The Return by Jennifer L. ArmentroutMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a great spinoff series to the Covenant series. I think readers who have not read the Covenant books could infer what they need to know to get buy, and eventually it is explained so the book stands on its own. In the beginning though, the references to the past and "her" might confuse people not familiar with the YA series. The story takes place after the original series has ended, and Seth is cleaning up the mess he made and trying to come to terms with the part he played as Apollyon and the destruction and devastation he caused. Apollo gives him a job to retrieve and protect Josie, a girl who happens to be a demi-god and Apollo's daughter. Josie knows nothing about the world Seth lives in, but she accepts it fairly quickly and goes with him to the university for protection and training. Their relationship starts out rocky, but they quickly realize that they can tolerate each other and may actually need each other especially if they are going to defeat the Titans who are running amok. If you've read the Covenant series Seth still has his immature, cocky, I do what I want ways about him, but you see him growing up and starting to mature. Josie is all over the place, by design, due to her being dropped into a new circumstance and environment and she has to learn who she really is all over again.
I was happy to see old characters resurface and the return of Seth. This isn't as racy as some of Armentrout's new adult works, but it is steamy for sure. I would not recommend this for the under 18 crowd. If you have read and are a fan of of her other New Adult books or the Covenant series or both give this one a try. This book is alot more on the romance side of the house than it is on the fantasy side, so if you are loo king for a true continuation of the Covenant series you aren't going to get it here. This definitely is heavy on the romance and relationship side, with inner monologues of how the two main characters feel about each other with descriptions of how their bodies react when the other person is around. That is very typical of how her new adult books are written and this is a pretty good mash up of that recipe and the followup story of the Covenant series.
I really enjoyed this and can't wait to read the rest of the series.
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