Author: Mary Abshire
Source: Author via BookMonster Promotions
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Length: Novel (272pgs)
Reviewer: CaroleDee
Vampire Alexandria Cartwright believes she’s found the perfect home in paranormal suburbia. An independent young woman and professional financial adviser, Alexi needs help from no man, human or paranormal. Until burglars break into her house and steal her most valuable possession–one which could lead to her demise.
Werewolf Gregory Holmes is instantly attracted to his new neighbor and wants nothing more than to protect her from any who would seek to harm her. Helping Alexi recover her stolen safe seems to be the perfect opportunity to show her how he feels.
Centuries of experience have shown Alexi all men are greedy pigs who only think with the brain below their belt. But as Greg comes to her aid repeatedly, she wonders if he’s the real deal. Can she overcome her loathing for men? Can Greg break through the wall she’s built to show her the meaning of love?
***WARNING: Kinds/Sorta/Possibly spoilers in this review. Nothing major, but there wasn't a way for me to get around some stuff to write this review.***
I wanted to love this book. I wanted it to be 'the one' that pulled me out of, yet another, book slump. The synopsis sounded great, it has a beautiful cover, and the author seems like a real nice chic. Unfortunately, there were a few things that let me down.
I really liked Greg. The lawyer/werewolf/overall hero was awesome as a love interest. He's almost the cookie cutter nice guy (with a little edge when it comes to sexin) that every girl dreams of.
Alas, I was not feeling the love for the heroine, Alexi. Talk about trust issues. Sheesh! I got so tired of reading about her mistrust of men and how they were all users and abusers. Apparently her maker was a real mean guy. Killed her family, and made her do bad things. Then there's talk of a more recent relationship that ended up in the dumps. I get it, she's got bad taste in men. I can't tell you how many times she rambles on about how much men suck.
Repetition does not make for good reading.
Then there were just weird things that didn't seem like they were necessary. For the first 30% of the book Alexi is constantly texting/talking to her BFF, Cass. I guess they've known each other for a long time, but no real back story is given. Then at about the 35% mark, POOF, Cass disappears never to be heard from again. Maybe she'll get her own story in the future? I'm not sure.
The book has a slew of other characters that show up for brief periods, get you interested and then, they too, do a magic act and are never heard from again. I've read enough series starters to understand the concept of pulling a reader in so that they want to continue the series, but the dangling threads of the other residents' stories just aggravated me in this one.
It wasn't just residents that disappear either. A whole plot about Alexi being investigated by the police over some drained bodies is quickly, and oddly dismissed.
*chapters of thinking she's sucking humans dry, and then the police go, "Oh, it couldn't have been you. Have a nice after-life"
WHAT? After it was so easily dismissed I felt pages and pages of the book were wasted by it even being in there :/
So let me just say, it's a good book from the ROMANCE stand-point. If the story had stuck to the building of Alexi and Greg's relationship I would have been happy. All of the extra stuff bogged down the story, and left me frustrated.
what a great and sexy article.
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