A review by heatheradoresbooks
Affinity for Pain by R.E. Johnson

4.0

3.5⭐ rounded up.

This is not my typical genre at all, but I was delighted to be asked to read [a:R.E. Johnson|18119362|R.E. Johnson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1661124862p2/18119362.jpg]'s debut work.

Featuring ~ dual 3rd person POV, flashbacks, dark paranormal story-telling, assassin, demons, violence, torture, battle between good and evil, steamy romance

Hope & Ciarian
Hope is the perfect assassin since she does not feel any pain as a demon. She is hired by Marcus and is all set and in place, ready to kill her mark, Ciarian. When she finally lays eyes on him she knows she can't pull the trigger. She has found her soulmate and needs to come up with a new plan.

Ciarian is a human and former fighter that has been hiding out, with his sidekick, Dimitri, after escaping from Dante's grasp.
When Hope and Ciarian come face to face and figure out Marcus and Dante are the same man they join forces to take him down.
Hope, Ciarian and Dimitri made a good trio and had each other's back at all times.

Both characters have their demons (ha ha, no pun) and are flawed. Underneath all the violence is a beautiful story about two people that never thought they could find love, but found just that when they least expected it.
There are some words I am not familiar with, nor can I pronounce them, like, omaeriku and jabalv, so I'm not sure if the author made them up or it's typical for this genre.

Overall, a VERY dark and steamy read that I'm sure will appeal to those that enjoy these types of stories. It does not leave off on a cliffhanger, but the set up is in place for book 2....coming in 2023.

*Thanks to [a:R.E. Johnson|18119362|R.E. Johnson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1661124862p2/18119362.jpg] for sending me a paperback copy to read. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*

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