Thursday, November 8, 2012

BOOK REVIEW - LOVE IS DARKNESS by CAROLINE HANSON - VALERIE DEARBORN # 1 - AWESOME READ - 4.5 STARS!!

By: Caroline Hanson
Published By: Self Published
Released : Available Now
Details : Digital , 227 Pages

RATING: 4.5 LUCAS & JACK STARS!

Blurb: Goodreads

Valerie Dearborn wants a cotton candy life, but it’s more like a puffer fish: pointy, unusual, and—if not prepared exactly right—deadly.

In London for graduate school, Val knows she's finally free. Her father and ex-almost-boyfriend are back in California and she's out of the Vampire hunting biz for good. Or is she?

She draws the attention of Lucas, a 1600 year old Vampire, and King to his kind. He’s also wicked hot. As golden as Lucifer, and just as tempting, he makes Valerie an offer she can't refuse— help him find out if the Others (Empaths, Fey and Werewolves) still exist or he'll stop protecting those she loves.

Lucas tells her that Empaths were a Vampire’s biggest weakness before going extinct hundreds of years ago. While the Fey or a Werewolf might kill a Vampire, an Empath could enslave them, seducing or harming with emotions at will. The one detail he leaves out? Valerie is an Empath.

And after 1600 years of an emotionless existence, Lucas wants Valerie like a recovering alcoholic wants a wine cooler.

Can she keep those she loves alive, stop Lucas from munching on her, survive a fanged revolution and still find a way to have that boring, normal life she’s always wanted? Probably not, but boy is she gonna try!

This is a full length novel and contains adult content.


BOOK REVIEW by Michelle:

Firstly I must thank Caroline for my review copies and also thank Jennifer on facebook who recommended this series to me and Lisa who swooped in with a comment on Goodreads ‘ooooh. you are going to so love this series!’.

Well, after that, I just had to contact Caroline. These lovely girls on fb read the lesser known authors too, when they simply love the authors work.....I am all ears. So I slid some time aside and cracked ‘Love Is Darkness’ open. I couldn’t stop reading it.

The book starts off in the early stages having us go backwards before we go forwards, to present day, which I appreciated.

We travel from Prague to California to London , swoop back around to some other places, during the course of the story.

Juicy Lucas ( yes I call him that * waggles eyebrows* ) is King of the Vampires and he is 1600+ years old so we need a bit of time getting from A to B, being present time.

Lucas sired Marion and she is quite a scarey , dangerous vamp, who really needs to be on a tight leash.

Marion has been a murderous girl, and Jack, the Italian stallion,is driven by revenge, something Nate, Valerie’s dad, has in common with him. They are hunters of the vampire nature. Nate is grooming Valerie to partake in the family business, but she wants no part of it.

She does everything she can to keep herself away from what Jack and Nate do. She has lost enough in life to love and lose Jack and Nate. Jack has lived with her and her father since he was 13. The crush/love was inevitable for Valerie.

Lucas, long golden straight hair has entered the picture, and he has his own hidden agenda. He knows what Valerie doesn't, he is biding his time.

He may have the hair of an angel, but he is far from it.

I liken Lucas’ type character to that of Jericho Barrons in Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series. They both need the girl for their hidden agenda, there is this tension filled relationship, they use the girl to get what they need, not letting them understand what they are unless it suits them to reveal this information. They inevitably begin to have feelings for the girl, but don’t understand it or trust in it, there is this type of jealousy. These guys also know how to strut the smexi.

I really felt for Jack, he is hard nosed, stubborn, and lives life dangerously with only thought of revenge. He doesn’t see Valerie and what they could have. In saying that, there is a kissing scene in this book that will curl your toes. 

Valerie flees what she can’t control. Is she selfish to want to live her life free of danger and death? Can’t a girl live in London, study, hook up with a guy and party?

Apparently not.

No matter how hard Valerie tries, it all comes full circle, plus some. 

Jack and Val are the safest choice for a relationship....but, sometimes what you were running from in the first place takes your heart and squeezes it.

Where this story starts to where the first book finishes..........WOW!

This is fast paced, the characters are dangerous and seductive, the smexi, is well ......uber smexi. The vampires are blood thirsty and dangerous. I wouldn't turn my back on Marion. Love is Fear, book 2 was even better. 

I did feel for Lucas, he doesn't have that right hand man, that loyal character to watch his back. Being King comes with showing great strength at all times to quell being overthroned. 

But is it enough?

Especially when he has a weakness , whether he wants to admit it or not.
I would go as far as to say if you like the Fever series, you would like this series. It is adult. It has this mystery that unfolds with a sort of sometimes one sided love triangle, but then..........Whahhhhh!!!



FAVE QUOTES:



Her body was slumped like a beaten dog and a tear landed on his neck. He gripped her harder. “No you don't! Why shouldn't you have to do this? I do it. Your father does it! I have given up everything for you and your father. We were supposed to be a team but we're not. It's me and your father while you pretend that nothing is happening. How can you live with yourself? Watch us walk out the door and not know if we’ll come back? But you do it! You let us go while you shop, and date, and have fun. We are not normal! You and me. That was the deal, Val.”



“Hindsight’s a real bitch.”



Nothing else came to her so she plunged ahead, “You know what it's like? It's like being on a diet. I remember that I am on a diet until a cookie appears or some chocolate, then I eat it and the moment it's gone I suddenly remember, 'oh yeah, I was on a diet!' but during those few moments when I'm shoving cake in my face, I honestly can't remember. You are like that-”

“Shall I be flattered then?” His voice was hard and he turned his back, walking away from her.





“Hold up, Fabio.” She put out a hand to keep him at bay. 




Michelle


4 comments:

  1. Coolness! I will start this tonight as my tours are finished... for now. Thanks for hooking me up with Caroline!

    B

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ahhh yes very much Coolness!! And Hotness!! lol!!!

      You are most welcome Miss B, I knew you would like this and your followers:D

      Woot!!

      Mich

      Delete

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