This is a redemption story and quite frankly its hard to come back from the things he did in the previous books. It worked much better for me reading it this time around first instead of last and from this distance. Although more fun loving then is brethren, he was the weakest of the four immortals, because he didn't fight his evil side and his brothers never quite forgive him for it in the end. But he does find peace and I'm satisfied with that. That's good writing imo.
If you are a paranormal romance reader Larissa Ione is a master of the sub genre.

Have lost access to this book due to kindle that it was on and I can’t review. I apologise for not being able to do this.

Rogue Rider is the fourth and highly anticipated story of Reseph, Horseman of the Apocalypse, aka Pestilence, the horseman who went band and almost destroyed the world. Rogue Rider picks up soon after the events of Lethal Rider. Reseph wakes up naked in the snow with no memory of who his is or how he got there. Jillian is out preparing for a storm when she finds him. Living out in the middle of nowhere while recovering from a demon attack, Jillian is wary of Reseph but decides to take him in. While trying to figure out Reseph’s past, they start to fall for each other. But when a string of violent murders occur in the area, Reseph starts to suspect that he may be the one putting Jillian in danger.

The first half of the book focuses on Jillian and Reseph’s love story. I really liked Jillian. She’s a survivor. She made it through a vicious demon attack and, though she is still recovering, she is capable and knows how to take care of herself. And I liked that, even though Reseph wanted to take care of her in some instances, he also knew that she was strong and didn’t treat her like a damsel in distress. Reaver put them together so that they could help heal each other and I think they did. With Jillian, Reseph learned to be himself without all of the pressures of being a Horseman and without the knowledge of what Pestilence had done. And in Reseph, Jillian found a partner who admired her strength but who would also support her.

Of course things don’t just go right to happily ever after. After learning that their brother is alive and could possibly become Pestilence again, The Riders come for him, triggering the return of his memories. With the knowledge of the horror he caused as Pestilence, Reseph goes a bit batty with guilt and remorse. I think Ione does a good job showing how bad Reseph feels about what Pestilence did. He doesn’t expect anyone to forgive him – and they don’t, at least not right away. Ione really makes Reseph work for his redemption.

So why didn’t I love this book? Though all of the right elements were there – hot romance, characters I like, and action packed drama, I still felt there was something missing. The story was predictable and there were no big surprises. Even Reseph’s “fight” with Pestilence was anti-climactic. And my favorite part of the story, Jillian and Reseph’s romance, got a little lost in the second half of the book.

While I enjoyed this book and thought it was a good read, it wasn’t my favorite of the series. I do enjoy Ione’s writing though and it’s always fun to jump back into this world. I was happy to see some of my favorite characters again. And wow – what is going on with Reaver and Harvester? I am dying to know! I am so glad that the next book will focus on them.

*I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

Originally posted at http://fictionvixen.com/review-rogue-...

When I pick up a new book by Larissa Ione I always feel like I’m returning home. After all, she is one of the first authors to ignite my love for the PNR genre and I cannot name you one book that has not blown me away with her riveting storytelling. Rogue Rider is no exception and once again Ms. Ione allows us to escape into a world I find myself never wanting to leave.

“His demon isn’t dead. It’s merely locked up.”

Rogue Rider picks up immediately after book three, Lethal Rider. Reseph, one of the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse was the first to break his seal, becoming the evil Pestilence. Since book one, Pestilence has unleashed death and destruction in order to bring about the end of the world. Reaver, fallen angel and watcher of the horsemen, held the ability to destroy Pestilence with the Wormwood dagger but knew that in doing so, he would also kill Reseph. Instead he provided the other three horsemen with the Deliverance dagger which they believed would kill Pestilence. Once he is stabbed and left for dead, his soul is sent to Sheoul to be tortured for eternity. But Reaver makes a deal with the devil for Reseph’s release and subsequently takes his memory and sends him away. Reseph now finds himself naked in the middle of a snowstorm with no memory of who he is or where he is from.

