My Forbidden Desire    by Carolyn Jewel Order:  USA  Can Forever, 2009 (2009) Paperback     Reviewed by Martina Bexte Alexandrine Marit has gone through ten years of hard living and the loss of parents thinking her brother Harsh had abandoned her and his family. She's also had to deal with the fact that she's a witch, one whose powers seem to ebb and flow, but a witch nonetheless. When Harsh suddenly appears at her apartment with a warning that she's in mortal danger she wants to send him packing. But Harsh doesn't back down and refuses to leave. To punctuate his point, he assigns his mysterious leather clad sidekick the task of protecting his sister. Xia hates his new assignment and, like all of his kind, he hates witches. Witches have tortured and murdered fiends for eons, to strengthen their powers. But, since swearing fealty to the demon Nikodemus, Xia has no choice but to set aside his burning hatred. The fact that he finds Harsh's sister deliciously appealing only adds to his fury. With Alexandrine's sire hot on their trail (determined to possess the talisman she wears and use it to turn the tides of the demon wars), Xia must subdue his desire to destroy Alex. As days turn to weeks and the pair keeps one step ahead of their enemies, their animosity cools and is replaced by a raging desire that could well destroy them - if Alex's determined father doesn't do so first. This second instalment of Jewel's paranormal series is filled with the same degree of sizzle as her debut story and also takes readers deeper into her fiendish mythology. Nice pacing and interesting plot twists within the demon (as well as their enemies') realms keeps the story engaging. Alex's and Xia's animosity and their snarky attitudes toward each other are somewhat heavy-handed at times, but that eventually evens out once the pair realise they must work together to survive. My Forbidden Desire will definitely please paranormal readers who have acquired a taste for steamy, fast moving demonic tales. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Romance books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews