Kiss of the Basilisk - Lindsay Straube

I was skeptical about Kiss of the Basilisk and the first few chapters had me questioning my choice, but am I ever glad I didn't stop. This book is dark, sensual, and layered with power dynamics, emotion, and self-discovery.

Temperance (Tem) starts off an uncertain, naive girl, but her strength grows with every page. By the end, Tem is not the same girl she started as, and I loved seeing her transformation.

Her connection with Caspen — the mysterious and dangerously captivating basilisk — is intense from the start, and watching it evolve from fear to trust to something deeper was captivating.

Then there was her relationship with Leo. He brought out another side of her and the understanding of stability. While I loved the strong development Team had, I loved seeing how she grew differently with Leo.

The way they both protected her was wow - one male protector is awesome and she had two so she was a winner. And of course, there is the spice... Man oh man was there spice.

Protecting you is only the beginning of what I want to do.