Claimed by Ruin

3.5 stars. I had a hard time with this. I'd get really into a scene with the emotional connection between Cassidy and Caelum, and then it would jump perspectives and go back in time or go further in time. There was so much detail about cases and murders and how they connected to Hell that even with reading every word, I was confused about the relevance to the plot of half of what I read. All the references to Hell were very interesting at first, especially when Cassidy's family was involved in the scene, but then all of it overshadowed the dark romance as the story continued. I couldn't follow the murders or why they happened like they did, even once the "reason" was revealed. **Spoilers** Did that Demon try to make the murders happen through Evan for selfish gain? I'm guessing yes with some vague memory that the Demon was mentioned in another chapter, but I didn't get to know that character well enough to not be lost. It took me a few days to read, so whatever was said was too confusing for me to follow and connect to, I guess. Also unfortunately, Evan's motives also made zero sense to me. I don't see why killing people would lead Cassidy to him. Why on earth wouldn't telling her how he felt in subtle ways be better? They already spent every working day together, and apparently, sometimes even phone calls late at night.

I support and appreciate the author's hard work, but I'm an emotional romance reader, and though I did feel it during some really good scenes, other scenes overshadowed some of those moments for me. I did enjoy the high-level concept of Hell and its inner workings, Cassidy's family, and the initial scenes where Cassidy and Caelum's relationship unfolded. I also liked how Caelum respected Cassidy's choices and how Cassidy accepted Caelum for who he was.

I received a free copy of this book through Pen Pinery and am voluntarily leaving a review.