Stealing Summer

<b>4.5 Stars.</b><br>My god. July 14th. It can't come quickly enough. This is one of my favourite series. Maybe my favourite. This will be book #10 I'm reading - book #10!! I usually can't stay the distance with series but here I am. Waiting. That last line in the blurb...<i>*bites freaking nails</i><br><br><b>Reviewing as I go-</b><br><br>Picking up from the end of <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/36460159.Outcast__Hunter___4__Thieves___9_" title="Outcast (Hunter, #4; Thieves, #9) by Lexi Blake" rel="noopener">Outcast</a>, Gray's prophecy kicks off the book. It seems pretty clear what's behind it if you've read the series, and even though Ms Blake catches you up as best she can,<b> you really do need to have read the entire series to know who's who and what they mean and how awesome they are.</b> However, that doesn't mean I'm not waiting for some twists and turns, some emotional gut-punches, and some stellar action. Well, the action has already started. <br><br><i>Three cheers!!!</i> Three's a charm: Two threesomes - we need a third to even it out. Hmm, I think one is on the horizon. Three people are missing. Three kickarse women have a POV in <i>Stealing Summer.</i> Kicking back and enjoying this so far. <br><br>Summer we know as the (magic) daughter of Daniel and Zoey (Wharton) Donovan-Quinn via the Light of Alhorra - <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/18136771.Steal_the_Light__Thieves___1_" title="Steal the Light (Thieves, #1) by Lexi Blake" rel="noopener">Steal the Light</a>. We've been waiting for her to officially be part of this world and meet 'mum and dad'. "Hey, Summer." <i>*Waves.</i> She's swinging a blade and thinking all kinds of Zoey-like protective and violent thoughts on an in between plane, being chased by an army. Oooh, she's a bit of a thief as well, and multiple people, arseholes of course, have an axe to grind with her. A chip off the old block. Mum will be so proud. <br><br><i>A trick and a trap.</i> Kelsey kicked off the Hunter series and is the paranormal's <i>Nex Apparatus.</i> It's the paranormal equivalent of a death machine or bogey(wo)man. Kelsey's in it up to her neck in this book and it's only early days. <br><br>Zoey is plotting, thank you Jeebers. A plotting Zoey is my favourite Zoey. She's her brilliant and bright and resilient self yet again. One of my favourite all time characters, I love Zoey's humour and self-awareness, and how she can handle her men. Come on Daniel, you're being a manipulated bonehead. Listen to the dark prophet and always choose "Her." Ah-ha!! We get the whys of this. <br><br>Nice world building thus far. <br><br>All the old gang's here in bits and pieces between different planes and POV. New characters to get to know as well - the good the bad and the interesting. <br><br><i>Awww,</i> Marcus. I personally know one other reader who will love what's happening (at least thus far) for Marcus in <i>Stealing Summer.</i> 2,000 years of roaming the Earth plane alone has come to this, eternally romantically hopeful Marcus...<br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1594988227i/29830264.png" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>In the wash-up, there was lots to like about this book. Lexi Blake brings the entertainment, action, and love to the party once again. <br><b>Audio-visual blog review at-b&gt;<br><a href="https://ontopdownunderreviews.com/stealing-summer-hunter-5-thieves-10-lexi-blake/" rel="nofollow noopener"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1397133335i/9235533.png" alt=" photo Potential-OTDU-Banner-9-Smaller2_zpsf0878d67.png" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"></a></b>

