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    Ebook245 pages3 hours

    Last Seen...

    By Carla Cassidy

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook


    CASE #OK0773: RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT OF A SINGLE MOTHER'S SANITY

    Investigating Officer: Breanna James

    Suspect: Adam Spencer, officer's next-door neighbor

    Background: From the moment she'd drawn her gun on him, Breanna knew he would be trouble. His touch thrilled her, his kisses floored her. And his tea-party manners had little Maggie dreaming of daddies. But Breanna knew better than to trust her own judgment when it came to men. And as a cop, she couldn't help but wonder why he was here, in Cherokee Corners, in the abandoned cottage next door? And why, since he'd claimed no interest in family, was he so interested in hers? Case status: Open, pending further investigation
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarlequin
    Release dateOct 1, 2010
    ISBN9781426880827
    Unavailable
    Last Seen...
    Author

    Carla Cassidy

    Carla Cassidy is a New York Times bestselling author who has written more than 125 novels for Harlequin Books.  She is listed on the Romance Writer's of America Honor Roll and has won numerous awards. Carla believes the only thing better than curling up with a good book to read is sitting down at the computer with a good story to write.

    Read more from Carla Cassidy

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    Reviews for Last Seen...

    4/5

    26 ratings22 reviews

    What did you think?

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    • 3/5
      No surprises, but an enjoyable read. If the next lord finds himself with a virgin this is going to be a long, predictable series...
    • 4/5
      Good book, I love Lucien's story and that he got a godess!
    • 4/5
      The Darkest Kiss
      4 Stars

      Synopsis
      Nothing makes Anya, the Goddess of Anarchy, feel more out of sorts than her attraction to Lucien, one of the Lords of the Underworld who contains Death within him. Unfortunately, Lucien has been ordered by the merciless Cronus, king of the Gods, to claim Anya's life and her soul. Given the unrelenting passion between them, will Lucien risk everything he holds dear in order to protect Anya?

      Review
      A tremendous improvement over the first book.

      Lucien and Anya are amazing together - whether fighting or loving, they have tremendous energy and passion. Anya is a wonderful mix of naive, childish prankster and mature woman who fears letting down her guard long enough to find someone worthy of her. Lucien is scarred inside and out and doesn't believe anyone, let alone a goddess, can love him for who he really is. Seeing them overcome their insecurities is one of the best aspects of the book, but I was disappointed in the fact that the role of Lucien's demon is downplayed as opposed to Maddox's in the first book.

      The story is entertaining as well - Anya's curse and the quest for the ancient artifacts are both compelling and well developed plot devices. The resolution of the first is good even though I had actually imagined a different solution, and the second comes to a partial conclusion. I look forward to seeing what happens with it in future books.

      The secondary characters are excellent. From the diabolical Cronus (I so hope he eventually gets what he deserves) to Anya's morally questionable friend William. I also enjoyed the progression of Paris, Reyes and Aeron's stories, especially Paris and Sienna.

