The Collector 9: The Lost Temple of Karttikeya by Laura Baumbach is the final book in The Collector series.

Brandon has never had any luck with love and his present love interest, Phil, interest is no acceptation. All Brandon ever wanted is to be loved in return as much as he loves, but he always chooses the wrong guys. During a routine investigation, Brandon is offered a job to search for a mythical statue which will grant the finder his heart's desire by the Collector, a famous and secretive individual. After the last fiasco, Brandon decides to take up the offer, but little does he know that sometimes what you were looking for is closer than you think. Brandon finds the name of a well known archeologist, Christian, to help him. The first time Christian and Brandon meet they are immediately attracted to each other with a strength they have never felt before. Christian agrees to go on the journey, and the two begin an adventure that goes beyond rational thought to expand their horizons and change their lives forever.

Ms. Baumbach has created the perfect finale to a very creative series with each book written by a different author evolving around a common theme. Brandon is a very loving man in search of his one true love who is willing to give love one more try in spite of his many past failures. Christian seems to be a very open and loving man, but he has depths and an unknown goal that could affect Brandon’s feelings for him. Together Brandon and Christian have a love that is both poignant and forever if they can overcome the many obstacles and difficulties of their journey to find the gold at the end of the rainbow. Thanks go to Ms. Baumbach for an incredible ending to a very imaginative series.

Reviewed by: Teresa