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Vampires in America #15
Antonio: Vampires in Europe
Porto, Portugal—home to writers and poets, to revolutionaries and dreamers. And down the river to the sea, a grand estate rises on green hills of latticed vineyards—the home of the powerful and deadly vampire who rules Portugal.
Darkly handsome and charming, Lord Antônio Silveira is a warrior at heart. But his future was warped in an instant when he defended his Sire against overwhelming odds and emerged not only victorious, but the Vampire Lord of Portugal in his own right. It was a title he never sought, but one he will defend to the death.
Rachel Shepherd knows nothing of loyalty or family. Abandoned by her powerful mother to be raised as an orphan, she is chosen to serve an ancient society as an assassin, a weapon to be pointed and fired with always fatal consequences. But Rachel has begun to question those who command her to kill, and when they send her against a vampire lord known for his ferocious battle skills, she begins to wonder if maybe, this time, her superiors are hoping she’ll die trying.
Brought together by a threat to both their lives, Antônio and Rachel join forces to reveal their true enemies and drag them from the shadows, where together, vampire and assassin will decide who lives and who dies, and ensure an end to their enemy’s poisonous intrigues. It is time at last for the hunters to become the hunted…
Darkly handsome and charming, Lord Antônio Silveira is a warrior at heart. But his future was warped in an instant when he defended his Sire against overwhelming odds and emerged not only victorious, but the Vampire Lord of Portugal in his own right. It was a title he never sought, but one he will defend to the death.
Rachel Shepherd knows nothing of loyalty or family. Abandoned by her powerful mother to be raised as an orphan, she is chosen to serve an ancient society as an assassin, a weapon to be pointed and fired with always fatal consequences. But Rachel has begun to question those who command her to kill, and when they send her against a vampire lord known for his ferocious battle skills, she begins to wonder if maybe, this time, her superiors are hoping she’ll die trying.
Brought together by a threat to both their lives, Antônio and Rachel join forces to reveal their true enemies and drag them from the shadows, where together, vampire and assassin will decide who lives and who dies, and ensure an end to their enemy’s poisonous intrigues. It is time at last for the hunters to become the hunted…
359 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 11, 2022
68 people are currently reading
192 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
November 16, 2022
Antonio: Vampires in Europe is book 15 in the Vampires in America series. I have been reading this series for many years and while I have loved some books more than others, I continue to be obsessed with Ms. Reynolds' vampires especially my favorite of all time Raphael. I say this because although I didn't enjoy this book as much as I hoped, I will continue to read this series. Basically, the story is about a young woman Rachel abandoned by her mother to an orphanage where she is trained to be an assassin. Her newest target is Antonio the Lord of Portugal. As I said above, I really wanted to love this book but there were so many things that I just don't enjoy. For starters the couple doesn't even meet till almost 44%, we spend so much time with them separate and in their minds and then almost immediately they are intimate, in love and then it's the end. Personally, I felt the romance and the overall story lacking.
***I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own***
***I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own***
November 21, 2022
A real disappointment. I've read this entire series, along with others of this authors, and this was a giant disappointment. I keep wondering if this was written by a ghost writer, if so I highly recommend not using that one again...it was poorly written. There was little character development and the two main characters didnt even meet until the 42% mark. There was very little interaction between the two MCs except for a few sex scenes and even those weren't very good. A complete waste of $8 bucks!
November 26, 2022
Antonio is book #5 of the Vampire in America paranormal series by D.B. Reynolds. It is told in 3rd person from dual POV with a happy ending. A great addition to the Vampires in America series!
★ World building: 🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
★ Character development: 👤👤👤
★ Plot: 📚📚📚
★ Romance: 💕💕💕
★ Overall Rating: 3.5
When assassin for hire Rachel Shepherd is sent by the society she works for to kill the vampire Lord Antonio Silveira, the suspicion she’s had about her superiors wanting her to die in the line of duty are confirmed.
As they connect to reveal their true adversaries, Rachel and Antonio form a deep connection of trust and loyalty they never thought possible.
Rachel and Antonio are interesting characters. Rachel reminded me of Cyn, as she’s a total bad @$$, while Antonio is without a doubt a delicious alpha male.
I’ve been a longtime fan of this series, and although I did enjoy this story, I did find it curious that the main characters didn’t meet almost until the middle of the book. Yes, their backstory was substantial, but I would have liked more interaction between them in the present instead of the insta-lust/love they had.
That said, I always enjoy going back to this world and that epilogue which hits at North American Lieutenants is super intriguing. I can’t wait to see what’s next.
★ I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author via NetGalley. The excerpts are from that copy. I am voluntarily reviewing this title.
