Hands down, this is my favorite Madly book so far! There was so much to this one and I couldn't put it down.

Like everything I have read by this author, the writing just grabs me! Everything she does is beautifully written and this is no exception. There is so much emotion, regardless of whether I am crying, swooning, or laughing! I always get so carried away and I love it!

Madly and Jackson... what can I say? For a girl who is not generally into romance-centric story lines, I unabashedly swoon at these two. It isn't all sunshine and flowers, but it is intense and the stuff of dreams. There is so much I could say about that relationship, but I refuse to spoil it!

But what makes a great romance in a book is a great story surrounding it. And Madly & the Jackal has exactly that. There is so much action and mystery and unanticipated moments. The intrigue of it all kept me turning the pages long after I should have been asleep. There is a bit of a cliffhanger, too, that leaves me wanting. Recently, although it has been almost 2 years since this book was published, M. Leighton announced that a 4th Madly book is on its way and I couldn't be happier!

Some Quotastic Goodness

--You are the most amazing man I’ve ever met and I love you so much I sometimes feel like I can’t contain it inside my chest. Don’t ever say I deserve better. You are the best there is (Loc. 1049).
--“There are two things I was born to do. One is to protect Atlas,” Jackson began. He paused, tracing a fingertip from my temple to my jaw. “The other is to love you. If you don’t believe in anything else, believe in that. Trust me. Trust in me (Loc. 76).”

My Recommendation: Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous! I HIGHLY recommend this series!!

This review originally appeared on my blog, http://thecaffeinateddivareads.multifacetedmama.com/?p=8767. ( )

Finished this one in 5 hours. Im hooked for sure. Finally a book that has a supe besides witch warlock were and vamp. When is the next one coming out? Really looking forward to it. ( )

In Madly and the Jackal, the story again picks up where the previous book left off. Madly and Jackson have captured the spirit of Wolfhardt and as planned, embark on their quest to return him to his prison and attempt to get into Atlas. They have finally acknowledged their tie and love for one another, no longer denying that which was destined to be between them, and now having just found one another, they risk losing it all to save Atlas and the Mer race. Through Madly's magic and Jackson's strength and wisdom, they are able to get into the city and meet with Madly's father, making a plan to rescue her sister. Something isn't right though. Somehow they have been betrayed. Something much bigger and much worse is after them, and seeks to destroy them. Yet ironically, something that was meant to destroy them, brings them to the place that they commit to one another forever. As they discover and deepen their love for one another, the threat continues and the unthinkable happens. The Lore that they are seeking to capture, use their potions and magic to attempt to erase Jackson's memory of the love he has for Madly. Threatened with the loss of her mate, the one she cannot live without, Madly must pull herself together and capture the Lore, but something dark arises within her, threatening to take over her. Will her love for Jackson and his love for her be enough to pull her through, and can Madly ever recover from the hurt and betrayal that has broken her heart?

Okay, I have to go kind of fan girl with this book. I absolutely and completely loved it. OMG - Jackson is simply to die for. How could I have missed this book and Jackson for so as long as I did. He is absolutely yumtastic. The drama in this book totally blew me away. I can't say too much without spoiling it, but at one point, my heart was so crushed I thought I was going to die. For real. I was riding an emotional roller coaster and could not get off. M. Leighton took this series to a whole new level with Madly and the Jackal. My heart strings were pulled upon until I wasn't sure if they could recover, but Leighton pulled this together in the end and I was finally able to breathe again, that is in between the hot, steamy, sexy scenes. I am still on the edge of my seat, anxious to see what is going to happen to these two and this series in the next installment. If you love paranormal romance and the stories dreams are made of, then Madly and the Jackal is one book you will want to put on the top of your TBR list. I can't wait until I have the time to sit down and read it again.

With that said, let me leave you with this short excerpt from the book:

Cupping the back of my neck with one hand, he pulled me toward him and pressed his lips to my forehead then leaned against it. "You know we can get through anything, right? Whatever it is?" I smiled. "I know. As long as I have you, the rest doesn't matter." "Then the rest will never matter, because you will always have me, Madly. Always." And maybe for the first time ever, I believed him. ( )