Jillian Cardiff lives a solitary life, by choice, in the mountains of Colorado. After surviving an attack of demons that left her for dead she longs for nothing more than the quiet, secluded life she she leads with her farm animals and her cabin in the remote woods. Jillian stumbles across Reseph naked in the snow near her home. Shocked, cautious but mostly curious, Jillian knows she cannot leave him to die and brings him back to her cabin. Once Reseph awakens, he is confused and frustrated due to the amnesia but Jillian is a calming presence which he clings two and together they set out to solve the mystery of who he is and why he was left in the mountains for dead. Little do they know that there is a far greater evil than the demons from their past and Reseph will face his greatest battle in destroying said evil while trying not to destroy himself.

“We both have demons, Jillian. I just don’t know what mine are yet.”

Larissa Ione stated long before the release of Rogue Rider that Reseph’s book would be lighter and sexier. This proves true and is a refreshing change coming out of the emotional turmoil of Lethal Rider. I always question how Ms. Ione will redeem such a flawed, unlikeable character and once again she succeeds in the transformation of Pestilence back to Reseph. In spite of all the evil Pestilence wrought upon the world and his family, like his sister Limos, I always believed there was something special buried inside the ugliness. I’m a sucker for the bad boy in need of redemption and Reseph was that from the start of this series, therefore I’ve always had a soft spot for his insanely magnetic personality. His character is multi faceted and alluring to witness. Caveman and predatory, playful but aggressive, tender yet powerful, Reseph exudes all of these qualities and more. Reseph in essence has a split personality with the alternate evil Pestilence teetering below the surface. Once Reseph starts to regain his memory and remembers the destruction he unleashed as Pestilence, it weighs heavily on him emotionally. We begin to see real self-doubt and vulnerability to his character. This is where Jillian character shines. While she is not exceptionally unique or exuberant, she is steady, strong, level headed and believes in the goodness of Reseph. She exhibits a quiet, inner strength and that is what Reseph draws on in order to fight Pestilence’s return. She is an encourager and a caregiver but has fun and flirty qualities that balance her realistic nature.

“Naked is very comfortable.”

“Maybe, but it’s also very distracting.”

He grinned. “I distract you?”

“I’m not answering that. Your ego has no need of more stroking.” She arched an eyebrow at him. “And don’t tell me you have something else I can stroke.”

Reseph absolutely has no filter when it comes to his thoughts and Jillian really holds her own with him. It was so refreshing to see their relationship develop because while darkness surrounded them, it was not a part of who they were as a couple. Both characters are in need of their own healing and there is a mutual understanding of that which they share.

Finally, the sexual tension is potent and sizzling. Reseph is after all the most sexual horseman:

“Reseph’s Riders,” he said miserably. “My groupies are called Reseph’s Riders.” He hung his head, staring into his lap, and he was suddenly ashamed of his entire life. “Jillian, I was a total whore.”

He’s hot, horny, irresistibly charming and knows how to please a woman.

He leaned into her and put his lips to her ear. “How long has it been since you came so hot, so furious, so fucking intense, that you forgot your own name?”

Oh, God. “Never,” she whispered. “You?”

“I can’t remember,” he murmured huskily, “but ask me in a few minutes and I’ll have an answer.”

He also has multiple orgasms. Yes, you heard me right. Sextacular! Color me crazy but I had the song “Pony” by Ginuwine on constant rewind in my head while reading Reseph doing the nasty. That song captures the grit and grind I imagine Reseph brings to the bedroom!

Reseph’s chemistry with Jillian is passionate and arousing to witness. As always, Ms. Ione masterfully writes some of the hottest sex scenes that scorch the pages along with memorable intimate moments between her characters.

“I want you under me. I want to claim you, get myself all over you. And as much as I’d love to mount you right here in public, right now—and I think in my past, I would have—I never want anyone to see you like that but me.”

What completely sold me on Jillian’s character is with all the darkness and truthfulness Reseph revealed to her, she didn’t care what he was from the past. Jillian saw the person Reseph was in the present. She knew that his caring nature outweighed the evilness from his past and therefore possessed a determination to make him believe in what she could already see. Her love and assurance of Reseph’s inner goodness is what saves them both in the end.

Fans of the Lord’s of Deliverance series will not be disappointed as Ms. Ione brings all the action, grit, snark, fun and intoxicating sexual chemistry readers have come to love in this amazing world.

Reseph’s saddle is waiting…come and jump on it! (less)

I didn't finish this book, and I did not review it anywhere. I only write reviews for books I like. This one just never piqued my interest. I think there was too much build-up in the beginning, and I just never got interested in the story or characters.

