Enduring Instincts

Instincts #2

by S.J. Frost

Vampire Daniel Valente struggles to live on his own, now that his master, Titus Antonius Calidus, has found eternal love with another. Carrying mental and emotional scars, he lives in loneliness and feels as though he's lost who he once was. Ryunosuke Kimura has known Daniel for hundreds of years, and loved him for many of them. Even though he believes Titus is the only one Daniel wants to give his heart to, when he hears Daniel needs his support, he rushes to be with him.With Ryu at his side, Daniel's confidence returns, and with it, he sees the enduring love Ryu has always had for him. As they grow closer, new threats from old enemies arise, and if Daniel and Ryunosuke are to spend eternity together, they must first defeat the past.

Genres: Vampires, M M Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Friends To Lovers, Paranormal Romance, M M Paranormal

274 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2011

About the author

S.J. Frost resides in Ohio with her family, pets, and horses. Her short stories have been featured in several erotic and romance anthologies, and her novels are published through MLR Press. Rock stars, vampires, fantasy heroes, and more, she enjoys dabbling in many different sub-genres in gay romance, but no matter what she writes, love and passion are the driving forces in every story.

Reviews

[Bookwatcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I give more than 5 stars??? Can I can I??? Pleeeeeeese?

soooo first I must say it's not an standalone story, you must read the first book ... and BTW there is a lot of Andreas and Titus again (the couple of the first book), if you read the first book and want more of them the second of the serie is perfect for you.

But let's get to the point... why I ADORED this book, and in my view it's better than the first of the serie?

Simple... because it's the story of two vampires,
Daniel, the personification of beauty


and Ruy, the badass samurai

what? I can't say badass? But hey, HE IS A BADASS! No other word can be used to describe him!

Such lovely couple... I just want to tell you it's a VERY sappy romance... that's why I love it so much! There is action? Yes. There are many funny moments? Yes. There are animals, again, that made me say "awwwwwww" a lot? Yes.... BUT the spotlight is in the romance, because after so much sadness, both Daniel and Ruy deserve to have their HEA....

what? They will have it? Happily Ever After?
read to discover it

5 stars, and I'm looking forward for more! (BTW, but If I could, I would give more than 5 stars... I'm not kidding, I really like this book!)

[Susan65 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where to begin....hmmm?

What I loved: Learning more about Daniel's past and watching him learn to stand on his own two feet. Seeing Titus love him like a father and having Daniel accept that's how it's supposed to be. Seeing the friendship form and grow between Daniel and Andreas. And learning about Ryu and his past. All of this was wonderfully written and makes me want to read more. I hope there is a book three. I want to read about Andreas being Turned and I want to know what happens to Troy. I feel so bad for him.

What I had trouble with: not much...but at times i wanted the story to move a little quicker.

So? Book three? YES PLEASE!!!!!!!!!

[Experiment BL626 · Rating 1 out of 5]

CAUTION: Spoilers, Long Review

I like fluff, I like vampire story, but this fluffy vampire story just didn't work for me. I couldn't connect to Daniel and Ryunosuke's romance. With that, the whole story felt apart in front of me.

In book 1 Natural Instincts, I managed to like the story because it had some action and suspense that I'm fond of despite some flaws. In book 2 Enduring Instincts, the action and suspense were lacking and the flaws were woefully apparent. If Daniel was a girl and if there were no graphic sex scenes, Enduring Instincts could have been a Twilight wanna-be. The only advantages the Instincts series has over the Twilight series are stronger writing and graphic sex scenes (because I'm pervert).

Instincts' vampires didn't sparkle, but they acted juvenile...like teenagers.

The story proceed in 3rd POV, mostly from Daniel's. 90% of the story was focus on developing the romance between Daniel and Ryu, while the other 10% was on the unfinished business of the villains from book 1.

Vampires, or Just Misunderstood Maybe-Mutated Humans

The vampire mythos was contradictory. We learn Ancient vampires, vampires who reached the thousand years age mark, are major bad-asses. But later we learn Ancient vampires and the lesser-rank Lord vampires can easily be overtaken by a bunch of newbie vamps through sheer number. If this is so, how are the older vamps major bad-asses?

"Vampires might be stronger than humans, but so are countless species in the world. The legends make it seem like you're practically indestructible, when really, you're just as fragile as any or the world's creatures."

In term of pure physical strength, yes, there are species stronger than humans and vamps. In term of power? No. Humans got machine guns and nuclear weapons...which vampires can use as well along with their inherent powers.

