When I first started reading this book I didn't think I'd like it very much. Every time I turned a page Olivia was crying again. I don't require my heroines to be emotionally dead, but come on, you're embarrassing me and I'm not even in the scene! I feared that she'd spend the whole book sobbing at the drop of a hat. That is definitely not the heroine for me. Luckily, Olivia bounces back pretty quickly. She's still a little bipolar at times, but for the most part she becomes well adjusted.

This book was a quick, light read. I know that they're supposed to be angsty and tortured with the demons and all, but that's not how this series comes across to me at all. They had some really funny parts in this book. I liked watching Aaron struggle with himself. He cracked me up when he'd cave to her pressure and compliment himself on what a great guy he was. I wouldn't have been surprised if his demon had slapped him on the back and congratulated him for taking one for the team (metaphorically of course).

Watching Olivia learn to be human was also entertaining. She had the right idea in making sure she experienced the most in life. If you're going down, you might as well make it worth it. The angel council seemed pretty harsh. I don't know whether humanity should be worried or not with these guys pulling the strings.

Legion, and Aaron's blindness toward her, got old really quick. What a selfish creature. I didn't enjoy so much page time devoted toward her and after her actions in the bathroom (trying to avoid spoilers) toward the end I wonder what part she's going to have in the future of the series. Also, Aaron's willingness to do that-thing-to-save-them-all (vague again!) was totally upsetting to my romance-reader heart. It was really depressing because I didn't see a way out of it. Even though he was upset about it, it still pissed me off that he even agreed. That's not the way it's supposed to happen! The author did choose the one route I didn't see him taking, so it all worked out. Sort of...

The events at the end kind of seemed to come out of nowhere. I thought Olivia's explanation for why she was able to help Aaron was pretty weak. You argued that? And it worked? Also, meeting that friend toward the end left the book with a somber note. You're happy for Olivia and Aaron, but you still can't help but feel bad.

It was a toss up between 3 stars and 4 stars for this book. I swung toward 4 because even though the end seemed really weird and out of place, I had a good time reading it and was entertained.

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Long book, at over 430 pages you might think that you would never get to the end. There are alot more stories going on besides Aeron and Olivia. I still find Showalter's characters fascinating and likable (the good guys anyway). But at times this book seemed to drag for me, occasionally the book was bogged down by the dialogue in Olivia or Aeron's head, and Legion's tantrums. And I was not really satisfied by the ending. Even though i was not 'head over heels' about this installment, by no means am i dropping this series. My issues with this particular book do not sway me from the series as a whole. I still love all the Lords of the Underworld and Olivia is a charming character. And I'm glad Legion got what was coming to her for trying to trap Aeron. We get some glimpses at some new characters and some old ones pop back up (Baden) and I can't wait to see what will happen next.

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This was one of the best in the whole series for me. I was up past 3am last night finishing this book, I just could not stop reading. I've loved Aaron since way back when and was really excited to read his story. I loved Olivia, when she wasn't cracking me up (her visit with Gideon) I was feeling her sorrow (having fallen and lost everything she once held dear and at times thinking after all that Aaron would still reject her). The book was long and I was glad for it, I didn't want it to end. There was just enough strife balanced with hope.

*****SPOILERS********
That being said... I did NOT like the ending...how we were lead through so much strife, so many obstacles, so many impossible can't see your way out situations, just for Mrs. Gena to wrap it all up in 3 pages, tie it up with a neat pretty little bow and there you go. I was like "What! it was that easy?" The Angel Counsel would not relent when Lysander begged for Olivia to not have to kill Aaron in the first place and they were the ones who stripped her of her wings in the first place... and in 2 pages she just goes to them and begs and says I need him and they say ok.

I hated (still do) Legion. Someone compared her to Simi in the Dark Hunter books. I would totally disagree, that's an insult to Simi. Ok, so Showalter peaked my interest with the attraction between her and Galen... and I kind of like that he's on his way to Hell to find her, supposedly to kill her but we all know that he was so taken with her during their "time together" in the bathroom. So that might be interesting. But I hated her with Aaron, it was sick and disgusting the thought of him sleeping with her.