★ Check out all my book edits over at Instagram
★ World building: 🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
★ Character development: 👤👤👤
★ Plot: 📚📚📚
★ Romance: 💕💕💕
★ Overall Rating: 3.5
When assassin for hire Rachel Shepherd is sent by the society she works for to kill the vampire Lord Antonio Silveira, the suspicion she’s had about her superiors wanting her to die in the line of duty are confirmed.
As they connect to reveal their true adversaries, Rachel and Antonio form a deep connection of trust and loyalty they never thought possible.
Rachel and Antonio are interesting characters. Rachel reminded me of Cyn, as she’s a total bad @$$, while Antonio is without a doubt a delicious alpha male.
I’ve been a longtime fan of this series, and although I did enjoy this story, I did find it curious that the main characters didn’t meet almost until the middle of the book. Yes, their backstory was substantial, but I would have liked more interaction between them in the present instead of the insta-lust/love they had.
That said, I always enjoy going back to this world and that epilogue which hits at North American Lieutenants is super intriguing. I can’t wait to see what’s next.
★ I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author via NetGalley. The excerpts are from that copy. I am voluntarily reviewing this title.
★ Check out all my book edits over at Instagram
November 12, 2022
Antonio was a book I was so excited to be offered for a honest review from the publisher/author. I have adored this author's work, but her Vampirs in America series is by far my favorite from her. These are delivered so well and I love how atmospheric that they actually are. I really enjoyed the way in which this author showcased this story. I couldn't seem to get enough of this one but it was by far from perfect of a read. I really REALLY struggled getting into this story. I am not sure if it was me, or the book itself, but I just couldn't get fully engaged with the story so this is going to be reflected in my rating.
I did enjoy many aspects of this story overall though. I really liked the heroine being a badass assassin and being able to really push the hero's buttons. The hero is an alpha in his own right, and I love how they keep each other on their toes and really push in all the right ways. I adored the manner in which they come together. Now the story starts out slow, our couple don't really meet for a while in the story, so make sure you are aware that will happen. I was hoping for a bit more couple time, I felt like this pairing just didn't get enough page time and wish there was more couple page time in this one because it felt a bit lackluster in that respect. I do prefer more couple time on the page. It was just fun seeing them together and didn't want to have it end. I did feel like the ending was a bit rushed a bit.
Overall I found myself charmed by Antonio, it was an endearing kick ass romance that kept me on the edge of my seat and thrilled me from head to toe. If you are a fan of this author, you will have a blast with the latest addition.
I did enjoy many aspects of this story overall though. I really liked the heroine being a badass assassin and being able to really push the hero's buttons. The hero is an alpha in his own right, and I love how they keep each other on their toes and really push in all the right ways. I adored the manner in which they come together. Now the story starts out slow, our couple don't really meet for a while in the story, so make sure you are aware that will happen. I was hoping for a bit more couple time, I felt like this pairing just didn't get enough page time and wish there was more couple page time in this one because it felt a bit lackluster in that respect. I do prefer more couple time on the page. It was just fun seeing them together and didn't want to have it end. I did feel like the ending was a bit rushed a bit.
Overall I found myself charmed by Antonio, it was an endearing kick ass romance that kept me on the edge of my seat and thrilled me from head to toe. If you are a fan of this author, you will have a blast with the latest addition.
November 30, 2022
I had every intention of having this read and reviewed before it's release date, but that obviously didn't happen. And I'll tell you why. Because this book was just so boring! I wanted to like it. I really did. Antonio was a pretty fun guy, especially when he was with Rachel. But so much of the story focused on Rachel and I didn't really care at all for her.
So it turns out that Xavier is Antonio's sire. If that was mentioned in his book, I don't remember. It doesn't really matter except for the fact that it was because Antonio was following him that Antonio ended up a vampire lord. Xavier was trying to quietly leave for Spain, because that's where he wanted to rule, but the lord of Portugal at the time was convinced he was threat to his own rule and pretty much chased him down. Antonio stayed behind to buy Xavier time to get away. He had no intention or desire to be a vampire lord, but obviously it happened. And he's been one for quite a long time.
Rachel was abandoned by her mother at a very young age to be raised by the zealot group she was part of leading. As she grew older, Rachel never trusted the group, but she was really good at what she did. She was trained to be an assassin. Something we are told ad nauseam throughout the book. While she never questioned why she was sent after her targets, she didn't enjoy the killing like her peers did. Even so, we're told more than once that she was one of the best.
Antonio is Rachel's current target. Her directions were to act as an interpreter for another vampire that had a meeting with him, seduce him, and kill him. Really not so easy when she'll be in his own home. Or one would think. The attraction between these two is immediate and it's only Rachel that fights it. And not even for long as she finds herself in his bed, in his secured vault, pretty much right away. But she can't bring herself to kill him. Which is a good thing because there's a dangerous plot going down that centers on Antonio. So while most of the book is meetings with all of the various main characters, or Rachel going out and doing touristy things, the ending has one big battle going on. Was is exciting? Meh. Yes and no. Honestly, I expected a hell of a lot more from Rachel considering how often we are told how great she is. I did like the very end when Rachel got her revenge of a sort and Antonio finished it all. I kind of doubt the organization is destroyed completely, but I guess we'll see.
