Title: Twice Tempted Author: Jeaniene Frost Series: Night Prince #2 Genre: Paranormal Romance
Dating the Prince of Darkness has its challenges…
Leila’s psychic abilities have been failing her, and now she isn’t sure what the future holds. If that weren’t enough, her lover, Vlad, has been acting distant. Though Leila is a mere mortal, she’s also a modern woman who refuses to accept the cold shoulder treatment forever–especially from the darkly handsome vampire who still won’t admit that he loves her.
Like choosing between eternal love and a loveless eternity…
Soon circumstances send Leila back to the carnival circuit, where tragedy strikes. And when she finds herself in the crosshairs of a killer who may be closer than she realizes, Leila must decide who to trust– the fiery vampire who arouses her passions like no other or the tortured knight who longs to be more than a friend? With danger stalking her every step of the way, all it takes is one wrong move to damn her for eternity.
Leila and Vlad’s relationship is far from perfect. In fact, the book starts out with quite a row and Leila walking away – with Maximus on her heals for protection. She returns to the carnival circuit to find her old friend and partner, Marty. But what she thought was a return to her old life, is no such thing. Marty appears to have moved on with a new partner, and she flounders trying to figure out what to do next.
Unfortunately, that seems to be Leila running for her life with Maximus at her side. This makes things a little uncomfortable since he has a crush on Leila, and she never seems sure of what his motives really are. How much would he be willing to say and do just to turn her away from the idea of returning to Vlad?
In the long run, Vlad and Leila find themselves up against a new enemy and will need to rely on each other to get things taken care of. But if Vlad wants to get Leila back, he’s going to have to make some major changes, both emotionally and in the location of his bathroom.
This book did hit a little bit of the book 2 hump that seems to plague so many second-in-series. It felt a lot more like a transition between book one and book three than a complete story unto itself. The cliffhanger ending really added to that impression as well. Getting ready for book 3 was an exciting trip though, and it looks like there’s only more excitement to come.
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Three Reasons You Should Read This Sweet Romance:
Rescuing the Mountain Man by Sadie Anne and Alana Terry is a short and sweet romance that brings peace to two families that have experienced tragedy and grief.
The dogs! Oh my gosh, they were so cute. I really need to get some sled dogs in my life.
There was a lot of emotion about the past to unload and unpack, and I loved seeing people come together to do that.
When the past crashes down in the cold Alaska wilderness, can their faith rescue each other?
Sarah No matter where my travel blog takes me, I wonder if God has a bigger plan for me. At the moment, I’m in my father’s hometown of Talkeetna, Alaska. It’s where he grew up before love took him to the Lower 48.
As soon as I step foot in the town, its residents’ genuineness and selflessness wrap me in a peace I’ve never known. I plan to make the most of my few days here, but when my schedule hits a snag, a newfound friend sets up a sled dog ride with a local.
Thor is as sure and strong as the Alaskan Mountains. I can see the pain behind his mesmerizing emerald eyes and long to know what caused it. With enough time, I’m sure he’d trust me with his deepest secrets, but I’m only here for a few days.
Thor No matter how much I love people, it’s not enough to make them want to stay. I’m not sure why they left, and I’m still here in Talkeetna, but who am I to question God’s plan?
When the local B&B owner asks me to guide a last-minute sled dog ride, I drop everything to accommodate the request. My dogs need the exercise, and I could use an afternoon away, too.
Sarah is as curvy as the backroads of Denali, and her beauty is just as breathtaking. A few questions into our ride and I recognize who she is. If she learned the truth about me, she’d never want to make a permanent life in the village.
Rescuing the Mountain Man by Sadie Anne and Alana Terry is quick look into Alaska (which is a setting I love) and a little of the past. I think it might have been a little too quick. It starts off fantastic, with Sarah and Thor meeting and finding that instant connection. I’m OK with instant connection, as long as it isn’t insta-love. And this is just what they have. They feel comfortable around each other, and want to get to know each other better.
But as they get to know each other better, the past comes back to haunt them. But I’m not really sure why. The character does a great job of explaining their emotions in the book, but it just didn’t ring full and true to me. And, this may just be me – others may understand better than me.
There is a little excitement and a coming together (this is a romance), but then it all just wrapped up super fast. I felt like I never really got to know Sarah and Thor individually or see how they grew into a couple. I would have loved to see a little more of them growing together and falling in love. It seemed to skip over the best part.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
As an affiliate at retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclosure for more details.
Three Reasons You Should Read This Sweet Contemporary Romance:
Love & Joy by Elsie Davis is a sweet contemporary romance starring an old-fashioned ice cream shop – yummy!
Zoe and Blake’s romance isn’t really an enemies-to-lovers trope, but it is definitely and highly competitive start to a relationship.
The theme of past nostalgia and memories versus progress, efficiency, and the future was an interesting one – and both had great arguments for their point of view.
A thirtieth birthday is a landmark, but Zoe is crushed when everyone – including her nine-year-old son – seems to forget it. Of course, she has no idea about the surprise party, or the even more surprising birthday kiss from her best friend’s brother and secret high school crush, Blake Peterson.
Zoe doesn’t have time to dwell on it, though. She’s worked hard to rebuild her life after a divorce, and she fully expects the promotion dangled in front of her. Her boss has other ideas, however: A contest to renovate Peterson’s Ice Creamery, and may the best man–or woman–win. What’s worse, her competition is none other than Blake himself, Old Man Peterson’s grandson.
Blake’s ready to join the family business, but his grandfather says he has to prove himself first. Now, he has to work side-by-side with the beautiful Zoe, and the two butt heads right away. It’s a battle between Zoe’s nostalgic style and Blake’s beliefs that high-tech modernization is crucial to the bottom line of a company.
They’re both stubbornly sure that they’re right, but the more time they spend together, the more difficult it is to deny there’s something growing between them that has nothing to do with business. Can these two put their differences aside long enough to discover what’s really important?
In Love & Joy by Elsie Davis, Zoe and Blake don’t seem to be a very likely couple. Pitted against each other to redesign an ice cream shop, their ideas couldn’t be more different. There is lot of push and pull between them, and even though the chemistry is strong, they both have serious, and legitimate, reservations.
Zoe has a son who is still hurting from when his father left, and she won’t get involved with a man known for his love-em and leave-em attitude. While Blake loves his fast city life and isn’t interested in settling down with a country girl. But there are a few people in town who know better.
I felt like a lot of the story centered around Zoe’s son and Blake’s dog. And while they were incredibly important in the push and pull of the story, at times they took over and pushed our couple into the background. I didn’t mind too much because they were adorable.
There’s the big misunderstanding moment that I’m not a huge fan of. I wish people (real and in books) would just ask each other what’s going on instead of making huge assumptions all the time. Overall, this was a cute read, and I’d definitely come back to Hallbrook for another romance.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
