Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Summary (from Goodreads):

Katy knows the world changed the night the Luxen came.

She can't believe Daemon welcomed his race or stood by as his kind threatened to obliterate every last human and hybrid on Earth. But the lines between good and bad have blurred, and love has become an emotion that could destroy her—could destroy them all.

Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means betrayal.

They must team with an unlikely enemy if there is any chance of surviving the invasion. But when it quickly becomes impossible to tell friend from foe, and the world is crumbling around them, they may lose everything— even what they cherish most—to ensure the survival of their friends…and mankind.

War has come to Earth. And no matter the outcome, the future will never be the same for those left standing.

Review:

I must say that I had no idea that these books would go in the direction they have (after I read the earliest books that take place in high school). This was a full out sci-fi thriller loaded with the mass destruction of thousands of humans, alien body snatchers, infiltrated government, and top-secret government suspense! Wow, I was on the edge of my seat for the whole thing.

I knew Armentrout had the whole romance thing down, and I was expecting some seriously sizzling romantic moments (and I got them and then some), but I had no idea she could write action and suspense this well. I could not put the book down. I left a dinner party early to go home and have more reading time. I rushed home from work the next day and then skipped dinner all together to finish it.

Between the Origins, the Arum, the military Luxen destructive weapons, the cities going to complete chaos, the loss of support from one character, the truces made, and the non-stop fighting, there was never a dull moment. Add some amazing road trips, some scary death scenes, painful loss, sacrifices, and explosions, and I’m not sure what the book was missing. There were also some wonderful Harry Potter, YA dystopia, and even Walking Dead references (and I got every single one).

I liked how pieces of the earlier books were brought in. And I loved getting to know Dawson and Bethany a little better. I also loved all the pieces in Daemon’s point of view! I was so worried I wouldn’t like this because so many times when authors decide to switch views to the guy, the guy becomes less believable to me. Daemon stayed true to his arrogant self. And I loved every second in his head.

I was a little sad to see that the novel wasn’t as long as I first thought it would be. The book is thick and I was happy. But, it also includes a bonus prequel about Bethany and Dawson, and I didn’t realize how big that would be. However, I also loved the prequel. It was great getting to see how everything started.

There’s one thing that bothered me about the romance and it was the amount of times the author mentioned Daemon cupping Kat’s cheeks. And I noticed that as slightly off the first time I read it. Is that supposed to be sexy? I hate having someone cup my cheeks. And it happened many times. And then it continued to happen with Dawson and Bethany in the prequel. And at that point, it was too much. I kind of wish Bethany and Dawson liked other things, and that their romance wasn’t quite as similar to Daemon’s and Kat’s. I still enjoyed it. I just would have liked it more if it was more unique.

All in all, I loved this final installment. I loved this whole series. I’m so glad I found Jennifer L. Armentrout this year and I look forward to reading more from her. Her characters are fun. Her romance is hot. And now I know her suspense and action is also nail-bitingly good. I give this a 10/10. Just know that the book is only 352 pages (though it looks longer) and that the prequel novella is 174 pages.