<b>4 Stars</b><br /><br /><b>Review:</b><br />*This review contains spoilers for previous books in the Thieves and Hunter series, and kinda for this book, but not really if you've read the previous books or the description for this one. I'm not discussing anything you don't already know from the description.*<br /><br />This was much more like the original Thieves books than the Hunter series has been, and that made me so happy! It even gave me the same sense of comfort I get from rereading Thieves, even though this was my first time reading the book. I didn't <i>love</i> it the way I love those, but I did enjoy it.<br /><br />This was kind of a transitional book more than it was really a Thieves or Hunter book. It broke the pattern of the series by having Zoey's, Kelsey's, and Summer's POVs. I understand why the author did it this way though. This was, for the most part, about Summer, but there were also some other important things going on and being set up for the rest of the series that required more than just her POV. Some old loose threads were wrapped up, and the story was pushed where it needs to go next.<br /><br />This author is very good at plotting, especially when it comes to complex, "long game" kinda plots that weave together and are being set up long before the reader realizes. I feel like it's an aspect of this series that gets kind of overlooked in favor of the romance and characters.<br /><br />I'm a Marcus fangirl, and I've been waiting so long for him to get his happy ending, so I was so happy to see him finally get he love he was promised! (He made an ass of himself at first, but the poor man was just so excited that I couldn't even blame him.) But, on the other hand, because I've waited so long, I would've liked it to go a bit slower, to actually feel the relationship forming between them. It felt rushed and like they didn't actually know each other but fell in love only because they were fated to. Everything fell into place very quickly and neatly with them. I do understand to an extent though---the author needed it to happen in this one book, rather than over multiple books, for reasons.<br /><br />And Zoey and Danny finally got to meet Summer! It was a really nice family reunion. It was also very cute how Dev immediately became protective of her because he considered her his daughter too. (Which just shows that he really does see Daniel as another father of Lee, Rhys, and Evan, which just makes their whole relationship that much more solid and sweet.)<br /><br />This actually is a slight spoiler for this book: *SPOILER* <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="abf97fea-a864-4d50-b570-e986c71defaf" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="abf97fea-a864-4d50-b570-e986c71defaf">I was also happy for them that Daniel gets to have a child of his own blood with Zoey, since I know how much he's always wanted that.</label> *END SPOILER*<br /><br />I also just loved being back in Zoey's POV and getting to see what her, Daniel, and Dev's relationship is like now.<br /><br />This book brought back some of that fun interplay between characters too, those scenes where it's a bunch of them arguing and having multiple conversations at once, and it's just funny and fun.<br /><br />We got to meet a new character, Dean, who's definitely going to be back in future books, and I liked him. He seems like a good person who will fit in well with this lovable group.<br /><br />Something I couldn't stand though was how the author kept using the words <i>male</i> and <i>female</i> instead of <i>man</i> and <i>woman</i>. It was maddening. At first I thought maybe it was just Summer's way of talking/thinking, or just a fae thing, which, though still annoying, I could've excused. But many other characters spoke that way too. And it sounded very weird and distracting every single time. I don't recall any of the previous books being like that, so I don't know why this one was.<br /><br />I also didn't love everything about the ending, but that's more of a personal thing than a critique thing. *SPOILER (for this book again)* <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="38fabace-b692-4bb0-9dc5-431c821e927b" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="38fabace-b692-4bb0-9dc5-431c821e927b">I thought it was kind of sad that Marcus and Summer had to stay and leave all their friends and family behind. Partly because I'm selfish and am just going to miss Marcus, but partly because they both do have people they care about, and Zoey, Daniel, and Summer had only just gotten reunited.</label> *END SPOILER* And then there was the ENDING ending. That was a doozy. But it should make the next book even more interesting.<br /><br />Overall, though I can't say this was quite as good as the original Thieves book, it had much more of that feel than the previous few books have had. I was happy to get some of Zoey's POV again and to see some of the old loose threads picked back up or resolved. I still love these characters, and I'm glad to know there's more to come of their story!<br /><br />*This is a spin-off series, and I highly HIGHLY recommend starting with Steal the Light. The original characters have a heavy presence, and I don’t think this spin-off series will be as enjoyable if you haven’t read the original one.*<br /><br />*Rating: 4 Stars // Read Date: 2020 // Format: eBook*<br /><br /><b>Recommended For:</b><br />Fans of Lexi Blake's Thieves series and Books 1-4 in her Hunter series. Anyone who likes laugh-out-loud hilarity, heart-wrenching emotion, complex and flawed but still lovable characters, action, heists, sex, supernatural creatures (especially vampires), and lots of adorable relationships of all kinds (Thieves). Anyone who likes alpha males, menages, and paranormal/urban fantasy with significant romance and sex (Hunter). Anyone who likes feisty heroines, lovable characters, polyamorous romances, and complex, long-game plots (overall series).<br /><br /><b> <a href="" rel="nofollow noopener">Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight</a> </b>

I love <b>Lexi Blake's</b> Thieves series and always hoped that we'd find out what happened to Summer as well as that we'd see Marcus get his own romance so I was thrilled when I heard about <b>Stealing Summer</b>. While a lot of this author's books work as stand alone stories (you can pretty much read the Masters &amp; Mercenaries series in any order for example) I really recommend reading this book after the rest of the Thieves and Hunter books because there is so much going on here that it would be confusing for a first time reader.<br /><br />We have three different points of view for the book, Zoey from the original books in the series, Kelsey whose story was told in the Hunter spin off and also Summer who we saw briefly as a baby but never as a POV character before. Sometimes I find stories confusing when they're told from multiple points of view but these three characters were distinctive enough that it was easy to keep track of who we were reading about.<br /><br />It's really hard to say too much about the plot of this book without giving spoilers but trust me if you had questions at the end of the previous books then you'll get most of the answers here. As well as Zoey and Kelsey we get to catch up with other series favourites like Daniel, Dev and Marcus, we also get to explore a few new realms and if you're fans of Lexi's other books you'll spot cameos from characters from both the Masters and Mercenaries and the Faery story series. I loved getting to meet Summer and see how her life had turned out since she was taken to Faerie and I really loved seeing Marcus finally get his own happily ever after that he's waited thousands of years for.<br /><br />The only other thing I'm going to tell to is that this is a total game changer for this series and whole world. Lots of revelations are made and while I expected something like what happened at the end it was still a jaw dropping moment and a HUGE cliffhanger. I honestly can't wait for the next book in the series and I'm really glad that <b>Lexi Blake</b> is writing in this world again!

