Night’s Touch is the second book in the “Children of the Night” series and this is a story that features the adopted daughter of our first pairing of the series. Now I will say that I wasn’t sure what I could expect from this series here or even this book. I don’t read this author nearly as much as I used to (which is also another point on why I haven’t gotten caught up with her work yet) but I will say that while I enjoyed it I am not sure how I feel about this author anymore. The past couple of books that I have managed to pick up from her just haven’t “wowed” me like I wanted or expected them too. I used to adore her work, and they use to just grab me so quickly, but this one just didn’t quite work out that way for me. I am a little disappointed in that to tell you the truth. I had such high hopes for this one and while I liked it, it wasn’t close to a 4 star.
Night’s Touch is an interesting beginning that captures the hearts of our featurettes:
Vincent Cordova-recently turned vampire, still have live familial connections, beta male but also protective
Cara Delongpre-adopted daughter, naïve, closeted by her parents, impetuous
Cara Delongpre has longed for adventure and to get away from her parent’s protective thumb. Even though she has had a bodyguard she hasn’t thought much of it until she wants to breathe the night air. Cara has no clue of who her parents actually are or their true identity but on one evening out on the town, feeling free and independent she comes across two men both vampires. Now one is after her to get revenge against her father and the other is a man she seems to have a more physical intense reaction to and knows that she can trust him. Cara has been so secluded that she isn’t quite used to all this male attention. She knows that her parents keep some secrets from her but she trusts them. But when the truth gets revealed, Cara will have to question everything and everyone in her life and has to wonder if she has what it takes to survive this world she never knows the depths of until recently…Vincent knows that he needs to tell Cara the truth about who has become, but he doesn’t want to risk losing her, and when a new danger is revealed he will have to do all within his power to protect her and her family…
Night’s Touch was such an interesting book and not one that I fully expected to flow as it evolved. I definitely expected more from this novel but then I don’t think I was really impressed with book one. (I believe its her other books that I definitely had more fun with overall) I think I was just bored with the character of the heroine. I really just didn’t vibe with her at all, and to be honest, I didn’t really care for the hero until much later in the book. He just wasn’t written in a way that really grabs at your attention, it just had a “meh” personality to me so I wasn’t really interested in him too much and he definitely had more beta-like traits at times and for a paranormal, I do tend to like my heroes to be more alpha males, they just tend to fit the genre more. I mean the story was likable and there are aspects that readers of PNR will find interesting and some dynamics that I think will grab at some readers, but I personally don’t think that it’s a book that will necessarily shock you and really put you into the story like most PNR tend to do. Now I definitely plan on reading more in the series, but I might do audio this time around.
Overall I found Night's Touch to be an intriguing story of intrigue, a deep-seeded villain, and a warm and light romance with a touch of conflict....eager for more from the series.
Royally Bitten is the second book in the Blood Alliance series by Lexi Foss and it’s a indie urban fantasy with some paranormal aspects. I wouldn’t call this a paranormal romance series, its way more intense and darker but also the setting of this series is definitely dystopian and has a more Urban Fantasy feel to it. I was so impressed with the first book of the series “Chastely Bitten” and I knew that I needed to read the rest of the book and want to explore more of this series. I was first introduced into this series by Jenn @ The Book Refuge (A romance YouTube book channel) and she fell in love with this series and I have been making an effort to read more indie romance, mostly because lately I have tended to enjoy it way more, it just seems to be less restrictive than traditionally published works tend to be.
Royally Bitten is an intense and gravitating installment that features:
Kylan- Kylan is alpha male, King of his territory, member of the Vampire species, and one of the oldest of his kind. Takes care of his own people while giving off a brutal exterior to his enemies
Rae- a human female, entered training to be part of the twelve elite hoping to be chosen to be immortal, one of the trio of the friends part of the same training, brave but understanding of her place in society and hides her defiance beneath a submissive exterior.
