Book Review-Pure Rapture by Aja James

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

About The Book

Their love is outlawed by both their Kinds…

Tal-Telal, the legendary General who led the Pure Ones to freedom, paid the ultimate price for his people: breaking the heart of his one True Love.

Her shattered heart continues to yearn…

Ishtar Anshar, once royalty reigning over a vast, ancient empire, lost everything she held dear. Deceived by those she trusted the most, she blamed the one male who sacrificed all to protect her.

No matter the distance and time, love is a renegade that cannot be ruled…

Now Fate has reunited them in this modern time to combat a burgeoning threat. Can they put the darkness behind them and forge a brighter future together?

My Review

First Impressions

Pure Rapture is the next installment in the series that I have been so eager to read but also highly apprehensive because this is a couple where I knew there would be so much angst between them and I am so excited to see that this book wasn’t quite as angsty as I quite expected but it definitely has plenty if you enjoy good angst between a pair. I have to say out of ALL the books that I have read from this author so far, this is one that was the most heartbreaking to read. And this is probably why it took so LONG to actually get to. I just knew that this one would tear me apart emotionally and I also was so sure that it would have flashbacks and yeah I really wanted to be mentally prepared for that. There are certain aspects in romance, that I just can’t automatically pick up right away. I did love seeing how this author wrote this story though and what a captivating romance it turned out to be. This was simply such a precious love story and seeing it all come together was such an experience of the heart and of the soul. This author truly is talented in writing these captivating pairings.

It was in that moment that Ishtar Fell. Into the most brilliant, beautiful turquoise eyes she’d ever seen.

Summary

Tal-Telal and Ishtar have known each other for centuries. They first met when they were kids and they build an unbreakable bond, but they weren’t fated to be together as they were on the opposite sides of a war, and even though they loved each other, there were outside forces that forced them to be apart from each other. Now in the present day, Tal-Telal has been recovering after being tortured for centuries and is now blind. He has been reunited with their long-lost daughter, but Ishtar believes that Tal-Telal betrayed her in the worst of ways and has a hate-filled heart for him even when she deeply loves him. What starts out as an attack of rage and pain turns into a sexual entanglement but one that puts Tal-Telal in a system overload and is slowly dying and the only cure will be Ishtar. But Ishtar doesn’t know of the sacrifices that her mate has made for her or that his heart has always belonged to her. And it will take the innocent frankness of a child to show her the true path back to him and Ishtar will need to learn to trust again in their love as it will be their only saving grace against their one true enemy…

Love is a fearsome thing. It lays us naked and vulnerable at another’s feet. Hate is an addictive drug. It protects us with weapons and armor difficult to beat. To love, it takes incredible courage; to hate, only its mirage.

What I Loved

I don’t even know what to say about this book because WHEW, completely blew my mind away. I was able to breeze through it pretty quickly and I was completely overwhelmed by the level of emotion that rises within this story. And seeing the way that these flashbacks show their history and their struggles and what they had to face just breaks the heart. They have such a sweet innocent love in the beginning, and it hurts to see what tears them apart and the secrets that keep them from truly being together. I was utterly charmed by “Ben” who is so honest and innocent (and yes he is a child) but he has the clarity to see elements in relationships most adults just don’t view and he offers the clarity that this heroine really needs to hear. I absolutely adored the family reunion in this book and by far the best aspect was seeing our main pairing really come together in such a beautiful way. Seeing them let go of those barriers that are keeping them apart, and opening their hearts to love again was so magical and the smexy times were so touching at times. I just loved seeing them reconnect and find their way towards their HEA that they had both waited on centuries to find.

What I Struggled With

Anyone that knows my reading tastes can probably guess what I will say and one of the main detractors of this book was the flashbacks. I only like flashbacks in certain ways and it wasn’t done that way that I can enjoy in this book. The first half of the book it was back and forth so often I felt like a ping pong ball and it was a struggle because while I understood why we needed them, I felt like they could have been handled better.

Because she was the only female his heart wanted to Nourish. Since the first time he looked into those light purple eyes he’d been hers. Brand or not, she owned him. All of him.

Overall View

Pure Rapture was a romance that won my heart so quickly, it captivated me in its most tender of emotional moments that will connect your heart to this beautiful love story. Its not an easy road this couple goes on, but it’s a well worth it vibe that crashes into your soul with such vibrancy you will be looking for more.

Title: Pure Rapture

Author: Aja James

Genre: Paranormal/Mythological Fantasy

Format: eBook

Source: Kindle Unlimited

Length: 353 Pages

Book Links

Amazon|Goodreads| LibraryThing| StoryGraph| Literal Club

Series Order

Pure Healing-Pub 2017 #1

Pure Longing-Pub 2018 #2

Dark Desires-Pub 2018 #3

Dark Pleasures-Pub 2018 #4

Pure Rapture-Pub 2018 #5

Dark Redemption-Pub 2018 #6

Pure Awakening-Pub 2018 #6.5

Pure Ecstasy-Pub 2019 #7

Dark Obsession-Pub 2019 #8

Pure Providence-Pub 2019 #8.5

Pure Magnetism-Pub 2019 #9

Pure Surrender-Pub 2020 #10

Pure Darkness-Pub 2020 #10.5

Dark Possession-Pub 2020 #11

Pure Requiem-Pub 2020 #11.5

Pure Destiny-Pub 2021 #12

Dark Purity-Pub 2021 #13