Am I the only one who walked away from this feeling like Butch ended up with the wrong person? 
 This book was far better than the last two. It even kinda addressed some of the sexism that I'd spoken of in previous books. I found myself surprisingly invested in Butch. He had a very interesting plot, meatier than the plots in the previous books. Like all of the females in this series, Marissa didn't have much depth or plot. Although we did see some nice growth in her character. I'll say this, she didn't feel like a main character. She kinda faded into the background while Butch and Vishious took center stage. 
 Here's the thing... the author made me fall in love with the idea of Butch and Vishious. The book ends on a happy ending, but I'm left feeling a bit hollow. This would have been spectacular if Butch and V had ended up together. They had a beautiful story arch that tied them together. Whereas Marissa is the Conservative's view of what a man should love. It really felt to me like the story didn't want them together. They fell apart too easily. When they came back together, it didn't feel authentic. 
 On a side note: We finally get a strong female (Talking about Xhex, not Marissa) who could actually defend herself and she's only described using the word "man". A man's haircut and a man's body. It bugs me when people assume that a woman can only be strong if she is "man-ish". It's a very archaic way of thinking. 
 P.s. After a long and mostly sleepless night... I realized that this book broke my heart a bit. There were other reasons why I couldn't sleep, but a big one was this book. I noticed that I was sad while I tossed and turned, that my chest hurt in a way that was a familiar pain from long ago. Then I noticed how my thoughts kept drifting back to Butch and Vishious. Specifically their last scene together. Honestly, that scene was a little cruel. It was a vision of what could have been-- and a door slamming shut. I think that scene was what sealed it for me with those two. Before that, it was only a lingering question. That scene made it fact. And all I've thought since finishing this book was, "poor Vishious" :'( 
 Recommended. 
 Yes/No Checklist 
 Sex: Yes 
 Gore: Yes 
 Rape: No 
 Magic: Yes *Vampire powers and soulless people 
 Drugs: Yes 
 Star Categories 
 Romance: 3 Stars 
 Action: 4 Stars *Way more than any other book so far. 
 Pacing: 3 Stars 
 Writing: 4 Stars 
 Plot: 4.5 Stars *The story of Butch and V is really the best story so far. 
 Overall: 4 Stars 
 Protagonist Meter 
 Damsel*----------Badass 
 Marissa is a total damsel. But honestly, she faded into the background. Butch was the main character for me.