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Monday, April 7, 2014

Book Review: Vampire's Hunger by Cynthia Garner book tour + giveaway

VAMPIRE’S HUNGER
By: Cynthia Garner
(April 1, 2014; Forever Yours E-Book; $3.99)

In a post-apocalyptic wasteland, civilization no longer exists, and only the strongest survive. The few remaining humans must band together with supernatural beings to battle unspeakable evil-or all hope will be lost.

Kimber Treat is an ordinary woman with an extraordinary gift: she can raise the dead. As a necromancer who works with the police, she communicates with murder victims to bring their killers to justice. But after a normal session goes horribly wrong, Kimber realizes she's summoned something dark and sinister. She's unwittingly unleashed the apocalypse, and everyone blames her . . . except Duncan MacDonnough, the devastatingly handsome vampire she can't stop fantasizing about.

As society shuts down and flesh-eating hordes close in, Duncan vows to protect Kimber. He can keep her safe from others-but not from the insatiable carnal hunger he feels for her. Now racing to reverse the chaos she's unleashed, Kimber can't afford any distractions. But even as she succumbs to Duncan's seduction, she fears that he has a hidden agenda. And with the line between life and death starting to blur, his secrets might kill her-or worse . . .


Don’t let the title fool you, Vampire’s Hunger isn’t just a vampire book! There are fey creatures, a human woman who can raise the dead, a zombie apocalypse looming on the horizon and of course vampires. Three of the most popular paranormal creatures are in Cynthia Garner’s story of dark magic, lust and trust between two impossible characters.

The first book in a new series, Vampire’s Hunger worked for me most of the time. Kimber and her unusual gift give this paranormal romance a different spin. It’s Kimber’s gift for raising the dead that puts her directly in the path of Duncan, a vampire she’s trying her best to resist. She’s an interesting character because even she doesn’t fully understand her gift or what her limits are. As extraordinary as her gift is, she’s still an outsider and looked down upon by others. I admired that she still kept using her gift to help people even though it in some ways ostracized her even more. Even when she was being blamed for starting the apocalypse she doesn’t back down from a confrontation nor does she run and hide behind any one. She’s a brave character.

Then there’s Duncan. He’s a lethal predator but at the same time he’s considerate and caring towards Kimber who has every right to despise his kind for what they’ve done to her in the past. Surprisingly, he’s patient with her, as patient as a vampire can be that is. He has a strong sense of who he is and what he needs to do in order to ensure that Kimber is safe and that the apocalypse is stopped. He also has a sarcastic sense of humor that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The overall plot of Vampire’s Hunger was entertaining and enjoyable. The twists, turns and characters kept me interested throughout most of the book. My one complaint, and I can’t believe I’m going to say this because I’m a huge romance fan but the last ¼ of the book focused too much on Duncan and Kimber’s physical relationship rather than the problem at hand. I wanted more about the coming apocalypse and Kimber’s powers to be honest. All the, er, physical activity between the two was a little tiring after awhile and I thought there were more interesting things to develop on.

All in all Vampire’s Hunger is an interesting start to a series and I would certainly pick up the next book in the series.


3 ½ Sheep



Adria Reyes
Reviewer/Owner of Adria's Romance Reviews
Facebook Twitter: @adria_r



Excerpt
Two nights later Duncan answered the knock on Kimber’s door. Murray stood there, just as fragile looking as ever. “What now?” Duncan asked.

The other vampire lifted his chin, motioning toward the inside of the apartment. “Maddalene wants to see your little necromancer again.” His face was expressionless but Duncan caught the smirk in his voice.

He clenched his jaw. No way in hell was Kimber going back there until he and Maddalene came to an understanding. The fact that Maddalene had overridden him and allowed hungry vampires into his living quarters, to threaten Kimber and her friends, had driven home the point that the sense of loyalty he felt toward Maddalene was a one-way street.

“Tell Maddalene to forget it,” he told Murray.