Royal Bitten begins with our heroine, Rae, who has been brought before the council along side with the other twelve humans, she has spent years in training for this moment alongside with her two best friends. They have been talented in hiding their true affection for each other, and they have no idea what is ahead for them. All they know is that they must endeavor to win what is ahead or its death. But what Rae never expected is to be the one chosen by Kyylan. Kylan is rumored to be the most brutal of his kind, but even though she fears him, Kylan senses more in Rae than the average fear and submissiveness that he has seen in many other humans. He senses a bravery and resistance that appeals to his darker nature. So he takes her as his own. Kylan may be the most feared, but that is how he has learned to survive. Everyone must believe that he is the most brutal of his kind. He keeps those he trusts close to him and hidden from the world so they don’t become discovered because they are his vulnerability. As Kyland and Rae explore these feelings that they have for each other, they explore the sensuality that is building between them and slowly forming a bond of trust and affection. Rae doesn’t really know Kylan though. But as they are learning together, they are also searching for those trying to undermine Kylan and his territory. But will the traitors be closer to him than he realizes? And will he be able to protect Rae or lose her forever?
This was the predator. The animal. The male who wanted to devour me. And all I could do was accept him.
I honestly fell in love with this book, and man these books are so addicting. I don’t know why it took me so long to read this one. I read the first book back in February (So yes it happened during my blog hiatus) so I will get to putting the review of that one of my blog soon there. I really love this series so much. Now it does have some paranormal aspects but due to the setting, I would definitely put these books more into the Urban Fantasy genre. They are very romance focused though, and each one ends with a HEA guaranteed. I really loved this author’s style, I found it truly superb in every way. I couldn’t put this book down last night, it was such a quick read, and this pairing is so captivating.
My lips tingled. Actually tingled. I resisted the urge to touch them. Raelyn made me feel… young. Alive. Oddly at peace.
It definitely has its aspects of darker elements. I mean it is DARK as in the heroine in this book is literally a slave to the hero. This is their culture but its not that cut and dry. The hero and other characters in the series are fighting against the laws that dictate how humans are treated so the overall series plot is so intriguing. The romance between Kylan and Rae was so interesting. It was such a compelling relationship, and I didn’t mind the power dynamics in this one at all. (I rarely do in romance) but they are present so just be aware of that in this installment. I am really intrigued to see where this author goes from here on, because I find this world so darkly gravitating and I am so addicted to her writing. It is so easy to get into and I just want to explore it more especially around this time of year. They are just perfect.
A warrior spirit I long to tame for my own use, a body I desire in my bed more than I probably should, and a mind filled with an intelligence I feared was lost among the human race centuries ago.
Overall I found Royally Bitten to be an astounding work that offered more depths into this series, it’s a romance of angsty tension, darkly elements that are addictive, a rich sensuality to satisfy your craving, and characters that you want to fight for…..its a guaranteed romance to steal your heart in every way!
My Last Duchess is a book I read a couple weeks ago but just realized that I hadn't done a review for it so here we go here.
I will say that this book, I am not sure I got the full version of to be honest. I read this through Libby but I don't see how I read 400 pages, because it felt like I read a novella...literally. Or I somehow just breezed through 300 pages that I don't remember ( I guess its possible but I am still so confused ....HAHA)
The story of My Last Duchess was actually such a sweet story. It delves into an aspect of the heroine going on the run, because her fiancee is not a man she can actually marry. Our hero is the butler to a foreign residing royal family who is his brother but as he is a bastard, he has no standing or wealth to speak of and even though he is destitute he has a sense of honor. And if he can't find a way to be worthy of Ophelia, then he will have to let her go forever.
I actually found this story to be so endearing and charming, I love these type of forbidden love tropes and seeing characters fight for each other, it makes the ending that much sweeter in them finding a way to conquer the obstacles. This is such a great prequel to the series and eager to see more of the Wildes in the near future.
Barbarian Rescue is part of the Ice Planet Barbarian series and this is number #15 and this is the story that features Warrek and Summer as our main characters in the story. I will be honest in that this wasn't quite my favorite of the series, there was something about this one that just didn't sing to me like the others in the series have done. I am not sure if maybe I just wasn't in the mood, or if I am reading too many of them (which is entirely possible) I think I am going to start spacing these out a bit more, they seem to flow together a bit too much at times. But this is a story that features two people that just don't really like each other, or there is a more sense of indifference towards each other. But when the tribe gets captured by aliens they decide that they like each other now haha I just didn't quite feel the connection like I have with the others. But these books are really just palate cleansers, they aren't exactly deeply emotional intimate romances haha and I have been in the mood for that I think a bit more. So I might take a break from these for a little while.
