A Vicky Review - Catalyst by Dani Worth (5 Stars)

Ok, so I'm sure you all realise this by now but I absolutely love this series. In Catalyst we meet a few new characters as well as some old favourites and the sarcasm and sexual tension are flying from the start - my favourite combination! And just as a side note - I think the cover is gorgeous - I love the tats!

Vala is searching for Jacks, the guy she fell in love with when she was a teenager. It's been years since she saw him last and she has suspicions that Jacks was involved with something terrible which is why he disappeared. Enlisting the help of the best tracker in the galaxies they start to search for him to get some answers. But unbeknown to them, their search is raising alarms and they are setting themselves up for trouble. When Vala is kidnapped along with Bastian, the hot young Gwinarian who has been lusting after Vala for a while, things take an unexpected turn and Vala finally gets the answers she needs.

Vala is strong minded but she also has a vulnerable side that she tries to keep hidden. She was hurt in the past by Jacks and she seems almost scared to accept the relationship that starts to develop with Bastian. When she was using the same excuses to keep herself away from Bastian as Jacks had used with her it appeared to me that it was a way of keeping her heart safe but it also seemed like she had honestly come to believe what Jacks had always said about their age difference being an issue. I was pleased that as soon as she realises her feelings for both men she knows she won't let either of them go, I think if she had reacted in any other way it wouldn't have felt true to her character.

Bastian has been through so much in his life but he hasn't let it affect his future. He's remained a kind, gentle person with a core of steel that will defend the ones he loves any way he can. He seems like a gentleman, the type to open doors for you and take your coat but he still has that bit of a rough side where he would ravage you and give you all the pleasure you could handle (just my type of guy!)

Jacks is a troubled person with a lot of regrets and is carrying around a lot of guilt. He’s isolated  himself from everyone so that he can try to put right what he views as his past wrongs.  The attraction that he felt for Vala never wavered but whereas he always felt he was too old to ever act on the way he felt, when he is reunited with Vala and Bastian is on the scene he realises that age really doesn’t matter and you have to grab happiness any way you can find it and hold on to it for as long as you can. The trust that these three had and the strength that they obviously found in each other was lovely.

It was fantastic to see the reappearance of Jarana and Lux, they bring so much to every scene that even when they are in the background you can't help but notice them there. The sarcastic banter and the love hate friendship that they have is so funny and fits their personalities perfectly. I love that  there’s always new characters but the old favourites stick around.

Dani Worth has created a beautifully colourful world with amazing strong characters that you just can't help be drawn in to. I loved this book just as much as the others in the series and as I'm sure you can guess I can't wait to read the next one!