The epilogue has us coming back to America it seems, and while I didn't really care for this book, I am looking forward to that one.
ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley
So it turns out that Xavier is Antonio's sire. If that was mentioned in his book, I don't remember. It doesn't really matter except for the fact that it was because Antonio was following him that Antonio ended up a vampire lord. Xavier was trying to quietly leave for Spain, because that's where he wanted to rule, but the lord of Portugal at the time was convinced he was threat to his own rule and pretty much chased him down. Antonio stayed behind to buy Xavier time to get away. He had no intention or desire to be a vampire lord, but obviously it happened. And he's been one for quite a long time.
Rachel was abandoned by her mother at a very young age to be raised by the zealot group she was part of leading. As she grew older, Rachel never trusted the group, but she was really good at what she did. She was trained to be an assassin. Something we are told ad nauseam throughout the book. While she never questioned why she was sent after her targets, she didn't enjoy the killing like her peers did. Even so, we're told more than once that she was one of the best.
Antonio is Rachel's current target. Her directions were to act as an interpreter for another vampire that had a meeting with him, seduce him, and kill him. Really not so easy when she'll be in his own home. Or one would think. The attraction between these two is immediate and it's only Rachel that fights it. And not even for long as she finds herself in his bed, in his secured vault, pretty much right away. But she can't bring herself to kill him. Which is a good thing because there's a dangerous plot going down that centers on Antonio. So while most of the book is meetings with all of the various main characters, or Rachel going out and doing touristy things, the ending has one big battle going on. Was is exciting? Meh. Yes and no. Honestly, I expected a hell of a lot more from Rachel considering how often we are told how great she is. I did like the very end when Rachel got her revenge of a sort and Antonio finished it all. I kind of doubt the organization is destroyed completely, but I guess we'll see.
The epilogue has us coming back to America it seems, and while I didn't really care for this book, I am looking forward to that one.
ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley
November 14, 2022
Is this even the same person who wrote Vampires in America? Even there, there were stories I liked better than others, but still liked them. This one was weird. Too much time spent individually with the characters and almost none with them together except when they were having sex and I am supposed to believe they love each other? I was more interested in Inge's love story with her "dark lover" than Antonio and Rachel. And the description, OMG it was endless and ,apart from showing that Rachel was the type of person to be very aware of her surroundings, I didn't see the point to so many. And Rachel she was a "badass" but apart from the fight at the end I didn't see anything of that, but I was TOLD, REPEATEDLY!!!!!!
I feel like this book was just a filler. Like the author needed to write smth for this year and this is what we got. Disappointing.
I feel like this book was just a filler. Like the author needed to write smth for this year and this is what we got. Disappointing.
October 6, 2024
Story 4 stars Narration 4 stars
For some reason, I had no idea this book was even published. Found out earlier today and downloaded it. It’s 2:30 a.m. and I just finished it. I always enjoy the books in this series and consider it in my top favorite supernatural series. This time it’s about Rachel, a former orphan(sorta)that is raised to be an assassin. She’s extremely good at her job and has been successful in killing several vampires. She’s tasked with killing the Portugal lord of vampires, Antonio. Yeah, like that’s going to happen! As usual, there’s a good romance and plenty of intrigue and lots of fighting and death. This one spent quite a bit of time with Rachel’s past and childhood. Also time spent on her train journey to Antonio’s compound. Her finding an undercover reason to go to Antonio needed to happen as well. Because of all this, we don’t get to see as much with the actual couple as we usually do. I missed that. We needed the explanation of her childhood and her journey, but we also needed more with the couple. Just my thoughts.
It was a good listen with accented narration since it takes place mainly in Portugal. Recommended to adult paranormal romance readers.
For some reason, I had no idea this book was even published. Found out earlier today and downloaded it. It’s 2:30 a.m. and I just finished it. I always enjoy the books in this series and consider it in my top favorite supernatural series. This time it’s about Rachel, a former orphan(sorta)that is raised to be an assassin. She’s extremely good at her job and has been successful in killing several vampires. She’s tasked with killing the Portugal lord of vampires, Antonio. Yeah, like that’s going to happen! As usual, there’s a good romance and plenty of intrigue and lots of fighting and death. This one spent quite a bit of time with Rachel’s past and childhood. Also time spent on her train journey to Antonio’s compound. Her finding an undercover reason to go to Antonio needed to happen as well. Because of all this, we don’t get to see as much with the actual couple as we usually do. I missed that. We needed the explanation of her childhood and her journey, but we also needed more with the couple. Just my thoughts.
It was a good listen with accented narration since it takes place mainly in Portugal. Recommended to adult paranormal romance readers.
November 13, 2022
My least favorite of all "Vampires in America" and "Vampires in Europe" books. I felt no connection to Rachel at all. She had a cold childhood after being abandoned by her mother then chose to become an assassin (no questions or concerns asked re: the victims and the consequences of those acts to the victims' families, etc.). Then the backstory took probably half of the book and most of it spent on Rachel's endless internal, repetitious monologue. Antonio's backstory took a bit of it and had action, dialogue and some internal monologue without all the repetition of Rachel's. Rachel and Antonio (finally) met and until the verrry end just about only sexual connection occurred. Nothing like all the other books with so much interplay between the H/h. I am glad to see reviews mostly loving the book. I love D.B. Reynolds and faithfully look forward to more of her books (have read several of them more than once) even though I did not appreciate this one as much.
November 3, 2022
Another exciting and sincerely smoking hot addition to this imaginative series. I was a tad surprised how long it took for the couple to actually meet but that was clearly a plot device to allow the reader to understand their backgrounds and motivation. Both of this couple have had to step up to the mark and not only survive but shine and truly they do both deserve someone who loves them unconditionally.
Rachel will no doubt resonate with fans of Cyn as she's a younger version but certainly just as capable and dangerous. Antonio is a heartthrob without a doubt, loyal to the core and most definitely a man of action both in and out of the bedroom ! The Vampire politics and machinations keep this story ticking along nicely and it leaves this reader wondering just who will feature next ? A must read for the fans of this series and I cannot wait to read what happens next.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
Rachel will no doubt resonate with fans of Cyn as she's a younger version but certainly just as capable and dangerous. Antonio is a heartthrob without a doubt, loyal to the core and most definitely a man of action both in and out of the bedroom ! The Vampire politics and machinations keep this story ticking along nicely and it leaves this reader wondering just who will feature next ? A must read for the fans of this series and I cannot wait to read what happens next.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
November 4, 2022
3.75stars--ANTONIO is the fifteenth instalment in DB Reynolds’ adult VAMPIRES IN AMERICA/ VAMPIRES IN EUROPE erotic, vampire romance series. This is Portugal’s Lord Vampire Antonio Silveiro, and vampire assassin Rachel Shepherd’s story line. ANTONIO can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from previous story lines is revealed where necessary. Antonio was first introduced in book fourteen XAVIER.
Told from third person perspective using present day and memories from the past, ANTONIO follows vampire assassin Rachel Shepherd on her latest task, an assignment from The Society to take down and kill Lord Vampire Antonio. Working as the translator for German vampire Lady Ingeborg Fischer, Rachel finds herself up close and personal on Lady Inge’s visit to Porto, Portugal with the man she has been ordered to kill but Rachel knows there is more to this assignment that she hasn’t been told, and our heroine finds herself the target of some very powerful people.
From the age of twelve Rachel Shepherd found herself a virtual prisoner of The Society, a group of powerful men and women who claim to take in unwanted orphans, and train them to become lawful citizens but Rachel knows better, and The Society’s focus is on the take down of the supernatural, one vampire at a time using highly skilled assassins in the process. Lord Antonio’s attraction to Rachel is immediate and visceral, something Lady Inge is reluctant to accept but Antonio suspects there is more to Rachel than Inge’s language translator, and Antonio is about to seduce the truth from our story line heroine.
We are introduced to Antonio’s right hand man Breno and their head vintner Amadeu Pinto; German vampire Lady Ingeborg Fischer and her assistant Frau Rose Margrit; Lord Walther and his lieutenant Gerhold; and fellow assassin Barnabe, Rachel’s mother Mavis, and vampire mistress JoJo Griffin.
ANTONIO is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, love, acceptance and understanding. The slow building premise is complex and detailed told mostly through internal dialogue, reflection, contemplation, consideration and narrative. The romance is passionate and seductive ; the characters are determined and dynamic-to most vampires Rachel is considered nothing more than human fodder with which to toy, unaware of the powerfully trained assassin.
www.thereadingcafe.com
Told from third person perspective using present day and memories from the past, ANTONIO follows vampire assassin Rachel Shepherd on her latest task, an assignment from The Society to take down and kill Lord Vampire Antonio. Working as the translator for German vampire Lady Ingeborg Fischer, Rachel finds herself up close and personal on Lady Inge’s visit to Porto, Portugal with the man she has been ordered to kill but Rachel knows there is more to this assignment that she hasn’t been told, and our heroine finds herself the target of some very powerful people.