Barbarian Rescue is a unique story though, I really enjoyed seeing how this story unraveled and I always like seeing the main characters pull off a "rescue" like this. It is always so much more unique and fun and I really enjoyed seeing them working through their antagonism and the issues with each other and dig into their communication issues and find some common ground with each other that they didn't have previously. But the book does breeze through pretty quickly and I really appreciated that as I wasn't really that invested in the story. But it was a likable story just not the most impressionable of these books here. Its definitely a story that are good to read if you are in a book slump or a hangover and just need something different and short and fast paced.
Savage Lover is the third book in the “Brutal Birthright” series, and I have been trying to work through this author’s book. Now she writes mafia romance, and she does have a unique voice and I have come to respect her work. I first discovered her through Jenn’s channel “The Book Refuge” and she has had this author and her husband on her channel a couple of times now and I have really loved seeing these interviews, but I will admit I haven’t quite become sold into this author’s writing. Now the previous book “Stolen Heir” was actually SUPERB (I will be releasing that review soon here on the blog soon, as I read it during my hiatus) so I definitely came into this book with some higher expectations than I probably should have had but also there are some mixed reviews of this one on Goodreads, but after having read it now, I am not shocked. It wasn’t one that really packed a punch like the previous book so there is that. Its not a terrible book but you can tell its not her best work. I have heard that it does get better though so looking forward to that.
Savage Lover is a unique story that has its emotional twists and dynamic turns that features:
Nero- loves working on his cars, one of the less favored of the children in the family, desires to give something more to his family and is a playboy with the women and is honest in how he treats them
Camille -Grew up poor but honest, raised in a mechanic garage, a “grease monkey”, protective of her family and willing to protect them no matter the cost.
Savage Lover is a story that begins with our heroine Camille. Camille grew up very poor, barely making it by with her father and a mother that deserted her and was constantly mocked growing up for her parentage and for being one to tinker with cars more than socializing or dating in high school. Camille was more of a “pariah” in school and is still treated that way. But her younger brother, whom, she practically raised, is now in high school and she is determined that he makes something of himself. But when she follows him, finds him at a party, and has drugs in his possession and realizes he is being used by a drug pin in school, she will protect him even if that means having to work with a cop to save him from himself. But what she didn’t plan on was running into Nero, or forming a bond with him. He is the last person that she ever expected to build a friendship with or that more would develop between them. But he has his own goals to help his family, and he will need Camille for it, but also for so much more than he ever expected. He never imagined to have this sweet relationship with anyone and is determined to keep her ….forever
Savage Lover, while it was a decent read, was a bit of an average read and didn’t really spark anything considerable in me. In fact I would label this a bland book for a mafia series. And if I hadn’t read the previous two books in the series, I would be shocked that this is a mafia family that our hero Nero is actually a part of because it just doesn’t seem like that in this one here. I was really disappointed in this one. It just felt so all over the place in what happens and felt more of a edgy new adult romance rather than a dark mafia romance. There are aspects of the story that I did like. I really enjoyed the strength of the heroine and seeing what she is willing to sacrifice for her family. She is so devoted to her father and brother and I found that characteristic to be endearing, but she could be naïve at times. The actual romance that develops between Nero and Camille was quite an interesting take. I honestly didn’t expect Nero to make such a sweet hero but those sexy moments between these two were actually so poignant at times. It was these small sexy moments that really kept me eager to continue with the story. I didn’t like the “robbery” plot though, it just didn’t really fit with everything else building in the story so I found that a bit odd to be blended in with the plot. I did like seeing the cop that becomes involved here, to see more depths added to him than I expected of him and that he wasn’t all that bad. But who knows, I have a feeling we will see much more of him in future books maybe?
Overall I found Savage Lover to be a unique installment of the series and while it didn’t completely worked for me, I still enjoyed some aspects of the story and this author delivers a sweet romance amidst some edgier elements that I found to deliver something…different than I expected.
This review was originally posted on Addicted To RomanceI received this book for free from Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Dark Tarot is the latest book in the Carpathian series by Christine Feehan. I honestly had no clue what to expect with this book, all that I knew was that it was Andu's book. After Dark Song, I wasn't sure anything could compare to that book. But comparing Dark Song and Dark Tarot, they are complete opposites from each other. The characters in each book are so diversely different. So make sure you don't compare the two or think one is better than the other, and quite frankly Dark Tarot is a whole another level. This is a pivoting book though, there are so many things that happen in this story, and it's a beast of a read at 500 pages so it isn't a light quick read. You will definitely spend most of the day reading it. There needs to be so much to happen though, just because of who this couple is and what they have to do together and it does get pretty heavy so lets get into this.
Dark Tarot is one kickass adventure with a pairing every fan will adore:
Andu-one of the Ancient Carpathians, no memory of his family or past, hunter, alpha male,
Adalasia-tarot card reading, psychic abilities, fighter against demons, strong but kind
Dark Tarot is a story that sets off with our hero, Andu, who is sitting on a rooftop contemplating what he should do in the future. Should he meet the dawn or should he go back to the monetary with his brothers in arms? But he is heavy with despair not knowing if he will ever meet his lifemate. But in the darkness, comes a voice of light and laughter, Adalasia, who whispers words of comfort to him. The moment that he hears her voice he knows that she is vital and she is real and he goes to California to find her, and she takes his breath away. But her life is in danger, she is being hunted, she has magical abilities, and they are meant to be together. Her family has always known that one of them would be mated to one such as he and that they would save the world from demons and a greater enemy they can only imagine. Andu knows he will do all that he can to protect his woman, and calls upon his band of brothers to be their guardians on this journey. As Andu and Adalasia go on this journey together of discovering this fated love, building a familial bond with their guardians, meeting with other Carpathians on their journey, and facing an evil they have never faced ....their path is brutal and dangerous but also filled with such promise of hope and love and family...
Dark Tarot is a story that really took my breath away and it was simply beautiful in so many elements. The relationship that we see develop between these two is similar to some that we have seen in the past, but not exactly. I loved their unique relationship and more of one of the "modern" romances that we have seen with Feehan. Our heroine is a modern day woman, a fighter and catches on quickly to being a Carpathian. She does get turned more quickly in the beginning of the story, so we also have that. This story is different in that it is not about her turning, its more of the backdrop of the story, their journey is what is most vital. I really enjoyed seeing so many of some of my favorite side characters such as Lucien, Gabriel, Luiz, Dax and Solange just to name a few.
As they travel around, searching for clues and answers to Andu's past which connects to their future, they see where their journey is taking them. But along the way we get plenty of fun bantering with the guardian Carpathians, despite them being the ancient Carpathians, sometimes they act like little boys. Although I think them being around Adalasia has given them a sense of hope and you see such humor in their personalities that rise to the surface and I can't wait to see their lifemates. I have a feeling they might be connected to the "4 Gates". The romance that develops between these two is so precious. They have such balance in their relationship. Adalasia doesn't fight being a Carpathian, like so many previous heroines have. She has known of her destiny connected to Andu and has been preparing herself for it. And she takes to it so naturally and is such a fast learner. I was truly impressed by her character, her sense of honor and duty, wanting to fight beside Andu and be a true partner to him and gives him the "third degree" when he deserves it.
The turning point of the series as a whole is truly elemental in this book. I really found it so fascinating to see what leads this couple to the "4 Gates" of hell and the female Carpathians that are guarding the gates. We see Andu's sister (the one they know is alive but her location is unknown, and no one has heard of her for centuries) and loved seeing their reunion and how valuable she has been in fighting off the vampires and guarding against demons. I honestly hope her book is soon and I can't wait to meet the other women in the group who have been such fighters and warriors in guarding against this. I really felt for so many of our side characters here but we get some reveals on future pairings so I am really excited for that and most especially for Luiz as we get to see who he is paired up with.
Overall I found Dark Tarot to be an enthusiastic wild ride of laughs, of thrills and chills, an epic uplift of world-building that only this author crafts, and a stunning romance that conveys such unity, healing, and freedom.
Regally Bitten is the third book in the Blood Alliance series by this series and I have to say that this world is so addicting, and I honestly can’t seem to get enough of this author. I am so grateful for Jenn for introducing me to this series and just reading this series is telling me of the untapped jewels in the indie publishing world of paranormal/UF romance. Now I think this series is a mix of genres, but the one that is most prominent is Urban Fantasy, it definitely has a more Urban Fantasy feel but with paranormal creatures contained within it, so it does have a mix of elements, but I really have found the voice of this author to be so unique as it comes alive in these stories. I am actually really addicted to these books and I am having a hard time pacing myself because I just want to devour them all. Now I am not always a fan of menage romances, but this is definitely a solid one and one I couldn’t get enough of. I was truly endeared by the triad love affair and all the ins and outs that come into play with this one.
