The second book in The Chosen series is an intriguing and fascinating paranormal romance with unique elements.

Ordinary college girl, Elaina Shay is singled by Professor Aiden Klemenson as a chosen for the benevolent gods of Creation. Because of her past Elaina doesn’t have the trust needs in Aiden himself or his gods. Aiden has been assigned by his god as her mentor, but his task is made difficult by not only her past, but the attraction between them that he has to ignore and the gods of Destruction are trying to recruit or stop her. Elaina will have to have to learn to have faith in her own strength and the warrior who has stolen her heart, if she wants to survive.

This steady to fast paced and smooth flowing plot keeps reader on their toes with lots of suspense, action, romance and drama. The author brings the story to life with vivid imagery and details and enchanting characters that are easily related to and leave the reading wanting to know more. The story captures the imagination and makes the reader feel as if they are part of the story.

The attraction between Elaina and Aiden explodes from the pages and the sex scenes are red hot and leave the reader scorched. The author conveys the emotions, passion and personalities of the characters with such vibrancy that the reader feels as if they know them personally. Elaina is a fascinating young woman whose strength and courage give her presence that stands out and grabs the heart of the readers.

The author has created a riveting and exciting alternate verse involving the different pantheons of gods that has unique elements that give it a refreshingly original and modern feel that is very entertaining. This wonderful captivating world has lots of impressive characters that draw the reader deeper into the story and I can’t wait to read more in this mesmerizing series.

Well done! I really enjoyed this one. It’s definitely an original world, and I can’t wait to read more of it. Ann says she just released a novella in the series, so I’ll be getting my hands on that soon.

Eliana (whose name name I had serious issues keeping straight in my head. For some reason I wanted to take the “i” out and make it Elana) has grown up in what they refer to as a dry area, where the residents are atheist. While the rest of the world has been raised in freedom of religion, Eliana has been sheltered. It’s quite a shock to her when her gorgeous professor informs her that could be Chosen to serve one of the gods her parents taught her didn’t exist. She takes it all pretty well though. Despite her sheltered upbringing, she seems very open minded.

I love Eliana. She’s a very likable character, as are her friends in the book. Aiden and Devon are positively swoon-worthy, and Jack and Chrissy give the book a tough of light-hearted humor that’s needed to stomach the darker themes. And, yes, there are some dark themes. The antagonists, worshiping gods of Destruction, do some very gruesome things. With lesser gods of sorrow, rape, and torture, you can only imagine how sickening some of the scenes can be. I think there’s a nice balance though. There’s the presence of pure evil, giving the story the tension it needs. But it’s well balanced by romance and humor.

That’s right! The steamy moments the cover promises are present, and they fit right in with the story. Bravo, Ms. Mayburn! I’m ready for more, and I highly recommend this to anyone interested in paranormal romance. ( )