Ivan started off a little slow for me, but I have the utmost faith in Kit Rocha, and they didn’t let me down. Ivan and Maricela’s journey to their HEA was filled with obstacles which made for an exciting, tension-filled story. ~ Java Girl, Guilty Pleasures

 

Blurb:
As the sheltered princess of Sector One, Maricela’s life is defined by duty: to her people and to her family. Her wealth and influence have allowed her to build a better world, but they come with a price—the responsibility to secure political stability with a practical marriage. Maricela cherishes the idea of marrying for love, but there’s not much romance in the endless line of suitors interested only in prestige and power.

And her handsome, brooding new bodyguard isn’t helping the situation.

Ivan is the perfect, deadly warrior, a man trained from childhood to be the ultimate protector to the Rios family. His focus on keeping her safe is intense–and a little intoxicating. When the threat of danger cracks his icy control, Maricela realizes she’s not the only one fighting against temptation.

Ivan knows that the blood on his hands makes him unworthy of the pure-hearted princess. But from the first kiss, their forbidden affair feels inevitable. He can give her a glimpse of life outside her gilded cage and a lover who wants the woman instead of the crown. The only thing he can never do is promise her forever.

Because spurning her noble suitors to marry her bodyguard wouldn’t just be a scandal. It could set off a political firestorm that would tear Sector One apart.

Kit Rocha released Ivan with very little notice, so finding an ARC in my inbox was a lovely surprise! I love Gideon Rios, and can’t wait for his story. Until then, I am more than happy to read about his Riders. I am fascinated by these men who have sworn an oath to Gideon to protect him, his family, and the residents of Sector One, willing to both kill and die in his service. As much as I love Gideon, I’ve never been more than lukewarm toward his baby sister, Maricela. Maybe because she is referred to as the baby, the princess, always dressed in white gowns, even though she is a grown woman. Ivan, one of Gideon’s Riders is assigned to guard Maricela after an attempt on her life. The two have feelings for each other, but keep them hidden because of the inappropriate nature of a relationship between a bodyguard and a princess. The life of a Rider has always been very solitary; due to the nature of their vows, they’ve traditionally forsaken long-term relationships and families of their own. Like everything else in the Sectors (and Eden) post-Revolution, that is slowly changing. I thought both Ivan and Maricela were too hard on themselves. He felt unworthy of a princess, and was determined to overcome a dark family legacy. Maricela struggled to find a balance between her duties as a Rios and her own personal happiness. She was unhappy and felt guilty for being miserable when she was so privileged while other people had so little and were struggling to survive. I love a slow burn, but it was a little too slow for me. I really had a hard time getting into this story. I grew weary of Maricela being referred to as Gideon or Isabela’s baby sister or the princess, and her many social obligations. While I appreciate it as a set-up for her discontent, it seemed to drag on more than I would have liked. I did find her charming, and felt sympathy for all she was missing in her life. However, once Maricela and Ivan gave in to their feelings for each other, they both came alive! Suddenly they were more human, more real, and for me, much more likeable. The change in their relationship seemed to unleash so many new feelings for both of them. I’m beyond thrilled I stuck with it, because I ended up loving both of them and their story. Maricela and Ivan brought out the best in each other, and even though the journey to their HEA was strewn with obstacles, including assassins, scheming nobles, would-be suitors, long-standing traditions, feelings of guilt and unworthiness, they did manage to get there.

With each of the books in this series, we see more and more of the Riders. I felt I got to know each of them a little better in Ivan and I’m definitely intrigued by all I’ve seen so far. I can’t wait to see what Kit Rocha has up for us next.

3.5 stars

Purchase from
Amazon

Ashwin Sale

Ashwin is currently available in ebook for 99 cents!

Buy Direct (DRM-free), Amazon (Global Link), iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google