Regally Bitten is a stunning yet dark and crazy world that features:
Luna -an alpha wolf female, raised to be submissive and subservient to the males of her kind, been abused, but her spirit not yet broken and taught the ways of the old world
Edon -alpha wolf and heir of the Clemente Clan pack, about to face the trials to become the alpha and take over for his father, determined to be like his grandfather in his leadership if he can survive his father.
Silas -human who was granted immortality as a wolf, but now considered a gamma of the pack, and just a grunt to do all the heavy work and the only one who treats him with decency is the heir. But has strengths no one has tapped into yet.
Regally Bitten is a story which starts off with an arranged mating (marriage) between Edon and Luna. Luna knows she really has no choice in this and knows that if she follows through with her plan, that she could suffer a horrible fate under her father’s hand and her mother may even pay the price, but she has to try. She refuses to be broken like her mother or like Edon’s mother. But her plan doesn’t do the trick, it only entices Edon in a way that she didn’t expect it to and when he claims her proudly infront of everyone, her fate is sealed. But she knows that this is not the end, but only the beginning. She doesn’t know what to make of Edon, only that he is different. He seems cold toward her at first, but she sense something honorable within his nature. Silas was once human but then was turned into a werewolf, and is furious that they were lied to about the human trials, that all his work and sacrifices seem to be for nothing until he runs into two wolves, he never expected to form an attachment to. Their bond could be seen as forbidden by some, but there is something powerful building between Silas, Luna and Edon. But there is dangers that are surrounding them, dangers that they may not survive if they don’t unite fully. But will they be able to survive what Edon’s father has in store for them? Or will they perish underneath the deceit and betrayal that is rising within the pack? Or can Edon and his mates conquer and continue forth with this secret alliance to bring back the old world order…
Regally Bitten is a story that is dark and twisted and is so BRUTAL. These are werewolves after all and their world is not nice in any way. But I have to say after seeing just vampires in the previous two books, I am so addicted to these wolves, their culture and traditions and the differences from the old world to the new world. I really love seeing the aspect of how power corrupts so cruelly, and we see how well it corrupts in this series but most especially in this book. I truly admired these three for being so strong in this world that is so dark and twisted, for still having honor and integrity. There is a character that I just loved seeing which was Edon’s grandfather, he is so wise and knowledgeable, and you can see how Edon is becoming just like him. This story definitely has its intense moments, but it also has its sweet and poignant moments that build the mating bond between the three here. We learn that their relationship is called a “triad” and is quite rare and special. Seeing them discover how precious it is and willing to fight and to sacrifice when its necessary was a beautiful thing. They go through so much and this book definitely is not the light and fluffy kind. So be warned of how brutal some things are in this book, because this author doesn’t sugar coat things. But I loved that about this book and seeing how these characters just rise above their circumstances to fight for a better world. It has truly been a remarkable experience to delve into this series and with each book get another glimpse into this world and seeing how the overreaching plot is building and I honestly can’t wait to see what this author has in store for her readers and curious to see the growth of these books here.
Overall, I found Regally Bitten to be a powerful portrayed romance that showcases the beauty of love, sacrifice, and healing. It is a story of strength, of powerful will and rising above to cultivate one’s strengths. Its truly a gem of a romance that reaches my top favorites of the year and I am thrilled to continue with these books.
Rebel Bitten is the fourth book in the “Blood Alliance” series and I swear that I can’t put these books down and I am completely drawn into this captivating world that this author has created. I will be honest in that I really haven’t heard that much about ‘Rebel Bitten’ some of the others yes, but this one seems to be one people are quieter about or it could be a title of this series that just hasn’t been read quite as much as the others. I found Rebel Bitten to have a completely different tone than the previous books in the series. One of the largest factors that I found overall was the plot of the story. I will admit that the plot isn’t quite as engaging as the other books, in the previous books the plots always seem to leave me on the edge. And while there were some valuable developments within this story, I didn’t find it to be as thrilling as the others. Not that it detracts from my enjoyment of this book (it is close to five stars so that is significant) it just is a bit slower in certain aspects that I found different.
In Rebel Bitten we have some powerful yet surprising characters that impact this story:
Ryder-alpha male, one of the oldest of his kind, bored with life and finds himself alive with Willow
Willow -human female, sent to breeding farms, a fighter and quite resilient.