      The writing is good and the incorporation of the Greek mythology is seamless. Looking forward to Dannika and Reyes's book next.
    • 2/5
      I didn't really enjoy the character of Anya. As a goddess of anarchy she was surprisingly benign. One thing I'm noticing is that all the bad things these characters have done were many hundreds of years ago--is that to make them more palatable to the reader? "Oh they used to be awful, but look how stoic and heroic they are now!" Perhaps some consequences would have made me enjoy this more.
    • 2/5
      don't let the blurb in the back of book 1 ("darkest night") fool you - this is not any better of a book. a wayward chaos goddess the demon of death should = a fun and exciting ride, but it's all same-ol same-ol, nothing you haven't seen before, with really uneven sex scenes.
    • 5/5
      Anya, the Goddess of Anarchy finds herself fascinated with Lucien, whose demon is Death,she first makes her desires of him known at a club. Even though he is scarred she finds him the most handsome and fascinating man that she has ever known. Anya is deeply misunderstood, because her of who her mother was, her mother slept with all whether mated or unmated, it was in her nature. However for Anya that was not in her nature. For sure is cursed and has never lain with a man before, however when she meets Lucien all that changes and she desires him above everything, however Cronus gets in the way. After Lucien shares a passionate embrace with the mysterious Anya, Cronus comes to him and tells him that he wants him to kill Anya. Having the demon of death inside of him, he knows that he really has no choice. But Lucien is reluctant to do so however, with her beauty, sparkling personality, and her strawberry scent that tends to intoxicate him with burning desire, he finds himself wishing that he didn't have the task of having to kill her. When Anya and Lucien work together, will their love be strong enough to conquer all road blocks that stand in their way?I truly loved reading this one, I am reading this series out of order, which I don't mind. The first book that I have read of this series was The Darkest Pleasure so I was exciting to finally read Lucien and Anya's book. I loved how spirited and willful Anya is and how she is willing to fight for her life. There is much tension throughout the whole book, because of the certain circumstances that are involved. With Lucien having to be ordered to kill Anya or everyone that he cares about will perish, well that is definitely a hard choice, but it does get harder when he falls in love with her. It was a thrilling ride through the whole of the book, and I was definitely satisfied at the end. The Darkest Kiss kept me on the edge of my seat, and always full of surprises. Definitely worth reading, and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
    • 4/5
      Okay, so I’m a sucker for books with hunky men on the front, and this one’s maybe my favourite of the Lords of the Underworld covers I’ve seen so far! The second in Showalter’s series, this instalment focuses on Lucien, bonded with the demon of Death. He didn’t feature all that highly in the first book but as the leader of the Budapest warriors, and the Lord with the gravest responsibilities – to retrieve souls from their dying bodies and escort them to the fires of Hell or the gates of Heaven – his story promised to be quite intriguing. Happily, Showalter didn’t disappoint!The Darkest Kiss begins a few weeks after The Darkest Night ended, with Maddox and Ashlyn happily curse-free and ensconced in the Budapest mansion, Aeron imprisoned in the dungeon battling his terrible bloodlust, and the tyranny of Cronus, the king of the Titans, looming large over the Greek-loyal immortal population. When Anya, minor goddess of Anarchy, erupts into their lives, Lucien’s hard-won calm and inner strength begins to crumble as he finds himself falling in love – just as Cronus orders him to kill her. What does she have that Cronus wants so badly? Could she really reciprocate his feelings, despite his scarred face and the demands of his demon? And how on earth can he escape Cronus’s threats without killing them both?If I hadn’t already bought four of the Lords of the Underworld series, I might not have bothered reading on after The Darkest Night. Happily for me, Showalter really ups her game in this second novel. Although the sexual tension was still all but decimated by the self-conscious and jarringly graphic language – a little subtlety would have gone a long way – I liked it much better than the first book. Where The Darkest Night involved all of the Lords around the central Maddox-Ashlyn storyline, this novel focuses much more closely on Lucien and Anya, with only occasional forays into the activities of the other warriors. Where Maddox was all about testosterone and violence, and Ashlyn, as a human woman, seemed frail and insubstantial beside him, Lucien is a more complex and sympathetic character, and feisty Anya a compelling and worthy heroine. She gives as good as she gets, and provides an edge of grounded humour to what would otherwise have been a pretty dark storyline. All in all, definitely worth a read – if you liked The Darkest Night, read on, and if you weren’t so keen, give this one a try before you dismiss the series altogether!
