Review: I'm leaning more towards a four star rating
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 05 10, 2012
It took me a little while to get into this Kristen Ashley book.  What I like most about her other books is her ability to capture the subtle and dramatic emotional struggles of the characters - the drama is relatable, especially in a contemporary romance.  I was curious on how this would work in a paranormal setting.  It takes a while, but this book manages to get there.  Unlike the Rock Chicks, Dream Man or Colorado series, the action does not get started right out of the gate.  Unlike a contemporary setting, the story needs a little world-building to give us the parameters.In this world, the mortals volunteer to be "concubines" to the immortal vampires.  The vampires feed from the humans (which is portrayed as a sensual experience) and in return, the vampires take into their care the humans.  Lucien (no last name) is a "Master" vampire who 20 years ago spotted a young Leah Buchanan at a birthday party.  Leah's family has a long history of being concubines and he has tracked her specifically for 20 years.The story mostly revolves around Leah's struggle to submit to Lucien.  He promises a "beautiful" life and relationship after the "Taming".  Leah is headstrong, sarcastic, and emotional and refuses, at first, to submit to Lucien.  Lucien is not always the most sympathetic hero.  He is cold, calculating and arrogant.  However, the interactions between the two soon steams up the pages.It when the two icebergs start to melt that the story really gets moving and the author is at her best.  There are beautiful moments of love and devotion and an incident of heartbreak that will make your heart drop to your stomach.The ending sets up nicely the next book in the Three Series.  I can't wait to see what happens next.