#Review: Stone Cold Lover by Christine Warren - 4.5 Wine Glasses

Title: Stone Cold Lover 
Series: Gargoyles #2
Author: Christine Warren
Format: eBook/Paperback, 336 pages
Published: August 26th 2014 by St. Martin's Paperbacks
ISBN: 125001266X 
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Reviewer: Linda
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Wine Glasses

Gargoyles abound in this sexy paranormal novel from New York Times bestselling author Christine Warren.　

A prominent art restorer, Felicity is more than game to help a friend track down an obscure statue in Montreal. But when "Fil" finds it, she’s taken by surprise at how drawn she is to this statue. Attracted to it in a way a girl shouldn’t lust for a stone gargoyle, she revists it at night, longing to feel its embrace. Little does Fil know, her desire for this stone cold beast is about to heat up a notch.

Locked in stone for centuries, Spar has slept, waiting for when a human would need him. When he is awoken, Spar is taken aback to find that a human female needs his help. A very sexy woman who’s about to be the victim of a cultist attack. Saving and leaving her should be no problem. But as more questions arise, Spar knows that he cannot rest until Fil is safe in his arms 

Linda's thoughts:
"My name is Spar. I am neither called Rocky nor made of rock. I am a Guardian, one of those warriors who were summoned to battle against the Seven demons of the Darkness and to prevent their possible return to this human plane of existence. I consider the others of my kind to be my brothers." - Spar
So this gargoyle you're looking for, she could imagine herself saying. It wouldn't happen to have freaky magical powers, or the ability to devour human souls, would it? - Felicity

STONE COLD LOVER by Christine Warren features sexy gargoyles, witches, demons, and magic galore! Christine's gargoyles have been asleep for centuries, waiting for a portent of evil to wake them from their slumbers. However, now evil forces have weaseled their way into our world threatening all of humanity without sounding the alarm to rouse the warriors. Have I told you that I'm mad for gargoyles? Well I freely admit that I am! STONE COLD LOVER is Spar's and Felicity "Fil" Shaltis' story.

STONE COLD LOVER is the second book in her Gargoyles series and my favorite in the series so far. It can be easily enjoyed as a standalone, if that is your druthers. I also relished the first book in this spicy paranormal series, HEART OF STONE. You can check out my earlier review of it on our blog.

First all, please know that these gargoyles don't like being called gargoyles; They refer to themselves as guardians. AND as the seven Guardians of the earth were created solely to vanquish the seven demon forces of darkness, none of them have time for love... or do they?

As the story opens, Fil has been asked by her friend, Ella Harrow from book one, to check out a gargoyle at a museum near where she lives. Ella believes a gargoyle there may be another guardian. The first time Fil sees Spar as a statue, she feels a strange connection to the stone sculpture. That feeling wouldn't go away so she returned after the museum had closed to investigate further. As she was attacked by a cloaked cultist there bent on destroying the gargoyle statue, Fil was beyond surprised when the gargoyle suddenly wakened into an uber sexy, very alive, fiery-eyed, gorgeous seven foot winged warrior defending her! Thus the two of them were immediately thrust into the world of evil swarming with demons and dark magic.

I have really enjoyed both of the books in this series, but I found it easier to relate to the characters in this book than those in book one. I liked that Spar didn't seem as emotionally rigid as book one's guardian. Fil, too, seemed a bit more accepting of the paranormal aspects than Ella from the previous book - perhaps because Fil already had the ability to read people's auras. Fil was feisty and independent, but welcomed Spar's protection when she needed it. While Spar didn't understand his feelings for Fil, he knew for sure was that she was his, and he would protect her at all costs. Spar had a sense of humor that I really enjoyed too. You can see a bit of it in his comment made after Felicity called him a few nicknames that he didn't appreciate.:

“I would like to address the issue of these names you keep giving me. I told you, I am called Spar, not Rocky, not stone face, and not Einstein. You will cease to refer to me in this manner.”  

Following please find a few of my favorite quotes:

Religious figures, gargoyles, and grotesques, she though, looked fine on Gothic cathedrals, but she'd always spent more time looking at the murals inside the buildings than the carvings outside.
So why did this one seem to have captured all her attention?
---

"The Defiler will not have you, Felicity.  I have claimed you for myself."
The rumble of those words, soft and dark, sent shivers racing through her.  Her imagination supplied all sorts of images of ways she could be claimed by him, and none of them had anything to do with evil.
Heat flooded her cheek, then wormed its way lower.  It built in the pit of her belly until she couldn't bear it anymore.  Her hand shifted from his shoulder to his cheek, and she lifted herself up on her toes.
"Show me," she whispered, just before she pressed her lips to his.
---

Heat rose to her cheeks.  The man made love to her one time, and already she couldn't wait to touch him again.  He should be labeled a controlled substance to keep potential addicts like her safe from his influence.
---

Wherever his gaze touched her, she felt as if flames licked at her skin, and the thought of what it might do to her to feel his tongue follow suit had her eyes drifting shut on a moan.
Spar chuckled softly and leaned closer until his breath teased the rim of her ear.  "I would pay more than a penny for those thoughts, little human, were I not filled with such vivid imaginings of my own."

Christine's writing is spellbinding, as always! STONE COLD LOVER was fun and suspenseful. The romance was sweet and hot. I positively loved it and can't wait for the next installment, HARD AS A ROCK, releasing March 31st, 2015! It will feature Wynn Powe, a mesmerizing powerful witch who made her first appearance in this book, as the heroine. Is it too much to hope that I could wake up one of these gargoyles myself?