Review: short, simple read
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 09 13, 2013
This is the second book in the series but it can be read as a standalone. However, it may be helpful to read the first book to get more of the world-building. The different types of vampires are not explained and "donors" are not explained in this book, even though it is mentioned often.Alec and Travis are not-quite-lovers living in a vampire house. When Travis moves out with his new boyfriend, Nick, he invites Chris to move into his old room. Chris is a werewolf hiding from his old clan. When Chris and Alec meets, they awaken a mating bond between them. As they struggle with strict rules for vampires and werewolves, they have to deal with jealousy from Nick and Travis.The main weakness of the book is the writing. It is not engaging and there are a lot of telling, not showing. I wish the hobbies and abilities of the characters are explained more and are more detailed. For example, Alec seems to have a thing with incense. Is it calming for him or does it only work for psy-vampires? Chris's sense of smell is heighten so what does the incense smell like? Are psy-vampires rare and why are the "rules" different for these vampires? A longer book length can help to answer these questions and more.I didn't connect with the characters. The book plays up the love triangle between Travis, Alec, and Chris and that distracts from the main plot. I wish more background are developed for these characters to help me become invested in the main characters' happiness. Travis is made to be the bad guy and take the blame for coming between Alec and Chris' relationship. However, he suddenly switches to being a supporting and caring friend once Chris gets into trouble not caused by him. Also, Alec's character with his bouts of tears and mental break downs are unsettling for me. I like Jasper's character best for being a protective friend and a senior of the house, but not much is known about him.I didn't enjoy this book even though it's my favorite genre. The ideas and drama were plentiful in the story, but the writing style made it hard to connect with the characters. The ending over simplified the whole vampires-and-werewolves-must-live-separately rule when I expected a lot of drama and emotional struggle from the interesting premise. However, it still have the things I love like werewolves, mates, and a forbidden relationship. This is a short, simple read with love between a werewolf and vampire midst some complicated love dramas.*Copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review*