Rebel Bitten is a story that sets off with our heroine, Willow, who has been tortured and beaten in the breeding farms because she wasn’t compliant enough, while bitten and in pain, she manages to escape and even though she is half dead she manages to come up on Ryder’s territory and try to attack him and even though a part of Ryder would rather put her out of her misery, there is something about Willow that awakens new life within him and he can’t seem to harm her …yet. She is quite distracting, and he has become so bored with life as he has lived for so long. So he takes her to his home, nurtures her back to health and finds her resistance so compelling and wants more of it. He finds the defiance so abnormal for a human to be intoxicating, and both feel the chemistry building between the two of them. But there is more going on with Willow than meets the eye and Ryder can’t quite figure it out. But Ryder is also dealing with rebellion in his territory, members who want him gone and willing to do whatever it takes to be rid of him. But he isn’t five thousand years old for nothing but this game he is playing will end up on the battlefield with an opponent he underestimates and only working with his two most loyal companions will they find a way to overcome this evil and be one step closer to their plan being implemented that will save all of them….
Rebel Bitten was quite an interesting take and advancement into the series. In retrospect even though on the surface the plot of this book doesn’t seem to feel as quite as thrilling as the other books, there is so much intrigue, mystery and politics that come into play and I really found these aspects to be so intriguing. I honestly just wanted more and more by the end of the story. The problem I am having with these books is how addicting the writing seems to be. I can’t seem to get enough of this world or the connecting characters and most especially the mystery surrounding “cam” he is so revered by so many of my favorite characters that I can’t wait to see him freed and with his mate and he has a plan for all humans, lycan and vampires to live peacefully and in much better prosperity than what is currently happening and I am really intrigued to see how this author plans on setting it up in future books.
I found the romance that we find between Ryder and Willow to be an intriguing one. I actually loved their playfulness with each other, especially in the beginning. It’s like they view each other as enemies but there is this bond between them that prevents them from truly harming the other, almost like they could both sense the mating bond even subconsciously. I found this element to be quite unique in their relationship. And even though Willow isn’t free from Ryder, she has a connection to him and she seems to have this sense of loyalty to him, almost sensing the good parts of him being redeemable. I love it when I see a heroine like this even though she is fearful of him, there is a small level of trust that builds slowly between them. I was really attached to Willow though. We have heard so much of her in previous books that I was so intrigued. But what I really liked was seeing her blossom in this book, especially when she finally gets turned into her true self. Seeing that strength, tenacity and her willingness to fight for her relationship with Ryder was beautiful in every way. I was so captivated by her journey and seeing what she was capable of. And the reunion between the three friends in this book was so beautiful. I just loved seeing them finally come together after all this time and through all the pains and sorrows and joys and have some peace being together again.
Overall I found Rebel Bitten to be quite an intriguing story that I couldn’t seem to get enough of. It’s a story of resilience, journey of self, and fighting for one’s mate.
Kingly Bitten is the most recently released installment of the “Blood Alliance” series and I have a feeling that we are close to the end of the series. Not sure though, I mean, not sure what this author’s true plans are for the series and we probably won’t know until the next book is released, I am hoping though that this is not the end or even close to it, I am really not ready to say goodbye to this world or these characters. But I think I went in with Kingly Bitten having super high expectations and I can say that this one didn’t quite meet them as I had hoped it would. I had seen many glowing reviews of this book and while I really enjoyed it, I just didn’t quite get the same thrills as say the earlier books in the series. Now it did have its moments that reminded me of book one (and those that have read book one and this one know what I am referring to) but I really didn’t know what to make of this pairing. I just didn’t quite connect with it as I would have liked. It has many of the political build-ups of course, and it does contain all of our favorite well loved characters that we have loved seeing, BUT, at the end of the day I struggled with this one. I think I just didn’t understand the connection between Jace and Calina. I think this book felt more like a filler to prepare for book six. We do get to find out what happened to Cam (and man my heart goes out to him and what his mate will have to suffer to find their way to their HEA) I really liked seeing all the machinations that Lillith had gone to because she is one piece of work villain that is for sure. But it was the romance that I just didn’t fully connect with and I think maybe I wanted so much from Jace’s book and I just didn’t quite feel it. So while I had some fun times with this book, and it definitely has its moments, it won’t be worth a reread unfortunately but eager to see what this author brings to the table with book six.
