Review: Embrace the Dark

Reviewed by Jen
 

Gerrod is a centuries-old mastyr vampire who puts the welfare of his people before his own. His responsibilities weigh heavy on him, but being a leader is who and what he is.  In the past year, he has found himself drawn to Abigail, a human woman who is opening a bakery in the parallel realm in which he lives.  He knows that attraction can lead nowhere, so he has never acknowledged his feelings.  Until now.

At the wedding of mutual friends, Gerrod and Abigail touch for the first time, setting off a profound physical reaction. They can't seem to help themselves as they give in to a kiss.  It's at that moment, the Invictus (bad guys) attack.

Abigail never saw past Gerrod's surly exterior until she watched him throw himself into battle. And then afterwards, when she saw his hunger and exhaustion, she wanted nothing more than to care for him... and to be the one to feed him. From this point on, the two of them realize how much they want one another, and struggle to figure out how and if they can fit into each other's lives.

This novella series is a spinoff from the Guardians of Ascension books.  There is enough information here to fill me in on the basics as a new reader.  The romance happened rather quickly, though it did help to know that Gerrod and Abigail knew each other for a while, at least, before the story began.   There were some good moments between the two of them, like the scene where Abigail gives Gerrod a bath, but other than the respect and appreciation she held for him, I didn't really feel the emotion between them. A connection, yes, but love? Not really.

I had a little trouble with the writing from time to time.  It felt like the grammar or the wording wasn't quite right in some places.   Granted, I was reading an advanced copy and corrections could be made before a finished copy is released. But a few times, I had to re-read sentences that were "off" and it drew me out of the story.

It was... ok. I liked Gerrod and I enjoyed watching his heart lighten. I didn't really have strong feelings invested in the love story, though.

Rating: C-


*ARC Provided by NetGalley

Embrace the Dark

by Caris Roane

Release Date: July 1, 2012

Publisher: Spencerhill Associates