** 4.75 Stars **  Accidental Spoilers.

Wow.  I loved this book. LOVE loved.  <-- That's a serious love.  Kresley Cole just keeps getting better.  Lothaire is a wonderful book continuing her Immortals After Dark series. 

The start of this book gives a lot of background into Lothaire.  What made him the way he is?  What goals does he have?  Lothaire has been a thorn in the side of everyone and completely unpredictable in this series.  We finally find out what makes Lothaire tick.

Ellie is a young woman born and raised in Appalachia mountains.  Backwoods might be a good word to use.  Hick is probably better.  She's the exact opposite of Lothaire.  Only one BIG problem with Ellie, she's possessed by a Goddess named Saroya.  Yep.. like "I have exorciiiiiiiised the demon" type of possession.  Unfortunately for Ellie, you can't exorcise Saroya.  Ellie spends a large chunk of her young life in jail when Saroya goes on killing sprees with her body. 

Enter Lothaire.  Lothaire lays eyes on an 18 year old Ellie's body and comes to life.  She's his Bride.  Only backwoods MORTAL Ellie isn't good enough for The Enemy Of Old.  So obviously Saroya must be his Bride.  Lothaire spends years searching for the ring he stole from La Dorada in a previous book.  He believes the ring has the power to grant him a wish.  He wants Ellie's body minus Ellie herself.  He wants to Bride Saroya to rise. 

Ellie is determined to not let Saroya plague the world and kill innocent people.  So Lothaire is forced to keep her close to keep her from harming her body.  Will being with Ellie tempt him?  You're darn right it does!  Lothaire is a bit OCD and has a checklist of things to accomplish: keeping Ellie.. not one of them.

So we get to follow these two on a journey of will against will.  Lothaire is so prejudice against Ellie for being mortal and poor that he can't see what is in front of his eyes.  Ellie is a young woman who has managed to find and be grateful for any happiness that has ever come her way.  So who is the inferior being now?

The absolulte best part of this book is that Cole NEVER strays from who Lothaire is.  In the process of him falling for his Bride, he does it in Lothaire style.  He doesn't coddle.  He isn't nice.  He threatens.  He manipulates.  He pulls one stunt so bad I'm not sure even I could forgive him, if I was his Bride. He's Lothaire!!!   For Lothaire to find happiness he has to see past his hate.  He has to move on from his past(which was heartbreaking).  He needs to make friends: Thaddeus and Hag.  He needs to make up with friends from the past, Nix.  Lothaire has a lot of internal work to do in this book. 

He's sexy.  He's an a**hole.  I love him!  HAHA!  This book just didn't follow normal romance patterns.  Love didn't make him turn into a blubbering mess.  I loved that about this book.  Great great great read.  CANNOT wait for the next one!!!