I hated that he's no longer paired with Wrath. I hated that he no longer has his tattoos and wings... I don't like that at all, to me he's not Aaron w/o those elements, ah gosh... those beautiful black wings are gone! sob...

Him having to leave Baden behind was heartbreaking. And it'll be forever before they find that damn box and are able to free him.

Gideon has also been one of my favorites ever since he was introduced, but I don't like it when the Hero is paired with someone he already knows, even if he's forgotten her. So I'm a little disappointed that Scarlet was once his wife. Also how long does it take to grow those hands back.

The Lord I most want to read about is Torin. Can't wait!!! I'm most worried about William... don't know where this thing w/ him and Gilly is going and I don't know if I want them to be together or not, it's a little creepy because she is so young and because of the abuse she suffered, but still he's connected to her and she him... then there's that prophecy... so I'm worried she might be his downfall. So anyway... even though I thought the ending was plucked outta nowhere I still loved this book. To me Aaron and Olivia had the best chemistry of them all.

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** spoiler alert ** The 5th installment in the Lords of the Underworld Series was one hell of a ride!

Synopsis from Goodreads:
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?

Now, 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....

SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!

This was the most anticipated book of the series, for me. Aeron has always held the most interest for me. Very intriguing character. What crappy predicaments the characters found themselves throughout this entire book! It was one shitty scenario to the next. It definitely made you continue to read the book.

Aeron/Paris: Those two seriously make me tear up. Paris' decision to save Aeron instead of Sienna made my heart cry now that Aeron knows, he feels he owes everything to Paris. Paris feels he made the right decision, but Aeron sees that he is suffering greatly. Where is the justice?

Olivia/Aeron: Olivia was a great heroine! Being of angel status, she did not know how to deal with human emotions. After she falls, she is bombarded with an onslaught of them. Poor girl! She gets to deal with pleasure, pain, sacrifice, anger, distrust, temptation (ha!), and love in a matter of days! Her POV was so refreshing because she was so pure and new to personally experiencing humanity. That delicate angel showed serious courage in this book! I can't believe she went up against Galen. She is truly a joy-bringer and I was routing for her all the way through! It took her some time to slice through Aeron's thick facade but she did it! I loved her as the heroine, and I hope Aeron fills her life with tons of fun! *wink* Those penis jokes near the end had me rolling on the floor. They were so unexpected and out of character for Aeron, and I just LOVED that we got to finally see his playful side.

Lysander: I was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable with his severe interest in Olivia. I know he is responsible for her and all, but it became WAY creepy for me there, at the end.

Legion/Aeron: Does their relationship remind you of Acheron/Simi from Dark-Hunters? I mean, to a degree, Simi definitely never crossed over the line Legion has, but she would definitely kill a bitch in a nanasecond for Ash. LOL.

Is there Hope in Legion's future? (CRAZY!!)

Twistful ending: What a hell of a twist at the end, with Baden/Pandora, and Sienna/Wrath! Holy crapola! I do truly hate that Aeron was separated from Wrath, after centuries of torment and finally learning to live together. Sienna/Wrath is going to prove very interesting in coming books. I am absolutely scared for Paris in these upcoming books. HE IS GOING TO LOSE HIS MIND! We have so long to wait for his HEA. :(

Gideon/Scarlet: I can't wait for LIES AND NIGHTMARES! I could feel the heat dripping off of him when he was around her. But what is this wife stuff? >:O

Bring on more Lords! Woot!

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Love this series from Gina Showalter. She is ranking right up there with Christine Feehan, Lyndsay Sands, Marjorie Liu and a few others in my estimation of must have books. All of her books could stand alone, but, I think it is better to read them as written. I get engrossed in these books, but laugh a lot too. Great stories and great romance.

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This book has to be my favorite so far. The story of Aeron, Keeper of Wrath and Oliva, a fallen angel was perfect. To take someone that has a hard look to them and heart and pair them with a sweet beautiful angel made the story. There were times when I actually started to tear-up and I just couldn't put the book down. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves paranormal romance novels.

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the whole lord of the underworld set is awesome, and this is no exception.

