Rating: 4.5 stars
Genre: Historical Romance, Paranormal Romance
Recommended for: Fans of PNR romance set in Regency London with true rake as a hero
Well, it's obvious me and Gleason have a chemistry, because I like her writing so much, I'm willing to forgive her faults in plot or heroes that I usually wouldn't, and still enjoy her books very much (like in The Rest Falls Away). However, I'm happy to say I didn't need to forgive her anything in this book: I loved the writing (of course), the plot, the selfish, rakish hero who did not have a personality transplant and become a besotted fool the moment he met the heroine, as is often the case with rakes. I also loved the heroine who had a good mind in her head at all times and I loved the subtle -but so interesting- twists in the vampir myth she added. In short, I loved this book.
The story goes like this:
Chas Woodmore has disappeared for quite some time. Before he did, he asked his sisters to contact the Earl of Corvindale if such an event occured. Corvindale, a vampire but also Woodmore's friend, has promised to act as their guardian should the need arise. The one to inform Dimitri that Woodmore has disappeared, is none other than Voss, Viscount Dewhurst, a man who is in no way a friend of his. In fact no vampire likes Voss, because he likes to gather information about them and use it for his own advantage. And Voss does see in this occasion a fine opportunity; One of the Woodmore sisters is rumored to have the Sight. That could gain him some very valuable information and thus more power. While her brother is missing and before Dimitri assertains his authority over them, he plans to meet her and use her for his own nefarious purposes. But things seem to go awry... Angelica's scent tempts Voss the way no one else's has for over a century. He soon finds himself wanting her -and her sweet blood- more and more but wanting to protect her at the same time. But when his bloodlust hits, even Angelica is not safe...
This was a dark, intense book, where Gleason made me feel as if I was in a hidden corner actually seeing all these things come to life: the secret vampire meetings in cellars, the dark, sinister streets of London at night, the catacombs in Paris. I was magically transported in this place and era and I feel cudos are in order for managing to create such an atmospheric read.
Once more, I have to say I loved Voss. Voss was a mercenary hero and rake, who actually acted like one. He liked Angelica, but that didn't stop him from trying to use her. On the other hand, he did his best to protect her from her enemies, even from himself. I loved his internal struggles, his dilemma, his slow realization that his woman actually made him to be someone else, someone better. I could feel his hurt, his ache, his passion and the struggle he put to protect her against his own nature and I'm happy to say that Angelica was worth all of it. I also liked the fact that this is a rare case where vampires are not made to look as the best thing to walk on earth and it took Angelica a lot of time to overcome her natural and completely realistic fear of Voss.
I will say it one final time: I loved this book. This was one of these books that wouldn't let me put it down and I was two days in a row sleepy at work because the previous nights I stayed up until late, wanting to read 'one-more-page' that turned to a whole chapter or more. I'm dying to read the next of the series, The Vampire Dimitri, even though the heroine who is Angelica's older sister, is the only thing I didn't like in this book. But Dimitri seems hot enough to make up for both of them and with Gleason doing the writing, I can only hope for the best!
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