Title: Reluctant Surrender
Series: Alchemy Mates 01
Author: Jana Downs
Genre: Historical (1815), Paranormal
Length: Novel (192pgs)
Publisher: Siren-Bookstrand Publishing (23rd June 2012)
Heat Level: Moderate – Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3 ½Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: A former member of a legendary vampire-hunting family, Andren MacGregor is now a vampire under the care of an extremely sexy and absolutely forbidden ancient Roman vampire named Lucian. He’s spent the past seven years fighting the growing attraction for his maker, and the fact that he is no longer human just seems to compound his prickly personality.
When his family steps back into the picture and a killer starts targeting Lucian, Andren has to come to grips with the things he’s been denying about himself. He’ll have to learn to balance being a vampire and being a hunter in order to protect the man he’s growing to love and the family that he’s sworn to protect.
Purchase Link: http://www.bookstrand.com/reluctant-surrender
Review: Andren has had a lot to cope with first going from vampire hunter to vampire, then his unexplained attraction to his sire and finally having to cope with no longer being human. And now just when he is accepting his fate, his family are back and someone is out for him and Lucian. Lucian has waited patiently for years for Andren to come to terms with being a vampire. Now, he just wishes that Andren would turn to him for love. In the mean time, Lucian has to help Andren hunt down a killer who is targeting them both.
You know I wasn’t sure at first about the setting for this book, 18th century England, for vampires, but after reading it I found what better timeframe to have vampires live, than regency England when the aristocracy slept most of the day and partied at night. Andren used to be a vampire hunter, but then a hunt went wrong and he was turned. His family turned their back on him and he only had Lucian (his sire) left to rely on. Andren has now spent the last seven years basically sulking for the loss of his old life and refusing to come to terms with what he now is. He has also denied his feelings for Lucian.
Lucian has had the patience of a saint, looking after Andren and teaching him the ways of a vampire could not have been easy. The support that he has shown Andren is amazing and it is only his love for Andren that has had him being so strong in the face of Andren’s treatment of him. Lucian is a wonderful vampire and some of his close friends are great and they really fill the story out. When Andren finally let’s himself accept his circumstances, Andren and Lucian are beautiful together. And then they have Andren’s family to deal with and whoever is after them both.
This is a really good story that weaves a web of deceit and murder, of love and betrayal and of hope and forgiveness. Andren’s family discovers truths that their father hid. Lucian’s friends just might not be friends and Andren finally accepts Lucian’s love. I liked the way that this story was told and the descriptions of regency England, the sex is hot and passionate and the vampire powers are cool and varied. I will admit to not liking Andren at first, god what a big baby, but when he finally accepts that there is more to life and that he doesn’t have to give up his calling of taking down rogue vampires, he improved in my eyes by a huge amount.
So, if you love vampires, vampire powers, regency, danger, love, accepting your fate, finding out truths and having a happy ending then this is the book for you.