Magic Slays By Ilona Andrews

Lately, I've come to realize most authors are great at milking the sexual tension for the first few books of the series but, as soon as the two characters get together the books seem to loose all their charm for me. The plot is boring, the characters loose their charm and I find myself questioning why I liked them in the first place. Case and point River Marked by Patricia Briggs -who I adore - but am still less than halfway through that book. Thankfully, that is not the case with this book.
Magic Slays is different from the rest of the books in the series. Somewhat slower in pace, and shorter as well, life takes a different turn for our heroine when her personal life settles down a bit and her professional life faces a bleak future. Her new agency "Cutting Edge Investigations" is struggling to exist with the lack of customers, until of course, a vampire literally falls into her lap. Saving the people lands her deep in the middle of a threat against all magic folk including her beloved Pack.
I liked this book for many reasons. I liked how their problems didn't just vanish magically cause of love. They come off as more grounded and real this way. I like how Kate didn't disappear into Curran. She wouldn't be Kate without that stubbornness and insecurities. I loved the tidbits about her mother. They threw me for a loop but her past makes more sense now than it did before. I liked the way Andrea's problems with the Order are resolved in a timely manner. I would have hated to have her whining about it in the background. This book is more of a bridge between the first four and the last couple. We know a fight is coming and this one gets our heroine there emotionally and physically. The events in this book are all about closing some doors that can set the stage for that final battle. I was expecting this book to revolve around Hugh, but he doesn't make an appearance until the end. Instead, this one in the series is about Curran and Kate. Its about the two of them figuring out how they want to live their "happily ever after" as it says on the website. Kate has doubts and Curran has his manipulative tendencies. It was quite entertaining reading about them figuring things out with the trademark humour that has been my favourite part of this series. To this day when I think about the first time the two met in Magic Bites and Kate had the audacity to say to him, 'Here Kitty Kitty,' I can't help but laugh out loud. I have trouble finding another author that can seamlessly blend tragedy and humour in the way Ilona and Andrew do. Suffice it to say even with a pounding headache that made me want to just close my eyes I managed to read this book cover to cover, forgoing sustenance and rest until I finished it. It was completely worth it with that ending. I simultaneously hate and love Ilona and Andrew for that last paragraph. It is a great hook for Book#6  but another year of waiting is a daunting thought.