Book Review: Last Kiss Goodnight by Gena Showalter

Last Kiss Goodnight is the first book in the new Otherworld Assassin series by Gena Showalter. Supernatural black ops agent Solomon Judah wakes up caged in a twisted zoo where he and other otherworlders are the main attraction. Vika Lukas, the owner’s daughter, has a soft heart and is charged with the care and feeding of all the otherworlders, including Solo. She wants to set them free, but thanks to her cruel father's precautions needs to wait for the perfect moment. Hostility and cruelty fill Vika's life, but something tips the scale and changes the hostility from Solo turn into a forbidden attraction, which is shared.

Last Kiss Goodnight was the great start to a new series from Showalter. The main players were all extremely well designed, and the further explanation of how otherworlders came to be in the world was perfect. And of course, while paranormal black ops has been touched on before (think Feehan's Ghost Walker series), this is a new angle that I really enjoyed. Solo is a strong man, who also happens to be non-human and thought of as a monster by most. The fact that he is huge, and turns into a snarling red demon-like creature when angered, does not help that perception. Vika is a girl that has learned to work within the confines of her life to survive. Her father is a cruel man, that does horrible things. She has always tried to help others, and that has always ended badly for her, but she has not stopped trying. Her strength, and constant mistakes in commonly known phrases, made for a character that I enjoyed reading about. Their happy ever after takes a lot of work, but the ride is a lot of fun and peppered with plenty of action, making for a great read.

I highly recommend Last Kiss Goodnight to all fans of paranormal romance, especially to those that enjoy Showalter's other works. The characters are solid; with wit, intelligence, and determination on their side at every turn. The set up for the rest of the series does not interfere with the story line in this installment, but definitely left me looking forward to see where we go from here.