    • 4/5
      The goddess of Anarchy has sharp tongue, a penchant for strawberry lollipops, sticky fingers that have nothing to do with sugary candy. Oh, and a yen for Lucien, the immortal warrior possessed by the demon Death. Lucky, lucky Lucien.On the trail of the second of the artifacts necessary for success in their quest for Pandora's Box, Lucien and Anya will have to come to terms with each other if they want to survive.Quick, clever, non-stop fun.
    • 4/5
      Renegade demi-goddess/bad girl Anarchy puts on slut act but is in reality just a virgin with an attitude who becomes obsessed with the warrior Lucien who is possessed by Pandora's demon of death.I really have to be in the proper mood to read this author's works and unfortunately I don't think I was in this case. There is nothing wrong, per se, with her writing. I do find some of the wording a bit vulgar and the characters a little abraisive but overall this is a well done paranormal/semi-erotica style romance. I'm thinking I just wasn't in the proper mood to enjoy it. We did get a little lead in to the next character's story which I have in my TBR pile and I will read it eventually, but probably not soon.
    • 4/5
      The first book in this series, The Darkest Night, was average. I continued with this, the second book, in hopes that the series would improve--and I was much rewarded. The background and circumstances already having been established, Showalter is able to deliver a much more compelling love story. Lucian is the keeper of the Demon Death, and is forced to escort the souls of the dead to either heaven or hell. He is commanded by the Titan king Cronus to kill the goddess of Anarchy, Anya. Anya has been stalking Lucian for some time by this point, finding herself fascinated by him. Her past is marked by a curse and a secret gift from her father, making her existence treacherous and complicated. But her attraction for Lucian, and his for her, quickly overshadows all of that. Lucian is a fascinating, complex, sexy character. The theme of Death is equally fascinating. Anya is the exact opposite of the typical fainting,helpless, virginal heroine. She is pushy, destructive, and fun. Their love story is hot and romantic. The biggest problem with this book, like The Darkest Night, is pacing. The plot is well thought out but drags in some places, particularly at the beginning, then skips ahead rapidly as if in a hurry to finish. To me this is likely an issue of poor outlining on the authors part. It does not detract much from the romance, but it makes the tension level awkward. I recommend this book to anyone who read the first--whether you liked it or not--because it is a huge improvement on the Lord of the Underworld universe.
    • 4/5
      After reading The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld, Book 1), I knew I wanted to continue reading Gena Showalter's Darkest Night Series. The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld, Book 2) takes right off where The Darkest Night left off. In the Lords of the Underworld series, a group of immortal men live have been cursed to house demons for eternity. They opened Pandora's Box and now have to live with demons inside themselves. In The Darkest Kiss, Lucien, is the Keeper of Death.As soon as Anya, goddess of Anarchy, finds the Lords of the Underworld, she falls in love with Lucien. She keeps herself hidden, and basically begins to stalk Lucien, following his every move. When she makes herself known to him, Lucien is weary of her. Hunters are always on the lookout for the immortals, wanting to kill them, especially the Lords of the Underworld. But once Lucien realizes Anya is not a hunter, he still wonders why she wants him. He is badly scarred and all the brothers consider him to be 'the ugly one'. But Anya won't give up that easy, she knows she wants Lucien and sets out to seduce him. Lucien has been ordered by the gods to kill Anya, but he can't bring himself to do it. As the Lords of the Underworld travel distant locations in search of an ancient relic, Anya and Lucien pair up. Anya does everything she can to seduce him.I enjoyed The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld, Book 2) . Lucien and Anya are great characters and the chemistry between the two is hot. I liked that Anya is a strong woman, she doesn't take 'no' for an answer and can take care of herself. Lucien is a great hero. This is a fun series. I'll be reading book three. If you like paranormal romance, Alpha males and a fun and sexy plot, you may want to give this series a try. The love scenes were done really well.The one thing I didn't like about this book was that towards the end, there was too much involved. The plot kept jumping from Anya and Lucien to a few of the other Lords. I felt like that made the book longer than it needed to be. But all in all, this was an enjoyable read
    • 4/5