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Another great book from Showalter. The ending was a bit abrupt for me, but I assume it picks back up in The Darkest Lie, which I will be reading next.

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Good but not my favorite. I liked Aeron and I liked Wrath and I liked how Aeron and Wrath felt about Olivia. So I really felt cheated in the end with the resolution. Without giving the story away, we all know the h&h wind up together, but there are some real issues with the resolution that are very disappointing.

I thought Aeron was funny and his interaction with others was funny. I thought we spent way too much time with Strider. Olivia - meh. Legion - I don't get why this character was created in the first place. She didn't seem to really have any impact on Aeron's story - big picture. Maybe more will come out later. And it was all a bit too creepy. I am certainly craving to know more about Gideon and Scarlet (next book) and the revelations about William and maybe Gilly connection are intriguing too.

Overall it was an OK installment but I didn't finish the book dying to read the next as I've done with the others in this series.

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First I should confess that fallen angels are probably my favorite paranormal/fantasy creatures. They aren't as easy to find as vampires and werewolves, so when they do show up I'm pretty excited. When I found out that the heroine of this, book four of The Lords of the Underworld series, was an angel with all the trimmings (wings and clouds and flowers) I was absolutely ecstatic. So I was a little biased toward liking this book before I even openned it.

The premise is that Olivia was an angel, originally a joybringer. But out of nowhere she's promoted to warrior and commanded to kill Aeron. Aeron is possessed by the demon of Wrath and has spent many lifetimes punishing wrongdoers. But more importantly, he broke divine law by releasing the demon minion Legion from hell. Olivia, having watched Aeron for a long time and decided that he doesn't deserve death, chooses to fall instead of killing him. She fully expects to become part of his life and experience fun and happiness. But Legions jealousy, the will of gods, and Aeron's own reluctance to give into his softer feelings stand in the way of their blooming relationship.

What I loved: At Olivia is pretty useless and pitiful, so I had some doubts about her. But if you get passed the first 70 pages or so, she becomes much more likeable. She never loses her goodness or kindness, yet she does gain a tremendous amount of backbone and toughness. Aeron was pretty frustrating at times, and I didn't feel he developed as thuroughly as Olivia, but I still liked him. The romance was warm and more or less believable. Lets face it, it's hard to build chemistry between two people with such opposing world-views. Showalter does it pretty well.

As for the plot, both romance related and not, it's complex enough to be interested and only slightly rambling. By that I mean, there are some unnecessary sequences but no really boring ones.

What I did not love: Legion. Ok, she's not the only flaw, and maybe she's not even a flaw for most readers, but she drove me crazy. Every scene that she appeared in was awkward and frustrating. I think the reason I didn't quite like Aeron as much as I might have was that he kept standing up for her, burying his head in the sand, and wanting to help her even in the end. I liked her previously, when I though she was a child or a pet, but the entire plot point with her in this book made me want to give up on it on several occations. I mention this because, if you don't like the two women fighting over a man type of plot this may seriously irritate you as well.

The other flaws are pretty minor. More time could have been invested in the romance, making it just a tad mor believable. I still think the cast of characters is too big but, actually, Showalter did a better job of controling that problem in this book by splitting them up. And the Hunters continue to be lousy villains. I'm sorry, but sometimes I think the Lords remain alive only because their enemies are so imcompetent.

Overall, if you like the series you'll like this book. It keeps a lot of the best elements from the previous books, and adds some new stuff as well.

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Aeron rescued Legion from hell and has since protected her and treated her like a daughter. This is the reason the angels are going to kill him. But first Olivia, the angel in love with him, gets 10 days to experience humanity with Aeron before another angel will kill him for his transgression of releasing a demon from hell. Of course, Legion and Olivia hate each other and fight continuously. Poor Aeron, he is torn between his "daughter who now wants to be his wife" and Olivia, who he's been warned off of upon threat of, well, death. Interestingly enough neither Olivia or Legion irritate his demon Wrath. Amazingly enough, Wrath loves Olivia immediately. Of course, this is a sure sign of a soul mate.

This book features Aeron, Olivia and Legion but it also focuses on the war with the Hunters, Galen particularly. Lots of God and angel interference in everything. I was disappointed in the ending but we'll see how Showalter works that into the next installment.

