Dark Lotus

Amazon

Blush sensuality level: This is a sensual romance (may have explicit love scenes, but not erotic in frequency or type).
Kyoto Hajime has been cold for centuries. He follows his brother through eternity, desperate to save him, anguished at the cost—the lives of those marked by Magik. Lives he has to take. But when Sunny Vartanyan comes into Hajime’s tattoo parlor asking for the dragon mark that will damn her, he cannot do his duty, even for his brother. He senses something different about the tough Vegas bartender, something deep within her that warms him for the first time in two hundred years. He inks a lotus on her hip instead of the dragon—beauty rising out of mud rather than power leading to darkness.
Sunny is slowly going insane. Since getting her lotus tattoo, she’s been tormented by dark visions. Voices—sinister, seductive—whisper unspeakable things in her mind. Only Hajime’s presence quiets the growing darkness inside her. And only the strength of their mysterious bond may save her.

This book was intriguing. To be honest, I normally stay away from the Blush line at Ellora's Cave because I usually like my stories with smoking hot erotic sex. This one got me with the tattoo parlor and I was not sorry. A short read at 69 pages, it was full of heat in all the right places and I really enjoyed the story line. *this may mean I have a whole new array of books I need to look at a little more closely. We won't even talk about my crushing TBR pile at the moment.*

Sunny, formerly Baitzar, an Armenian young woman, goes into the tattoo parlor to wash away her past, she finds much more than she expected. No punk rock blaring from speakers and chains and leather. Nope. Here you have a distinguished man of Asian descent with elegance surrounding him at every turn. She is mesmerized. Well, and so was I to be honest. He knows more than he says and there is just something about him that makes a girl swoon.

After suggesting a lotus flower (because she has always wanted a flower on her hip-how did he know that?) Sunny has to surrender to his touch. Still dealing with a body image problem from being over weight, it is not easy for her to allow him to touch her. 

This book reminded me of one of the dubbed Asian fight movies you come across on a Saturday afternoon, only better. I could see all of the artistry of what the author was trying to paint with words and it was marvelously done. Kyoto is an enigmatic character steeped myth and his battle against dark forces. His attraction to Sunny is tainted by the knowledge that the darkness he fights against is blossoming in the woman he is fascinated by. Will he sacrifice her to save his brother? 

Sunny loves her new tat. It is elaborate and worth every expensive penny she plucked down for it. As things begin to spiral out of control and Sunny begins to feel something dark feeding her power, the action picks up and the chemistry really pops. Enter an old (jerk) of a boyfriend, a brother with some power issues and you have yourself an action packed story.

I loved the character interaction in this book. The dialog was snappy and the action truly great. The sensuality was just right and made me want even more. Delicious. I can't wait to read more from this author.

4/5