From the age of twelve Rachel Shepherd found herself a virtual prisoner of The Society, a group of powerful men and women who claim to take in unwanted orphans, and train them to become lawful citizens but Rachel knows better, and The Society’s focus is on the take down of the supernatural, one vampire at a time using highly skilled assassins in the process. Lord Antonio’s attraction to Rachel is immediate and visceral, something Lady Inge is reluctant to accept but Antonio suspects there is more to Rachel than Inge’s language translator, and Antonio is about to seduce the truth from our story line heroine.
We are introduced to Antonio’s right hand man Breno and their head vintner Amadeu Pinto; German vampire Lady Ingeborg Fischer and her assistant Frau Rose Margrit; Lord Walther and his lieutenant Gerhold; and fellow assassin Barnabe, Rachel’s mother Mavis, and vampire mistress JoJo Griffin.
ANTONIO is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, love, acceptance and understanding. The slow building premise is complex and detailed told mostly through internal dialogue, reflection, contemplation, consideration and narrative. The romance is passionate and seductive ; the characters are determined and dynamic-to most vampires Rachel is considered nothing more than human fodder with which to toy, unaware of the powerfully trained assassin.
www.thereadingcafe.com
December 22, 2022
Well HOT damn!!! This was freakin awesome! Although I should never be surprised by this author. Honestly I have read ever book in this series and how they never get repetitive or boring speaks volumes of this author. I freakin loved the energy they had and the amazing chemistry! Great characters and intriguing storyline.
May 29, 2023
who wrote this?
I have been a long time fan and reader of all DB Reynolds’s books in this series, but I was really stunned and not in a good way, by this installment of Vampires in America.
First an inordinate amount of time was wasted page after page, chapter after chapter saying the same thing…Raphael was a powerful vampire, the ingenue was a skillful assassin…over and over. I wondered if it was even the same writer, and whether she had to remind herself of the storyline.
Too much time wasted.
Also far too much time wasted on Rachel’s incidental thoughts…it was agonizing and not enough time on building a relationship between her and Antonio.
It was boring, predictable, and really not worth the read, knowing how well other installments were. And who edited this??? So many typos and errors I wanted to go through it with a red marker.
So sad…
I have been a long time fan and reader of all DB Reynolds’s books in this series, but I was really stunned and not in a good way, by this installment of Vampires in America.
First an inordinate amount of time was wasted page after page, chapter after chapter saying the same thing…Raphael was a powerful vampire, the ingenue was a skillful assassin…over and over. I wondered if it was even the same writer, and whether she had to remind herself of the storyline.
Too much time wasted.
Also far too much time wasted on Rachel’s incidental thoughts…it was agonizing and not enough time on building a relationship between her and Antonio.
It was boring, predictable, and really not worth the read, knowing how well other installments were. And who edited this??? So many typos and errors I wanted to go through it with a red marker.
So sad…
December 8, 2022
Rachel is given up by her mother who is a powerful woman. She used her small daughter to gain the favor of the people and get the position of power she wanted but we never really find out how she used her daughter for that or why she had her in the first place. When Rachel is little her mother gives her over to a boarding school where she is trained to become an assassin. But when she is a little older she finds her mother and confronts her and her mother tells her she never wanted her in the first place. She doesn't see her again after that for a long time.
Rachel works for The Society and they assign her who to kill. She knows if she doesn't carry out their orders, she could be the next one on the kill list. But they seem to want her to be killed by her job since they keep giving her really hard assignments like assassinating a very powerful vampire lord. She isn't sure they actually want her to make it out alive.
The thing is we don't even see Rachel and Antonio together and talking until around the 44 percent mark of the book. Before that we get a lot of her background and the plans on how she's going with Lady Inge to be her translator which will be her way in to meet Antonio and seduce him so she can find him when he's in his vampire sleep during the day and kill him. The only problem is Lord Antonio is a very powerful vampire and can stay awake and even out in the sun during the day for sometime. So that really blew her plans out of the water.
The first half of this book was very boring. The two main characters don't even meet until almost halfway through the book. There were so many pages of descriptions that really could have been shortened. The lack of action, dialogue and storyline really made this book hard to read because it was boring to the point of me having to put it down and come back to it several times while I was reading.
The vampire politics were nothing short of boring and really made this story drag out, almost to the point that I almost stopped reading it but I was really hoping it would get better which never happened. Antonio is supposed to be this powerful vampire who turns beserker at times when he's really angry, but I just didn't see it. When he finds out what and who Rachel really is and why she's really there, I expected him to get really angry but he didn't and that just didn't seem like his personality at all.
