Necromancist by Charmaine Pauls

Necromancist by Charmaine Pauls is the sixth installment in the Seven Forbidden Arts series that features characters who are more than meets the eye. Combining both paranormal and erotic romance, the story was action-packed, emotional, suspenseful, and full of steamy moments between Ivan and Alice. Although I was frustrated by their lack of communication, I was still invested in their relationship and wanted them to resolve their issues. Their love was angsty and will certainly pull at your heartstrings because the depth in which Ivan wanted to possess Alice was all encompassing. Ivan was a broken man and even though I wanted to shake him for having such negative thoughts about himself, Alice, Cain, and the world, I also understood where he was coming from. His bleak perspective was a product of his own upbringing—one where he never truly had a home and lost everything when Alice left him.

"This darkness that's in me, it's attracted to your light. I need you like fire needs oxygen. You're my flame, and I'm your moth."

Ivan Kray was such an interesting and contradictory character. He was obnoxious and dominant but also passionate and obsessive. Alice was everything to him and he was unwilling to let her go, even when they have been separated from each other for nine years. This need to possess and own her was prevalent throughout the book and made for some frustrating but also steamy moments between the two. In addition to the romance, Ivan also has his own secret—one where he is a necromancist with the power to manipulate and control the dead and living. This power has attracted the attention of the main antagonist of the series, Godfrey, who will stop at nothing to obtain it. Alice Jones is the daughter of Cain Jones, the leader of the paranormal task force who has been featured many times in the series thus far. Their relationship has been strained ever since he walked away from her life following the death of her mother. I would describe Alice as empathetic, emotional, insecure, and loving. Despite being hurt by Ivan in the past and present, she continues to love and care for him.

"You're mine, the one thing in life that belongs to me."

In the end, I enjoyed reading Ivan and Alice's second chance love story even when it frustrated me at times because they simply could have talked to each other instead of resolving it through sex. Don't get me wrong, the love scenes were smoking hot and extremely sexy but I could see it becoming a problem when Alice begins wanting more for herself. Ivan was in denial with himself and didn't believe he was capable of love after losing Alice the first time. He never thought he was good enough for her and kept placing her on this pedestal when in reality, Alice had loved him in spite of everything all along. This book actually reminded me of the author's earlier works, The Astronomer because the two main characters had a lot of misunderstandings and didn't communicate with each other very well. However, I was completely satisfied with Alice and Ivan's relationship by the end of this book. I highly recommend this series to those who have read and loved Charmaine Pauls' stories before as well as those who love a possessive and "bad boy" hero who will stop at nothing to protect and obtain his sweet heroine.

*This ARC was generously provided by the author and publisher for an honest review*

Rating: ★★★★☆