-I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Immortal Kiss, by Laura Daleo, is a paranormal romance about falling in love with a lie, all the while saying goodbye to a dream that had blossomed in the innocence of youth.
Beth has recently broken up with her boyfriend after choosing the mysterious, yet charming, Philipe. After exposing Beth to the dark, enchanting world of vampires, initially, Beth and Philipe were content. However, after a brutal encounter with Philipe’s creator, along with unveiling the macabre secrets Philipe had been hiding, Beth begins to understand just what lurks beneath the elegance she was enticed by. With each scandal uncovered, Beth realizes that not everything is as it seems, and that if she wants to be happy, she has to fight for it herself, regardless of what other people may think.
Honestly, I can understand where Beth is coming from. I used to have the same fantasies when I was little. She was swept away by the dark fairytales awaiting her. The servants, the castle, the tall, dark, handsome prince; it was a dream come true, so much so that it was almost suspicious. I feel that Beth trusts Philipe too much, to the point where she unwittingly allowed herself to be hurt by him. I commend the fact that Beth managed to catch onto his ruse, although I can’t comprehend why she still loves him, despite everything he’s done to her. She has a fiery temper I would’ve loved Daleo to explore, but unfortunately, there wasn’t much of it in the book. Still, the conflicts Beth faces added to the plot. I also loved Caleb, and found Amon more likable than Philipe. Why Philipe decided to interfere with the blood pact between Amon and Beth still alludes me.
This leads me to the theme of deception. I loved how Caleb and Anna attempted to serve as a wakeup call for Beth. They know that there’s something very wrong with the relationship between Beth and Philipe. Even the Council finds the entire marriage suspect, though they did, admittedly, restrain Amon. The love and lies entertained in the entire situation is so enticing, I’m surprised no one was killed (you know, aside from Anna…). Amon and Philipe’s obsession with Beth, the lying, and even Anna’s challenging to Caleb; it all stems from the pride and selfishness both Beth and Philipe exhibited. They knew the dangers of the world, yet they still chose to endanger people, if only for their fading, evanescent love. This love can blossom into some of the most beautiful romances I’ve seen, but it can also lead to the most terrible of tragedies. Through these emotions blossom the desire to lie, to deceive, if only to keep the person you love by his side.
There were a few detractions. For instance, there were some spacing errors, with a few stray letters here and there. But despite that, I enjoyed the book. Beth reminded me of an abandoned princess that realized she was going to have to fight for her happy ending. The way Daleo incorporates selfishness and deception was also good. Thus, I would give this a rating of a 3.7 out of 5 stars, and would recommend it to those who enjoy The Last Valentine by Felix Alexander, and the Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer.