Review - Pure Healing (Pure/Dark Ones #1) by Aja James

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Synopsis


In the world of Pure Ones, where sexual intercourse with anyone other than one’s Eternal Mate leads to a slow, painful death within thirty days, love comes with the warning label “fall at your own peril”… 

 Rain: the Healer
From the first time she beheld him, she yearned to sooth his pain and torment and nurtured a secret, selfish desire – to have him for her very own…

Valerius: the Protector
Despite their instant attraction, he has staunchly avoided applying to be the Healer’s Consort, haunted by the brutality and violence of his past…

As the decadal Phoenix Rite draws near, as threats from their vampire nemesis intensify, Rain and Valerius must decide whether they let their histories and duties dictate their destiny or whether they risk all for a chance at everlasting love

Summary

'Pure Healing' is one of the book I picked on whim based on my Goodreads friend's reviews and recommendation. This is a Paranormal/urban fantasy romance series which follows a world where we have Pure ones and dark ones, who lives among humans. First book follows Valerius and Rain, Valerius is part of elite team protecting the Pure Ones Queen, Sophia and Rain is a healer among them. Due to her life as a healer,Rain has to take different consorts for 30 days (called phoenix rite) in every 10 years, who can provide her nourishment by sexual intercourse and blood feeding. As you can guess, circumstances arises as such that Valerius, who is an ancient pure one and great match for this requirement, reluctantly applies for this rite as her consort but for only 30 days and never again.How they are going to get the chance for Happily Ever After like this? Especially with the circumstances and Valerius's traumatized past? Read this book to find out that answer! Of Course!!

MY THOUGHTS

It was an okay read. We have Val and Rain's chapters and other side character' s parts in between and first narration chapters of Sophia's. I really liked the back story between Val and Rain and chapters they were in. But the other chapters in between, especially Sophia's first POV, really distracted me from the main plot. Her chapters read too much like teen/YA paranormal romance books, which I usually do not like. I did not like her and the possibility of love triangle (another trope I hate with passion) in her story arc, these things really lessened my enjoyment. It also made me less invested in our main characters. But I really liked other secondary characters and really would like to see their individual stories in later books.

I liked the romance between both main characters but I was not blown away by it. The slow burn romance was not there and the whole love story felt little insta-lovey,especially from Val's side.I know that they have known each other for 10 years but little less sex before falling in love would have been better. It felt too physical and less emotional for me to get invested in their love story.

I really liked the whole concept of Pure and Dark Ones and can see the great potential of great and deep world building in future books! But this book only touched the surface.

Aja James's writing is okay and easy to follow, my main issue was with first narration POV of Sophia's which were included in between the third POV's of all other characters included our protagonists.


I was hoping for something similar to BDB series by JR ward or Dark Hunters by Sherrilyn Kenyon (both have some great romance and character arcs), It was not exactly that but I can see the potential of the series and will definitely be continuing with the rest!
Characters - 3
Writing -3.5
World Building - 3.5
Romance -3
Plot - 3.25


Overall Rating - 3.25!

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