Review: Welcome back Kat and Caleb
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 8, 2013
We are welcomed back to Mr. Primo's Sunset Vampire series with a little bit of a bang and a little bit of a whimper, but as always with a good story to be told.We first met Katrina Rawlings, a 500 year old alpha vampire way back in book 1, Sunrise at Sunset, where we watched as she first protected the young Caleb from his abusive father, and then when that child grew into a young man, a history professor by trade, she seduced him and they fell in love.We've gone along with the two as they found how to love each other despite their differences, we watched as they traveled to London where we met Kat's mentor, the dashing Alton Rutherford and saw Caleb fighting to become a man in his own right. Then we traveled to Slovenia with them to a vampire conference and got a peek at the strong man Caleb could possibly become. All the while we marveled at Caleb's ability to get himself into one scrape after another as Kat and her old friend Paige scrambled to keep up with him.Now back in Atlanta, a week after being back from Slovenia, where Caleb managed to save the day and get a concussion for a big thank you, things are getting back to what serves as normal for Kat and Caleb. Paige has paired up with the vampire doctor Ethan, who they met in Slovenia and who has moved to Atlanta to be with her, she is still very serious about her status as Caleb's "vampire to call".Kat was scared half to death by Caleb's near death and has done a little back sliding in her mothering of him and, while he isn't crazy about it, he understands why and is trying to bend to her Alpha status without allowing it to break him. Matters take a turn for the worse when he is let go from his job at the University and feels like he has no purpose. Add a worldwide vampire struggle, assassins on the loose, Paige taking as many digs as she can, a few comas and a Caleb's natural ability to find trouble into the mix and you have one wild ride in store.I've not only read this series from Mr. Primo but his YA book and his new thriller as well, and I've always enjoyed his writing style. A self-proclaimed pun master, he brings that talent to his writing by giving Caleb and Paige, Paige and Kat and even very British Alton some classic lines. He has given us a varied cast of characters to get to know, some endearing, some frustrating, some fun and some just a little scary.As much as I enjoy this series, I had a couple of little niggles with this book. I have mentioned in my reviews of this series that I'm not completely comfortable with Kat and Caleb's relationship dynamic. She is very domineering and he is very subservient. I was happy to see Caleb coming out of his shell a little in the previous book, but alas he seems to have had a little relapse in this story. He fights with himself (and Paige) about his beta status, but in the end, he gives in because of his love to Kat. I understand Kat's alpha status drives her, but sometimes I'm with Paige and just want to yell at Caleb to grow a pair. My other little niggle, was the story felt very much like a bridge story to me. While I know the importance of such stories, I felt the way Mr. Primo told this one was a little off. He seemed to be holding back for some reason, and it showed.My niggles aside, this is a good series and this was an interesting (if frustrating) addition and I look forward to seeing where it is leading Caleb, Kat and company.Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Dual Review Team