
Narrator: George Newbern
Length: 9 hours 11 min
Series: Otherworld Assassin #2
Published by Simon & Schuster Audio on October 22, 2013
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 400

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I received this book for free from Simon & Schuster Audio in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
He is every woman’s fantasy…
Corbin Blue is a man of many talents. One of the most powerful otherworlders ever born, he is wealthy, a professional football star, and a legend in the bedroom. But only a select few know he is also a black ops agent…and there is no better killer. When he and his crew are attacked and separated, he’s forced to turn to his boss’s daughter for help—a woman with even more secrets than Blue.
She becomes his only obsession…
Evangaline Black has always been wary, guarded. No man has ever breeched her walls. Until Blue. He has never been denied something he wants, and now, he’s decided he wants her. As he sweeps her into his double life of seduction, intrigue, and danger, he helps her see beyond the darkness of her own past. But as an enemy closes in, Blue will have to let Evie go to keep her safe—even though he'd rather die than live without her…
Now, I was hesitant about starting Black and Blue by Gena Showalter. I knew it was a spin off of the Alien Huntress series (which I have not read), and I have not read the first book of this new Otherworld Assassins series either, so would I be totally out of the loop in this book? I will admit, there were a few scenes where I was kind of lost, but the majority of the book stood on it’s own.
For first impressions of Corbin Blue, you would think him the ultimate playboy, and he seems to be ok with that, until he gets past his initial feelings toward Evangeline Black. A new side of Blue is seen when all he wants is to be with her and only her.
Evangeline Black has left the assassin lifestyle after a job gone bad and is now a doctor. Awesome place for Blue to crash after being blown up and almost burned to death. Evie does not really want to be drawn back into the job, but her father is missing and she must help Blue heal and then get out there to help save him. I was on the fence with Evie’s character. She was very stuffy and withdrawn. Eventually though, her layers are peeled back, revealing a take charge, intelligent assassin. My favorite kind of heroine!
The reason behind explosion and ultimate grabbing of Jon was pretty gruesome. I did get kind of squeamish on the torture techniques and violence used by the bad guys. But I loved it. I haven’t read anything like that so it was quite different. Made me shudder, but fascinated me at the same time.
I thought the narration for this book was well done. There were not very many female characters for Mr. Newbern to narrate, and Evie’s character had an accent, and it just worked.
Overall I enjoyed Black and Blue. Only one thing that truly annoyed me. The shortening of words. I know it was supposed to come off cheeky and silly, but two assassins saying “adorbs” just made me cringe.
Read for: Review
Challenge: 2013 Audiobook Challenge