

description
Profile Image for Leah.
1,203 reviews348 followers
May 5, 2017
So, it's official: Aeron is my favorite Buda Lord. Not only is he totally sexy, intelligent, honest, loyal, but that sacrifice he makes at the end for Olivia and Legion? It made me cry and love him all the more. He is such a sweetheart. The only thing I didn't like about the sacrifice was that Aeron lost Wrath, his wings and tattoos. I loved how sweet Aeron was with Olivia, and I have to say, the two of the them had some of the sexiest sex of the series. Helllllooo, dresser sex. I loved how he got jealous when Olivia was getting drunk with Gideon (and gave him her panties).

Olivia is one of my favorite heroines of this series, right up there with Gwen and Anya. I was laughing my ass off when she gave her panties to Gideon and spilled her guts to him when they got drunk together. I found it in turns hilarious and sad that she freaked out around Torin. I cried when it was described how the demons in hell ripped out her wings because she's an angel. She was such a sweetheart when she was reading to Gid and then he helped her with how to go about "getting" Aeron. I will forever love her for managing to get Aeron brought back to life.

Legion...Grrr...What. A bitch. I couldn't stand her before and now I want to strangle her. Making a deal with the devil to try to win Aeron! Who the hell does that! Okay, and ew, she had sex with Galen. I'm pretty sure I gagged for about ten minutes after I read that part.

I loved that there was more from Strider's and Gideon's POVs. Gid is pretty much my favorite character in the series, and who doesn't love more Strider?!

Scarlet...I loved Scarlet's intro into the series. She immediately showed her intelligence and her agressive nature. I liked that about her, and the fact that she was sassy and sarcastic.

I thought it was a little weird, though, that Kaia was in the beginning of the book but never showed up again after having had sex with Paris.

I did like that there was more of Cameo in this book. The poor girl hardly ever shows up, and when she does everyone is always talking about how they want to kill themselves becuase of her voice. I liked that Olivia was able to see/hear past that and become friends with Cameo.

I thought it was hilarious when Lucifer was in Olivia's head. Especially when he made her flirt with Torin.

Sienna now has Wrath. Not. Cool.

Wrath was like a kitten. So cute. I love that he loved Olivia, too, and I miss him. I don't like that Wrath is now in Sienna.

Lysander, the angel and Olivia's mentor, makes several appearances in this book. While I liked him in the novella The Darkest Angel, I have to admit to no liking him so much in here. I mean, for heaven's sake, he killed Aeron! Come on!

Anyone who has talked to me about this series, whether it be in great detail or a short conversation, knows that I cannot stand Paris. However, after reading TDP, I find I must change my opinion of him. I actually liked him in this book and didn't find myself irritated to simply be reading about him.

I absolutely loved that Baden and Pandora were in this book, even though it was only for a short time. I hope that there will be a way to bring Baden back and he'll have some kind of role in the series from here on out because I really liked him. Pandora was sassy and bitter, but I loved her too.

Dominic, the Hunter, was the first Hunter to ever believe the Lords were not lying. I found that strange yet invigorating. And I loved that he sacrificed himself to help Olivia escape from Galen's evil clutches.

I was not surprised to find that Cronus and Rhea held demons inside themselves (Greed and Strife, respectively). However, I was indignant to find that Rhea has been helping the Hunters all along.

I loved getting William's POV. He so much more than he is portrayed as (a completely irreverent manwhore who never takes anything seriously). And, I have to say that I find myself wanting him and Gilly to end up together. I used to think it would be weird because she is so young and he is a centuries old immortal, but they are so cute together and it's not really that much different from the Lords and their human females, just a slight age difference.

Like I said before, there was some majorly awesome sex in this book: on the dresser, on the balcony, using Aeron's wings to fly after they broke the balcony railing. Sexy stuff.

The most emotional part of this book, for me, though, was when all Aeron's friends were gathered around his body after Lysander killed him. And, while the whole situation in general was heartwrenching, my heart broke and my tears fell when Gideon's and Sabin's reactions were described: Gid was crying on his knees and Sabin was begging to take Aeron's place. How the hell could I not cry when my guys were getting so upset and emotional. Poor babies.

Overall, this is a fantastic book. Then again, can you expect anything less from Gena Showalter? I think not.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Laura.
Author 14 books604 followers
April 29, 2010
Amazing!!!!!! My favorite lords book yet. A-frickin'-mazing

This Lords of the Underworld book picks up where "Darkest Angel" left off. Remember Lysander, the angel? His protoge Olivia was to watch Aeron, keeper of Wrath, and then to kill him. But Olivia fell in love with Aeron's fierce loyalty and the fact that he put his friends above his own wants and needs. So rather than killing Aeron, Olivia fell. Scraping and clawing her way up from the Underworld, Olivia emerges in front of the fortress screaming for Aeron.
When Aeron sees who is calling his name, Paris tells him she is Bait and to wait for back-up. Aeron can't help himself and swoops down to pick Olivia up and takes her to his room. She is a bloody dirty mess, and he has no clue what to do with a fallen angel whose wings have been ripped from her heavenly body.
Olivia not only fascinates everyone else in the fortress, but she convinces them she can help him with the search for more "lords" like themselves-in fact she helps them find the keeper of Nightmares, who is female, and quite possibly Gideon's wife.
Olivia finally gets Aeron to stop trying to get rid of her and to do something about their mutual attraction, but Legion then makes a deal with the devil-literally. Hades was a Greek god who was imprisoned with the rest of the Greeks when the Titans took over a few books ago, so Lucifer is now in charge. Lucifer gets Legion to strike a deal...one he has no intention of losing. Legion turns human (looks like a porn star!) and has 9 days to convince Aeron to sleep with her or she forfeits her new body to Lucifer and he will kill all the lords.
Aeron of course decides to sleep with her to save the world, but, what about Olivia? He had just realized he loved her when Legion pranced in. There are so many unexpected twists and turns from Gena Showalter, that I was so surprised by the ending, and the events leading up to the ending. I won't spoil anything since this book hasn't even come out yet, but it was more than worthwhile to read on the awful computer screen (I have the e-version and my newly LASIK'ed eyes were screaming in protest, but it was soo worth it!).
by far one of Showalter's best, and my favorite of the Lords of the Underworld series.
Profile Image for Ronda.
887 reviews167 followers
June 1, 2012
I have read some fantastic books this year, one or two are firm favourites and then I started LOTU... of course the first couple of books were placed high on my rankings, all 5 stars... I finally found another series that I could compare with others firmly.... but this book... this book is the single most spectacular book that I have come across in, like, forever!

I have never read a book that has actually had me holding my breath like each second counted... I have had so many twists and turns to comprehend and then once I began coming to terms with them, I was slammed head first into yet another... I have LOVED, yes LOVED, every single page, no, every single word of this entire book...

I know that the books read in order, and of course I realise that the prior books are all part of this book being what it is... but hells bells, it still outshines the rest!!!

Aeron is my favourite lord... I admit I am desperate to read about the others now that I know what there demons are all about but Aeron is so special.... his story outstanding.... his woman simply breathtaking.... and I love his demon....

BUT... now that I've read the book, I am SPEECHLESS at the ending... I cried!!! I'm still tearful as I write this... but more than the tears, the aftermath of what I've read cannot be described... there are now so many avenues that are opening up and OH MY GOD I need to read on....

Gena Showalter - You are somewhat spectacular... I simply LOVE YOU!!!
Profile Image for Deborah Obida.
689 reviews680 followers
June 24, 2018
Aeron my sweet sweet Aeron, oh how I love Aeron, he is so selfless, he will do anything for his love ones, even die without a second thought. Aeron also considers relationship as a distraction that is until he met Olivia.

Olivia is a fallen Angel, she fell cause she wants "love, freedom and fun" she also expects Aeron to deliver those things, it didn't take long before she weakened his resolve, I love that she is confident and goes for what she wants, she manipulates Aeron into kissing her by giving him information, she calls it payment.

There can't be an Aeron book without Legion, so of course she is in this book more than the others, her jealousy got Aeron and the Lords in serious trouble.

But in the end things worked out as usual.
Profile Image for ~ Becs ~.
708 reviews2,153 followers
May 18, 2012
Well, I really loved this. I'd taken quite an extended break from Lords of the Underworld but it didn't take long for it all to come back.

Aeron Keeper of Wrath, and Olivia make a fabulous couple - Olivia is a Warrior Angel despatched by the one true deity to execute Aeron for rescuing his little demon, Legion, from hell. She can't bring herself to do it as she's falling in love with him and, as punishment, she is cast out from heaven into hell and is a fallen angel. Her wings are ripped off by demons in hell and she crawls to the surface and this is when Aeron finds her, battered and bleeding and the story gets underway.

Legion is consumed by jealousy and barters a deal with Lucifer which puts them all in peril and sets in motion a series of events which will have the most awful consequences for Aeron - this last few chapters were a real shocker and the rest of this review will have to go
under spoiler tags.



I really loved Olivia - she was such a sweetheart and Aeron such a strong, protective male. They're my favourite couple of the series after Anya and Lucien. Aeron resisted his feelings for a good half of the book but in the end, he just can't resist her and he realises that they have something very special.

Minor gripe - can't stand the way that the characters lose the ability to use pronouns during sex scenes.

