October 2019 Book of the Month Giveaway
November 23, 2019 07:20 PM Posted by juliannadouglas
October was a good reading month for me. I was able to rate everything I read, with the exception of one short novelette, four stars or higher. However, there was only one romance that rated the all-important five stars to receive Book of the Month status from me. It’s a paranormal romance that’s part of a favorite series by a favorite author of mine, but somehow, she’s one that I haven’t yet featured before. Her books are usually a bit more on the lighthearted side, but still nearly always give me all the feels I’m looking for in a romance. I also love her characters and think that the series is very unique and innovative. The majority of the books in the series that I’ve read so far have been big winners, so I’m very pleased to finally be recommending this author’s work.
During WWII, Vanda lost her entire family, was turned into a vampire, and fought in the war. Afterward, she was so exhausted, she sought out the peaceful security offered by the harem of the Coven Master for the East Coast of the US. She spent decades there, but when the coven master released all of the women in his harem, she started a new life as the owner of a male vampire strip club. While she was still in the harem, she met Phil, one of her human guards, who definitely caught her eye, so she spent many nights flirting with him. Now she finds herself the object of several lawsuits by her former employees alleging that she can’t control her temper. As a result, the coven master rules that she must attend anger management classes, but no one will step up to sponsor her except Phil. Vanda doesn’t want a sponsor or classes, but Phil can be surprisingly persuasive and not easily driven away. He also saves her life more than once when one of the vindictive ex-employees comes after her. But the biggest threat comes from Casimir, the leader of the Malcontents, who will stop at nothing to see Vanda dead for her role in the killing of another high-ranking Malcontent. Prickly heroines like Vanda often don’t resonate with me, but the author does an excellent job of showing how Vanda’s anger is a shield that protects her vulnerable heart. She lost everyone she ever cared about in the war, including a former love who was mortal, and since she believes that Phil, too, is mortal, she fears losing him as well if she allows herself to truly care about him. She also fears that if he finds out what she really did during the war, he’ll think she’s a monster. I ended up really liking Vanda, because she’s the perfect mix of a spunky heroine who doesn’t take crap from anyone and one who has sympathetic flaws and weaknesses that are easy to relate to.
Unbeknownst to Vanda, Phil is actually not human, but a werewolf. After being banished from his pack for not falling into lock-step with his father’s demands, he went to work as a daytime guard for the vamps, keeping them safe while they’re in their death sleep. While he was her guard, Vanda presented a delicious temptation, but one he was determined to resist. Now they’re both at different places in their lives. When he witnesses the ruling and sees that nobody is stepping up to sponsor Vanda, he offers to support her, but it takes a lot of patience and persuasive skills to get her on board with it, two things that he possesses in abundance. As she slowly reveals bits and pieces of her past, Phil intuitively realizes why she is the way she is. But when she still tries to keep her heart locked up tight, he’s determined to break through, because he knows she’s his mate and he’s not going to let her get away this time. However, in addition to all the death threats against Vanda, she’s terrified of wolves. The Nazis sent them to chase her down during the war, so he isn’t quite sure how she’s going to react when she finds out that he’s no mere mortal. Phil is one of the most scrumptious romance heroes I’ve read in a while. He’s an alpha werewolf, who exerts his dominance when necessary, but at the same time, he’s kind, compassionate, and tender, the proverbial alpha with a heart of gold, which is my favorite kind. He’s also a delicious lover, always taking his time, even when he’s ostensibly giving the beast in him free-reign. I love how he’s so patient with Vanda, giving her time to come to terms with things, but not letting her hide from him. He also has an interesting backstory of his own and must come to terms with certain things related to his heritage. Phil was just an all-around dreamy hero who’s definitely earned a spot on my favorite heroes list.
Overall, this book was an awesome read. Vanda and Phil were both great characters who fit together perfectly like two pieces of a puzzle. Their romance is by turns emotional, tender, sweet, and smokin’ hot. I never cease to be amazed by how this author manages to wrangle such a huge cast of characters and give them all a moment in the spotlight or at least a mention, and the supporting characters added all the necessary herbs and spices to create a flavorful story. Then there are the death threats against Vanda, which give the reader plenty of suspense and excitement. We also get some development to the series story arc with the escalation of the conflict with the Malcontents slowly turning into all-out war that I’m sure will play out over the books yet to come. After reading this book, I’m totally energized to pick up the next one. That’s why I’m naming Kerrelyn Sparks’s Forbidden Nights with a Vampire as my October Book of the Month. If you enjoy paranormal romance, mingled with romantic suspense and a touch of humor that’s also tender, emotional, and super-sexy, then you should definitely give this book a try. Keep reading to learn how you can win a copy for your own library.
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Cover Blurb- The Best Things in Life Are Always Forbidden |
Read my complete review of Forbidden Nights with a Vampire.
Giveaway
If you would like to win a copy of Forbidden Nights with a Vampire to see how wonderful it is for yourself, just enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below. One lucky winner will receive their choice of an eBook or print copy of the book. If the winner chooses an eBook, I will gift it to them via the eBook retailer of their choice (Amazon or B & N). If the winner chooses a print copy, I will have it mailed directly to them via Amazon. Good luck!
International Entrants: You are welcome to enter my contest, but please note that not all eBooks are available in all countries due to copyright restrictions. If this is the case, Amazon does offer an option to trade for a gift card (I'm not sure about B & N). If you choose print, I can mail it to you via the Amazon website that services your country, pending availability and cost. Otherwise I will mail it to you via U. S. Amazon's standard international shipping, but it may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive, and I may not have the capability of tracking the package.
Categories: Book of the Month, Giveaways
Tags: Kerrelyn Sparks
