Bitter Bite

Elemental Assassin, Book 14

By: Jennifer Estep

Narrated by: Lauren Fortgang

Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

Which is stronger: blood ties or a battle-tested friendship? That's the question Gin Blanco asks when a friend's long-lost relative strolls into town. The suspicious reunion is a surprise for everyone - and a big problem for Gin.

Book 14 in the New York Times best-selling urban fantasy series RT Book Reviews calls "unbeatable entertainment"!

It's not easy being queen bee of an underworld abuzz with crooks and killers. Wielding my potent Ice and Stone elemental magic will get me only so far - my real secret is my tight-knit makeshift family, a motley crew of cops and criminals, dwarves, and playboys. My foster brother, Finnegan Lane, is my right-hand man, but when his suddenly not-dead relative comes back into the picture, I'm the one on the outside looking in.

It's funny how life works: One minute your best friend is rock steady, and the next he's doe eyed and buying in to this whole loving-relative routine to the point of ignoring you. I'd like to be happy for Finn, I really would. But all of my instincts are telling me that beneath the syrupy-sweet demeanor and old-fashioned charm, this sudden interloper is planning something. The whole shtick leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. This person might have avoided the grave once, but I'll put anyone who hurts Finn in the ground - for good.

©2016 Jennifer Estep (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Another continuation

What did you like best about Bitter Bite? What did you like least?

Bitter Bite is a good story just as all the other 13 books have been but by now i am getting abit tired of the same old approach to this series. this has been the same book as almost all the others in the series. Gin Always wins out after getting caught and escaping by a hairs breath. For this series to get better i think that Gin needs to stop being a victim and start too take charge of her life. Just being a passive observer in the crime capital that she lives in is not enough. SHE IS "THE" ASSASSIN in the crime world good dammit start acting the part.

What was most disappointing about Jennifer Estep’s story?

The most disappointing is that the series is not moving ahead its the same story all over again with a new twist and i belive that this has been going on ever since the defeat of her loong lost archnemesis.

Which character – as performed by Lauren Fortgang – was your favorite?

Lauren is still very good at giving the characters the Life they deserve.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No i would not pay to see the movie 14 times.

Everything is all my fault!

So tired of her self-flagellation. It's all my fault that so and so died, so and so is in danger, so and so is ... whatever. Stop already. Let the bad guys take the blame for being bad guys and stop making me listen to how Gin Blanco thinks she's at fault for people hurting her friends and family. It sends the message that people are responsible for the action of others - they are not.

I enjoy the series but this one thing, this one point, makes me grind my teeth and yanks me right out of the world of the story.

I would love to see the fierce Gin Blanco, the Spider, tell people that they are responsible for their own actions and not those of others.

And truly - Gin - stop whining!

How is she still such a doormat?

Oh c’mon! Still with the constant feelings of guilt & insecurity by Gin “Queen of the Underworld” Blanco.

Pulleeeze! As if Finn would blow up over Gin withholding info for a mere couple of days.

Unbelievable! Fletcher left a note for Finn, and it could have prevented all the problems in this book,
but Gin withholds it from him because…? Why, because tortured failures to communicate are necessary for a contrived, not at all credible rift between Gin and Finn.

And, really?! Book 14 and we’re supposed to believe there’s a secret society under the underworld that
no one, not Gin, Finn, Fletcher or any of the major players from the previous books even hinted about? Clearly, this was a clunky way of re-creating a new conspiracy arc to keep the series going.

This book also rolls out the formula features that annoy me. Gin the inept assassin? Yep. Gin getting caught and trapped? Yep. At least one scene where men decide to stop their crime of the moment in order to have their way with the gal? Yep.

From here, the series embarks on a repeat of the original five-book arc. There will be a mid-level big bad to defeat in each book as the arc builds to taking down the biggest big bad and revealing the conspiracy/players in The Circle. Fun, but in the same way I’ll watch any of the Bond movies on TNT… mild matinee fare.

Elemental Assassin Book 14

Elemental Assassin Book 14

This series never disappoints. After the revelation that Finn's mother is actually still alive, Gin digs for proof of her existence and information on how that will affect her foster-brother. However, unknown to Gin, Deirdre has ingratiated herself to her son as a new client. The night that Gin intends to reveal the information she has found to Finn, their dinner is crashed by the very woman she means to tell him about. A robbery sets things into motion that even the head of the Asheland Underworld cannot halt, especially when her brother just will not listen.

If you've loved this series in the past, this book will draw you even deeper into the lives of Gin, Finn and their friends. Even this far into the series, bombs can still be dropped...

Lauren Fortgang truly is the voice of this series. She has just the right amount of an accent and drawl for the world the characters live in, and every single character has a specific voice.

I loved it!

I have loved every Elemental Assassin book and this one is no different. Gin is a badass who takes care of her own. When her foster brother, Finn is threatened she is ready to kill for him. Like always Fletcher leaves her clues that she must interpret. With help from her friends she will stop at nothing to protect her family.
As always Lauren Fortgang narrates flawlessly, her sultry voice makes her perfect for this series. Jennifer Estep and Lauren Fortgang make the perfect team. I can't wait for the next one!

Solid entry in this series.

Moves the plot along nicely, with some excellent twists.

The Elemental Assassin books are one of my guilty pleasures...

In this latest installment, Gin gets herself up to no good when someone from Finn's past arrives unexpectedly in town - unexpected, because she's supposed to be dead. If only she had stayed that way, because as things progress, it starts becoming very clear that much bigger fish are starting to circle her corrupt little town, and there may be much more going on than she first thought...maybe going on for quite a while now.

While there are the plot holes big enough to drive a semi through, as typical with this series, Jennifer's consistently deft handling of the emotional flow of her books far outweighs them in sheer overall satisfaction.

Disclaimer: I was given a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. That being said, I have personally purchased both the Kindle and Audible versions.

Finn ... A New Profile... New Insights into Gin

With each new book we learn a new profile, a sketch of a person with depth and new facets of Gin and her depth. Interesting and new look at Finn and the Tinman. As always, a fantastic performance by Lauren Fortgang.

Excellent

Love this series!! It’s very good and the narrator is outstanding! Enjoy that the protagonist is over 30!

Same story, different title

I feel like I keep reading the same book over and over again. Maybe when this series first came out it wasn’t a big deal because the release dates forced you to wait fir a few months between them, but listening back to back - Ug. I just finished this book and I’m really not sure I want to listen to the next one.

Cookie Cutter

This story was predictable just like the main character kept be described. Unlike the earlier books of the series this does nothing good for the main character's image.