So on to Gideon, Keeper of Lies - I find the way he talks in opposites vaguely annoying.

4 stars paranormal romance

Profile Image for Λίνα Θωμάρεη.
458 reviews32 followers
June 16, 2018
Σοβαρά τώρα???

Σοοοοβαραααα???

Τι έκρηξη πληροφοριών και αποκαλύψεων και τροπής ήταν αυτό...???

Στην παράταση κιόλας?!

Τζίνα σε μισώ αυτή την στιγμή τοοοοσο πολύ ... έλεγα να κάνω ένα break αλλά μετά από όλες αυτές τις ΤΡΕΛΕΣ αποκαλύψεις.. ναι ... όχι.... πάω για το 6ο...

Τώρα για τα αστέρια .. τι να πω ?? 3 αγγελικά πούπουλα αστέρια, στην οργή διασκορπισμένα :)
Profile Image for *CJ*.
4,611 reviews548 followers
May 6, 2017
Wow. That was a soul wrenching- emotional- roller coaster ride.
"The Darkest Passion" is the story of Aeron and Olivia.. and it an experience.
Olivia is an angel we met in previous books- she has been fascinated with Aeron for a long time- so much that she gives up her immortality and becomes a fallen angel for him.
Offering herself to him on a silver infatuation filled platter- she is not ready for reluctance and rejection, but she gets it from her demon, Wrath aka Aeron.
After years of being without family, Arron only cares for Legion, his she demon until Olivia invades his life.
While she wants to love and cherish him, he keeps her at a distance despite there being attraction.
There was many things to love and be annoyed by this book,

Overall,
It had its ups and minor downs, but I enjoyed it. It had heavy dose of angst and I came to appreciate Aeron towards the end.
Beautiful read when it comes to brotherhood, friendship, love, feels and sacrifice.
Safe with minor exceptions
4/5
Profile Image for Luana ☆.
618 reviews137 followers
November 4, 2021
I had a lot of fun reading this book. The heroine is the completely opposite of what I would expect of an angel but it was hilarious seeing her struggles anyway. And the hero is like a big inky teddy bear. All size and bark but no bite.

This book was not only funny but was also very emotional by the end of it.
And I can't believe how this plot developed and I want to hit Legion for it. I understand that Aeron see her as a child, I liked her a lot up until now as well but ughhhhh. I hope she improves her personality in the future. So I won't let her lower my rating this time hehehe

Another thing I have to say is that it was the first time someone really had a conversation with Gideon, the demon of Lies, and oh my, what a mess it is to speak with him. I so enjoyed it but I am not very excited about his book. I hope it is better than I expect.
Profile Image for Larissa.
540 reviews107 followers
March 26, 2010
This is the book that started it all for me with this series. I got the ARC from Netgalley and just had to get the other books before I could read this one and I am so happy I did. I am in love with this series right now.

The Darkest Passion tells the HEA of Aeron, the keeper of the Wrath Demon. There’ve been some chapters in the previous installments where we got to see his POV and he is such a brooding character. His relationship and beliefs in terms of mortality are so extreme that i was really curious to see who his better half would be.

Wrath explores weaknesses and sins, for that reason and for seeing people all around him perish throughout the ages, Aeron can’t stand the weakness of humans and can’t understand how they can live life knowing that their days are counted without begging for more time, over and over again for more time.

Olivia is an Angel. Originally a joy-bringer, she has been elevated to warrior and her first assignment is to kill Aeron. While observing him, she feels drawn to his strength and simply refuses to complete her task. She has fallen into hell and crawled her way up to earth in search of her obsession, Aeron, asking for help and wanting to warn him that another Angel Assassin would be sent at any time now. That is the moment they finally meet in person, even though Aeron has been felling her presence, watching him, for a while now.

Olivia is a wonderful character. Being an angel she doesn’t really understand human emotions and the human ways. so it is great to see her having to cope with all that after she falls. She need to deal with pain and pleasure for the first time as well as with distrust, anger and so on. It was an amazing POV to follow, seeing and feeling with new eyes and skin and being able to do that what simply perfect.

I loved this book! I think it is my favorite in the series so far, and that is quite an accomplishment in my opinion. The path both Aeron and Olivia had to tread on to reach each other and the obstacles and the transformation that each of them need to go through are amazing and heart breaking. I wanted to give up, scream, I cried, I laughed and I feel that all just made this and even more exceptional book.

The heights to where Gena is taking this series intrigues me and I have to thank the all mighty that The Darkest Lie, Book #6, comes out only a month after this one, because the cliffhangers and open storylines that the author has left are infuriating and just make me love this series even more.

If you are a Paranormal Romance fan and have not read this series yet, I don’t know what is wrong with you. You need to get this series, like NOW!
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