I took mew awhile to start reading this book from when finished the firsgt book. Usually I will read whatev books are in a series (if I like the series) one after the other. Part of the reason I didn't read this book right away was because it took about 2 months to get it from the library. THen after I got it I wait until it's almost due back to start it. I had forgotten how much I like the world that Jennifer Estep has created with her Elemental Assassin books. Once I started reading this I couldn't put it down. 
 i really like Gin as a character. She's a tough woman who can take care of herself. Yet we see more in this book that she really does need love and her heart is breakable just like everyone else. I like that she doesn't apologize for who she is although that is clearly what Donovan Caine wants. He wants her to be sorry for the things that she has done in her past and change who she is completely so he can feel better about being with her. Although she wants to be with him so badly I like that she won't compromise who she is. I know that she's an assassin and she kills people but if nothing this series teaches you that there are shades of gray to everything not just black and white. 
 The first book was more of a mystery. We didn't know who was trying to kill Gin until closer to the end. But this book we know right away who the target is, and the reader gets to spend more time learning Gin's steps to achieving her hit and more about the people she's trying to save. Thre wasn't really much twisting and turning with the plot. It was very straight forward. Not a boad thing at all. There really seems to be more learning about who Gin is in this book deeper down than the first book's initial introduction to her. We get to see her heart. 
 Personally I'm glad Donovan Caine left at the end of this book. His morals were too conflicting, and I think if that storyline would have gone on too long it would have gotten old pretty quickly. It's unusal (in the books that I've read at least) fro an author to set up a potential romantic interest in the first novel and not see it to fruition. Even more unusual that said character will actually leave the series. I like the direction she has taken with this however and honestly I am more intrigued by Owen Greyson in the first 3 pages he appeared (and kept waiting for him to pop up again in the story) than I ever was with Donovan Caine. Something to watch and see what happens but I think we all can guess. :) 
 I look forward to continuing this series with Venom and the other 2 new realeases coming out this year. I know right now there are only supposed to be 5 books in the series and from what I've read the 5th (and right now final) book seems to bring things full circle. So I guess we'll see how long we get to read about Gin.