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Review
A paranormal romance with a difference
3.5 stars
Vincent Dubois is a Kindred (vampire). Turned against his will 200 years ago, he has struggled through his immortality as he mourns for those that he has lost and rages against unending bloodlust, trying to live his life without killing those that he feeds from. Resigned to his existence, he has his best friend (also a Kindred) and his business, and little else… until he finds her.
Angie Rogé is a strong and driven woman with dreams of stability and career success. She has had a difficult life but has found a home in NYC with her best friend, and she’s on the cusp of achieving everything she’s dreamed of when she lays eyes on a man in a bar, and suddenly life will never be the same.
“Do you believe in destiny? In soul mates?”
I was so intrigued by the idea of this book (and bonus – it’s a standalone paranormal romance, and they are really hard to find!). I picked it up just to get a feel for the writing, and from just the first few pages, I was hooked. The writing is beautiful, and I was immediately sucked in to the story.
It’s not an action-packed read filled with supernatural excitement, it’s heartfelt and thought-provoking, and reads like a contemporary romance where one of the characters just happens to be immortal. And we get to see lots of emotional detail as the pros and cons of Vincent’s situation are laid out and we come to understand his despair at his existence.
I’ve walked through this broken life for so long and yet the detritus of my past hails down on me at the most unexpected moments.
I learned in the most difficult way imaginable that you can never fully appreciate what you have until it’s taken away.
With Angie living her ‘normal’ life, without any knowledge of the supernatural, I thought that the lead up to the reveal was really well done, and her reaction and the follow on from that were realistic (well, what I would imagine to be realistic anyway).
It’s like I’ve got one foot firmly rooted in my workday world and the other is stuck in some alternate dimension of time and space, where Vincent exists and real-world rules don’t apply. The question is, can they coexist? Can I? But I already know the answer – I have no choice.
The romance is there, though initially more of a supernatural bond than love, but it builds and it’s swoony, and I easily got swept up in it all.
He slips his hand onto the nape of my neck, runs his long fingers through my tangled and gently kisses my forehead.
I close my eyes. “I’m in so much trouble here,” I mumble. But I don’t have the wherewithal to resist as he presses his determined lips to mine.“I knew it the first time I saw you. I don’t completely understand our connection myself, but it’s real. And it means something.” He’s talking fast, leaning in toward me. “It means everything.”
But there is more going on in Vincent’s life than just finding his soul mate. He is put to the test when he is offered an elusive cure that would return him to a mortal and the human life that he so desperately craves. But can he trust its source? And when given the choice between a life with the woman he loves, and the life of a friend, how can he choose?
“It breaks my heart to love you.”
This was a really good read. My first by this author, and I really enjoyed her writing. But though the initial pacing was fantastic, giving us lots of details and allowing us to become connected to the characters as we are immersed into their worlds, later in the book it all sped up and things moved really quickly. The ending of the book feels rushed and I feel like we missed out on a lot – especially given that so much happens in those final chapters, and a lot of it felt glossed over. Though there is an epilogue which finishes off the story really well.
“You are mine and I am yours.”
Confession: it was the cover of this book that initially captured by attention, but as beautiful as it is, don’t let it confuse you. Though there is a French tie-in to the story, it’s actually not set in Paris. That didn’t impact on my thoughts or feelings about the book, I just thought it was worth a mention.
I really enjoyed this one. It just needed a bit more at the end to make me truly love it.
3.5 stars.
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.