The Taking
4 Stars

Series Note: As with the previous books in the series, The Taking can be read as a standalone. There is no connection between the books aside for the setting.

Regan Henry is at a crossroads in her life. After leaving her manipulative husband and purchasing a historic house in New Orleans, she discovers a journal in an antique bureau that sets her on a path that will either lead her to true love or to an untimely death.

The romance in this third and final installment of McCarthy’s Deadly Sins series is definitely the best. Although the first half is drawn out with a great deal of backstory, the second half is steamy and action packed.

Regan and Felix’s romance has the emotional and physical intimacy that was lacking in the first two books, and seeing their development of their relationship from attraction to love makes the story resonate all the more.

This time the secondary plot takes the form of flashbacks into the live of Camille Comeaux as seen through her journal entries. Camille is a troubled young woman - petty, jealous and unlikable. Any resemblance between her and Regan is exceedingly superficial, which makes the connection between them somewhat illogical. Nevertheless, the ex-husband/demon storyline creates a great deal of tension and suspense as the reader is constantly on the alert waiting for him to make his move. The climax is exciting and the resolution satisfying.

All in all, an entertaining conclusion to the series and it is worth reading this book even if you skip the first two. ( )

Stuck in a subtly abusive relationship the heroine, who's meek and polite but filled with secret fire meets an absolutely gorgeous voodoo practitioner who tells her to leave her husband. She does and a few months later hunts him down to thank him and to gain his help with a ghost who haunts her new house. The hero has been cursed and bound to the demon husband a hundred years ago for his greed and selfishness but will do everything and anything to save the heroine. The hero is calm, direct with his feelings and repentant for his sins. He's not the typical tortured hero as he accepts his faults and works to change himself. The heroine gradually changes from a push over to a confident woman throughout the book. She is a little frustrating in that she refuses to believe the hero's an immortal though he's been right about everything else and she knows about the spirit world. It was a nice easy and passionate book that didn't exaggerate the problems but instead worked to solve them. The husband was super gross what with sending over chocolates with his semen inside to bind the heroine to him again....eww. ( )

Didn't realize this was the third in the series; but you don't need to read them in any order. Interesting theme. Interesting storyline. Don't think I'll be reading the others in the series, though. ( )