Monday, June 20, 2016

Always by Nina Lane (Spiral of Bliss Book Five) - Review by Cindy

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About ALWAYS (Spiral of Bliss #5)

Without darkness, there can be no light.
Dean has always been Liv's white knight. Not once has he retreated from battle. Not once has he failed to keep his wife safe. Not once has he broken his promise to slay monsters for her.
Then Dean encounters a monster he can’t destroy. A monster he can’t even face. And for the first time ever, there is nothing he can do to protect the woman who owns his heart.
The love story of Liv and Dean West that started with AROUSE and continued in ALLURE, AWAKEN, and ADORE now comes to a breathtaking conclusion as the professor and his beauty fight the battle of their lives.
Cover design by Victoria Colotta, VMC Art & Design, LLC (www.vmc-artdesign.com)

Review
(By Cindy)

I can sum up my review in one word: Perfection. Sheer and utter perfection.

Always is Book Five of the exquisite Spiral of Bliss series by author Nina Lane.  Hands down, this series has put me through every imaginable emotion more than any series I’ve ever read.

Dean and Liv West are the perfect couple. Yes, their life is peppered with laughter and tears, pain and joy. They’ve basked in the light, and persevered through darkness over the course of four beautiful novels. The one unwavering element, the thing that has seen them through it all has been their steadfast love and devotion to one another. It’s a quirky, sometimes dorky love that has made me smile, a deep and erotic love that has sped up my heart, and a fierce, dependable love that has twisted my heart nearly to the point of breaking more than once.

Dean West is his wife’s champion in every large way, as well as all of the small ones. Life has definitely given the Wests some battles to fight, but the Professor has never hesitated to don his suit of armor and slay every dragon for his Beauty. The latest dragon, though, is headed straight for Liv, and this time, her white night is powerless to stop it. There is nothing Dean can do but be a spectator, watching helplessly from the sidelines as the love of his life wages her own crusade.

Liv is fighting a terrifying real-life battle, and author Nina Lane treats this difficult and painful topic with great care and sensitivity. While Liv’s pain is real, the struggle Dean faces is no less painful. His instinctive need to protect his wife from every possible enemy leaves him literally paralyzed with fear, reversing their roles, casting Olivia as Dean’s champion. It’s Liv’s turn to save her professor.

Excerpt (with the author’s permission):

From Dean’s POV:
                                “Liv.”
                                “Right here.”
                “You… you live inside me.” I press a hand to my chest, my heart that beats in rhythm with hers. “Everywhere. You are the key to every part of me.
“Except when you build walls that have no doors or locks.” She lifts her head, her eyes warm and gentle. “I can’t force my way in, Dean. You have to let me in.”
I have to keep her in, this woman who has all the power in the world over my pain. She’s my fire and my freedom. She’ll always be the girl who saved me.
                                “I will.” My voice is hoarse. “I promise.”

The series has been written from alternating POVs throughout, and the author continues to tell it from that approach in Always.  I love the alternating POVs, because it allows me to not only read, but feel the story along with the characters.

All the Spiral characters are here for this final book. Readers see the Wests at their best (and sometimes their worst) as they struggle to keep life in balance for Nicholas and Bella, the son and daughter that bring them more joy than either of them could have ever imagined. Their Mirror Lake friends surround them with constant support, including Dean’s irrepressible best friend Kelsey, and his brother Archer. Kelsey and Archer make more than mere cameo appearances in Always, and I love that Nina brings them back as a vital part of Liv and Dean’s final story.

Always is an emotional read. It ebbs and flows with all the things readers have come to love and expect from the author and these characters.  From their corny playful banter, to the silly love notes, to some of the hottest erotic scenes ever written, Always will compel you. Gonna need tissues, and lots of them, but it will be so worth the tears.

Six PERFECT stars. This series is one on a very short list my must re-reads.

ALWAYS releases June 21st - sign up for Nina Lane's mailing list here to be notified when it goes live and keep an eye on her facebook page for updates!

Need to catch up on the series? Find out more about AROUSE, Spiral of Bliss #1!
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About Nina Lane

New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Nina Lane writes hot, sexy romances and spicy erotica. Originally from California, she holds a PhD in Art History and an MA in Library and Information Studies, which means she loves both research and organization. She also enjoys traveling and thinks St. Petersburg, Russia is a city everyone should visit at least once. Although Nina would go back to college for another degree because she's that much of a bookworm and a perpetual student, she now lives the happy life of a full-time writer. Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads | Newsletter

1 comment:

  1. Wow! Cindy, thank you so much for the incredible review and for your love for Liv and Dean's story. Knowing you loved Always means so much to me, and I so appreciate your time and support. <3 Nina

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