The Tinder Chronicles

California Obscura #2

by Alexa Land

Tinder’s world is black and white, good and evil clearly defined. The young vampire hunter was taught to hate his enemy with a passion, and hating them is easy since they killed his entire family. His attraction to Bane, a gorgeous, mysterious vampire, contradicts everything Tinder believes in, but the heat between them is undeniable. As the vampires rise up and hunters become the hunted, Bane may also be Tinder’s only chance for survival. Maybe the world’s not so black and white after all. Equal parts paranormal thriller and gay romance with a generous dash of humor, this second edition of The Tinder Chronicles was re-edited and re-released in 2019. It includes the complete the novellas Tinder and Hunted (approx. 25K words each) and the novel Destined (approx. 60K words).

Genres: M M Romance, Paranormal, Vampires, Enemies To Lovers, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Magic

362 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 13, 2014

About the author

Independent MM romance author. For more information, please visit Alexa's blog: http://alexalandwrites.blogspot.com/

Please note: the author does not check messages on this site. The best way to contact them is through Facebook.

Reviews

[*J* Too Many Books Too Little Time]

DNF @ 75%



This one started out so promising too. Book 1 hooked me right in. Started to get a bit lost in book 2. And yeah book 3 lost me.

I just didn't care for the direction things went. We went from a vampire/hunter story to warlocks....werewolves....weird matings....cheesy dialogue....OTT antics and more.



Too much eye rolling going on. Going to just cut my losses.

[☆ Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

THANK YOU, ALEXA!

We spoke a while back and it didn't seem that book 3 would actually get written due to low interest in the first 2 books.

(That fact was freaking beyond me, because Tinder 1 & 2 were goddamn *AWESOME* when placed beside some of the absolute crap out there.)

Book 3, 'Destined', nicely wrapped everything up in a nice (blood red) bow for those of us who'd been chomping at the bit for the rest of the story. : )

[Jenni Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alexa Land broke the Cardinal Rule in Shifterdom.

And. It. Was. Awesome!


Full review to come.

[Debra ~~ seriously slacking on her reviews ~~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This book was so much fun! As I was reading it I realized that even though Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of my all-time favorite TV shows, I really haven't read any m/m vampire slayer stories. Glad I started with this one. It had everything I love about Alexa Land's contemporary First and Forever books, plus all the fun paranormal elements from an episode of Buffy. With almost a little bit of every major paranormal element thrown in for fun, you can't be a stickler for the made up rules of vampire/shifter/magic lore. Just roll with it and have fun.

Tinder is a full blood vampire hunter and the aptly nicknamed Bane, who is literally the "bane" of Tinder's existence, is a 500+ year old vampire and Tinder's arch-nemesis. With vampire activity increasing and a troubling group attack, Tinder, and his hunter friend Lee are determined to find out what exactly is going on and what Bane's part in all of it is. The story is fast-paced and full of action, humor and sex. It might have even made me tear up a bit in places. A good group of secondary characters provides support, including Ty, who may be the cuddliest, cutest vampire I have ever seen.

I haven't yet read Feral, but the main characters do play a significant secondary role in this story, and I'm looking forward to seeing where they started. If you have read that book and liked Nate and Nik, I recommend reading this one too.

[Jilrene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely the best vampire book I've read! Now, I have to re-evaluate all my previous book ratings. Everything I've read just pales in comparison.
The conflicts are logical, the angst is not OTT, and the sex is hot! The plot is original and really moves quickly. I am very happy I bought all three books together so I didn't have to wait. The trilogy must be read in order, by the way. It's not really a romance, but there is a major plot thread for the two MCs to become a couple.

Highly recommend to any who loves paranormal / UF and adventure with a large helping of smexy.

[Jennifer☠Pher☠ · Rating 4 out of 5]

And that is how you wrap up a Vampire series. Well done. Aside from my own personal issues with this it rocked. I am so glad I got to read this as one book and not as they came out. I think it made a huge difference. I have a million thoughts running through my head. Jeez. I'll be back, I never seem to come back when I say that, but I am going to try to gather my thoughts because I have many. I want more! There is so much more that could happen in this world and I want it!

[Jewel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is for the last story in this collection, called "Destined". You can find my reviews for the first 2 here: Tinder, Hunted.