Dark Longing is the second book in the “Pure/Dark Ones” series by Aja James. I first heard about this author about a year ago, and ever since on Goodreads, I have been seeing so many users read these books and love them so much. I will admit I wasn’t really that impressed with book one, I had heard that it wasn’t the best in the series though and there was quite a bit of information overload and multiple plot lines, so I really had to get used to that. But as I was going through my Kindle Unlimited library I realized I still had the second book all this time and hadn’t realized it. So I thought it’s the month of October, its spooky season, so lets get some more paranormal romance in and I have to say that I LOVED this book so much. The main couple that we see in this book won my heart instantly and I knew this was the book and now I can’t wait to delve into this series and explore more of this author’s work.
Our story begins with two fated people who were destined to meet across the ages:
Inanna- vampire warrior, angel of death, lived through the centuries alone when she lost her mate until she found him and watched over him and his son
Gabriel-human male with pure one genetics, grew up in China learning how to battle, has a strength foreign to many of his kind, loving father to this son and a protector
Gabriel has been a devoted father and loving husband, and even though he has never been intimate with Olivia, he has remain true and faithful to her despite the struggles she has faced. But now she is dying of cancer, and wants him with her best friend Inanna, and to protect their son. Gabriel will do all it takes to protect those he loves. When he first meets Inanna he knows they have a connection he has never felt before, she awakens new life in him. But his life becomes ever changed when he makes a choice. With the medical bills stacked to the brim, he knows he has no choice but to go to a underground fighting ring he heard rumors of, he earns enough to keep them solid for a while, but when the owners of the fight, part of the Russian Mob, threaten his son, he knows he has no choice. But this time it might just cost him his life, what he didn’t plan on was becoming turned into a vampire (a dark one) and finding himself mated to Inanna. But what Gabriel doesn’t realize is their story didn’t just start recently but centuries before when they loved each other as young and now Gabriel has been reincarnated and Inanna found her other half again and will do anything to protect the man she loves and the boy he calls son.
What is Fate but pearls of choices strung together? What is Destiny but a path we walk on of our own free will? Remember, Dark Ones, that nothing is written in the fabric of time until you decide where, when and what shall be the first verse.
I truly had such a blast with Dark Longing and I couldn’t seem to get enough of this book or the story that it brings to the table. Now I believe the first book was more focused on the “Pure Ones” of the race and in this one we get more focus on the “Dark Ones” I am still learning the culture of this species but I can’t wait to learn more of it throughout the series. Its definitely one that may have you feeling overwhelmed by some the knowledge thrown at you. But unlike book one, where I think I was confused by much of what was going on, in this one, I was stunned by the sweet passionate romance. There are some side plot lines so be aware of those but there aren’t too many so it didn’t overwhelm the story too much. There are flashback scenes, but just a few and it shows the bond that Gabriel and Inanna once had and some of you may know of my dislike for flashbacks however I LOVED them in this book. They were so captivatingly written and my heart just went out to young Gabriel and Inanna, but seeing them find each other again and especially when Gabriel gets him memories back….it took my breath away. Their love was so beautifully captured in this book and I adored seeing their story unravel and I have to say I am so curious to see where they go from here.
I didn’t care if we never consummated our union as long as you could be with me forever. One moment with you is far more precious than a lifetime with anyone else.
The characters that we see shown in this book were so captivating. From the very beginning, your heart breaks for this family. I am curious what kind of mother Olivia actually was, because the young son didn’t seem to talk of her much after her death so I did find that a bit odd. I did love his character and how he accepts this world as the normal (he really likes his Lord of the Rings) so it probably felt like some aspects of that world was coming alive for him. I adored our hero, Gabriel. He is one of my favorite heroes I have read in a long while. He is loyal, strong, loving, affection and true to those he loves. Honestly there is nothing wrong with this man at all, he is true perfection and tops my book boyfriends of the year. The heroine, Inanna, was a delight. She is a warrior and fighter, and a dark one but not your average dark one, so there is definitely more to her story than meets the eye. I found her friendship with the queen different and you can see the respect between the both of them. I loved Inanna as the heroine though. She is strong but also shows her vulnerabilities at times too, and her devotion to Gabriel and his son, was beyond precious.
Love cannot be stolen. It can only be given. And it always takes two to make it happen
Overall I found Dark Longing to be a stunning addition to this marvelous series and I NEED more of it now!
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