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Id actually paid very little attention to Aeron throughout the series, even when he was blood-crazed and completely intent on killing Danika and her family. I suppose hed always felt too distant to connect with, or even try to relate to. Once his story starts though its hard to maintain that illusion; Aeron is no flat character. Neither is Oliviaso far I think I like her the best out of all the Lord heroines. Its a classic tale of nice to naughty but with an entertaining and amazingly convincing twist. I loved how quickly Olivia developes; her desires, motivation and extreme, angelic innocence propel her fully into the physical worlds pleasures. In some ways, Ive lived a similar life so reading about her exploring her new world helped me relate to her even more. Olivia is definitely a heroine I want to be best friends with!

From the first sentence the main question I had was, What about Legion? I knew from reading the previous novels that the little demons interest in Aeron was very romantic but his toward her with the parent-child relationship and there were enough problems in that relationship (whatever it ended up being) to be a novel in and of itself. For Olivia and Aeron to work, Legion couldnt be part of the picture and I didnt think for even a minute that shed step aside and give them her blessing. Shed fight back. Which left a lot of unsavory options for the poor thing and any of them I could think of made me angry. Legion had helped Aeron so many times and he did love her after all, so discarding her in any way would have ruined the connection between Aeron and Olivia. I think where shes left at the end is cruel, but I have hopes that shell regain her life and happiness later on in the series.

Im not sure how I feel about the ending. Choosing to kill off the hero is a dangerous move for any writer, and while it can be done when accompanied by expert skill, it usually becomes cheesy when you pair it with the miraculous return to life. Since Showalter went the death-to-the-hero route, I almost wanted Aeron to stay dead. But of course he doesnt, and I suppose the precious little tidbit she gives us (no, Im not telling!) is worth the whole ordeal.

As for the clips setting up for future books As a writer and an avid reader I have to say that I really appreciate Gideon. Writing a good character (especially when there are as many as there are in this series and keeping them all unique) is difficult enough, but Gideon must be even more of a challenge with his inability to say what he means. It always takes me aback when he enters a scene and speaks, and though his backwards talk often gives me a headache, I very much admire the ingenuity it takes to create someone like that and write him effectively.

Despite its length, Darkest Passion is definitely a page tuner and Im so looking forward to The Darkest Lie. Ive already bought some Advil!

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Aeron's story... Ms Showalter doesn't disappoint: sexy scenes, laugh out loud humor and descriptive writing. I am looking forward to the next, as always! Hope it is Gideon!

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Enjoyed this book..I always do. The end gives a good twist and look into the future of how they will get "old" friends back....

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Good setup for next book (Gideon) and a hint at Paris's. I was surprised at the ending, didn't see that coming. The war continues, more things are learned. I really would like to read Cameo's and Torin's story(or stories); very curious how Showalter would work with that one.

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Book 5 in The Lords of the Underworld Series is Aeron's story. Possessed with the demon Wrath, Aeron has always avoided close relationships with women. But when the angel, Olivia "falls" in order to save him, he can't resist her goodness.
It had been awhile since I read the last book in this series, and I had forgotten how much I like it. They're all steamy romances, yet there's much more to the series than sex. The overall story of the battle between the Lords and the Hunters is just as interesting as the romance piece. The characters are well developed with fascinating contradictions. I love the way Showalter intermixes Greek mythology with biblical references. From the hints we've gotten to the next story, I can't wait to read book six, Gideon's story.

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Did not like this installment. For me, the first half of the book was spent wondering if I could stick with the book until the end. The heroine, was whiny and a flake. The hero, just didn't seem to have that burning love he should for his HEA. Especially after many, many years without a woman in his life. This book seemed "mailed in" by the author. I didn't feel the angst or any sense of tension between these characters. I found myself wanting to read more about Gideon, William, and Strider. I realize they will get their books but what little they appeared here, they were far more interesting than the main characters.