"Very true. We're a litte more durable than humans and certainly our quicker healing abilities are a nice benefit, but yes, we can be more easily killed than the legends make us appear. In all the ways a human can be killed, really. Except for disease, of course. We haven't found any of those that affect us. Yet."

"A little more durable?" Seriously? What? Immortality and regeneration and disease-resistancy aren't good enough for you vamps? Sure, vamps can be killed...but they sure hella lot harder to kill than your average human. And they don't even need healthcare.

And then there is this...

"I guess that helps explain why Ancient vampires like Tirus are so revered. When you think about it, it's pretty incredible for any vampires is able to survive for hundreds of years and doesn't get killed in accidental mishaps, like getting hit a by a bus."

So the old-as-dirt vampires are revered because they survive life's mishaps...like geting hit by a bus. Really? Oy.

Weak-Ass Villains

So 10% of the story was about finishing the conflict left unfinished in book 1. In Natural Instincts, the villains had some evil momentum going on with the whole let's-take-over-the-vampire-world. In book 2, their plan frizzle out and I began to pity them like they were just misguided teenagers. What a huge disappointment watching these big evil-doers becoming like contrite teenage pranksters.

"We thought we could take over the city. Then we thought we could take over vampire society. It probably wouldn't have been long before we got power drunk we thought we could take over the world. But what would we have done with any of that? What would've been the point? Just to sit there and say, 'Look at me, I rule the world.' So what. It was all just stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid."

So many wrong things in this paragraph that Troy said.

1) The villains assumed too much they would be successful in their let's-take-over-the-world endeavor considering they lack the resources and knowledge. I got a good imagination, but I was wondering how in the nine-hells could these villains think they could accomplish that. So far, all they have been doing are just thug-works. The LA gangs are more dangerous than these vamps...

2) They weren't power drunk already? Dude, y'all were planning to take over the city and kill all the old vampires just because y'all wanted power. How is that not power drunk?

3) "What would've been the point?" I don't know but if the villains were imaginative or psychopath enough they would have known their ultimate goal for dominating the world. Just taking over the world for power's sake would have been good enough point. That's why villains are so...villainy, because they're willing any thing and everything to attain power. People do desire what they cannot have or cannot have easily. It's not stupidity, it's psychopathy. =)

4) What's with Troy being a weeping Wilma? Where's the anger from Daniel deceiving and pushing him off of a roof? What happened to the maniacal vampire from book 1? Talk about a 180 degrees change. Maybe the concussion did more than I thought...

So at the beginning the story, I learn the villains have some sort of revenge plan going on against Daniel. Understandable considering what Daniel did in book 1. But what I don't understand is why the crux of their evil plan focused so much on Daniel. Why not Andreas? If these "villains" really wanted to hurt Titus, Andreas would have been the easier way to go. It's really easy since Andreas, not yet fully vampire, wasn't protected when he's working at his zookeeping job.

I assume their evil plan is taking over the city while ridding and revenging on their enemies. I felt like these villains have no idea what they were doing and were just bumbling along a quasi-evil path. I don't know why they don't just kidnap the weak-links of our heroes and start delivering body parts to Titus and Ryu.

Hell, they didn't even need a strategy or intimidation considering all it actually took for Titus and companies to be defeated are many many many newbie vamps. Why don't the villains just gather some and do it already?

"Life and death," Titus said. "He could be that one extra ally they need to overpower us."

Hell, the villains could just have the same number of newbie vamps and equip them with guns and bombs. It would have been good enough power to overtake our heroes I believe.

The villain minions were rather pathetic. Vance changed loyalty too easily and too conveniently. But at least with Vance, it was understandable since our heroes spared his life after he and his friend tried off-ing Daniel.

Niven, I don't understand. Daniel tried to run over him with a car, not once, but twice...and oh yeah, head-slam him after Daniel flirted-to-deceive Niven in a intimidation scene. And it's not like Daniel haven't done this flirt-to-deceive deal to other vamps, I don't know why Niven thought Daniel wouldn't do that to him. Yet in the end, Niven chose to help Daniel...sincerely, and not as an act for a later backstabbing. Wow, mind-boggling. @_@

Troy and Issac loves each other...okay, so our villains have feelings. Then Troy "mercy-kill?" Isaac...after Isaac nursed Troy to health and all of that cripple circumstance. What? Makes no sense.

I don't understand why the villains captured only Daniel when the thug-vamps surrounded Daniel and Andreas at Andreas' workplace and left Andreas wholesomely alive. I don't know why the villains just didn't kill Daniel once their boss Isaac saw him.

I assumed Isaac and Troy are Turning their vampire minions, but who Turned Isaac and Troy? What masters would allow their vampiric children to be rogue?