My gawd, Lexi Blake's imagination is a wondrous thing. Stealing Summer, the long awaited and much anticipated final book in the Hunter: Thieves series is spectacular! It's a rollercoaster ride through magic, supernatural and paranormal worlds. There's intrigue, suspense, deceit, treachery, romantic and familial love and liberaly sprinkled with deft touches of humor scattered throughout. There are moments when you'll gasp, yell out loud, sit at the edge of your seat and even shed a few tears. Or in my case ugly cry. While this may be the end of this portion of the Thieves saga it perfectly set the stage for what's to come and I think it's going to be epic!

Born into this world with a little bit of magic, Summer has only known a small moment in the presence of her parents. That one moment allowed Daniel the foresight to continue on with his legacy. Life for the Donovan-Quinn family moved on without knowing exactly where life lead their beloved daughter. <br /><br />Life has been a roller coaster for Summer. The strength of her powers has led Summer to live life as a human, containing all of her magic. With a friend by her side, Summer does is determined to help those around her even if it means using a little thievery that runs deep in her roots. Then a force of nature would alter Summer’s life. <br /><br />Who could have expected a woman and a vampire to land in the middle of a battle that would change Summer’s world?? With one of the Queen’s husbands missing in addition to her former lover, Kelsey knows that something is not as it seems. After battling those who are after this woman that looks like the Queen, Kelsey is determined to get to the bottom of things and return to her family. <br /><br />As Zoey and Daniel try to piece together what happened to those that have vanished into thin air, the duo finds themselves falling through the plane to another world. In this plane, things are not at all like they are on Earth. Danger is swirling and the source of it all is the child that they formed through the magic of their love for one another. Seeing Summer after all this time is shocking and exhilarating, but there are more important things to focus on. Everyone seems to be after Summer and keeping her safe will require help from everyone on the different planes. <br /><br />Stealing Summer is the latest release in the Hunter series by Lexi Blake. To understand all of the nuances of this ever-winding tale, you should read the previous books in the Thieves and Hunter series BEFORE diving headfirst into Stealing Summer. Once again – a prophecy sets the stage for a long overdue reunion between the members of the Donovan-Quinn family. What transpires is a menagerie of unparalleled magic that Zoey, Daniel, Dev, Kelsey and Marcus have never witnessed before. The plot is full of twists, tales, and prophecies galore. The ending…….Oh how I am dying to get my hands on the next book!! Our favorite lovers are in for a reckoning that has left me desperate for more Donovan-Quinn magic!! <br />

3.75 - 4 stars. This was a good book! Stealing Summer is the next book in the Hunters and Thieves series. It is the continuation of Dev, Daniel and Zoey's story, along with Kelsey, Marcus and some great new characters. I won't go into the plot too much because it is best to go in blind. In the forward, the author notes that this is a transition book to move the series story arc along and it definitely did that job. I did find the book a little slow in a few parts as far as action, but there was a lot that happened emotionally and plotwise. I really enjoyed the story and finally meeting Summer, Zoey and Daniel's magical child who was raised in the Fae world. I was very happy with her storyline, where she ended up and where I can see it going. I was also very happy with the way things were going with Zoey, Dev and Daniel too. And I was thrilled with the way the series story arc ended up at the end of the book, even though there is a doozy of a cliffhanger. I am really looking forward to the next book. I can't wait to see what happens next! <br /><br />*arc provided in exchange for an honest review*

For all her faults, I will admit that Lexi Blake can build world with the best of them. I enjoyed this book enough to read it through the night. I think mainly because it didn’t center around Kelsey and her two husbands. <br /><br />I usually find multiple POV irritating. But this book, it worked. The POV was between Kelsey, Zoey, and Summer. I also hate it when the story line gets rehashed by different views, but it also worked in this book. <br /><br />There were a few times the author repeated something, see the notes and highlight section for them. But it’s easily to overlook them. <br /><br />Overall Marcus gets his ending (or beginning how ever you want to look at it). His story and happiness was long over due. For those who’ve stuck with this story since the beginning, this won’t be a disappointment.

I KNEW WAITING FOR SUMMERS BOOK WOULD BE HARD BUT IT WAS SO SPECTACULAR THAT IT WAS WORTH IT. THANK YOU LEXI ANOTHER GRAND SLAM!!!

Holy crap! That is nothing like I expected. I want to say thank you so much for listening to reader requests and we finally got to read some Dev and Danny action, whoot, that was my highlight of the book. Damn but I hate waiting for the next installment even though you did warn us.

<strong>OMFG! </strong><br /><br />Plot spoilers alert.<br />Hellsfire Lexi, I have no words. I have waited so long for Stealing Summer thinking all the time how much I wanted to see the conclusion to Zoey, Dan and Dev's story only to realise as I got three quarters of the way in that there was more I wanted to know. So much happens in the storyline and so many questions are answered only to leave just as many hanging in the wind.<br />I did not expect a further book, and please, don't make us wait too long for Outlaw, I can't take the prolonged anticipation!<br />There are some sex scenes each of them appropriate and loving and undertaken in pure Lexi style.<br />As an addition to the series the storyline was slow to start, building events and characters but once it got going it powered along.<br />As ever, Lexi weaves a world you don't want to leave.