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L-O-V-E-D it!!! Best book (#5) in the Lords of the Underworld series! Nobody could rip this book from my hands until I finished. Aeron keeper of Wrath was sexy and soooo consuming. I was hesitant when I first started this because of all the damn whimpering from Olivia over giving up her wings to be with Aeron, but it was soooo worth the read. Except the ending. Without giving up the juicey details, it felt very forced to give these characters a resolute finish for readers. I think I would have been happier if it ended in complete misery balling my eyes out crying and carrying me into a second book for these two. I could have easily read a part two for these two lovers. The way this book reads Aeron and Olivia could carry their own.

The plot just keeps getting thicker for these lords. I'm dying to see how this all turns out. The side stories with William are peeking my interest. Over all still a thumbs up.

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The Darkest Passion is the fifth book in the Lords of the Underworld series. I have only read a couple of books in this series and was pleasantly surprised that I wasnt too lost. With that said, it is much better if you read this series in order.

I fell in love with Aerons character way back in The Darkest Night, the first book in this series. He is keeper of Wrath, able to see the sins of others and punishes them in the same way. He carries the burden of guilt with him because the pleasure he gets when he unleashes Wrath. He cares deeply for his friends and his demon daughter Legion but doesnt think he needs anyone else in his life. When Olivia shows up, he tries to push her away while Wrath wants to keep her.

Olivia is a fallen angel. She was ordered to kill Aeron and refused so she was cast out of Heaven and sent to Hell. She managed to crawl her way up from Hell with sheer determination because she had to get to Aeron. She had been watching him for awhile and along the way she fell in love with him. She wants him to keep her even though he keeps trying to push her away. Shes even willing to deal with Legion to stay with Aeron.

There are so many wonderful moments in this book its hard to pick a favorite. It is funny and sad sometimes. I loved seeing Olivia learn how to be human and how she grew as a person throughout the book. She isnt afraid to go after what she wants, even though he keeps pushing her away. She becomes invaluable to Aeron providing him with information regarding the hunters and other Lords. The whole time Aeron is fighting with his internal demon Wrath trying to convince him they cant keep her.

I didnt like Legion that much when she was first introduced but as the book progressed, she grows up a little bit. She realizes that she can never have what she truly desires and regrets putting Aeron in the position she has.

It was also nice to see the other Lords and their ladies. Gideon and Paris intrigue me and I cant wait to see where they are going to take us. I like the story line with the Hunters but at times it distracted from the main story line.

The ending definitely surprised me but I cant really say much without spoilers. Let me just say it wasnt what I was expecting. I was also heartbroken for one of the characters at the end.

Overall I truly enjoyed this book and thank Gena for sharing a copy with me. It was my favorite so far in this series. I give this book 4 flaming hearts.

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Not as good as the others and I hated the ending!

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This is definitely my favorite of the series!

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What is it about this series. So far out of 5 books I have loved them all. Loved the men, loved the females. Nothing in this series has let me down, not once.

Anyone else wondering if William and Gilly (when she is of age of coarse) will get together...I think I would like to see those 2 together. I know I haven't had much interaction with those 2 but just something about them. Plus I love William. He cracks me up.

Seriously ladies...if you haven't read this series start

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It was hard to put this book down, even through its over 400 pages but I had to. I love books that grabs your attention and never lets go. Aeron, keeper of Wrath, has made him self a promise, never to love a human cuz of their weakness. The promise turned around and bit him on his butt. Olivia was kicked out of Heaven cuz she wanted to be with Aeron, then she fell right into hell and was brutalized by demons, the a sweet as Olivia is she fought her way from Hell just to be with Aeron. The green scaled she demon made a deal and now she is humanlike and is on a mission to make Aeron fall in love with her like she wants but he still sees her a a daughter figure and Legion will do anything to get rid of the angel and make her way into his bed. There is so much action in this book it will make your head spin. Not to mention the shocking truths about the special little extra the the God King Cronus, his wife Rhea and more Gods are housing. Sacrifices are made, truths come out, betrayals, love is formed, not to mention Lords score is now 3-0 in artifacts. Angels can be known to do what is needed to save love ones and friends.

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Another pleasing addition to the series. Showalter's writing gets better with every installment.

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Good series..The book kept me entertained.

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I really enjoyed reading it.

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