Genres: Paranormal Romance
Published by Signet
Released on October 29. 2009
Pages: 474
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
The Delight
Nothing like a battle between good and evil with winner take all to make a series sound exciting. A tarnished black ops turned construction worker is the main player who must save seven humans from the seven deadly sins to save the world. Once it set things up, I was vested to see how it would all turn out.
Review
Covet begins by introducing the series premise and then Jim Heron the primary player who dies and gets the job of making a difference in the lives of two lost people. Jim’s pretty good at eliminating a threat, but helping people heal their lives? He thinks the powers that be are crazy for sending him in to represent their team. But, its complicated because the opposition has an added player in the mix who is primed and ready to sabotage all his best efforts. Jim discovers that helping Vin and Marie-Therese brings purpose that he always longed to feel, but each move he makes is countered by his opponent.
Vin has wealth and all the trappings of it even a trophy girlfriend, but its not until he encounters a woman’s gaze across the room that he realizes that all that isn’t enough and may not be worth it. Then the killings start, he has to part with his girlfriend, and he’s framed for a crime he didn’t do and only the mysterious man Jim sides him as danger arises. But, its hoping that Marie-Therese believes he’s innocent and doesn’t think he’s crazy for having visions that means the most.
Marie-Therese made some big mistakes that she and her young son are paying for still. On the run and in hiding, she whores to get her debt paid. Her life is at its lowest until Vin steps in and rescues her from a couple of creeps and treats her like she is special even though he knows what she does to make a living. Is Vin another mistake?
Covet begins a whole knew series. It feels like both Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance blended together. Jim’s part feels like the UF side and the people he’s helping make it feel PNR. It was a story within a story as a result and that looks to be the pattern for the rest of the series.
Incidentally, this series is set in Caldwell, NY just like the author’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series so it was fun to spot the BDB Easter Eggs like Trez, Rhev, Detective De la Cruz and Phury appearances along with locations like Trez’s club and the Commodore.
I like this take on the angels and demons element with Jim and his rough-shod buddies as the fallen angels trying to make good. Jim’s broken in ways and doesn’t connect well with people after his mom was murdered and he became a successful black ops assassin. He is way out of his league when he gets picked to save the world by convincing seven people to make the right choice involving seven deadly sins. Vin is his first project and by proximity and love interest so is Marie-Therese. Both of these have their own dark pasts that left a stamp on them. Finding each other helps to bring healing though this is thwarted by a conniving enemy.
I liked Covet and I want to keep going in the series, but I’m hoping for a little more to get me properly engaged. I felt like the over-arcing series plot and the specific book plot weren’t as cohesive as they could be and both sacrificed development to exist together.
I definitely want more of Jim, Aidan, Eddie, and Dog and like that the villain is clever and a worthy opponent. I can definitely recommend the series to those who enjoy both UF and PNR.
Challenges Met
Mt. TBR #38
Library Love #13
Romance-opoly #25 Creature Crescent
Books N Tunes #25 ACDC’s Highway to Hell
Preview
About J.R. Ward
J.R. Ward is the author of over thirty novels, including those in her #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling series, The Black Dagger Brotherhood. There are more than 15 million copies of Ward’s novels in print worldwide and they have been published in 25 different countries around the world.
After graduating from law school, Ward began working in healthcare in Boston and spent many years as Chief of Staff of one of the premier academic medical centers in the nation. She lives in the south with her incredibly supportive husband and her beloved golden retriever. Writing has always been her passion and her idea of heaven is a whole day of nothing but her computer, her dog and her coffee pot.
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I have her BDB series but I haven’t read it yet. I need to.
Oh yes! Those are something. Her writing takes some getting used to, but her characters are larger than life. 🙂
By the way, I just realized when I saw your name that I haven’t been getting emails from your blog for quite awhile. I just went and signed back up. I also had to sign back up to Delighted Reader. I am not sure what is going on.
That’s weird. Not sure what happened. But, I’ve had to do the same with Hot Listens and UnConventional Bookworm so maybe there are glitches in various things right now.
I’ve been reading the BDB series over the years but I’m behind on that one. This sounds pretty good too though.
Yes, it was a neat surprise to remember that she’d written this other series and to find some of the BDB characters and the city in it. 🙂
Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance are my favorites! I know I’ve read JR Ward before, but for the life of me can’t remember which books. I’m adding these to my TBR 🙂
LOL, she has written so many in her BDB series and then there is this one, too. Hope you like them if you get the chance, Renee.
I read this a long time ago I totally forgot the series. I think I have read 3 or 4 of the books, but haven’t gotten back. Now you make me want to start again as he needed to win each sin.
I was curious why I didn’t have a review of Covet on the blog and realized I read it before I started the blog. But I did read book 3 – Envy – http://delightedreader.com/review-envy-by-j-r-ward/ According to my review books 1 & 2 weren’t the best in the series, but book 3 tells why we need those to get to the good parts. It looks like that is where I stopped so now I am going to have to pick it all back up and start it because I want to see how it all ends. I looked and there are… Read more »
Good to know that it doesn’t really get rolling until later. Six is perfect. That’s a good length for a series, but yeah… seven deadly sins and all makes me wonder if its really finished or not.
I didn’t know about the series right away so it must not have gotten a ton of attention. It does look like each book ups the ante. I need to get busy on the next book and see where it goes after that ending.
I tried reading this one years ago, but just couldn’t get in to it. Some weird things just didn’t work for me. Thank’s for the review. Glad to see you enjoyed and I hope the next is a little better for you.
Yeah, sadly that can happen, Angela. I’ve had a few books that I thought I’d love and ended up barely finishing them. I’m hoping the next one gets even better, too.
I read this when it first came out in paperback. I never went on with the series and I can’t remember exactly why, only that it just didn’t work for me? I hope you continue to enjoy the series though!
Ah man, too bad, but sometimes a book just doesn’t work.
Oh yes, I do plan to continue with this series. I have to see what happens next for Jim and the other angels.
Sounds like a fun baddie there!!
Oh yes, the villain is written well and the hero is a great anti-hero sort. 🙂
I love that you got to spot characters from the BDB! I like that you liked the mix of paranormal and urban fantasy, as well as the story within a story. Hopefully, the next book is more cohesive and engaging :). Great Review Sophia!
I had such a good time spotting the crossover places and people.
I’m hoping that part of the issue was just first book troubles and it will settle down for book two. Looking forward to it, Lindy. 🙂