D. B. Reynolds
ImaJinn Books
Published April 15, 2011 (first published April 15th 2009)
ISBN: 9781933417854
Paranormal romance, urban fantasy
Ebook, novel 248 pages
Author Requested Review
D. B. Reynolds Website
Malibu, California—home to rock-and-roll gods and movie stars, the beautiful, the rich . . . and vampires.
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.
My Ratings......
Review
Sexual
Ms. Reynolds has struck gold with her Vampires in America Series. RAPHAEL is a fast-moving, page-turning delight. It is an exhilarating tale of love, lust, and lies.
Cynthia Leighton (Cyn) is a resilient private investigator, and she’s growing bored with her usual clients. She has done some menial work for the local vamp community, and she jumps at the chance to work for the West Coast Vampire Lord, Raphael, when he offers her a job. I like Cyn – so very much. She is a determined, independently wealthy, sassy, kick-ass-and-take-names heroine. However, she has a heart of gold and is starved for love.
The scene when Cyn first meets Raphael is priceless. Here is just a little snippet of that action:
She glanced up, then jumped to her feet, her Glock 17 out of her shoulder holster faster than thought and held before her in a standard two handed grip. Pushing her chair away without looking, she moved as far back as possible, trying to put some distance between herself and the strange vampires now standing in her office. Her finger dropped to the trigger, depressing it just enough to click off the safety.
There are two instances in the book that use flashback to illustrate Raphael’s history. They play an integral part of who he has become and provide additional insight to the kidnapped vampire. Lord Raphael is the ultimate vampire alpha. He rules his territory with a tight, but reasonable fist. And he is so very protective of his children and whatever else he considers “mine”.
As the investigation heats up, so does the relationship between Cyn and Raphael. Unfortunately, Cyn doesn’t feel the same way and wants to stay as far away from Raphael as possible. She doesn’t want to put her heart on the line; only to have it ripped apart and shredded. This one I just couldn’t resist:
Raphael searched the crowd with a restless gaze, his body hard and ready, rage riding the surface of lust pounding in his veins, driving him to sink his teeth into the sweet warmth of a woman’s blood and his cock into the wet heat between her legs. But the one he hungered for wasn’t here. She was miles away, hiding behind her steel door and her fragile resistance.
Oh yes, there is plenty of action in RAPHAEL! At one point, at the end of a very violent and grisly fight with the bad guys, the heightened passions of Raphael and Cyn are too much for them to deny. And hot damn - Ms. Reynolds makes this scene thrive! As Cyn is hell-bent on finding the kidnapped vampire (and since she doesn’t lollygag around, waiting for help), some of her actions put her in very precarious positions. Mix in Raphael’s machinations, stir in a dash of betrayal, and combine well with treachery: A tantalizing start to a magnificent vampire series.
BUT - OH – NO……….YES - SHE - DID!!! RAPHAEL doesn’t have your typical HEA, but the ending will have you scrambling to read the next book in the series, JABRIL.
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