Dear heavens! OMG OMG OMG! My sucker punching Queen is in full force! Ms Thomas sure knows how to deliver a blow! Her words, her prose, she cuts through like a knife, I'm raw, limp, horrified and angry, all at the same time. No easing, just straight in, right from the onset! Abused women come in many guises, it's not only the physical abuse that's visible, it's the invisible abuse that erodes, undermines and destroys. Which is exactly what happened to Winifred...heck did I want to inflict grievous bodily harm on Jay!!! And here's the thing, Brogan doesn't sugar coat it, she presents it realistically, as it is, as horrific as it is, it's gutsy truth.
In a world where each "species" has their own sector, Winfred, being human, lives in the human sector, avoiding all the dangers of the vampire or shifter sectors, so it's very limiting where she can actually live. She gathers her tattered life and leaves the asshat and I'm cheering her on, rooting for her. But... yeah, she goes from bad situation to worse situation. An over anxious, "inherited" dog worse. He's a destroyer, not of worlds but of anything in his path, and now she's homeless. Her despair is so real, I taste it on my tongue. A stroke of luck, or magic, and she's suddenly got a place to stay. In a sentient house of all places but it's accommodating, warm, so no brainer. Only thing that mars her newfound situation is the asshat's influential family spewing lies and slander, limiting her work choices. A delivery person is what she becomes and, through an error, finds herself delivering IN the no go area, the vamp section, where she finds herself face to face with a gorgeous hunk of a vamp. So what does she do? She returns...To disastrous consequences. And just as suddenly, she becomes something new, something different, thanks, in part, by the help of her "friend" the sentient house. And she just keeps... evolving...And, most spectacular of all, once she finds the fire within her, NOTHING and NO-ONE can smother it.
Oh do I adore Fred! She has come so far from the unsecure young woman she was, she's still very uncertain make no mistake, but when you have the cutest, albeit VERY destructive dog as your friend, a house that caters to all your needs, a house that becomes a firm friend, watching your back, helping you, introducing you to... Beryl, who's a tad, ummm, blood thirsty, what more could one ask for? Brogan tapped into every emotion impeccably, exquisitely vibrant and real and heck, I loved how much realism Brogan wove into this tale. I love how tenderly she handled Fred's situation, lovingly drawing out all the positives and squashing the negatives with panache.
Valdarr might be an ancient vampire but, unlike his vile father, he's honourable, dedicated to doing right, which involves putting Fred first, especially when he gets struck by something he thought was lore. He is instrumental in helping Fred realise she IS worthy, she IS special, she IS someone. As he says so succinctly, "You, Winifred Crowsdale are perfection. My sunshine in the dark". Gosh did I love how the author moulded him into such a superb character, actually, EVERY character this esteemed author crafts, is infused with the "Brogan touch", you'll understand once you've read this book, or any of her books. It boggles my mind, but THIS author gives me characters I cheer for, characters I willingly embrace as part of my family, characters I feel with every ioto of my being, all while immersing me in a plot that's rich in political jostling, mystery and OMG drama personified!
Golly, there's so much to unpack in this book! Without a question of a doubt, Brogan IS the queen of emotions.The events leading up to this spectacular tale, play out like a Shakespeare tragedy, full of emotions, full of anguish, full of despair. Ms Thomas' superb penmanship conveying this all as though she's etching it on my very soul, intense, dramatic, tense and extremely vivid. But first and foremost, this is a story of rebirth, in more ways than one, a story of personal growth. Of trust and acceptance. Of a love manifesting in a surprising, beautiful, unexpected way. Of conviction that even the downtrodden can rise beyond what one thinks is possible, the unimaginable becomes possible. I guess it's easy to tell, I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF THIS BOOK!