Rachel is a deadly assassin who has been raised to hate the supernatural being she kills but she finds herself attracted to Antonio right away to the point that she has a hard time concentrating. I would have thought her training would help her through that but it didn't seem to. I found that far fetched, I would have found it more plausible if she had fought the attraction a little harder, but she didn't. It just wasn't believable. The ending was very predictable and made the story something I just rolled my eyes at. I usually like vampire romance stories but this one didn't live up to my expectations.
Disclosure: I was given an e-ARC of this book via NetGalley but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Rachel works for The Society and they assign her who to kill. She knows if she doesn't carry out their orders, she could be the next one on the kill list. But they seem to want her to be killed by her job since they keep giving her really hard assignments like assassinating a very powerful vampire lord. She isn't sure they actually want her to make it out alive.
The thing is we don't even see Rachel and Antonio together and talking until around the 44 percent mark of the book. Before that we get a lot of her background and the plans on how she's going with Lady Inge to be her translator which will be her way in to meet Antonio and seduce him so she can find him when he's in his vampire sleep during the day and kill him. The only problem is Lord Antonio is a very powerful vampire and can stay awake and even out in the sun during the day for sometime. So that really blew her plans out of the water.
The first half of this book was very boring. The two main characters don't even meet until almost halfway through the book. There were so many pages of descriptions that really could have been shortened. The lack of action, dialogue and storyline really made this book hard to read because it was boring to the point of me having to put it down and come back to it several times while I was reading.
The vampire politics were nothing short of boring and really made this story drag out, almost to the point that I almost stopped reading it but I was really hoping it would get better which never happened. Antonio is supposed to be this powerful vampire who turns beserker at times when he's really angry, but I just didn't see it. When he finds out what and who Rachel really is and why she's really there, I expected him to get really angry but he didn't and that just didn't seem like his personality at all.
Rachel is a deadly assassin who has been raised to hate the supernatural being she kills but she finds herself attracted to Antonio right away to the point that she has a hard time concentrating. I would have thought her training would help her through that but it didn't seem to. I found that far fetched, I would have found it more plausible if she had fought the attraction a little harder, but she didn't. It just wasn't believable. The ending was very predictable and made the story something I just rolled my eyes at. I usually like vampire romance stories but this one didn't live up to my expectations.
Disclosure: I was given an e-ARC of this book via NetGalley but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
November 19, 2022
I love this series and this particular vampire world. I enjoy the different settings for each book and feel this entire world is enriched by the interconnections of person and place. Characters have had serious depth and tangible personalities, and there is consistency in the world-building.
In "Antonio" though, a great deal of time is spent at the start in main character narrative, and if this were a new series or taking the existing series to a whole new place, it would feel more important. In this case, while all of it was interesting, much of it was unnecessary to the whole. As well, the build-up of who and what the main characters were, and why, did not really translate when the two actually-finally-interacted. One, a loner-assassin, the other a berserker-vampire, and a reader could be forgiven for expecting some serious interplay prior to intercourse. Instead, two very hardened and quite lethal personalities with the potential for some excellent repartee, bypassed all of that in a lightning-strike insta-passion. Much of the usual tension and intrigue was missing or marginal. All of which is very uncharacteristic for this series.
I don't see this book as furthering the storyline to any extent; it's more of an interlude. Even the climactic battle has more "anti" to it's climax, and in fact, I was underwhelmed by Antonio's performance there. Dude damn near lost his head - literally - and because of a brain-fart no other Vampire Lord in this series has ever experienced. By way of comparison, it's like...your new and amazing boyfriend puts the toilet paper roll on backwards: on one hand, a boy actually *changed* the toilet paper roll but on the other hand, he put it on backwards (and yes, there IS a backwards!). So, does his attempt at civility outweigh his blaspheming ways? Does he stay, or does he meet the curb? Comme ci, comme ca.
And yet, I love this series and I have faith in its direction. I liked these characters too, and the idea of who they were and how they got "here" was solid, if without the usual flesh on the bones. I must say, I am beyond intrigued by the epilogue featuring the North American Lieutenants, and the attendant possibilities there. It has all the feel of a more complex, intrigue-filled, political maneuvering, clash-of-the-Titans epic. You know: vampire stuff.
In "Antonio" though, a great deal of time is spent at the start in main character narrative, and if this were a new series or taking the existing series to a whole new place, it would feel more important. In this case, while all of it was interesting, much of it was unnecessary to the whole. As well, the build-up of who and what the main characters were, and why, did not really translate when the two actually-finally-interacted. One, a loner-assassin, the other a berserker-vampire, and a reader could be forgiven for expecting some serious interplay prior to intercourse. Instead, two very hardened and quite lethal personalities with the potential for some excellent repartee, bypassed all of that in a lightning-strike insta-passion. Much of the usual tension and intrigue was missing or marginal. All of which is very uncharacteristic for this series.