I don't understand these villains. They're either weak-ass or schizo...or both. T_T

Miscellaneous Gripes

Like I said before, I couldn't connect to Daniel and Ryu's love for each other. I couldn't empathize either of them too. Daniel got the "I was sexually abused and now I got PTSD" angsty-deal, Ryu got the "My dad was a violent drunk who beats his family which influenced me to live a violent life" angsty-deal. The couple came off as emo to me. LOL, vampire emos. XD

Renart manage a vampire restaurant/lounge, Andreas is zookeeper of some sort, and the villains have their let's-take-over-the-world deal. What does Titus, Daniel, and Ryu do? Apparently, all I learned is that they live a life of leisure. That itself isn't a bad thing but I felt this background type made them under-developed as characters because they got to do something when they're not with their lovers or escaping dangers.

For example, I had a hard time imagining what Titus would be doing when Andreas is at work (assuming no villainy danger is present). Does he read or watch TV or something? Seems like he just disappear as a character, just re-appear once Andreas is back home again to maintain the character role that is Andreas' lover.

I don't know why our heroes didn't alert the Tribunal that the villains they thought rid of survived and is re-attempting their villainy plan.

I don't understand why other vampires except Titus and companies don't believe Ryu being Turned by a demon. If werewolves and vampires exist, why not demons? Is there some sort of vampire lore that said only vampires can be Turned by other vampires. And if so, how did vampires came to be?

I was playing around the idea that maybe it was demons who originally birthed the vampire race. Eventually the vampires find out they too can Turn humans, and after many years of this, the vampires long forgotten their demonic origin because demons were showing up less and less. So much less that demons later became a myth to the vampires. I think...

Conclusion

This vampire story wasn't my kind of story because frankly, these vampires, though they don't sparkle, weren't the kind of vampires I like to read about. I was expecting more brutality, more raw emotions, but I didn't get that. Since I wasn't enamored by the romance, the story had little to offer to me.

It's not a bad thing to romanticize vampires, but these vampires were romanticize to a point further than I'd like. That is these vampires were similar to those from Twilight which I dislike. To each their own.

I think the way the series can be improved is if the the vampire society and lores were flesh out more and all the characters, no matter how minor, to have clear and concise and consistent goals.

So what kind of vampire mm-rom stories do I like? The Enthralled series have a good combination of fluffity, brutality, and sexuality. They're short stories but they're impactful.

[Betryal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I mean WOW! This story was epic. It's one that's been long awaited but well worth it to my opinion.

Daniel and Ryu are perfect together and they compliment each other so well and in every way imaginable.

But alas towards the end I was very much distressed. One character took my heart and I actually cried for and over him. Maybe it's the mood I'm in as there's a lot of distressing factors going on in my life at the moments and this rarely happens to me if its not a main character and in this case it hit me hard. Are you questioning who? Its Troy of cowse. Seeing him in pain, his love not returned by Isaac and wanting his life ended and not getting his request tore at my own heart strings. I truly wished there could have been a better ending for him.

Ooh but I got a kick outta Niven and Vance. I'd love to see them hooking up or Niven with Troy :dreamy sigh: Bah one can hope :snickering:

Great write all around. Excellent continuation to the first. S.J. rocks the house with another one of her books when she gets the time to write one she really puts her all into it.

[Karen K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never thought this series could grow as big in my heart as her Conquest series. I also never thought Daniel and Ryu could be as fascinating and romantic to read as Andreas and Titus, but they really were. Romance, angst, pain, and love make this story the perfect vampire book. Daniel and Ryu are so sweet in their love for each other and the plot was intense with just the right mix of suspense and passion and a little UST thrown in, and of course, the sex was hot. Love this book.

[T.A. Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daniel Valente is struggling. After centuries of being the sometime lover of his Master, vampire Titus Antonius Calidus, he is on his own. Cal - Titus - has met his love, Andreas, and the relationship between Daniel and Titus had to change. Daniel ventures back to England, trying to find some normalcy for himself.

But the feeling of being watched, followed, sends him back to America and Titus. But Titus has a plan in mind. He calls in Ryunosuke Kimura, the Japanese Samurai vampire who has loved Daniel for untold years. Because the threat to Daniel is very real. Isaac, the leader of a group of rogue younger vampires, is seeking revenge on Daniel for what he did to his lover, Troy.

At long last the passion between the two men flares and becomes something real, something...possible. Something fine. But then, he threat to Daniel and his friends explodes and puts Daniel is the worst possible straits of his ling life.