I loved the wrap up of this series. Tinder has a tendency to get himself into trouble and well, he's just stubborn that way. This last installment deals with destined mates and the vampire Order, which we found out about in Hunted. And, finally, we get the HEA for Tinder and August! I enjoyed this series so much, I immediately bought Feral because it tells us the story of Nate and Nikolai, whom we meet in the Tinder series.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the M/M & paranormal lover this book is IT!!! I absolutely adored this book and all the ups and downs Tinder and Bane/August went through. This was more than just two characters but a whole group of family, friends and enemies learning from each other about hate, love and forgiveness.
I would really love if Alexa Land would write another paranormal series to read!

[Charlize M]

DNF

[Pixie · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF’d at 77%. Ok listen…this might work as some type of TV series. Book one got my attention…Tinder was snarky. I liked the whole thing he had going on with the vampire hunting & trying to fight his sexual attraction for Bane. Even with book 2 where the two of them are basically holed up in a safe house the whole time. I could see it (might need to cut out those sex scenes) though might be a little to pornographic for even HBO but hey whatever. I even started casting…I think Tinder is supposed to have dark hair but I see him as Austin Butler, trust me he’d make a pretty brunette, it’s all in the lips and alabaster skin.

But then….so you remember when True Blood introduced the fairy concept. Yeah that’s when the show lost me. I could buy into vampires and witches but M.F.ing fairies was where I drew the line. With this book the whole wolf mate just had me seeing red. And a submissive vampire….oh how I loathe you. It was too much. I skimmed but eventually lost interest. I’m disgruntled too. It’s possible I might eventually come back to this….but I’m doubtful. I’ve lost interest. Even Tinder started to seem whiny and his abilities as a vampire hunter seemed very unlikely given his smallish build. I’ve become critical, almost wanting to go back and downgrade my prior ratings.

That’s right…haters gonna hate.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have no real review for this.
I needed this book at a time where I was really sad and this helped me so much.
This was totes fun.
I love Tinder and Bane.
I love everyone in this entire series.
I laughed a lot.
I fell in love immediately.
That love is for forever and ever.
Yup.
Vamps and hunters and... oh my.
This was fun.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad trilogy. It had its moments. But some characters failed to stay “in character” making the overall story frustrating, especially by the third book. Bane was a rather fascinating character. But overall I don’t believe I’ll remember it all in a few weeks.

[Janie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was actually very hard for me to rate. The writing sucked me in, the storyline kept me interested, Bane I adored, but Tinder pissed me off more than once. By the end I loved Tinder and understood better where he was coming from.

Everything Bane has done for the last 3 years is to protect Tinder. He was so caring and so deeply in love with Tinder and it was beautiful to see. Tinder on the other hand feels obligated to hate Bane because he's a vampire and goes out of his way to try to hurt him. While I understood where he was coming from, it still upset me.

At about 50% into the book, Tinder finally sees what's been in front of him all along. He was just too blind and stubborn to see it. This was a real turning point for Tinder. He then becomes a champion for the other side. He realized that not everything in life is black or white. There are always gray areas. It was really sweet seeing how their relationship progresses from this point. We also see that Tinder will do and risk anything for Bane because his love for him is so true.

This was a new to me author and I will definitely be reading more from her in the future.

[Dena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved part 1 which I read in July 2013--even gave it 5 stars and could not wait for more Tinder and Bane. Part 2 I read in Oct 2013 and gave it 4 stars. When part 3 was finally released in Oct 2014 I decided to re-read the whole series and unfortunately I was so disappointed! The character of Tinder changed so completely it was hard to believe he was the same person and while some growth is hoped for, his just didn't seem real to me--and yes I know this was vampires and werewolves but that doesn't mean I don't want consistency in my characters! The story seemed to throw in everything but the kitchen sink! I'm still a fan of Alexa Land but this ended at 3 stars for me!

[M'rella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too perfect. Just the way I like it.
Sometimes.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 TW for violence and VERY graphic sex.

[BeckieLouLou · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars. Vampire and vampire hunter, contemporary world where the general population is unaware of the supernatural. The concept is great, enemies to lovers, and I loved that the vampire was more than he appeared to be. His role is consistent and it was easy to get onboard with the evolution of his character. The Hunter on the other hand, how in the world did his feelings develop? The Hunter says, looking-back-I’ve-loved-you-forever, that just was not believable or consistent with the character. The rest of the book directly contradicts the idea that you had feelings for this vampire, let alone at that level. Obviously this bothered me, lol. I definitely needed more on page together-time to justify the change of heart, it just wasn’t believable to me and I am super forgiving about these insta things.