“I’m not your messenger boy, MacDonnough.” The skinny excuse for a vampire gave a grunt and pointed to his head. “Still attached, the way I like it. You got something to say to Maddalene, you say it yourself.” He gave a sardonic salute with two fingers and sauntered off.

Damn it.

Duncan closed the door and turned to face the other inhabitants of the apartment. Natalie stood in the kitchen, leaning back against the counter, her hands braced on either side. Aodhán was kicked back in the recliner, his gaze steady and calm. Kimber, his lovely Kimber, stood beside the sofa, arms crossed and one foot tapping on the floor.

“I am not going back there,” she said.

“No, you’re not.”

“I mean it, Duncan. Maddalene wants the impossible, and I won’t do it.”

“I agree.”

“No matter what you…” A frown dipped between her brows. “Wait. What?”

He couldn’t stop the small grin that quirked his lips. She was adorable when she was confused. It wasn’t a look he got to see very often because she had such a sharp mind. “I said I agree. You’re not going to see Maddalene.”

“Oh.” Her hands dropped to her sides. “Um, why not?”

Ignoring the interested gazes of Aodhán and Natalie, he walked over to Kimber and took her face in his palms. “Because I don’t trust her right now, and I mean to keep you safe.”

Her lips parted and he couldn’t stop himself from dipping his head to press a soft kiss against her mouth. When he drew away, her lashes fluttered and swept up to show slightly dazed eyes. That was a good sign, anyway. He knew she wasn’t indifferent to him. If he could prove to her that he wouldn’t lose control and drain her, maybe one day she’d trust him enough to let him close again. To let him love her.

He took a step back. Where the hell had that come from? He didn’t love Kimber. He couldn’t love her. She was mortal. He was not. He didn’t deny he wanted her—his lust for her was nearly a living entity on its own. But love?

No.

He didn’t have the time for love. He didn’t have the luxury for love.

He didn’t have the right. He’d done things he wasn’t proud of. Kimber deserved better than him. She certainly didn’t deserve the danger he’d be putting her in if Maddalene found out he had a soft spot for Kimber. And he deserved…

He firmed his jaw. He deserved only what she gave him. But that didn’t negate the fact that she had something he wanted—well, actually, two things he wanted: the ability to contact the Unseen and a body he wanted to lose himself in. Both might be within his reach if he could just get Maddalene to back the hell off.

Yeah, Duncan. Just keep telling yourself all you’re interested in is her body. You might really believe it someday.

He turned away from Kimber. Grabbing up the tire iron from where he’d placed it underneath the coffee table, he headed toward the front door. “I’m going to talk to Maddalene.”

“Wait.” Kimber’s soft voice stopped him. When he looked over his shoulder at her, she said, “Be careful.”

He gave a nod and pulled open the door. As he closed it behind him, he heard Aodhán say, “He’s strong and he’s fast. On his own, he’ll be able to get around any zombies out there. He’ll be fine.”

Fine against zombies, yes. Against his own heart? He wasn’t so sure.

About the author:
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Cynthia Garner discovered her love for writing when her sixth grade teacher told the class to write a story that began "It was a dark and stormy night..." With that Cynthia's love for all things paranormal was born. When she's not working her day job as a mostly mild-mannered Human Resources Manager, she's on her laptop writing or playing way too much Solitaire. Originally from Northeast Ohio, Cynthia now lives in the desert Southwest.



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9 comments:

  1. Thanks for the great review. It sounds like a pretty good read.

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  2. Try to figure out which of my friends would meet my standards for my compound and consolidate all my food stashes.... Put my Zombie Apocalypse plans into play.... teehee

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  3. I think I would hide in bed with some good books and ride it out.

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  4. Thanks for the review, it sounds like something I'd like

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  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  6. If my son couldn't protect me, I'd die if they could get in my house.

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  7. i would protect myself with what ever i had in my garage or what ever i could find denise smith

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  8. Run as far and as fast as I can!

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