Raphael (Vampires in America #1) by D.B. Reynolds

It’s an intense and exciting world D.B. Reynolds has created in Malibu, California “-home to rock-and-roll gods and movie stars, the beautiful, the rich . . . and vampires.” I was sucked (no pun intended) in from the start, and fell madly in lust with the Vampire Lord, Raphael!

Blurb

Powerful and charismatic, Raphael is a Vampire Lord, one of the few who hold the power of life and death over every vampire in existence. Thousands call him Master and have pledged absolute loyalty on their very lives. But when, in a brazen and deadly daylight attack, a gang of human killers kidnaps the one female vampire he'd give his life for, Raphael turns to a human investigator to find his enemies before it's too late.


Cynthia Leighton is smart, tough and sexy, a private investigator and former cop who's tired of spying on cheating spouses and digging out old bank accounts. When Raphael asks for her help in tracking down the kidnappers, Cyn's happy to accept. But she soon realizes her greatest danger comes not from the humans, but from Raphael himself.


Battling Russian mobsters and treacherous vampires, and betrayed by those they trusted, Cyn and Raphael find themselves fighting for their lives while caught up in a passion of blood and violence that is destined to destroy them both.

*********** 

I’m a vampire hussy born, so to speak, during the days of Twilight-mania and then reared on the streets of Caldwell, NY with the Black Dagger Brotherhood. I’m not sure how it is I never read this story – or the series – given that I own the first six or so books. What a travesty, that!

If you’re a fan of Paranormal Romance and Vampires but are tired of the same old done-to-death stories, as I am, then I’ll tell you this… don’t wait another second. Grab this book – well, at the least the first two books – and prepare to be WOW’d!

Though, I do have to admit/warn that I was left with my mouth hanging open when I discovered that, despite the attraction and intense sexual chemistry between Raphael and Cyn, there's no happily ever after in this book. But according to my dear friend, Karla, that is resolved in book two which is why I say you need to have both books on hand.

But seriously, it’s not often I’m left desperate for the next book in a series, but I was this time!

Guarded Hearts by M.J. Fredrick

Guarded Hearts is an exciting, fast paced story that has all the elements I look for in romantic suspense – romance and suspense, of course, but there’s also some great sexual chemistry and tension between the characters, as well as a story that caught my attention and held on right through to the end.

Congresswoman McKenna Jones’ world is perfect. She has a dream career, a man in her life who understands the demands of her job, and she’s about to present a bill on children’s health care that she’s spent weeks writing, one that would help parents afford the outrageous costs of their children’s medical needs. These families are counting on McKenna to get this bill passed, and she’s devoted every waking moment to gaining the support and votes she needs, doing everything she can to not let them, or their children, down.

Ethan Riggins is a former Army Ranger whose wife couldn’t cope with the demands of his job, so he left the military to try and save his marriage, but it was just too little, too late. These days Ethan works for John Klein doing the kinds of jobs that require his … unique brand of training, so when he gets a call from John telling him that McKenna is in trouble, Ethan doesn’t hesitate taking on the assignment of protecting his boss’s daughter.

The attraction between Ethan and McKenna is obvious from their first encounter, and the way they fight that attraction, but not toooo hard, made for some very sexy reading right from the start. The story itself is well written and flows easily from one scene to the next, and kept me guessing as to exactly who the target was, and why.

The bottom line: Guarded Hearts is one of those stories that has it all, and I couldn’t put it down. The author delivered on every level, and while this book is written as a stand-alone, I’d love to read more about the men of Klein Security, especially if they're anything like Ethan. We didn’t get to see them or hear much about them, but we know they’re out there. So, how ‘bout it, Ms. Fredrick, think you could give us more of John Klein’s world and the men who work for him?

My thanks to the author who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.