Larissa Ione is an absolute master at story telling and she has weaved together a stellar HEA for Reseph in Rogue Rider, I couldn't be happier with how his story ended! If you are a fan of the LOD series as well as the Demonica series then like me, you have probably been praying to God, the Gods, Goddesses, Kittens, whatever floats your boat, for a happy ending for this tormented horseman. Well readers, prepare to be blown away!

As Pestilence, Reseph did a lot of damage and has a lot to atone for, maybe even more then he ever can. He has a long, hard road ahead of him and let me tell you folks, it's painful and heart-wrenching. So much is revealed in Rogue Rider, you won't be able to stop turning the pages. Mystery, betrayal, loss, heartache, suffering, shocking discoveries, love...and a world that you will happily get lost in for hours. Oh and did I mention Reaver? Lots and lots of Reaver! Am I the only one itching for his story here? Can. Not. Wait. But back to the book at hand, Rogue Rider is a must read but start at the beginning of the series, or heck, start with the Demonica series, because believe me, you will not want to miss a moment in this amazing world of demons, otherworlder's and horsemen and the fantastic characters that live in it!

I whole heartedly admit to having a fangirl moment when this book arrived in my e-mail. If you are a paranormal fan and have not had the pleasure of encountering Larissa Ione, stop everything you are doing and start reading now! As I have said before, I was a paranormal romance fan before finding my calling at Guilty Pleasures and discovering BDSM, sexy cowboys with rope fetishes, etc. I was strictly a vampire, werewolf and shifter type of gal. When I came across Larissa Ione’s Daemonica series and was hooked. Seriously, who wouldn’t fall in love with a panty melting family of sex demons that run an underground hospital for demons. OK so it sounds odd but I guarantee you that the Sem Brothers are literally sex incarnate and I drool just thinking about them. I flew through that series so fast that I was actually angry when I finished the last book and found out it literally was the last book (at least I thought so until now). There was hope and I was excited when I found out about the spinoff series to Daemonica: the Lords if Deliverance series. The most recent book in Daemonica left readers wondering about the Four Horseman of the Apocolypse (The Lords of Deliverance) after Reseph’s seal was broken and Pestilence was set free to wreak havoc on Earth. As a result, The Lords of Deliverance came to be and of the four books tells the story of one of the Horseman (Thanatos, Limos, Ares, Reseph also known as Death, Famine, War and Pestilence).

In Rogue Rider, the fourth installment of the series, the world has been terrorized by demons that are no longer in hiding. Disease has plagued the Earth and at the command of Pestilence, demons have raped, tortured and murdered anyone in their path. When three of the Horseman finally figured out how to kill Pestilence, they do what is necessary to save the world and prevent the apocalypse. What they do not realize, is that they were tricked by their watcher, and Reseph/Pestilence, is still alive and well.

Jillian is doing her best to recover from her ordeal. Now that the world has calmed and the demons have stopped terrorizing people she is trying to move on. After surviving a brutal attack, and living to tell the tale, Jillian is determined to start a new life and steer clear of potential trouble. She has no idea why there is a gorgeous naked man lying in a snow pile in the middle of nowhere. Nor does she understand why he is still alive after being outside in such a state. What she does know is that she needs to get him indoors and quick. When she gets this mysterious man home and warmed up, he finally awakens only to realize he does not have any idea who he is or how he got there. The only thing he remembers is his name, Reseph.

As the bond between Reseph and Jillian grows, Reseph realizes he has never felt this way about a female. He wants her for keeps but is scared of a past he does not remember. What if he is a serial killer, or a rapist? There have been demon attacks and murders near Jillian’s cabin and for some reason, he is drawn to them. Why is it he can sense them? How is it he knows what blood and brimstone smell like? He doesn’t understand and he just can’t remember.

Jillian is falling in love and she doesn’t know what to do. She is in love with Reseph but worries what will happen when he discovers his past. When his memory returns will he leave her? She has known nothing but heartache in the past and has no desire for a repeat performance. Is Reseph too good to be true? The answers to her questions show up on her doorstep when three armed figures on horseback appear. While Jillian was prepared to hear that Reseph had a past, she was not expecting a centuries old half demon that almost destroyed the world.

