I’m backtracking a bit here (I read these series faster then I review them), but here is an overdue book review on this great installment. Unfortunately, my desire to immediately indulge in the next of the series was stronger then my need to discuss what I had just read 😉
This one was one of my favorites in the series. I’m always a sucker for the gorgeous, cold-hearted brooding tyrant, and Lucian Argeneau is no exception! If you’ve read the past books in the series, you are already familiar with this character, and have probably loathed his nonchalance to those who should be close to him, as much as I have. Lucian is all about control, and not allowing emotion to rule what he considers, logical decisions.
Lucian, a rogue vampire hunter (and leader of the vampire Council), finds himself unwittingly caring for a human female who was kidnapped and bitten by the rogues he was hunting (and she is now in the process of *turning*). His disdain for humans, and disinterest to anything not related to vampire law, has him scampering to find her a caretaker. To his distress, he quickly realizes he will be the only one available to help the human female through the painful and frightening change, and to teach her how to cope with her new existence.
“Marguerite- ” he began as she turned to open the front passenger door. “Where do you think you’re going?”
His sister-in-law stepped up into the van and reached for the seat belt as she answered. “To Europe. Don’t you remember? I have a job there. I told you about it last week.”
Yes, she had, Lucian realized, but he’d forgotten all about it. “But who’s going to look after the girl?”
She finished snapping her seat belt into place, then glanced at him with surprise, “Why, I thought you were going to, Lucian.”
“Why would I have brought her here if I was going to look after her?”
“I did wonder about that,” Marguerite admitted. When he opened his mouth again, she added, “I knew you weren’t arrogant enough to expect me to change all my plans and neglect the first job I’ve had in seven hundred years, in order to handle a problem you chose to take on.”
Lucian snapped his mouth closed.
Marguerite smiled and leaned out to kiss his cheek, then pulled the passenger door closed and leaned forward in her seat to smile at him through the window.
“She’s very pretty.”
“Yes,” he agreed, distracted.
“I did wonder what had moved you to help her. You don’t generally collect strays, and aren’t known for your mercy, but now I see. Congratulations, take good care of her.”
I giggled throughout the book, while Lucian’s archaic ways kept stupefying the very modern “Leigh”.
Relaxing as silence drifted through the room, Lucian straightened his shoulders and turned to Leigh. He stared at her for awhile, then gestured to the tray. “I made you something to eat if you’re hungry.”
Leigh peered at the steaming pile on the plate on the tray, then asked uncertainly. “What is it?”
“Prime cuts in gravy.”
“Prime cuts in gravy?” she echoed slowly. “Did you cook it?”
“I opened the can and heated it up in the microwave for one minute. Someone named Alp cooked it.”
Leigh stiffened, her head shooting up, eyes wide with disbelief. “Alpo?”
He shrugged. “That’s what the can said.”
Leigh shook her head with bewilderment. “You can use a microwave, but not a phone, and don’t know that Alpo isn’t a chef, but the brand name for dog food?” There was something seriously wrong here.
I found myself swooning during the touching moments the two shared, and Lucian’s own self-“re”-discovery, was the heart of the book. Lucian found himself having to modify his dominant and controlling disposition to one of a more nurturing, and comforting nature. His sweet vulnerability (despite his usual arrogant, tough guy exterior) was a delightful surprise to the reader.
“And she is attracted to you,” Etienne assured him.
“How do you know?” Lucian asked.
“You’re not the only one we can read. Her mind’s an open book,” Rachel said, rolling her eyes. “Half naked images of you kept popping into her head while we were talking to her. It was really quite alarming.”
“Leigh seems to think you have a nice ass,” Etienne informed him. “She kept seeing your butt in tight black jeans in her mind’s eye over and over.”
“Yeah?” Lucian asked with interest. He had the urge to go look at his butt in a mirror to see what she liked about it, but restrained himself. He;d done quite enough to look like an idiot in the eyes of these young people today. He then recalled that they could all read his mind and realized that he’d just made himself look like an ass again.
While everything in him rebelled against having to accommodate this new role, his heart of stone couldn’t help but soften, and adapt to a nature he would soon find himself reveling in. One particular scene in chapter 18 made me absolutely love him! He’s perfect!
I loved it! Did you? Let me know!
4 stars
Couldn’t stand lucian at first but watching her thaw out his stone cold heart made me fall for him big time