Review: Great Read - A love story with a dark edge
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 28, 2013
A love story with a dark edge - Diana and RyderHe's been waiting for her his whole life..."Hope was the only thing that kept me going for centuries. Hope brought me you."She is afraid that choosing eternal life may set her demons free..."She didn't dare hope for such a happy future for herself. There was too much unrest within her soul that she feared her new demon would embrace. That it would take her over, and bring death and destruction to those she loved. And she feared Ryder would endlessly blame himself for turning her and awakening those darkest parts of her."The decision may be out of her hands...Diana Reyes is a special agent with the New York Field Office of the FBI. She is currently serving a suspension for an incident that happened two years ago, the same incident that caused her body to become contaminated with vampire blood, which is slowly killing her. She is also fighting demons from her past - a past in which she witnessed her detective father be gunned down and die in her arms, but has also instilled in her a great need to serve.Ryder Latimer is a vampire who has lived his life outside the vampire world, but, since becoming involved with Diana, has slowly begun to become immersed in vampire politics and the Vampire Council. When a serial killer begins targeting vampires Ryder is drawn into the investigation. His concern for Diana's health keeps him from including Diana in the investigation, but when the serial killer strikes at a human, their worlds collide and the Vampire Council and the FBI must work together to capture the serial killer.The inner turmoil that Diana faces by having to decide if she can live with herself if she chooses to be turned into a vampire are heart-wrenching..."You terrified me, because deep in here - "she laid her free hand over her own heart - "I'm not sure what I want. I'm scared I can't handle those darkest parts of myself if you were to turn me. I'm so afraid you'll stop loving what I'll become."She knows she loves Ryder, but is so afraid of what losing her humanity means, especially since, after never wanting children, she has suddenly begun to hear her biological clock ticking. She is also terrified of losing herself to her inner demons that manifested themselves after her father was killed..."I do love you, Ryder. But I'm not sure I'm as strong as you are. Not sure I can maintain enough humanity to control the demon. I already lost my way once before and barely came through it alive."Ryder was just awesome. His love for Diana had him all sorts of crazy with worry..."What if the treatments fail? Do you think I can just watch you die, and do nothing?" He beat his chest with one fist so hard it left a splotch of pink against his skin. "Do you want me to kill what's inside here? To lie to myself that I don't care?"He knew that he would not want to keep living his life if she was not a part of it..."Ryder wanted to tell Diana that she caused him such agony because, after centuries of merely existing, he was finally alive."But he knew she needed to make the decision in her own time, in her own terms, but he needed to show her that she was capable of mastering her demons..."He had to prove to her that the inner demon could be mastered, so she could trust that if she was turned, she could rein in her vampire's need for blood and violence."Caridad Pineiro once again delivers a fabulous story that takes you on a journey through the darker side of New York. Her characters are engaging and well-written, and she weaves a tale full of romance, action and suspense. Another great read I would highly recommend.I received an eARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.