This is book two in the Curse of the Phoenix series. Rachel Firasek has created another exquisite masterpiece with the right blend of paranormal and romance. The other characters are given life as well as the protagonist and I love that. I like to see each character have a different story. It makes them more real to me. The up and downs of relationships are told well and helped flesh out the characters.

If you like bittersweet romance with paranormal elements, this book is the one for you.

I give this book 5 stars for this beautiful story weave and I look forward to book three. ( )

Book Title: The Last Awakening (Curse of the Pheonix book Two)

Author: Rachel Firasek

Published By: Entangled Publishing

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Recommended Age: 18+

Reviewed By: Emily Tuley / AngelsCryHavoc

Blog Reviewed For: Great Minds Think Aloud Literary Community

Rating: 4 Ravens

WHY!? That’s the first thought that comes to mind. Why have I not seen this book series before? I am a little surprised and pleased at the same time. I’m pretty picky as most know I will give my opinion where it’s due and this is one that I feel it is. First I must state I have every intention of finding book one and reading it cause I’m dying to know what came before this. I loved the characters to start with and I love the torn situation that Arabella and Grayson find themselves in.

Arabella is a woman tortured for the deaths of her past family and small village. Cursed or so she feels to be a Phoenix , a guardian angel of sorts that are sent to earth to die for someone in order to give them a second chance. Grayson is a Army veteran suffering from PTSD and guilt of the men he lost and could not save over in the war. He’s an alcoholic and doesn’t know how to step outside of the box and be the man he use to be. When he meets Arabella for the first time he’s in love at first sight only to watch her die in front of him for weeks he feels as if he has failed yet again not only from being able to protect his friends and loved ones but from the loss of Arabella . Until she shows up back in his life. It’s up to the two of them to fix themselves and perhaps just perhaps save each other.

I can not wait to read more from Rachel Firasek I feel as if she is a breath of fresh air from the usual of most monsters and reading about something that wasn’t a vampire or a werewolf was beautiful and inspiring… Pick It up I’m sure you all will love it too. ( )

The Last Awakening is the second book in Rachael Firasek's Phoenix series and certainly a wonderful addition.

In The Last Awakening we have Arabella * Ari* who has been sent to save her Marks life. Here Ari finds Greyson Meadows and ex - solider who is a tortured soul, carrying hurt, and guilt like no other. She finds him in a convenience store and this is where Ari will meet her death again. Ari has been doing this for over 300 years,loosing herself to the phonenix time and time again but after seeing Greysons eyes, hurt and damaged soul she decides he needs her. In her plight with Osiris , she is sent back to Earth to save Greysons soul but this may just cost her , her own ?

Wow !!

Rachel has woven her magic throughout this read, two characters with a connection like no other. Deep and dark yet intertwined, both needing someone to heal the hurt and move on with life.

Both Ari and Greyson have Damaged souls inflicting more guilt upon themselves than one could possibly carry. The connection between Ari and Greyson was magnetic; at times you could feel your heart aching for them both and other moments I had the reader in frenzy just to get to the next page. The love was scorching, yet filled with something more than just the loving, it was all wonderfully portrayed with such depth and not just on the physical level. They both needed each other to heal and Rachel has put forth the emotions well in this story.

The storyline is short, but don’t let this deter you, it’s not rushed, very well paced, and everything one could want in this story is present. No gaps, no rushed scenes, it has all been well placed and delivered as if the book was over 500 pages long. !! The depth and connection involved between the characters was well delivered and envisaged, heartfelt moments where you could feel the characters pain and other moments I’m sure you will be grinning from ear to ear. ** wink **

Hot love scenes that will scorch your eyelashes, but also have you sheepishly grinning feeling kind of happy for the characters. This will make more sense when you read the story. Other scenes you will be gripping at your reader - and holding your breath!!

I enjoyed the fact that Rachel has also brought forth characters from her first book - I liked seeing them surface and provide depth also into this story. Friendships and past history bonds Ari and Ice, Turner, Mike and Greyson. A wonderful selection of characters I’m sure you will enjoy. !

I’m sure you will even see a different side to Osiris in this story !! I enjoyed his placement in this story; it gave us more feeling to his character and more depth. It showed us that he did what he did for a reason and really because he cared!! You must read book one then this one to get this!

Rachel balances her stories well with equal amounts of romance, storyline and twists and turns you won’t see coming.

I eagerly await book 3 in this series and recommend this book to all who love romance, heartfelt moments, a little action and smexy scenes! And even maybe a happily ever after!

This is book two in the Curse of the Phoenix series. Rachel Firasek has created another exquisite masterpiece with the right blend of paranormal and romance. The other characters are given life as well as the protagonist and I love that. I like to see each character have a different story. It makes them more real to me. The up and downs of relationships are told well and helped flesh out the characters.

If you like bittersweet romance with paranormal elements, this book is the one for you.

I give this book 5 stars for this beautiful story weave and I look forward to book three. ( )

The thing I like most about this series is that even though the stories are short, they jump right into the action and carry you along right until the very end. Arabella is a fiesty voodoo priestess, or at least she was. Something went wrong with a spell one day and she ended up serving as one of Osiris's phoenixes until she learns her lesson. While serving as a phoenix may sound glamorous, it's actually quite the opposite. Having to die over and over again in the place of others wears thin quickly. Then one day Ari saves Greyson and everything changes. Ari is willing to risk her soul to try and help him fight his inner demons (which are pretty nasty), but she is only given a week to do it.

Now, Greyson is ex-military, and has carried around guilt from his time in the service for years. When Ari shows up and tries to show him that he has nothing to be guilty about, he runs the opposite way at first, not realizing just how much he needs her. As Ari tries to help Greyson, she realizes that she needs his help as well, and fast. Osiris has given her a time frame to save Greyson and it's quickly approaching when she finds out that everything she knew about her past was wrong. Facing this will push both of them to their emotional limits.

I really liked Ari in the first book of the series, The Last Rising, and was excited to see her starring in her own. I've become attached to the characters and I really hope to see a third book come out. ( )