I don't see this book as furthering the storyline to any extent; it's more of an interlude. Even the climactic battle has more "anti" to it's climax, and in fact, I was underwhelmed by Antonio's performance there. Dude damn near lost his head - literally - and because of a brain-fart no other Vampire Lord in this series has ever experienced. By way of comparison, it's like...your new and amazing boyfriend puts the toilet paper roll on backwards: on one hand, a boy actually *changed* the toilet paper roll but on the other hand, he put it on backwards (and yes, there IS a backwards!). So, does his attempt at civility outweigh his blaspheming ways? Does he stay, or does he meet the curb? Comme ci, comme ca.
And yet, I love this series and I have faith in its direction. I liked these characters too, and the idea of who they were and how they got "here" was solid, if without the usual flesh on the bones. I must say, I am beyond intrigued by the epilogue featuring the North American Lieutenants, and the attendant possibilities there. It has all the feel of a more complex, intrigue-filled, political maneuvering, clash-of-the-Titans epic. You know: vampire stuff.
November 4, 2022
3.5 STARS
Centuries before, Lord Antônio Silveira, became the reluctant Vampire Lord of Portugal. Antonio was all about the battle to the extent of becoming a beserker at times. Ruling from his large estate in Porto, Portugal, Antonio is being required to host one of the higher ups in the German Lord Walther's court knowing the Lady Inge would like more than just a political alliance with him. She brings along Rachel Shepard as a translator; however, Rachel has her own very deadly agenda.
Rachel was essentially abandoned by her powerful mother who works for an anitsupernatural group known as the Society. Raised in one of their orphanages to be a merciless weapon assassinating anyone she is assigned to without explanation, Rachel begins to question not only her loyalty to the shady group but whether the next victim actually deserves the death sentence.
Once Rachel meets her next target who happens to be Antonio, she finds herself intensely attracted to a man or in this case, a vampire, for the first time in her life. It seems someone has set Rachel up as a target herself so she is determined to find out who and why as well as change her original plans after joining forces with Antonio. With Rachel, Antonio feels he has met his mate. They both know the German contingent is up to something nefarious and neither one plans to let their enemies carry it out.
While I enjoyed Rachel and Antonio's interactions and as a couple, it is not until well into the story about a third of the book that they meet. Their back stories take a long buildup so there is less time together for them on the page. Fans of the series should enjoy this latest addition.
Centuries before, Lord Antônio Silveira, became the reluctant Vampire Lord of Portugal. Antonio was all about the battle to the extent of becoming a beserker at times. Ruling from his large estate in Porto, Portugal, Antonio is being required to host one of the higher ups in the German Lord Walther's court knowing the Lady Inge would like more than just a political alliance with him. She brings along Rachel Shepard as a translator; however, Rachel has her own very deadly agenda.
Rachel was essentially abandoned by her powerful mother who works for an anitsupernatural group known as the Society. Raised in one of their orphanages to be a merciless weapon assassinating anyone she is assigned to without explanation, Rachel begins to question not only her loyalty to the shady group but whether the next victim actually deserves the death sentence.
Once Rachel meets her next target who happens to be Antonio, she finds herself intensely attracted to a man or in this case, a vampire, for the first time in her life. It seems someone has set Rachel up as a target herself so she is determined to find out who and why as well as change her original plans after joining forces with Antonio. With Rachel, Antonio feels he has met his mate. They both know the German contingent is up to something nefarious and neither one plans to let their enemies carry it out.
While I enjoyed Rachel and Antonio's interactions and as a couple, it is not until well into the story about a third of the book that they meet. Their back stories take a long buildup so there is less time together for them on the page. Fans of the series should enjoy this latest addition.
November 27, 2022
This series is like going to the source of my love for reading - I started with paranormal books so - Vampires are my jam. This series consists of many installments and travels from America to Europe. This time we will visit more than one country which is interesting and shows how different Europe is from America.
Antonio didn't want to become Vampire Lord, but fate changed when he killed the current Portugal Lord. It was his worst nightmare he wanted to stay by the side of his beloved Sire - Xavier. Yet after a few centuries, he's still a Lord that rules from Porto. Right now he is about to host a delegation from the German court - something h would like to avoid... but... then they come, and with them, there is a translator that catches his attention... A HUMAN!
Rachel had a harsh upbringing - she was not loved by her mother and then abandoned... my heart cried for her as this was terrible. She was bred to become an emotionless assassin that would kill when told... but then something happens so would not oblige to everything she was told!
Antonio is the target on Rachel's list, but unexpectedly she got attracted to him and this is something that no one was ready for. they are matched for each other - keeping on toes will be included and banter where she will try to not fall for him. I would love to have more "couple" time in this book - as this feeling developed quickly, not allowing reader to grow exactly for them. And with this ending, I'm intrigued by what Ms. Reynolds will bring us in the next installment.