      This is the second of a series and the first book was clearly referred to, but despite not having read it, I could still follow along. Anya a not so minor goddess of Anarchy, has been following the Lords of the Underworld, and has developed a small case of sexual obsession for their leader, Lucien, who carried the demon Death. Lucien is as tortured a soul you could ask for, a man whose careless act (opening Pandora's box) unleashed demons who took host in his and his comrades bodies, and who then feel in love with a mortal woman, only to refuse to kill her when she fell ill, and hten watch her die painfullly. So he disfigured himself and hasn't had sex since (over a thousand years) Anya has her own issues to deal with and still they sparkle and attract each other. The sexual tension is good and the light hearted feel works. I'll read the next in the series.
    • 5/5
      Readers only get a glimpse of Anya in The Darkest Night and I wasn't sure what to think of her, but in The Darkest Kiss, she's fun to follow. She's Anarchy. There's some sort of chaos wherever she goes.Anya thinks Lucien is hot despite how other women see him and what he thinks of himself. I love the verbal plays between Lucien and Anya; they misunderstand, then understand, and they lie to each other in hopes of shielding themselves, then to protect the other from a certain fate. They tug at each other's emotions while slowly revealing each others secrets and intentions. The chemistry between them is unique and incredible.The kissing scenes are sexy. There is a whole lot of passion, wanting and surrender despite the ticking clock. After intense kissing, we know what happens next. I'm dying to read what happens in The Darkest Pleasure, the next installment to the Lords of the Underworld.
    • 4/5
      I thought this sequel was much better then the first book The Darkest Night. There is an exciting plot where the characters are on the search for Pandora’s Box. Lucien has been ordered to kill the Goddess Anya and his struggle with being attracted to her is really explosive.A lot of people found Anya to be annoying, but I thought all her better qualities really outweighed her faults with the in your face dialogue. She’s bold and unapologetic about her sexuality and selfishness. She is strong all on her own and able to take care of herself. When she knows she’s fallen in love with Lucien, her devotion and fierce protectiveness of him was really touching. I loved their arguments and fighting, very well written.This book had the feel of a real love story that the other one lacked. They are able to maintain their personal dark sides of Death and Anarchy. The characters kept being just as strong and capable even when they began to love each other. Anya was able to trust Lucien with her freedom and he learns to accept that she can love him with his scars. There was a progression in their relationship and a real connection that the first couple didn’t have.I liked the characters and the plot but this book still had a big flaw that aggravated me when I was trying to enjoy. There is repetition in this book all over the place. The scenes when the main characters act on their attraction all sound exactly the same. They may be in different settings but there are so many that none of them sound original. By the time they finally seal the deal, instead of being really intense like it should have been, it was boring cause I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over again.
    • 3/5
      Lucien has been bound to the demon of Death ever since he loosed the demons of Pandora's Box and was so punished by the Greek gods. He feels responsible to the other guardsmen he led into being similarly cursed. They all used to be ruled by their demons but have, over the centuries, gained some control over them. However, they are still harried by human Hunters who regard them as totally evil and demonic. They are on the trail of Pandora's Box, in hopes that it will once again keep the demons locked away and will free them from their curse.Anya is the minor goddess of Anarchy and she's obsessed by Lucien. She doesn't want to have sex with him or to fall in love with him, even though she pursues him wearing lacy underwear and wants to feel his hands all over her... This isn't the only weird contradiction with these characters, who are undoubtedly messed up. Anya has her own curse and her issues with her mother who had her own problems, plus being goddess of Anarchy, which makes her want to cause chaos and upheaval and destruction.When Lucien is ordered to kill Anya, or risk his friends suffering, he feels he has to do it. So if you like very crazy relationships like this, sort of a weird take on Mr. and Mrs. Smith admiring each other's massive weaponry between the deep kisses, this may be your kind of book. I found Anya contrary and weirdly motivated, very trashy (even though Lucien thought her beautiful and angelic--but then you know what he was thinking with!), sucking on lollipops and acting like a hurt child, and having fun by chaining Lucien up or otherwise humiliating him.Not that Lucien can't use some light fun in his life (huh!), but that just shows how bizarre their relationship is, that she might actually be good for him!The other events, involving other characters, were interesting, as was the search for the artifacts that might help find Pandora's Box. I didn't greatly dislike Anya's character--just found her annoying, inconsistent, and trashy--which made me question Lucien's taste, but there did seem to be chemistry, so who can fight that?It wasn't a horrible book. I finished it. It was OK.