Will the lovers be split? Will Ryu lose his love forever?

These two characters drew my attention in "Natural Instinct", the excellent first book in this series, and I was thrilled they were getting their own tale. Ah, but then, S.J. Frost created this fantastic, touching and heartfelt story for Daniel and Ryu, and it is one of those rare sequels that surpasses the original.

Daniel is a fascinating character - originally introduced as a somewhat capricious, self-centered diva, he was hard to take. But Ms. Frost kept adding shading and layers and texture to him, and he wormed his way into my heart. I wanted a happy ending for him.

Ryu is the quiet heart of this tale. His backstory is so original, so tragic. And the very real longing he felt, but hid, for Daniel was beautifully told. The love story wove its way around me and pulled me in, mainly because the strengths these two men have compliment each other so well. And the needs and wants make the romantic in me cry out for them to be happy.

But what really impresses me is the time Ms. Frost takes to tell her stories. There is nothing wasted, no red herrings, nothing superfluous in the telling. Just well told, lovingly crafted stories with fully imagined characters who make me root for them.

As a reader, this is nirvana. Ambrosia.

I can't wait to see where Ms. Frost takes me next, because I guarantee this - I will be along for the ride.

Tom

[Trisha Harrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another great addition to the series. For me, it wasn't as good as the first book, but I still really found myself captivated by the world and the characters. I was glad Daniel and Ryu finally found happiness together. Especially after all they had seen and faced, both together and separately. If you want a really dark and gory romance, don't read this series. The books aren't really that dark. They are romances and so you shouldn't expect more from them.

If you didn't like Daniel in the first book, I still believe you should give his story a chance. I found Ryu to be perfect for him. He wasn't Titus, but they both had their past loves, and both were able to move on. Ryu's experience with love was better - sort of. But it doesn't mean he didn't struggle with things. I found it to be believable. His grief was real. And his love for Daniel was just as real. The author was able to write a really great balance for me. Not only did I feel the MC's connection, I also felt it to their other loves. Loves that were respected by their partner and so they were able to move forward as a couple.

While this wasn't my favourite, I did enjoy seeing the beginning of a genuine family. The first book sort of started the foundations for that. But these characters are becoming a family here, and with that I am enjoying the dynamics between them. Daniel and Titus have become more like father and son than lovers. I thought it would be strange for me to see it like that, but I think on some level that was always how he - Titus - saw the relationship. It is sick and twisted, but in a sense I can see it.

I'm really loving this series and I can't wait to read the next book.

[Wendy❤Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t wait to fire up the ereader to get to this second installment in the Instincts series. And I was not disappointed! I loved this book as much as the first one and was pleasantly surprised to get so much more of Titus and Andreas as a bonus in this book:)

While Daniel came across as a bit of an arrogant and spoiled brat in “Natural Instincts”, I was still looking forward to his story and the chance for him to find his eternal love. It was really nice to learn more of Daniel and Ryu’s history, and to gain a better understanding of Daniel’s connection to his vampire master Titus. As with Titus, I was really proud to see Daniel’s growth (in self-confidence, decisions, moving on) as the story progressed. More of the story is told from Daniel’s POV, but it’s easy to see how deeply Ryu has always loved Daniel and what a beautiful thing it is when that love can finally be expressed and returned in kind.

All four characters between the two books are among my favorite m/m characters and I’d love to continue reading more about them! They are dominant, strong, hot, caring and insatiable – sounds like the perfect recipe for a good read!!!

[Shell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enduring Instincts is the second book in S.J. Frost's vampire series, Instincts, and is, in my opinion, even better than the first.

While reading the first book, Natural Instincts, I was enamored with Ryunosuke's character and couldn't wait for this novel to come out and tell his story. I wasn't sure how well the love described between him and Daniel would play out, considering Daniel wavered between being a spoiled brat and a loyal, protective friend quite a bit in the first novel. He was a character I enjoyed some of the time. He had a lot of maturing to do for a 300 year old man. By the beginning of this tale, he had grown in character and was able to see the love Ryunosuke had been offering for years, right in front of his face.

This story continued with the battle between the younger and older vampires, depicting the corruption power can have over some and adding a few unexpected surprises.

I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this sequel and am anxiously awaiting to see what SJ Frost will come up with next for this series.

[Barb ~rede-2-read~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh these sexy vampires! In this series, SJ Frost has developed some interesting twists on vampires and the similarities with humans. Daniel is Titus' former lover (from Natural Instincts and he's finally ready to live on his own. At least he thinks he is until he realizes how fearful he is to be out in public and to interact with other vampires.

