Adrian
For centuries, Adrian never cared whom he killed to feed his hunger. When the love of his life was taken from him, he gave up hope after he believed the ritual to bring her back failed. Lost to his grief and bloodlust, fearing he would never see her again, he intentionally sought out victims who reminded him of her, Aroa. That is, until she calls out to him nine hundred years later, new and reborn. The only she has no memories of the life and devotion stolen from them.
Adrian’s willing to do whatever it takes to see her again, to taste her, to touch her, but he must first prove he is worthy of being her one true love again. And more important, he must keep her hidden from the King of the Fallen Ones.
Karmin
When Karmin was growing up, her nana filled her with stories of Caribbean folklore and superstition, but Karmin never believed in any of it. Not even when an alluring darkness with a deep and familiar voice calls out to her in her dreams. After Nana’s funeral, that belief is challenged when a stranger enters Karmin’s life, yet she feels like she’s seen him before. Could this be the man calling out to her? The man her soul seems to already know? Or has something darker attached itself to her?
Unexplained encounters, spiritual warnings, and an unbreakable connection indicate Adrian is more than he seems. A dark angel sent to punish her for what she has done, or redeem her?
She should run from him, sparing her sanity and soul, but she’s ready to follow her heart, which may lead to anguish…or even retribution.
intro
Thank you so much Delani Monroe for giving me the chance to read and review your book!
initial thoughts
I was drawn to this book immediately because of the cover. Yes, yes, I know we aren’t supposed to judge a book by its cover, but come on…it’s just so pretty!
And then I read the description, and holy whoa, I was hooked.
main thoughts
I completely adored this book. The culture was new to me. I’ve watched some things that had Caribbean influence, but this was my first time reading about it and it was one of my favorite parts. The folklore was so interesting, and I really enjoyed the vampire theme coming from a different aspect than one I’m used to. “Soucouyant” is a term I’d never heard before, but it’s not one I’ll soon forget!
bullet points
- I enjoyed the look into just how monstrous Adrian had become. Don’t get me wrong, it was awful, but I also felt like it was incredibly important to understanding the character.
- Some of the vibes from this book reminded me so much of The Invitation on Netflix, but with a much more satisfying plot line, lol. (Also, that’s definitely a great movie, I highly recommend it. Just don’t expect a happy romance lol)
- I liked Karmin a lot. I thought the author did a good job of writing a strong character who still showed a sufficient amount of vulnerability without tipping the scale too far one way or the other.
- I loved the second chance at love story line here. It was so romantic!
final thoughts
This book has really reinvigorated my love of vampires. I truly enjoyed the entire concept, the characters, the atmosphere, a look at a different culture, everything. I feel extremely fortunate to have read an ARC of this author’s debut; I think there will be plenty more wonderful things to come from her!
This book is absolutely perfect for this time of year and I highly recommend it! As always, if you’ve read or plan on reading this book, please come back to the comments and let me know your thoughts!
looking for more spooky reads?
Check out my curated list of books perfect for spooky season here: Spooky season reads
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