4.5 Wine Glass #Review for Lure of Obsession by Lisa Kessler

Title: LURE OF OBSESSION
Series: The Muse Chronicles #1
Author: Lisa Kessler
Format: Kindle, 266 pages
Published: Lisa's Lair (August 1, 2016)
ISBN: ASIN: B01G5NXKRU
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Reviewer: Linda
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 Wine Glasses

The Prophecy - “Every generation the nine daughters of Zeus are reborn, and with their rebirth are also nine Guardians. They will be marked by the gods, and given gifts to protect his treasure. Their abilities will only be unlocked when they find their muse.” 

Melanie Jacoby teaches English at Crystal City High School. She’s also the reborn Muse of Tragic Poetry, but she isn’t prepared for the tragedy of finding her roommate dead at the bottom of the stairs.

Nate Malone is the detective assigned to the case, but as the evidence points to an accidental fall, the visions begin. He sees a killer in a gold Kronos mask.

Mel is the next target.

The Order of the Titans are eager to bring about the return of the Golden Age of Man, and they’re prepared to kill the Muses to complete their mission. But Nate’s desire to protect Mel is almost as strong as his hunger for her.

And tragedy isn’t part of his plan. 

Linda's Thoughts:
The Order of the Titans had agreed with his assessment. This generation, the Order would be successful where previous generations had failed, because this time they would steal mankind's inspiration. They would kill the muses for the greater good....
For the good of mankind.

What is the wonderfully entertaining result when our modern-day incredibly gifted storytelling muse Lisa Kessler decides to construe the rebirth of Zeus's nine Greek muses? The Muse Chronicles, of course! With LURE OF OBSESSION being the first highly entertaining installment! Besides my love of everything Lisa writes, I can't remember a time when I wasn't fascinated by Greek mythology. The title is truly a perfect fit as the story will lure you in from the very beginning, and, by the end, you will be obsessed! Fasten your seat belt for the roller-coaster-ride story of English teacher Melanie, the Muse of Tragic Poetry, and police detective extraordinaire Nate Malone, her Guardian.

As the story opens, Melanie has come home to find her roommate, Nia, the Muse of Astronomy, dead at the bottom of their stairs. Melanie and her fellow Muses suspect foul play, but, without any evidence to the contrary, the police deem Nia's death to be accidental. Nate is the detective on the scene. From the moment Nate meets Melanie, he feels a strong pull to her and begins to experience strange visions that completely throw him off his normal game. He doesn't know what is happening to him and whether he can trust these feelings and visions. Even so, it quickly becomes obvious that something bad is targeting Melanie and Nate is committed to protecting her at all cost.

I really enjoyed the interactions between Melanie and Nate. They are the epitome of yin and yang - seemingly opposite forces that are actually complementary. Because of who she is, Melanie always thinks the worst in any situation and Nate offsets her negativity. Even though they are both on edge because of the imminent danger threatening Melanie, they still share plenty of moments of levity.

Following please find a few of my favorite quotes from this read:

“He seems like a good guy, but we need to focus on finding Nia’s killer, and then finish the theater. We don’t have time for distractions. No men.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Mel rolled her eyes.
“Inspiration before intercourse.”
Callie chuckled. “I should put that on a T-shirt.”
---

“He rested a hand over hers. “Ever since I met you, keeping it professional has been practically impossible.”
“So it’s true.”
“Which part?”
“You could get in trouble for seeing me.”
He raised her hand to his lips, brushing a kiss to her knuckles. “I can handle a little trouble. How about you?”
Scars and a thrill seeker. Gods help her…”
---

"I have a pullout couch, and I could sleep in the living room. You can have the bedroom."
"I'm sorry. No." Mel put her hand on his chest, her eyes sparkling. "I have to draw the line there. I should at least get sex out of this deal or this really would be a tragedy."

Supporting characters include the remaining seven Muses, the dastardly Order of the Titans and a sweet orphan whose story will pull at your heartstrings. The Muses are committed to renovating and opening a theater that will inspire mankind in the sciences and the arts. The Order of the Titans is determined to do whatever necessary to ensure that the Muses' theater never opens its doors.

Lisa seamlessly weaves Greek mythology, a steamy and heartwarming paranormal romance, a riveting mystery with perils at every turn and plenty of action sequences into an engrossing read. LURE OF OBSESSION is a great start to Lisa's fun new series. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys paranormal urban fantasy romances! I can't wait to read Callie's story next! She's the Muse of Epic Poetry!


Suggested Reading Order: 
Book 1 -Lure of Obsession (August 1, 2016)
Book 2 -Legend of Love (December 2016)