Titus calls him back to the US and also calls in Ryunosuke, a long time friend of Titus and the vampire who is in love with Daniel. Daniel doesn't realize this and actually has feelings for Ryu he hasn't expressed to anyone else. Thankfully, the two finally realize they need each other and should eternal life partners. But the joy is in the journey of getting to that point. This story is an interesting and exciting adventure of which Titus and Andreas are an integral part. I really loved seeing where they are at this point in their lives and watching Andreas as he comes to terms with getting ready to become vampire. Many of the previous characters, including the villians, return in this adventure.

And aside from the exciting story with lots of twists and turns, the sex between this couple would burn the page if I had a paper copy rather than an e-book. The romance is equally hot and they are just so perfect together it makes for a really sweet ending. I definitely recommend this one to anyone who loves a good vampire romance.

[Lasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

S.J. Frost once again knocks it out of the park with her vampire series, Instincts. In book two, Enduring Instincts we once again visit Daniel, Titus, Andreas and Ryu to find out what happened to them after Natural Instincts.

For Daniel, he’s left adrift after Titus and Andreas get together. He returns to his home in England, but is the victim of an attack that has him fleeing to Chicago and the safety of his former lover Titus’ home. Knowing that Daniel needs another strong, protective force in his life, Titus calls out the big guns to come and help Daniel. When Ryunosuke Kimura arrives in town, sparks immediately fly between Daniel and Ryu, turning their long friendship into something deeper. However, a dark force is gathering its troops and Daniel is not safe. Will Ryu be able to save his new lover?

I absolutely adored the first book in this series and gave it 5 Divas and a Recommended Read. S.J. Frost doesn’t disappoint in this installment. I was rooting for Daniel and Ryu the entire time. Their drift from friends into lovers seemed natural and organic, not forced. Plus we also got a glimpse into how Andreas and Titus were doing since the first book ended. With engaging characters all around — even the villains garnered my sympathy — Enduring Instincts is a must read for all lovers of the vampire genre. Recommended.

Dark Divas Reviews

[Rachel Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this! I'm so glad that Daniel got a happy ending with Ryu, and I was very glad to see that Titus and Andreas had a big role in this book too. I'm glad they were around, I loved seeing them happy and together too. Loved the writing, I was just sucked into the story from the first chapter, and I really enjoyed Daniel and Ryu's growing relationship.

I hope the third book is about Andreas becoming a vampire finally! I had e-mailed the author after reading the first book, and I think she said that the third book might be going back to them. I could definitely read plenty more about these characters, that's for sure.

[Candice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I liked the first book in this series better, but still enjoyed this one. I will say that this one was a little too sugary sweet with all of the characters and seemed to lose the badass vampire vibe from the first book. I was a little disappointed with Ryu's character and how he was acting because I didn't get that impression of him from the first book, but that goes back to the sugary sweet feeling. I did like the friendship that has developed between them all and liked how Daniel's character was developed more in this book. I want to continue reading to see how things end up and if the author goes back to the kick ass vampires from the first one.

[Jess Candela · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up to 3 because of my interest in other characters

I don't know why this story didn't grab me like the first one, but I read it over 3 days because I never really got into it. Or, perhaps more accurately, I'd get into it for a few scenes, then not be into it again for a while.

But I found myself really interested in several of the secondary characters and hope they'll get their own stories. Troy, Vance, Nevin, in particular, though Renart also.

[Fehu · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
After reading this one I regret it was not on our gay men with pets list, because the pets here are very cute.
Just imagine an Ancient vampire(Cal) being put out because the cat stole his steak LOL

It's a great book were we can see Danial get his happy end after so many years of unriquired love.

But it could use some more edits, which is my only complain.

[R.B.]

I agree with Bubbles Hunty :-( first sex scene lulled me to sleep, really... but it took another 30 sugary and boring % for me to finally DNF...

[Ili Anuar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unlike the first one, this book just didn't do it for me. It's just a boring reading experience. Most of the times, all the characters did was reliving the past.

[Valentina Heart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Romance Reviews and can also be found there.



A sequel to a great vampire book written by a very talented author promised much more than it ultimately delivered. I read the first book in the series for the sole purpose of being able to enjoy the full experience of the author's vampire world. I did like the first book, very much, but the sequel really didn't challenge me in any way and I had trouble finishing it.

While the characters from the first book still have a large role in this one, this is essentially a story about Daniel, Titus' protégé and ex-lover we had the privilege of meeting in Natural Instincts and Titus' longtime friend, samurai Ryu.

