Dirk Crewe is mentally preparing himself to marry Corelia—a woman he doesn't love. He knows it's all for the family image and he wonders why he so easy settled for a future he didn't want. However, his preparation comes to a halt when he discovers that not only was Corelia secretly seeing another man—she is murdered in his estate. He now has to uncover who killed his fiancee to rest his sister's suspicions.
In his attempts to clear his name, he runs into Rhys—an man of other-wordly strength and attractiveness. They both work together in hopes of finding the killer and make sense of their strained pasts to get a grip on the future.
I'm not sure if I'm supposed to like Anna, but she was an interesting character throughout the narrative. Anna is Dirk's sister, and his only surviving relative, so she carries the pressure Dirk faces from his family's name and social status. She keeps the narrative interesting, because she's the first to question Dirk if the dead fiancée was his fault. She goes beyond the damsel in distress and seems to know more about what's going on than Dirk does.
She's an imposing sister and becomes an interesting addition to the story and important to the plot twist. Basically, don't underestimate the sister!
I also liked del Arce's vampire lore—how she keeps with certain points of tradition but adds in her own spin as well. I'm not normally a fan of vampire novels because it feels like you read one and you've read them all, but it didn't feel that way when reading this novel.
I had a hard time connecting with Rhys's character, mainly because he's already withdrawn from most of the characters. When you meet him, he hasn't come to terms with his current lifestyle and where his future is going. Often, these kinds of characters take some time to connect and empathize with. He constantly emphasized his unhappiness—even after finding Dirk—so it made me impatient in waiting for his character growth. But, some characters need more time to bake, right? I imagine we'll get to know him further in the next parts of the series.
It's been a while since I've read a vampire novel. I put that on the backburner after reading the Twilight series. Del Arce does a great job of introducing her own flavor of vampire lore—introducing the vampire society, the local fear and awareness of vampires, and the vampire-hunting society that work with and against Dirk's ambitions to uncover the truth about Corelia. I have a feeling that there's more to learn and enjoy once I delve into the rest of the series!
Also, it's probably not much of a secret—thanks to the fantastic cover art—that Rhys and Dirk are attracted to each other. This vampire/horror novel is LGBTQT+ friendly, but I'll give a quick warning: there are two intimate scenes that might not be appropriate for younger readers. Just a heads up if intimate scenes in general are not your thing!
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
