Series: Darkness Within #2
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Published by: Smashwords on April 29, 2011
Format: eARC
Pages: 306
Source: Author
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Toni Tutoro just wants to go home. Banned from Chicago’s vampiric society after cutting a swath of violence through the city, she must now successfully complete an investigation for the Lord of Chicago to regain the right to live in her hometown again.
To ensure Toni’s safety during her probationary period, Drake Black, a feared assassin, is secretly contracted to protect her. Even with direct orders to keep his relationship professional, and his own personal vow to never get involved with a female vampire again, Drake finds himself drawn to Toni in ways he can’t explain. But unbeknownst to him, he’s tied to one of the people who drove Toni to her night of destruction.
Drake’s legendary heritage holds the key to Toni’s survival and success, but will she be able to forgive his connection to the brutal night that robbed her of those she loved most? Will Drake be able to forget the betrayals in his past and risk taking one more chance? But most of all, can they find a way to reach each other in the darkness?
*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.
An intensely passionate and beautiful love story!
Toni Tutoro is a fledging vampire warrior who has been banned from her city of Chicago, after exacting revenge after her family is brutally murdered. After three years of wandering, Toni is given a chance to redeem herself and come back home by Christian, Lord of Chicago, but only if she can complete the task he’s given her. In walks Drake Black, a merciless assassin who always follows orders, gets the job done and never gets involved with his mark. His latest order is to serve as a protector, not assassin, for the young Toni Tutoro.
Drake has had his heart broken by a female vampire before and vows to keep his distance from Toni and be rid of her as soon as possible. When her meeting with the Lord of Chicago is postponed, Drake is forced to spend some quality time with his ward that can only mean trouble. The feisty female vampire sparks his interest with her gutsy attitude one minute and caring demeanor the next. Drake has never met anyone who doesn’t fear him and sees him as a man and not a monster. To his surprise, the more time he spends with Toni, the more he ponders the possibility of opening his heart to another again.
“It was a kiss that promised no one would ever mean to him what she did now. That no matter what happened in her life or how far apart they were, he’d always be there when she needed him. It was a promise that unless she wanted to, she would never be alone again.”
Just when I thought this series couldn’t get better, Jennifer Turner gives us Eternal Hearts! Toni and Drake’s story is simply alluring. Both characters are just looking to be accepted and loved for who they are and when they meet…sparks fly! Each carries their troubled past, but somehow manage to truly see each other for their self and not what they’ve been labeled as by others. I love how Toni wears her heart on her sleeve and makes no apologies for it, she has held on to some her mortality in her young immortal life. It’s surprising that she’s experienced so much pain yet still manages to trust and love so freely. Her rapid mood changes didn’t affect me in the slightest, I found her character to be genuine and noble. If you’ve already read Eternal Seduction, you’ll surely notice the huge difference in this heroine’s personality from the first.
“She kissed him back with everything she had, every shred of pain, every sliver of regret, and every ounce of hope that someday she’d find a way to be more than she was now. That someday the wounds still festering deep inside her would heal as well as the ones on her skin, and that maybe then she’d truly deserve to be in the arms of a man like him.”
When you are first introduced to Drake, he is portrayed as this deadly assassin who lives to kill and has little or no emotions. As the story unfolds, you see he has his reasons for being a loner but when he meets Toni he is ever the gentleman and shows a side that is quite tender for an assassin. I found myself falling for his charm in no time! Drake is a dark, sexy, tortured alpha hero that learns true love is sometimes worth the fight.
This story is a bit more plot driven than the first in the series but has the same degree of engaging characters and unique story line. There’s plenty of action in and outside of the bedroom, and the addition of an evil female villain works perfectly in creating suspense. Old friends as new characters are also introduced and give you an inside look into our main characters’ personalities and pasts. This ultimately is a paranormal romance with intense drama that draws you in from the start. Eternal Hearts is an alluring love story with betrayals, mystery and suspense that will tug on your heart strings and make Jennifer Turner a new favorite!
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