Review: Promising Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance Debut
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 10, 2014
Where Secrets Lie is the debut novel of author Ebony Kent. I found it an appealing, fast paced read, containing an intriguing take on the vampire myth.Kara, a police detective, takes a break from her job to ensure the safety of her sister Alyssa, after she discovers that she has become the servant of a vampire Logan - Kara has become aware of the existence of vampires, which most humans are unaware of, due to her work for the police. Kara not only fears for Alyssa's life but is also afraid that she may be persuaded to want to become one of them, a creature which Kara considers a monster.To protect Alyssa, Kara infiltrates the vampire clan led by the brooding and enigmatic Michael. Michael only allows her entry to his mansion once she agrees to be his own personal servant, willing to do anything and everything her asks of her.... Michael is intrigued by Kara as she is a strong and independent woman and she is also immune to vampire enthrallment. At first he is determined to break her and make her beg him to kill her before he is done with her. Michael has two other personal servants, Amy and Kate, the latter who is eager to please him on all levels, especially in the bedroom!Whilst in the mansion, Kara fights a losing battle to protect Alyssa from falling in love with the suave and attractive Logan. She also seeks to protect her own sanity and fight a growing attraction to Michael, who demands that she spends more and more time in his company, whilst jealous rivals for Michael's attention seek her destruction. The plot thickens when another clan of vampires, headed by Michael's uncle Elijah, seeks a formal merger with Michael's clan. This represents a further threat to Kara and her sister. Will Kara and Alyssa escape unhurt from the vampire word that they have become so immersed in? And what of Michael's plans for Kara and her own feelings for him?Overall I enjoyed the characters and the story. I liked the immediate chemistry and sardonic humour between Michael and Kara and welcomed their growing relationship. Michael has a bad boy reputation but the more I found out about him the more I became attracted to him as did Kara. I also liked Logan, who is a sympathetic character, who appears to have Michael's, Kara's, and Alyssa's best interests at heart. Some of the other vampires, who view humans as little more than servants and pets to meet their needs and provide blood, are suitably evil. The sex scenes were not explicit and were generally sweet between the hero and heroine. There is some violence in the novel.I found that the novel had an intriguing plot and set of characters. It was very fast paced and there was always something happening to Kara or one of the other main characters. I did however feel that it could have benefited from some contrast in pace here and there and perhaps fewer new characters introduced near the end, which I found a little confusing. However, I do appreciate that the novel is the first in a series and as such the plot and the characters are designed to set the scene for future instalments. The ending of the novel set up the next book, Where Secrets Lie: The Return, very nicely. I would be interested in reading future novels.I recommend it to readers who enjoy urban fantasy or paranormal romance containing vampires and other supernatural creatures.I received this book for free in exchange for my unbiased review.