Otherwise, written pretty well with some nice snarky comments by the hunter which provided some humor and levity. Light action, fighting scenes and new friends kept things interesting. Book one in a three book series, books are about different couples.

HEA, vampire, vampire hunter, m/m, vers, contemporary world, enemies to lovers.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best!

I love everything Alexa Land writes and this is no exception. I have read paranormal for years and this has it all warlocks, vampires, and werewolves oh my! Plus an amazing love story filled with tons of humor. A must buy, as all of Ms. Lands books are.

[Steph ☀️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!!!

I really enjoyed this series between Ty and August. It had just the right amount of love and sarcasm in the book. I so wish it would continue with a glimpse further on maybe a HEA between the hunters and vampires. Nevertheless, I

[Viki Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely enjoyed xx

[Jeanne 'Divinae' · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tinder's view on vampires has changed. He know realizes there are good vampires and bad vampires.

He has assembled all the hunters to fight against the horde of vampires all gathering in Southern California. He is trying to have a relationship with Lee, but he knows it isn't going to last. Lee isn't Bane.

Though he hasn't seen Bane in the past few months, he knows Bane is nearby. He wants him. He accepts it. Bane is it for him, but still he is afraid to say it out loud.

Then Bane saves Tinder and his team during a vampire attack and that is the turning point. His team just doesn't understand why Bane is an exception. Then Bane is kidnapped and Tinder looses his shit.

Bane is always saving him and it's about time Tinder returns the favor. Answers are said, which leads to other questions(but we get answers). Tinder finds out the truth who the vampire leader is and what they are trying to accomplish. He is thrown into a predicament he doesn't want to be in. The leader, Lucian is his mate... it's a shifter thing. Neither of them want it though. But it's in their DNA... But if there is one thing about Tinder, that is he is stubborn. He will fight tooth and nail for what he wants. Bane. Now that he has admitted it, he will do whatever it takes to save him and be with him. In fact, know he has makeshift family. And he is fiercely loyal to them and wants to keep them safe.

I am super happy with the ending. Of course, I want more. After Tinder admits Bane is it for him, he cuts off his promiscuous ways(which made me super happy). Even with the DNA -"Mate!!!"- he fights against it. He voices it. He hates it.

I really liked reading about the epilogue and seeing 'what happens' with everyone. Though, I'd like to see what had happened with the hunters, especially Lee. Lee, who was heartbroken over Tinder, I think he always knew Tinder would chose Bane over him.

[Qin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to prep myself up to persevere into this cesspool of a narrative till the end. It does indeed begin almost too strong (the first volume was a more than decent vampire / hunter story, with an intesting cast comprised of the combustible, no-future hero, his sweet Texan sidekick Lee and his Angel(us)-type nemesis), then deflates by the middle of the second book when things turn entirely too mushy between Tinder and Bane, never to pick up steam again, for what surprises Mrs Land has in store by then entirely belong to outrageous categories. She had no need to overwhelm the plot by stretching it into utterly mediocre warlock-fights-vampires-and-assorted-paranormals waters; Bane loses most of his appeal when he is retconned into much more than an elder vampire. Nor was it a wise decision, in the first book, to spent so many pages on Nate and his vampire husband Nikolai, for the new appreciation of the innate capacity of blood-suckers for humanity when they meet the love of their lives ought to have been imparted not by utter strangers but by role models close to Tinder's tight-knit inner circle (perhaps Lee, who does not receive full closure by the end of the last book). Finally, the writing is feeble: outlandish situations are the norm, too many entirely unnecessary things befall Tinder, beginning with his cruel staking by Bane in such a manner that though the vampire did not break any of his bones he caused the lad he professes later to have been in love with for years a severe infection, and the storytelling - for one can hardly comment on the world building, since there is none of it, not even an info-dump explaining or conextualizing the long, occult war between vampires and hunters - is as shaky and rough as the writing lacks fluency, effectively minimizing the emotional impact of the entire tale instead of bolstering it.

[Arch Bala · Rating 5 out of 5]

This omnibus edition encompasses the entire series, but I’ll focus on the final installment titled “Destined.” From a young age, Tinder was indoctrinated to despise his enemy – vampires – who were responsible for the death of his entire family. However, his attraction to the enigmatic and alluring vampire, Bane, challenges everything he has been taught. When an army of vampires is assembled to eliminate the hunters, with Bane as a prime target, Tinder finds himself in a precarious situation and must rely on a vampire for survival.

