Review of Passion, by Lauren Kate

"Every single lifetime, I'll choose you. Just as you have chosen me. Forever."
Luce would die for Daniel. And she has. Over and over again. Throughout time, Luce and Daniel have found each other, only to be painfully torn apart: Luce dead, Daniel left broken and alone. But perhaps it doesn’t need to be that way. . . .
Luce is certain that something—or someone—in a past life can help her in her present one. So she begins the most important journey of this lifetime . . . going back eternities to witness firsthand her romances with Daniel . . . and finally unlock the key to making their love last.
Cam and the legions of angels and Outcasts are desperate to catch Luce, but none are as frantic as Daniel. He chases Luce through their shared pasts, terrified of what might happen if she rewrites history.
Because their romance for the ages could go up in flames . . . forever.


My Thoughts
I love Lauren Kate’s The Fallen series. I was instantly besotted with book one, Fallen. Daniel and Luce and their tragically doomed love was mesmerizing. Tempted, book two, I was a little less thrilled with because of the distance between Luce and Daniel, but I still devoured it, nonetheless. But with Passion, Lauren Kate and her star-crossed lovers are back in their full glory.
So, as Passion begins, Luce has taken off through time, determined to discover for herself whether her fiery fate with Daniel is worth all the heartbreak they must endure. She will now go back to some of her former lives to witness their love firsthand.  Luce, with Daniel chasing her, confront their past selves. Initially, I must admit, this was more than a little confusing. I had to read, then re-read paragraph because I wasn’t sure if “Present Luce” or “Past Luce” was with “Past Daniel” or “Present Daniel”. Or would Luce conversing with her past self mess up the whole “time-space-continuum”? (points to those who got my Back to the Future reference!) Once I got a mental grip on past/present aspect of the story, I quickly fell in love with Passion.
As Luce begins her journey, she is joined by “Bill”. Bill wants to help Luce through time to discover the key to breaking her curse. Luce is thrown into some of the most memorable moments throughout time. Lauren Kate did a beautiful job of setting the scenes in history so completely. From Moscow to Egypt, and beyond, the location was thoroughly set. Each time, she also had to make Luce and Daniel, and even their friends, into completely new characters. For me, each jump into the past brought a fantastic sense of anticipation.  Each discovery Luce uncovered was tragic and beautiful.
While I’ve always liked the character of Daniel Grigori, he definitely came across as aloof and untouched at times. By giving Luce and Daniel parallel storylines into the past, Kate made Daniel into a more sympathetic and likeable character. His pain each time he loses Luce is heartbreaking. His resolve to endure the pain each lifetime is unflinching.
Passion was an intense read. The knowledge that just around the corner could lurk an impending doom and final revelation was riveting. With each leap through time, the stakes intensified. I found myself with a thudding heart and held breath. Will Daniel find Luce before it’s too late? Will their love withstand Heaven and Hell? The answers, the entire book, left me completely staggered.
The final book in the Fallen series, Rapture, is set to release Spring 2012.

*Passion is a book that I purchased myself.*