Review: Kiss of Venom (Elemental Assassin #8.5) by Jennifer Estep

Title: Kiss of Venom

Series: Elemental Assassin #8.5

Previous books in this series: Spider's Bite (#1) | Web of Lies (#2) | Venom (#3) | Tangled Threads (#4) | Spider's Revenge (#5) | By A Thread (#6) | Widow's Web (#7) | Deadly Sting (#8)

Short stories in this series: Poison (#0.1) | Web of Deceit (#0.2) | Spider's Bargain (#0.5) | Web of Death (#1.5) | Wasted (#2.7) | Tangled Dreams (#3.5) | Tangled Schemes (#3.7) | Spider’s Nemesis (#4.5) | Thread of Death (#5.5) | Carniepunk: Parlor Tricks (#8.1)

Author: Jennifer Estep

Genre: Adult, urban fantasy

Publication date: July 2013

Published by: Pocket Books

Source: Library book

Add it to your Goodreads shelf

Buy it: Amazon

Synopsis:

The New York Times bestselling Elemental Assassin series continues with a new e-novella—from the hero’s point of view! Owen Grayson is bound and determined to get Gin back...if her enemies don’t get her first.

When you have a history of dating an assassin, a night out on the town can turn deadly—fast. Owen Grayson is still wracked with guilt over the end of his love affair with Gin Blanco, and there aren’t enough gin and tonics in all of Ashland to ease his heartache. But when Gin happens to show up at the same nightclub, he isn’t the only one hoping to get her alone. Some shadowy figures will do anything to take down the Spider, Gin’s assassin alter ego, and Owen will do anything to protect her. This could be the way to win her back, or at least give her a night off from fighting for her life—if Owen can survive...

My rating: ★★★★★
This short story is told in Owen’s POV and it was amazing! Owen and Phillip go to hang out at Northern Aggression—just a guys night out of fun. I was so glad to see that they’re friends again. It was just nice to see them together and working on rebuilding their friendship. But then Gin show’s up and Owen starts reminiscing about things that happened with Salina. He so obviously misses Gin, but they still have not worked through their issues entirely. And I’m over here like, “Just get back together with her already!” Lol. I really do love them together and it’s very frustrating seeing how much they’re both hurting.

So Gin comes out to the club with her baby sister Bria for some drinks, but the poor girl can’t catch a break. Everyone is still out to get the Spider. There is no rest for this assassin. Enter Owen.

Phillip didn’t understand how tired Gin was of being everyone’s target, but I did. She deserved at least one night where she didn’t have to worry about blood, bad guys, and bodies, and I was determined to give it to her.

We obviously know that Gin is able to handle whatever bad guy comes after her, but I understand Owen’s sentiment. It’s not that he’s saving her, because she can save herself just fine. She’s an assassin after all. But Owen just wants to give her a day off from all these attacks that keep coming her way. It’s actually very sweet of him. Some girls get flowers. Gin gets a day off from people trying to kill her. I love Owen!

“Now what?” Phillip asked.
“What do you think? Now we get rid of the bodies.”
He sighed and shook his head. “I think you’ve been spending way too much time around Gin. We go out for a simple guys’ night on the town, and you end up dropping three bodies in the nightclub parking lot. You’re picking up her bad habits.”

Gin knew that this would be a great place for someone to try to ambush the Spider, and she was ready for whatever danger might be lurking in the shadows. But I’d already done the dirty work for her tonight.

I also loved Phillip—he’s so funny!

“You should go over there,” Phillip said. “Offer to buy her a drink. Another gin for Gin, as it were.” He snickered.
“Look at you,” I deadpanned. “Being all clever with your words.”
“You’re the one who said that she liked irony.”
I grinned at him. “She also likes sticking her knives into people who annoy her, something that you seem to excel at.”

One of my favorite parts about this short story is seeing Gin in a different perspective. It was very interesting and I loved every second of it!

Gin might be an assassin, but she had her own set of rules, ones that I admired. She was the most dangerous person I’d ever known, but she was also one of the most honest, decent, and fair. She didn’t go out of her way to hurt people—not unless they hurt her first.

This is why I love her too. Owen still obviously cares about her, we get to see that in this story, but we also get to see all his struggles after the Salina incident. Things start coming together, but it’s not any less heartbreaking.

And as I got to know Gin, as I fell in love with her, I had vowed to myself that I would never treat her as thoughtlessly as Donovan had. I would never judge or reject her for doing what she thought was right, for using her skills as the Spider to protect others. But I’d done it all anyway. I loved Gin, but I’d still hurt her, and I didn’t know if I could ever forgive myself for that.

But overall, I absolutely adored this short story! It was very cool seeing Phillip and Owen working together and kicking ass. Plus I loved the POV and getting inside Owen’s head. I really do love Owen, but I’ve been so frustrated after he broke up with Gin. Now I understand a little bit more why he did the things he did, but I still think he’s an idiot. Lol.

Have you read this book? If so, what did you think about it? If not, what do you think? Does it sound like something you might want to read? Leave me a link to your review or comment below! :)