Tethered Souls: Consequences of a Sin Book 2, Ashe Winters

The first book in the series was a great introduction to the series with a whole lot of action, frustration, mystery, and two characters who will absolutely have a hard-won HEA if they can survive everything that comes their way.  This follow-up brings us right back to where we left with Avery healing with all his ill-tempered flavor and Ryker trying his best to reach him on some level other than the disdain Avery can't seem to let go of.  What it doesn't bring us is really any closer to a resolution.

The book spent so long dragging out Avery's internal angst and constant rejection of Ryker that I had such a hard time finding what I thought I liked about him in the first place.  His childish rejection of Midge was when I could see that lost little boy inside of him was in the driver's seat and it went a long way to soothing some of my annoyance with him.

And then we have Ryker.  Despite his "mistake" in book one, he's doing his best to be there for Avery no matter how difficult Avery makes it.  I have a soft spot for him, I'll admit, so it makes it much easier to excuse his reactions when they're a bit volatile.  His humanity, his heart, his desire to be and do good is enough for me to love him and want all the good things for him, even if his heart decides Avery is that good thing.

Just as the story is getting really good, finally making headway with the overall series plot, it ends.  It's definitely an effective cliffhanger moment, but I must say that I was so very annoyed because it felt like it took forever and seventeen thousand seconds to get to that point.  I liked the story for sure, it just dragged where I felt was unnecessary, especially with the Lucy complications being thrown in there as an extra point of conflict for Avery and and Ryker's romantic evolution.  I'm definitely in for more from the series except I don't know how much patience I'll have if book three is a sort of repeat of what we got here.

*$3.99 on Amazon

Avery
Did I fall down some kind of rabbit hole into crazy town? People I thought were long dead start popping out of the grave all over the place. I want off this ride and back to my regularly scheduled life. Unfortunately, it looks like I’m stuck with Ryker because of his weird powers and whatever he did to me. I guess if I had to be tethered to a human, Ryker is okay. Not that I like him or anything. I’m just not sure about his idea to hunt down the psychopath that tried to kill me. Something doesn’t feel right about this whole thing, and why am I getting this weird itch to protect Ryker all of a sudden?

Ryker
My foster mother always warned me that using my powers without fully understanding them would land me in trouble. Turns out, she was right. I’m not a fan of fate, but it looks like Avery and I are more connected than I thought. Who knew I’d become so attached to the wildcat vampire that fell into my lap during a rainstorm of bullets? And that’s the problem. I’m spiritually attached to him now with no way to undo it. With more questions than answers, Avery is going to have to just deal with my plan to hunt down a murderer. I need to know who and what I am before the people I love get hurt.