The Elder by Celia Aaron

​ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

Publication date: 02/06/2018
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: No
 
If you’ve read any of our reviews or weekly “best of” lists, you’ve seen plenty of Celia Aaron. I’ve read, reviewed and ADORED The Bad Guy, Nate and Incubus. Hell, I even read (and loved) her Reylo fanfiction. (Sidenote: there’s also some super hot The Walking Dead fanfiction there, too. But be warned: it’s not work appropriate, folks. Save this one for home, after hours, when the kids are asleep.) So, saying that I’m a big fan of Celia Aaron is an understatement. Kind of like saying, snow is a little cold and doughnuts are a little yummy. (Doughnuts are EVERYTHING. But I digress…)  That said, I’m sure it comes as no surprise that I loved The Elder.

The Elder is romantic suspense at its finest. There’s plenty of action and danger, with a little mystery thrown in for good measure, topped off with some awesome sexual tension between the hero and heroine. I’m not normally a big fan of romantic suspense, but if there was a school specifically for romantic suspense authors, this one should be taught on day 1 and studied in depth. It should be required reading for anyone hoping to author romantic suspense novels. (In my humble opinion)

Benton was a good hero. He was strong and brave and smart, not to mention good-looking. That’s all fine and good. But my favorite part of the story? That was BY FAR the heroine, Arabella. Why did I love Arabella? Let me count the ways:

• Does Arabella get all flustered by Benton and lose focus? Nope. She’s a cop on an important case, and she acts like it at all times. At one point in the beginning of the story, when Benton encroaches on her personal space, Arabella doesn’t “fall prey to the heat in his eyes” like a heroine in a lesser romantic suspense novel would. Nope. She threatens him. Lets him know she’ll shoot him if he gets out of line. No simpering, weak-willed heroines here. #Girlpower!
• Competence porn. Arabella does her job and does it well. Her partner, a male detective, is her subordinate. Yay for gender role reversal!
• She hasn’t had an easy life, has made choices that didn’t make things any easier, but she never once feels sorry for herself or whines about how she’s been hurt in the past. She’s a single mom with a job to do. No time for wimping and whining in Arabella’s life.
• When things do get physical for Benton and Arabella, does she doubt herself or go on for pages and pages, wondering if she’s doing the right thing by getting involved with Benton? No way! Not Arabella. She goes after what she wants, gets it, then goes right back to work. She’s a cop on an important case, after all!
• She’s not a blonde white girl. I say that with absolutely no disrespect intended towards blonde white girls, but diversity in romance novels is something I crave and rarely get to see enough of.

Arabella’s daughter is also adorable and speaks age-appropriately. I get so tired of toddlers speaking like ten-year-olds in romance novels. Seldom, if ever, do young children give sage love advice, and you’d be surprised how many times that happens in romance novels. But Vivi was perfect. (Every time she said “Bennon”, it warmed up my old, bitter heart a little bit. I might’ve even smiled a time or two. Don’t tell anyone, though.)

Long-story-short, this is a highly 1-clickable romantic suspense read that I can’t say enough good things about. And I want to be Arabella when I grow up. That is all.    
   
Disclaimer: We received an ARC from the author at no charge.

Does this book contribute to or help crush the romance stigma?
Stomps the bejesus out of it! No rehab needed. This one is clean and sober.

Other reading suggestions
Get to the author’s backlist immediately!  Read everything there. Seriously, why are you still reading this review? Click that link and start reading more Celia Aaron. There's no time to waste.

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