Seraphim, by Shelby Reed

Read this book last night and all I can say is, WOW!!

It was an extremely complex story, so if you’re after a light read, you’ll be bitterly disappointed.

I’ve read Shelby’s other books, my favourite being A Fine Work Of Art, which was just a tremendous example of great writing, but Seraphim was just in a class of its own.

Once again I can’t bring myself to do a typical KarenS stylie lazy blurb, so putting my serious head on, here goes.

Gia Rossi’s life changes one afternoon when she is kidnapped by men who seem to materialise out of nowhere. Frightened and confused, she is afraid that her husband’s shady business dealings have come home to roost, with her being used as bait.

Gia fears for her life, but the people who have kidnapped her, do not mean her any harm, on the contrary, they have been assigned to protect her, but Gia doesn’t believe them, and fights them tooth and nail, fearing that she will soon be killed.

The men who have kidnapped Gia, are celestial beings known as Seraphims. They are guardians who have travelled through time and space, and their main responsibilities lie in protecting humans from the evil elements that have entered earth. You and I would know them as Guardian Angels.

Gia, frightened and angry, demands an explanation for her kidnapping, which she is given by Joachim (our lovely hero), who is the mission leader of the seraphic group who have kidnapped her.

Joachim tells Gia that her husband is actually dead, and that a malevolent entity has overtaken his body. This evil entity is a Nephilim, who are the dark angels who leapt with Lucifer in the Great Rebellion. They have the ability and a driving desire to attain human bodies and walk amongst men. The one who took Vincent Rossi’s body is called Therides. He sits at the left hand of Lucifer, more powerful than any other evil spirit. Therides had planned to kill Gia as soon as she had outlived her usefulness.

Joachim also tells her that she is the key to ridding the world of this foul creature, it is her destiny to lead the Seraphims to victory over the Nephilims who have inhabited earth. Gia is told that she has in her possession, a Medallion, that only the true daughter of Longinus (Roman Centurion who drove a spear into Christ’s side at the Crucifixion) can wear.

When Joachim gives Gia this information, she is obviously sceptical, and at first refuses to listen, until she is presented with evidence proving the truth about her husband.

From the moment they meet Gia and Joachim have the most amazing chemistry.
Joachim’s body is one that he has inhabited for this particular mission, and fights against the temptations of the flesh that humans experience, especially when it comes to Gia. These feelings are totally alien to him, and he is confused as to what is happening to his body

With this book, Shelby Reed has created a wonderful love story, and without littering the book with inappropriate sex scenes, managed to convey the depth of feeling and the struggles that these two people go through.

Readers will love Joachim, because he is the embodiment of all that is good. His heart is pure (and for all intents and purposes he is a virgin), and he truly only lives to protect those that need him. He falls in love with Gia, but he knows that this is a union that cannot be, so he fights the feelings he has for her.
Joachim feels that his feelings for Gia will ultimately make him weak, and as the great Mission Leader, this is something that he cannot afford to happen.

Gia knows that she and Joachim will be parted forever after this mission is over, and she wants the opportunity to love him at least once, but is afraid that his guilt over their shared feelings will prevent him from being with her.

I loved this story because Ms Reed managed to balance out the sometimes perilous task of trying to achieve good characterisation as well as having a strong plot.

The lead characters were particularly cohesive, and their interaction with each other left me sighing with satisfaction. This book had very few sexual scenes in it, but I have to say, the chemistry was so amazing that it wasn’t necessary for them to be hitting the sack every two minutes. I enjoyed the anticipation of waiting for them to consummate their passion for one another.

Shelby Reed can do emotion in a way that very few erotic romance authors are able to. At one point, I even found myself reading this book with my head tilted to one side, my lips turned downwards and tears trying to sneak out of those pesky ducts.

I love stories that stimulate the brain as well as provoking sensory reactions, and this book was able to do both…in spades.

Once again, Shelby Reed, has delivered a fantastic story, and I can only urge those of you who love a good romance, to go and purchase this e-book, post- haste.

Shelby, you did a wonderful job, well done, and I can’t wait for Seraphim to come out in print.