I am not at all surprised with how much fun I had reading this book. The characters just fascinate me and the combination of paranormal and biblical lore is intriguing to say the least. Reseph is sexy as sin and his carefree spirit combined with uninhibited flirtiness will have your panties in a puddle the moment his possessive streak appears. His ability to seem innocent yet powerful is part of his appeal as well as distaste in the fact that he occasionally has to wear clothes. His moments with Jillian are sweet and beautiful at times and hard core heated during others. While I thoroughly enjoy those moments, I find the banter and teasing leading up to those moments are even more fun because they showcase the personalities that make these characters so vulnerable and real.

While this beautiful love story unfolds, there is a serious matter at hand; the apocalypse. Reseph is still tied down by Pestilence, even if he does not realize it. Although he is being watched over by a guardian, Reaver, there are agencies in search of him that want to see him dead. Combine that with the fact that his brothers and sister now know that he is alive and want to see him dead for the hell he put them through, and he is basically public enemy number one. When he does finally get his memory back, it comes back in full force and the pain is intolerable. Now Reseph must figure out how to survive and overcome Pestilence so that he can spend his life with the woman he loves as well as gain back the family he lost at the hands of Pestilence. This means, finding out the truth of his mother, his father, and his past.

All I can say is that this is one wild ride that kept me on the edge of my seat. I was so worried that this book meant the end of yet another series but I am happy to see that Daemonica will live on. When Reaver the Angel (the watcher of the Horsemen) finds out the truth about his past, he is determined to get more answers. In searching for those answers he learns that Harvester (a fallen angel that was also a watcher of the Horsemen) has been taken to Sheoul for crimes she committed to help the Horsemen end the Apocolypse. As we end on that note, Larissa Ione is taking us back to Daemonica for a new installment in the series to find out the truth about Reaver’s past and what happened to Harvester now that she has been taken to Sheoul (Hell). Perhaps the Sem brothers will even be back for a visit (a girl can dream can’t she).

Wow and damn did Rogue Rider live up to all the expectations I had! I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I think Rogue Rider is one of the best if not THE best books Larissa Ione has written!

Pestilance had his time in the spotlight and he made the worst of it. Now it's Reseph's turn and he has more than an uphill battle if he ever wants to have a semblance of a normal life. There were glimpses of Reseph in the previous books but none of them really painted an acurate picture of the man behind the prophecies.

Rogue Rider doesn't waste any time with an unnecessary opening scene, it just dives headlong into the story, for which I was extremely grateful. In just a few pages I fell head over heels in love with Reseph. Such a big, strong immortal who had human wants, needs and insecurities. He was sexy, funny, sweet, and so irresistable. From the moment he regained consciousness, Larissa Ione had me on pins and needles, waiting for the moment when Reseph would remember his life and his time as Pestilance. I was curious as to how he would react and what it would take for him to forgive himself.

Jillian wasn't what I expected her to be. I thought perhaps an intelligent, soft, ultra-feminine woman who was in need of protection would be what Reseph needed but what I found was a rough, tough woman with violent demon encounter in her past and a vulnerable heart that even she didn't know about. She never let Reseph run roughshod over her at any time, if anything, she held the reins in the budding relationship between the two. Bottom line: I loved Jillian, I think she just might be my favorite of Larissa Ione's heroines.

I loved the emotion in this book. Rogue Rider definitely had more of an emotional current than its predecessors and it really worked to further the characters and the story. What was interesting was the now fractured relationship between Reseph, his siblings and their families. Though the others were aware that it was Pestilance not Reseph that caused so much harm, they still seemed intent on blaming and punishing Reseph for it. It made me hurt for Reseph.

One thing you can always count on with Larissa Ione's books is that there's going to be plenty of secrets. Rogue Rider is no exception and though a few secrets that have been building up through the series are uncovered, there are about 10 more to take their places, which I assume is to keep readers guessing and interested (it works and I'm not ashamed to admit it). Each character seems to be a part of some bigger, twisted version of a family tree and with each story that is told, that tree gets bigger and bigger and the connections become more and more complicated.

Rogue Rider is a sexy, steamy conclusion to an amazing series and should not be missed by paranormal romance fans. I can't wait to see what Larissa Ione has in store for us next!