    • 3/5
      I like this series for the most part. A couple of the books were not as good as the others, but overall, well worth the read. Suspensful.
    • 4/5
      Once again I sat down with A Lord of the Underworld and couldn't put it down til I turned the last page. (I am sooo digging this series!) It's fun, tortured, and every bit of addictive candy coated escapist reading as any of our favorites right now!The Darkes Kiss is Lucien story- The Keeper of Death.Lucien has met Anya, the Goddess of Anarchy, once before- well, he's heard her voice before at least. She was instrumental in releasing Maddox, his fellow Lord of the Underworld, from a long standing curse and therby in setting free Lucien from participating in the Keeper of Violence's (Aka Maddox) curse as well. (See Previous book, The Darkest Night)Ever since The Lords hit Anya's radar she's been intrigued by them- Lucien in particular. After following him around unseen- and falling even more in lust with him- she decided it was time to make herself known.Lucien is sure she's setting him up- after all, what would a gorgeous goddess such as herself want with a scarred and tortured immortal like him?To make things even more difficult for Anya, Cronos, King of the Titans as well as King of the Gods ever since the Titans overthrew the Greek God's and imprisoned them, has decided the minor Goddess of Anarchy has something he wants. But instead of taking care of the problem himself, he orders the Keeper of Death to destroy her- or his brothers will suffer the consequences.Lucien is determined that not one more of his fellow Lords will go the way of Aeron, Keeper of Wrath- the last Lord of the Underworld who defied Cronos's order.Will their attraction be enough to defeat the circumstances set against them- or will they destroy each other in their desire to protect what's most precious to each of them?Guess you'll have to read it to find out.Although I liked Maddox and Ashlyn's story better (The Darkest Night)- okay I liked Ashlyn better as a heroine; Anya was a little too wise cracky- it's still a great read. Lucien is stoic and oh so yummy, as any romance hero needs to be, of course.
    • 4/5
      2nd installment in the series; great tortured hero..unfortunately the heroine was a little silly.
    • 5/5
      Lucien: dark, sexy, and tormented.. Sounds like the perfect man, right ladies? Oh, wait, one more thing... He's the Keeper of Death, the demon. But no worries-- he's still delicious and dangerously wicked! And the demon? If you're the lucky women who will be his soul mate, aka Anya, then the demon will even purr for you during certain.. intimate moments. Really, based on that little bit of information alone, who wouldn't want to read this story, or Showalter's other Lords of the Underworld Series? This book, like always, has wit and adventure, suspense and myth, hard, hot, steamy sex and heart-wrenching teary moments. A perfect combination, flawlessly combined by Showalter, that will grab your attention and leave you wanting more from these sexy, tormented alpha male/demon warriors, labeled Lords of the Underworld. 4.5/5 STARS! Yet another great read by Showalter, this time adding in a new element-- gods and demons to the already smokin' hot romances! I swear, everytime I pick up one of her books they just keep getting, impossible as it may seem, better and better! A definite 'most read' for any romance lover! I can't wait for Paris' story though.... We got a glimace of his fated mate in this book *In a veeeery hot scene, of course!*, but then Showalter turned an unexpected corner in the story and I'm not sure how his book will turn out... Always a good thing, I guess, leaving the readers wondering, waiting for the next book! :)
    • 4/5
      Finding the ancient relics should be the only thing on Lucien’s mind, but Anya the ‘Minor’ Goddess of Anarchy would not let him or his demon Death think straight. Ever since he had first smelled her while she helped his friends Maddox and Ashlyn break one of the Gods terrible curses, Lucien could always tell if she was around. Anya was powerful enough to be able to be invisible, ’flash’ from point to point and she held a key that allowed her to get out of anything. When Lucien had been ordered by the Gods to take Anya’s life, he knew he could not and was hoping he could find some way to deal, make a trade with the Gods to keep her alive and with him. Though he had told Anya about his orders, she could not seem to stay away. Almost baiting him to strike her down, she began to toy with him and his demon, whether to anger or arouse Anya was a torment that Lucien and Death wanted to have around. I had a difficult time with this one, I adore