Genre: Paranormal Romance
Published by: HQN on May 1, 2011
Format: eARC
Pages: 380
Source: NetGalley
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Vail the Unwanted is a pure-blooded vampire. But raised by Faery, he has neither home nor peace, and when his aid is sought in the recovery of a priceless diamond gown, his price is information. Specifically the whereabouts of his accursed father. His goal is revenge, and the supernaturally sexy Lyric, the icy blond vampiress with whom he must work, is a distraction he can't afford.
Outwardly as cold as the diamond dress in which she was kidnapped, Lyric has her own secrets. Desperate to break free from her criminal family, she aligns herself with the brooding Vail. Together they seek justice while each secretly works for freedom and a fresh start. For Lyric that means holding herself apart, even from the smoldering blue-eyed Vail. For Vail, it means a battle to the death for revenge—and for a temptress he can't deny.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
He might sparkle but he’s no Edward Cullen!
Born a pure-blood vampire, Valiant was taken from his parents as a newborn and raised in Faery to hate his own kind. When he leaves Faery in search of his father’s whereabouts, Vail is welcomed into his uncle Rhys’ home. Vail’s family is far from normal: he’s a vampire who hates his own and is addicted to “faery dust,” his uncle is married to his mother (who Vail has never met) and therefore also his stepfather…if that wasn’t strange enough, his half brother is a werewolf! Vail’s only mission in the human world is to find his birth father and exact revenge for the crimes he’s committed against his family. When his uncle promises to give him the information he seeks in exchange for retrieving a stolen, priceless Fae gown and a kidnapped vampiress, Vail is reluctant but accepts his uncle’s offer. Finding Lyric, the kidnapped vampiress was quite easy, finding the stolen gown proves to be a bit more complicated. Hating vampires has always been easy for Vail until he meets the beautiful Lyric and realizes this feisty and sensuous vampiress could be his undoing.
Vail is one conflicted vampire. He’s lived secluded from his kind and family his entire life, never feeling a sense of belonging. Although he first comes off as being dark and ruthless, Vail exudes sex appeal with every line he delivers and also has a great sense of humor, there’s definitely more than meets the eye with this leather clad, “guy-liner” wearing vampire! He does have some inner demons he struggles with but is surprisingly stable considering everything he’s been through. I connected with his character instantly and loved seeing his softer side, especially with Lyric.
While Lyric is not my “cup of tea” as a heroine, I did appreciate her relationship with Vail. She starts off as a drop-dead gorgeous, snotty, spoiled rich girl which I had to roll my eyes at, but the more I read, the more she grew on me. Life for her hasn’t exactly been easy, despite her family’s place in society and she has some secrets of her own. When she finally opens up to Vail, you see she isn’t anything like the ice princess she portrays, she’s a vulnerable woman with insecurities and strong emotions.
What I love most in the book is the instant connection between the two main characters. They might have been surprised by their attraction but had no qualms about giving into their feelings, which works really well for the story. Their relationship is not only hot because of their intense chemistry, but the emotion that Lyric and Vail have for each other. These two characters not only fall in love, together they overcome the inner conflicts holding them back from having a chance at true happiness.
There are a few different paranormal elements to this story that include vampires, werewolves and fae which could seem overwhelming but are flawlessly weaved into the story. The author does an impeccable job in creating complex characters with real emotion and an interesting plot with both action and romance. FOREVER VAMPIRE will keep you enthralled from beginning to end!
Great review! I got a free book from amazon in this series and wasn’t sure if I wanted to read it or not. I have never read anything by Hauf before. Thank you for making my mind up for me! =)
Loved your review!