Undertow - Andrea Speed 4 1/2 Hearts

Review written for MM Good Book Reviews

This story is part of a series and must be read in order. While Roan is still locked in a coma with Dylan worrying beside his bedside, Holden tries to make sense of his relationship with Scott and fails miserably. Holden takes a case involving the murder of an old friend and Fiona digs into some unsavoury happenings at the Church of the Divine Transformation. When Roan wakes he realises him and his lion are more closely entwined than he realised, trying to get back into the swing of things Roan helps Holden with his investigation and takes over from Fiona with Holden’s help, but it just leads Roan to wonder just how much of a danger he really could be.

This story continues from where [b:Lesser Evils|16006812|Lesser Evils (Infected, #6)|Andrea Speed|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347572155s/16006812.jpg|21771954] ended with Roan in a coma that no one knows if he will recover from. Holden is confused by his non-relationship with Scott, he doesn’t know what the two have them have together and he doesn’t know if he likes it either. On another note, Holden dives into investigating an old friend’s murder and is quite happy with his escort business. Dylan is left adrift with everything that emerges about Roan but knows he has to stick by the man he loves, even when said man drives him insane. Roan and his lion become better acquainted as his Infected status develops further.

Damn, how the hell does Roan even get out of bed in the morning with all the crap that comes his way? Roan has his hands full with his investigations and keeping a tight rein on his lion, Dylan has his hands full dealing with Roan and Holden is much more involved with the investigations. Holden has more of a starring role in this story and the assistant investigator/escort gets a headache trying to figure out what he is doing with Scott. Dylan is still on the fringes when it comes to what is happening between Roan and his lion but Roan opens up more to him. And Roan is beginning to worry about his control of the lion which sends him into a tailspin.

This story is as harsh and brutal as the ones before it, Roan’s lion is beginning to get a foothold and it shows. The investigations are as interesting as always, especially when it comes to the church. Roan’s development is scary, startling and worrying, but you can’t help love the man for his take no prisoner’s attitude. There’s a wealth of emotions running through this book from anger and frustration to senseless loss and helplessness, and you know that there is nothing anyone can do about it. I have absolutely loved this series from the very beginning, it’s a brutal shifter story that doesn’t pull its punches, it is laid out in all its glory from horrific shifts to the bigotry and hatred from others and it never apologises for the bloodshed.

I have to recommend this if you love brutal shifters, unapologetic actions, great investigations that could turn bloody at any moment, fantastic characters, deep love, confused relationships and an ending that leaves you wondering where it’s going next.