I found “Destined” to be the perfect conclusion to this series. I appreciated Tinder’s journey of self-discovery, where he comes to realize that life isn’t as black and white as he once believed. Despite the obstacles, Bane’s unwavering love for Tinder remained steadfast, and their shared history added depth to their relationship. The story still maintains the signature elements of Tinder’s snarky remarks, dry humor, and entertaining banter with both Bane and the supporting characters.

While I felt a sense of sadness for Lee’s character, I hope that he receives his own storyline and experiences a similar awakening. Overall, this series delivers on all fronts and is destined to become one of my favorite rereads in the future!

[Sue bowdley · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Feral by the same author I had to read this and I absolutely loved it....We have Tinder....Vampire Hunter...full bloodied Hunter who hates vampires after what they did to his parents and brothers and sisters...Then we have Bane/August...god damn hot sexy centuries old vampire who Tinder doesn't want to care about or fall for but inevitably he does.....They are absolutely perfect together....The banter between the two was amazing and had me laughing a lot...a bit like a paranormal Ty and Zane.....We also get to meet Nate and Nikolai again from Feral which was great but had my heart in my mouth....Did not see that bit coming.....August helps Tinder but some of the things these two go through is heartbreaking/heart in mouth moments......I really did not want this book to end and I'm really glad i got it in paperback as this is going to be a constant re-read for me x

[Michele Notaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great book!!!!

I was hesitant to read a vampire book because sometimes vampires are just overdone. But I can honestly say that this was fantastic. I loved the originality of the hunters but also that the vampires were classic vampires, turn to dust, crucifix hurts them, etc. Somehow this author brought an original story and original amazing characters into this book. It was amazing and a book that I will absolutely re-read many times. Alexa Land has been put to the top of my favorite authors list. All of her books are character driven to the point that you love all the characters, even the very minor ones. Tinder and Bane's relationship was so much fun and I could really feel their connection. Awesome, amazing, fantastic read!!! I truly wish there were more Tinder books because I could read about these characters forever.

[C · Rating 2 out of 5]

He's a hunter!
And!! And!! He's a basic warlock!
No no, he's a SUPER warlock!
Wait, he is also, guess, you'll never guess. Ha! He is a werewolf! (With a mate, that's not Bane! I know, right!?)
No, no! He's finally a VAMPIRE!

Uh, WHAT!? Do I really have to check all those tags? Really?

Jesus this was all over the place. Did not appreciate what the author did to Lee and the other hunters. Turned the story on its head with the juxtaposition of Lucien and Lee and their white hat / black hat status. I get the point but the execution was gratuitous and not in the spirit of the characters impacted as already written.

Yeah, meh.

[ML · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series!

Tinder is a Vampire Hunter. A very good one until something happens that makes his black and white life turn very gray.

I love this series. We get to know Tinder and his tribe. Then, his circle gets even bigger and what he always thought he knew, now he questions it. We meet a cast of characters that were super well thought out and I loved them. Ty, Laurie, Allie and August all make this book so unexpected. We even get a check in of Nate and Nicky from book 1 Feral.

The book is unpredictable and goes in surprising directions. You will love the journey. I highly recommend this series.

[Karen Wellsbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first 2 books were cracking, snarky and sleek. Book 3 lost its way for me, but just about made it back at the end.
Tinder is wickedly funny at the start of this, but in Book 3 he changes quite radically, there are reasons but it seems like such a volte face initially that I struggled a little..Bane/ August is great, and the vampire history is a interesting touch.
The pacing is good, and apart from a WTF in book 3 , or maybe despite that, a good read.

[**KAYCEE** · Rating 4 out of 5]

**4 stars**

It was a pretty good read. I loved that it have a menagerie of characters, ie; vamps, witches, shape shifters....

I loved the characters development and world building.
The only negative I would have to bring up is about Ty, the young, cute little vamp.
He had such a sweet character about him and he was just whisked off to his "lover" without much of a story. I really wish Ms. Land would have explored Ty's character a bit more.

[Olga · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the first two books. However the third one was an Overkill on love declarations, blood mixes and family drama (and I really didn't enjoy how Lee got rid of in the story) That pretty much made me reduce the rating by 2 stars....