Lucien and Death, the control and understanding that they seem to share is a wonderful combination. The character had been in the first book, so I had already enjoyed them. Anya, was an annoying little brat that got on my nerves. She was not my favorite character of this book. I felt Lucien deserved so much better, how about that, a demon deserves better than a goddess. The best part was near the end when she was finally honest with Lucien about her curse. The extra tidbits about the rest of the warriors and their demons are few and far between, I missed Maddox, Keeper of Violence. The bits about Reyes, Keeper of Pain were good but since I believe the 3rd book is about him and Danika, the information probably could have waited. I am eager to see how Paris, Keeper of Promiscuity is handled in the next book considering what all happened to him at the hands of the Hunter. And the same for poor Aeron, Keeper of Wrath. I felt a lot of these warriors and demons should have played more of a part, I missed them and hope to find them again in the next book.
    • 4/5
      I wanted to love this book. I really did. As the second in a series where the first didn't impress me I was hoping it was just a fluke. But once again I just didn't quite fall in love with the Lords of the Underworld. The Darkest Kiss is Lucien, Keeper of Death's, story. When we left off with The Darkest Night, Anya, the mysterious goddess, had told the Lords of two temples rising from the sea. These temples might hold the answers to where Pandora's box, the prison from which their demons came, is hiding. Naturally, both the Lords and the Hunters want to find the box. If the Hunters find it, they can use it to suck the demons from the Lords, putting them back in the box killing the Lords. And there is no way that's going to happen if the Lords have anything to say about it. Lucien's demon isn't remotely so vocal as Maddox's has been. Death barely stirs other than to collect souls, Lucien is very in control as he sets off to search the temples. Then Anya, a pixie-esque demi-goddess who smells like strawberries, thrusts her way into his world and won't give him a moment's peace. She dresses like a tart and she talks like she's been around the block and changed the tires a few times. She's tough but cute and she wants Lucien for some reason. They fuss and they fight and they share some kisses and then we find out she can never "go all the way" with a guy (sorry if that's too spoilery for anyone) because she's been cursed to be eternally bound to the first one to have her. To make matters worse she's pissed off Cronus, the new king of the gods, so he commands the Keeper of Death to kill her and bring him Anya's body. Lucien struggles with this because he likes Anya enough not to kill her, but with his fellow Lords in danger of Cronus' wrath he can't let her live. What can be done to thwart Cronus and save Anya? It's not that this story was bad. It wasn't. And I adore Gena, she's a sweety when she visits the pararnormal romance forums here! I think this series just isn't for me. It's very similar to other series out there and it has potential to be great, I love the premise and I think the Lords are all interesting figures (Gideon, Keeper of Lies!!!). Where I get stalled up is in the lack of chemistry I feel between the Lords and their potential mates. So far the only one that I felt an interest in was the subplot relating to Paris in this book. The attempt to bring in some subplot to this one was it's redeeming grace for me, so I'm gonna keep readng the series. It's just not a personal favorite. I have one more tiny beef with this book I have to mention though... beautiful cover... but no scars! Lucien is supposed to have lots of visible scars, and as a woman who totally appreciates scars I was a bit dissapointed at the smooth chested cover. Keep up the good work Gena!
    • 5/5
      My, my, my. I don't know how I'm going to wait another month for the final book in this trilogy by Gena Showalter. I really enjoyed the first book "The Darkest Night" (see my review), but I just loved "The Darkest Kiss". And the hunk on the cover...whew, hold on to your hats ladies, cause he's one steaming hunk of manhood, er demonhood?He is Death. Since he was the leader of his men and released the demons from the box, it's only fitting that the demon he houses is Death. His job is to ferry the souls to heaven or hell, but allowed entrance to neither. He marked himself with a poisoned blade to remind himself never to love; loving means having to escort that soul and once was more than enough.She is Anarchy, a minor goddess. OK, OK Anya, NOT that minor! She's not quite sure why she's so attracted to Death, but his scars draw her as does his demon. Two bad boys for the price of one!! She is as irreverent as he is solemn and neither can fight the unholy pull they have to one another.I absolutely devoured this book! What began with the first book in the series becomes deeper, more complex, and more intriguing. If the final book comes anywhere close to the first two, then all three of these will be in a place of honor on my keeper shelf!!