Unlike in the previous book, here Daniel is a very different vampire. He is wounded, feels abandoned and has trouble containing his fears. He's all but falling apart and for once he can't seem to find the comfort he needs in Titus. Of course Titus is not the kind of master to just shun the vampire he made, so he calls Ryu for help, any help really.

Ryu on the other hand has always been in love with Daniel, but never dreamed his feelings could be reciprocated. He runs to the rescue simply because he can't do no other and for once Daniel surprises him by returning his affection.

I didn't disclose any spoilers because all of that is written in the blurb, but I don't think I even could say anything questionable because nothing really interesting happens in more than half of the book. I was very intrigued by the blurb itself, because probably everyone who's ever read any yaoi can't help it but lean toward anything Japanese. So samurai? Yeah, I'm right there. Then you have the bad boy Daniel, who was a wicked good character in the first book, but with a past that just about broke my heart. So you add those two together and you just have to have an explosive read filled with both anticipation as well as sweetness. Well, I'm sorry, but I really didn't experience any of that.

I can't deny this is a very well written book. I know and I'm sure a lot of people will agree, S.J. Frost is a very talented author who can turn men into wet dreams and write emotions with the best of them. Still, in this book, I think things went a bit too wide.

There was a lot of talk about the past and in general just a lot of talk which really bored me to death. It took me weeks to finish the book and not even at the end did I warm up to the characters or particularly cared what happens to them. They turned out to be very different from the image I had of them based on the first book, and instead of interesting characters with intriguing pasts, what I got were basically just two sappy vampires who had a rather indecisive stand about everything.

Still, that is a matter of personal opinion. I really couldn't get into the characters and couldn't wait for all of the sex scenes to be over. The bad guys just about walked the line of absurdity and that is also where the whole plot sort of collapsed for me. Too many things had no connection to logic plus all the contradictions from one chapter to the next made everything very confusing and unfounded. I can't say I liked these vampires or their abilities, because if I removed the talk they had about how powerful and amazing they were, what I got when it came to action was the behavior of spoiled rich men and the strength of fledglings. I really wasn't impressed by anything and I'm not sure I will read the next book in the series. That is, if there is one.

That said, I really don't mean to be harsh, and I truly do like this author's work. I've given both four and five stars to Frost's previous books and to this day recommend them to readers interested in the subjects of the said books. But I can't really contain my disappointment with this one and it was only that respect and the obvious talent of the author which prevented me from rating it with two stars.

My last word for those about to read this, I truly hope you enjoy it and see in Daniel and Ryu all that I have apparently missed and that this author finds her way on your shelves.

[Julesmarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm having a hard time with the star rating on this one. The overall impression the book left me with was "meh," which would normally earn it 3 stars. But then I think back and there are so many things I loved about the book as they were happening. So I think I'm going to ramble on a bit about those and see what rating I end up talking myself into.

First, I enjoyed Ryu. I loved how willing he was to drop everything and go to Daniel's side as soon as he was told Daniel needed him. I loved how devoted to and patient with Daniel he was even when Daniel kept being so blind for all those years. His history intrigued me also, how happy he'd been and how tragic it was that they didn't know that he could Turn his partner.

I also loved that there were a few times when I rolled my eyes and nearly put the book down at how predictable I thought it was about to be... and then got delightfully pleasantly surprised when I was proven wrong.

The first of these was when Daniel leaves on his own, while he knows he's being hunted, to go get dinner. When he pulled into the parking garage is when I about put the book down thinking this was like every horror/action movie ever: dumb person goes alone into a dark parking garage and gets attacked. I loved, LOVED how this scene turned out. I love that it's what helped Daniel start giving himself more credit again, and how confident and awesome he was again instead of whiny and scared like he'd been up till then.

The next one was the kidnapping at the zoo. After the argument between Daniel and Ryu about Daniel being able to take care of himself, they seemed to be disconnecting, and Daniel would never have ever let Ryu try to keep him safe ever again if he'd made it out of there just fine. It was weird to me to be glad that a character got kidnapped, but he needed it! And he didn't get hurt. And it got him and Troy (and Vance and Nigel) to talk again, so it was good.

I think my favorite scene of the book was when Ryu came into the building at the end using his sword to cut his way through all of the vampires between himself and Daniel. That scene was so vivid and so amazing!

I guess maybe the problem I had with the book is that in spite of these amazing moments, the rest of it was filled with what came across to me as a disappointingly tepid romance. (I may change my mind on that after re-reading, but that's my impression this time) And I still don't really understand the significance of Daniel giving up his blood. Yes, Titus/Cal had been the only other to whom he'd willingly given it in the past, but wasn't that also true of sex? Or did i miss something somewhere that said Daniel had sex with other people, but no long-term lovers other than Titus? That's possible, and if so would ease some confusion.

