All You Desire by Kirsten Miller

All You Desire (Eternal Ones #2)
Kirsten Miller
Release: August 9th, 2011
Pages: 416 (hardcover)
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Publisher
Summary:

Haven Moore and Iain Morrow have been living a blissful life in Rome, an ocean way from the Ouroboros Society and its diabolical leader. But paradise is not to last. The mysterious disappearance of Haven's best friend, Beau, sends the pair running back to New York, where they encounter the Horae, an underground group of women who have spent centuries scheming to destroy Adam Rosier. Only they can help Haven uncover the secret to Beau's whereabouts in one of her past lives. But their help comes at a price: Haven must infiltrate the Ouroboros Society, charm Adam Rosier, and lure him into a trap. It's a plan the Horae believe will save the world-but Haven and Iain fear that it may destroy the happiness they've been chasing for two thousand years....summary at Goodreads.

Thoughts: Haven Moore has been living comfortably in Rome¹ with Iain Morrow ever since they first ran off from New York City a year ago. Life is perfect. Haven owns a successful clothing boutique² and she and Iain have no one to stand in the way of their love - but Haven can't shake the feeling that she's being watched, despite Iain's assurances that no one from the Ouroboros Society knows he's alive or where they both are. But when Beau disappears, Haven has no choice but to turn to anyone she can for help. Along the way, she discovers that not everyone is who they seem, and that there is more going on behind the scenes than anyone could ever guess.... 

In the end, All You Desire almost lives up to its title - despite a few issues, it had nearly everything I desired from this story, as well a few surprises. Even after all the time that has passed since reading The Eternal Ones, Miller successfully refreshed my memory without making the exposition too wordy or overwhelming. The descriptions of various settings were wonderful - from New York City to the ruins in Florence. Many of the characters managed to surprise and show more depth to their personalities, especially the mysterious Horae women, Iain's razor-sharp mother Virginia, Leah, and even Adam. The mystery surrounding Beau, Adam's intentions, and what the future holds in store for everyone blew me away.  

Highlights: Miller's descriptive writing and the mystery kept me from being able to set All You Desire aside - the addictive quality of this story is undeniable. Memories of past lives became an interesting aspect once again. Iain and Haven's romance was more believable to me in this novel, since they've been together for around a year³. The overall story surprised me - it was so full of shocking twists! I'm very curious about the next novel.

Lowlights: Once again, it's Haven. Haven isn't quite as gullible, but she's still gullible enough to almost drive me crazy. She's still the kind of girl who would believe anyone at all⁴. And okay, I just don't understand how a girl can get all distracted when she should be searching the streets for her missing best friend. I'd be hanging posters, knocking on (or breaking down) doors...come on, Haven. 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 

1 Loved the descriptions of Rome & Florence - if only the entire story could have taken place abroad!
2 I adore how Haven has such an interesting hobby/career interest.
3 Sad to see how strained the relationship was in AYD, because of Adam.
4 Character flaws are fine, but not something as ridiculous as being overly gullible. Haven needs to start thinking more, instead of automatically trusting everyone. I had to rate this novel down from a high 4 out of 5 because of her character.