Consume

by Shelly Crane
visit her website: http://shellycrane.blogspot.com/

Eli and Clara's story continues as she tries to finish high school. Eli is as over protective as ever and Tate and his group of friends are no help. They wait for the Horde, always looking over their shoulder. But the ever annoying but strangely prophetic bird begins to become more of a chatter box and Eli learns something that could change some things. Not just for him and Clara, but Devourers everywhere.

Then an unexpectedness guest comes forcing Eli to flee with Clara, leaving her temporary family behind. She is thrown into his world of underground 'traitors' and learns much of his past. They meet many new people and creatures along the way to freedom. But when tragedy strikes the two, will Clara see the monster in Eli? Can she handle his strange world and awful past? Will one of them lose their life forever...


In Consume, we see more of how, not only Eli bringing out the best in Clara, but how she has done the same for him. Clara really comes into her own in Consume and is happy with the person she has grown into with Eli. She has found a group of true friends who have problems of their own and she is starting to feel more at home with the Pastor's family.

The Horde is after Eli and Clara just as much as last time and they must go on the run. Their journey is full of twists and turns that seem to test Eli and Clara's relationship in every way. The two find out new things about each other and learn exactly what it takes to truly trust one another.

For me, Consume was one my favorite books that Shelly has published (Yes, I've read them all). This one was quite a bit more "out there" than her other series but that's one reason I loved it! She brought the normal and paranormal worlds together perfectly and the romance was sizzly! I was planning on taking a couple days to read this one but I found myself completely sucked in and could not stop. There was never a dull moment. I was laughing one minute and biting my fingernails the next worrying over what was going to come of their current conundrum (There were a lot of them). I even remember cocking my own eyebrow at one point.

This is my favorite kind of love story, the kind that truly shows what love is all about. It didn't just focus on Eli and Clara's love though. It shows that love is something that everyone needs, whether it seems like they care about it on the outside or not.

This is the first series Shelly has finished up so I really did not know what kind of ending to expect. I was not disappointed! I enjoyed reading from Clara's point of view. She wasn't the same old damsel in distress you read about in most love stories. She's spunky, kind of a smart mouth, and doesn't let anyone order her around. She's stubborn but not obnoxious about it, which I appreciated a lot. I hate how some female characters can either be so needy that they can't even open a door for themselves or so stubborn against accepting help from the man who loves her that she just becomes a nuisance. Clara was a good, balanced damsel in distress for me. And Eli was...just lovely. *sigh* Always putting Clara above all else, possessive but never a tyrant. Again, balanced and a pleasure to read. I highly recommend the Devoured Series, as well as any other book by Shelly Crane. She has never left me disappointed.