But still, confusion or not, the whole giving Ryu his blood thing just made me frustrated with Daniel. It made him seem selfish and petty and made all of his avowals of love for Ryu seem like they meant less.

Ugh. Okay, so overall, an okay book. There were some awesomely amazing parts, and some parts that frustrated me. I will definitely read the 3rd book.

[Ayanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first book wasn't bad. But this one...I can't believe it was written by the same person. The first one had a nice blend of subtlety and drama, but this one has so much melodrama and awkward turns of phrases that it just doesn't quite flow. The concepts in this book are also lacking. I did rather like the idea of a newer-generation vampire mass...(oddly, the first word to come to mind is mutiny) overthrowing. I am rather confused though because according to the first book, the amount of power a vampire has is dependent on the amount of blood he or she drinks and how regularly and other things have led me to believe that the prestige of age is not increased power but deference for the elderly "for surviving so long." Made me wonder what exactly the MCs had working for them except a large dose of Main Character Power. They don't even have the advantage of overwhelming numbers the younger vamps have.

The dynamics of the romance were also a little weird. It was all a little too easy. I mean, a lot of it was set up in the first book (sadly with the one little phrase about Ryu's voice breaking through Daniel's mind fog or whatever). Whatever happened in this book pretty much just followed along that lines. I don't quite feel like it even built on it. And again, it was a little too sudden. How the heck could Daniel have given up so easily? I'd think he'd have felt a little more vindictive a little longer. I think I wanted Daniel to be in denial more and for Ryu to have worked harder to woo him. (I really do think Daniel let go of Cal waaaay too easily.) I think it would have made for a much more interesting story, more engaging probably, and less...awkwardly sudden. But no, he gets attacked and all of a sudden shit happens and he's admitting that perhaps he's in love with Ryu and pretty much completely let go of his love for Cal.
And omg. So. Much. Wangst. =_=

The recap is awkward too. It's too much like info dump for the sake of it. It reads like a sequel and that's not necessarily a good thing.
I think Ryu was a much more interesting character before the author introduced and butchered his character. I kind of get the apologetic feeling from all of the characters here. Like the "I did bad things in the past but I'm not that person anymore, but I still regret it" (w)angst that's intended to endear these characters to us the readers, but instead just annoys me. It seems too much like they're trying to buy our sympathy.

There's so much more that could have been done with Daniel's trauma that ultimately wasn't or merely skirted over. I think that also weakened the book because we're told that apparently he's horribly traumatized and needs to heal and whatnot, but we're mostly told.

I'm actually very disappointed in this book. The character degeneration in this is pretty bad...it probably is coming a close second to the Star Wars prequel trilogy... (Amidala goes from BA to damsel in distress to "all I can do is stand around crying before I die of a 'broken heart'")

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished Enduring Instincts just last night and loved it. S. J. Frost has continued her universe of vampires and their Eternal Partners here with the 2nd book in her Instincts series. I thought her rockers were terrific (and yes, they still are), but I think her vampires are right up there in my affections.

As this book opens up, vampire Daniel Valente is still trying to recover from the events of the first book, Natural Instincts. His Master and former lover, Titus, has found eternal love with another and Daniel is trying to move on with little success. Ryunosuki Kimura returns to lend Daniel his support and more if Daniel is ready to accept it. But the young outlaw vampires have returned for vengeance and to try to overthrow the status quo of vampire society.

Daniel struggles with the nightmares of his past while dealing with the threats he helped create. SJ does a wonderful job in moving us with Daniel's insecurities and pain. In SJ's vampire society, you can live to be over 300 years old and still suffer from the vagaries of human emotions. Increased age and power doesn't offset low self esteem, insecurities, and ambition of the human condition. Vampirism is rather a genetic mutation that enhances what is already present in the human form, for better or worse.

Her characters are layered, with all their flaws and demons to make them all the more accessible and understandable, even the "villains" of the piece. A truly satisfying read that I am hoping will continue as there are still some characters whose future is unresolved at the end. You don't have to have read the first book to read this one but it helps in better establishing the plot and past events. Go, read, have fun! You will love it!

[Arthur · Rating 3 out of 5]

While it's nice reading, I didn't enjoy this as much as I did the previous book. Basically there are two strands of stories: the romance between Daniel and Ryu (and its impact on Titus and Andreas), and the war between the older and the young vampires.

