Ok, Jackie is a master at making you want to hate the hero but then love him as you get to understand more about their demons and what has driven them to be the damaged men you meet.  Elijah is no exception as he is driven to a desperate act in order to complete his mission.  You'll sort of hate him but he's someone that was given one of the hardest moments that anyone could ever survive and came out the other side a different man.

We've seen Elijah in the previous books as he seemingly thwarts our other leads in their pursuit of their own revenge and answers but as we discover in this story he had his own ax to grind with our bad guys.  He's now having to scramble to complete what he believes to be the best revenge for his loss but, as he discovers when he meets our heroine, perhaps what he needs has been standing right in front of him in the guise of a spoiled princess.  I loved how severely he lived his life because of his trauma but as we saw the walls tumble down around his inner self there is a man with such a deep heart and feelings that just needed to find a new mate.

I LOVED VIOLET *ahem* I really loved Violet and how she surprised everyone with how strong she is.  She really got to come in to her own true self and find out that she was ready to be seen as the strong person she was.  She really surprised me as she let go of her dreads which allowed her to hide and accepted that she couldn't escape Elijah.  She tried but was smart enough to wake up quickly and embrace what she was stuck with.  As she opens her eyes and heart to a man that is not what he seems, she also has to realize who her family truly is and accept that her biological ties may not be what she should focus on.  I also appreciated that she pushed Elijah and accepted his dark side while working to make sure he saw the light side that deserved to live.  She's insightful and isn't willing to just take the easy ride if push comes to shove she can and will push hard.

This series has been so wonderful to read and I look forward to much more from Jackie.  I know she will push me to the dark side but then deliver heroes that love their partners with no reserve once they accept that this is truly theirs.

Received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Wow. So that was a lot darker than I expected. This wasn't my first Jackie Ashenden book, but it was my first Nine Circles book. It took me a bit to catch up with the story, so it's not a stand alone. Once I figured out who was who and what the purpose was, though, I was able to enjoy Elijah and Violet and their weird twisty darkness.

When Elijah kidnaps Violet, the story is already well in motion, and much like Violet, I was just going with the flow, hoping that someone would fill me in...and they did. I understand the connection between Violet and Eli, but something about the way they got together made me uncomfortable. At least she acknowledges that it might have a little to do with Stockholm Syndrome...but still it was very dark and violent at times.

All in all, it was enjoyable, but I would definitely recommend reading the others in the series first and now I need to read the next one to see what comes next in this little saga.