On the romance strand, the main characters are familiar to those who read the previous book: Titus, Andreas, Daniel and Ryu. I find there are too much telling, not showing. I mean, literally the characters are telling their life history, and so on.

On the war strand, we have the above main characters on one side, and the young rebels on the other side. The main characters among young rebels are
(1) Isaac,
(2) Small army of young vampires,
(3) Niven--a Scottish Vampire who tried to trap Daniel in England,
(4) Vance--a young vampire who tried to trap Daniel in Chicago,
(5) Troy--a young vampire who tried to trap Daniel in the previous book.

And at the end, characters (3), (4) and (5) 'suddenly' change allegiances to the old side during a critical point of the war. While there are a bit discussion earlier, I couldn't help to feel a bit of Deux ex Machina here.

I think the romance side is much stronger than the war side. At the end, the two strands were to be connected through the love between Isaac and Troy, but I felt it's a bit forced to conform with the whole story.

Still, I'm happy to see the main characters from the 1st book. Will the 3rd book about Carl?

[JustJen "Miss Conduct" · Rating 3 out of 5]

I seem to be in the minority here in that I was fairly disappointed in this book. Most of what I loved about the first book seemed to be missing in this one.

I was happy to see Daniel finally being pushed to be more independent and make his own life with someone other than Titus. I also liked that it was Ryu who was finally able to be that person for Daniel. However, it seemed to take forever for it to happen, with them going back and forth about whether they each had the same feelings or not. Once they were finally on the same page, they were a good fit. It was nice to see Daniel come out of his shell and be a little more on the aggressive side.

The best parts of this book, for me, were the scenes and story surrounding the enemy vamps. There is quite a bit of action, and we get to see a bit of Daniel's snarky side, which was fun.

Then, we are back to more drawn out descriptions and lovey, dovey soul mate talk, which is fine, but it just seemed to drag on a bit too long for me. I'm really hoping the next book brings us back a bit to the way things were when Titus was a sexy, somewhat intimidating vamp, with Andreas standing up and matching his wit with snarky banter. My fingers are crossed.

[Juliebookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved the first book, Natural Instincts, because the story felt fresh compared to a lot of vampire stories. The vampires in this world are different. They're actually living, not the living dead. I liked Daniel's character a lot and I thought even in the first book there was more to him. His character and Ryu's really get explored in this one. The author takes her time to build the story and their relationship and that made it feel more true. They had been so friends and caring about each other for so long, it would've felt off if they jumped into bed right away. And too, with Daniel's abusive past, it made sense they took their time. There's some good action scenes in the book, but I think this is a book more about growth and emotional development for the characters. I really liked that and thought is made the characters deeper and more complex. Really can't wait for the next one.

[Query]

I'm about halfway through and basically nothing happened. Oh, sure, Daniel got attacked once, but then he and Ryu go right back to not doing anything about being attracted to each other. When they do get together, it isn't from anything they do (at least, Daniel's change doesn't make much sense to me). There was no development in basically any direction in the entire first half and I don't anticipate much in the second. In short: this was way too slow.

There were also POV shifts in the middle of paragraphs, which were annoying.

[Sunny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another sweet and sexy vampire story that I enjoyed despite the simplistic and predictable plot. It was a bit too sappy for me, though, and the frequent POV changes, sometimes from paragraph to paragraph, were a little confusing, so I'm dropping to three stars for this installment.

Side note:
As with the first story, the ending here seemed to drag on, bypassing a few natural stopping points.

[Bubbles Hunty Honest & Direct Opinions · Rating 1 out of 5]

I forgot to write this when I decided to not finish i got to some where around 30%

It was just really boring. I didn't like either character and didn't care at all how it turned out. I made it to the first sex scenes and they were so boring I had to just stop reading it. Couldn't find anything to like about this one

[Monika · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second book in the series didn't disappoint, I couldn't put this one down until I was finished. It started right were the first book left off but I feel like the story isn't over the ending didn't completely finish things. I really hope there will be another!! I can't wait. I will absolutely be looking to read more from this author.

[Jan VL · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another book that I picked up again after having read only a few pages a while ago. I am extremely glad that I picked it up again because it seems that I liked it better than the first one! It was sooooo good! I really loved the Japanese references in it. How can you not like a Japanese vampire with swords? I was totally in my element reading this story. I definitely recommend it xD

[Gabriella · Rating 3 out of 5]

October 2018
Same as last time I read this, Daniel got on my nerves. This time even more so.
Also the amount of sex was staggering...and not in a good way. I'd say this is more of a 2.5 star book rounded up to 3 stars.