Antonio didn't want to become Vampire Lord, but fate changed when he killed the current Portugal Lord. It was his worst nightmare he wanted to stay by the side of his beloved Sire - Xavier. Yet after a few centuries, he's still a Lord that rules from Porto. Right now he is about to host a delegation from the German court - something h would like to avoid... but... then they come, and with them, there is a translator that catches his attention... A HUMAN!
Rachel had a harsh upbringing - she was not loved by her mother and then abandoned... my heart cried for her as this was terrible. She was bred to become an emotionless assassin that would kill when told... but then something happens so would not oblige to everything she was told!
Antonio is the target on Rachel's list, but unexpectedly she got attracted to him and this is something that no one was ready for. they are matched for each other - keeping on toes will be included and banter where she will try to not fall for him. I would love to have more "couple" time in this book - as this feeling developed quickly, not allowing reader to grow exactly for them. And with this ending, I'm intrigued by what Ms. Reynolds will bring us in the next installment.
November 17, 2022
It was a good read. Probably a 3.6 for me....:)
It was too short. I would have like some more romance time with the couple. We also needed more time seeing their badassness - with at least one more kickass session...they didn't even do their duel. It felt too rushed and too instalove and why would JOJO have returned to Germany.... it didn't make sense. Also, our heroine said she had to kill people in Paris and Germany first, before she can live with him. Yet after they went to Paris and Antonio killed everyone there - so quick and tidy, they just say.... let's go home. What happened to Germany? Was it JOJO she wanted to kill? They didn't say and she didn't know she was dead yet?? Their part just ended so abruptly. You could have put in the JOJO blurb why she was healing and added, "Oh so we don't need to go to Germany now.... if that was who she was talking about killing there... so disjointed. And why would having a child give our heroine's Mom a higher position??? Weird!
I also would have liked the foreign words in english in parenthesis following what ever they said in another language.
Then the epilogue was just weird, it seemed like the emphasis was on a greedy blow job reciever I hope he is not our next hero.... but I am sure he is:/ There were a lot of names mentioned and only a few seemed familiar. How long have I been reading this series?? I may be due some rereads here.
It was too short. I would have like some more romance time with the couple. We also needed more time seeing their badassness - with at least one more kickass session...they didn't even do their duel. It felt too rushed and too instalove and why would JOJO have returned to Germany.... it didn't make sense. Also, our heroine said she had to kill people in Paris and Germany first, before she can live with him. Yet after they went to Paris and Antonio killed everyone there - so quick and tidy, they just say.... let's go home. What happened to Germany? Was it JOJO she wanted to kill? They didn't say and she didn't know she was dead yet?? Their part just ended so abruptly. You could have put in the JOJO blurb why she was healing and added, "Oh so we don't need to go to Germany now.... if that was who she was talking about killing there... so disjointed. And why would having a child give our heroine's Mom a higher position??? Weird!
I also would have liked the foreign words in english in parenthesis following what ever they said in another language.
Then the epilogue was just weird, it seemed like the emphasis was on a greedy blow job reciever I hope he is not our next hero.... but I am sure he is:/ There were a lot of names mentioned and only a few seemed familiar. How long have I been reading this series?? I may be due some rereads here.
November 20, 2022
I’ve read all of the previous books in this series, and while I don’t think that’s necessary, it definitely helps understand the overall world and buildup to the current focus. I’d also recommend checking them out because, while I still enjoyed this book, there may be others you’d enjoy more.
This book is Antonio’s story, which really ends up being Rachel’s tale. Rachel is an assassin for the Society, a shadowy organization that kills “others.” Her mother is the head of the organization, and Rachel was treated as an orphan since she was very young. Her connections and ability to persevere ended up getting her a coveted spot in their crew of assassins. Lately, though, it seems like her jobs are getting harder and harder, leading her to believe they may be trying to retire her early. Her latest assignment, to assassinate Antonio, reinforces that.
Antonio is a vampire lord and really should not even be on Rachel’s list of possible targets because they are so unevenly matched. The plan is to seduce him, which also shouldn’t work, but vampire mate bonds work in strange ways. It takes a large portion of the book for these two to even be in the same room, so if you’re looking for lots of romance and smutty good times, there isn’t a bunch in here. The majority of the book was spent in the buildup to what is a pretty awesome battle. To be honest, I was more excited about what the epilogue may be hinting to next than this couple.
This book is Antonio’s story, which really ends up being Rachel’s tale. Rachel is an assassin for the Society, a shadowy organization that kills “others.” Her mother is the head of the organization, and Rachel was treated as an orphan since she was very young. Her connections and ability to persevere ended up getting her a coveted spot in their crew of assassins. Lately, though, it seems like her jobs are getting harder and harder, leading her to believe they may be trying to retire her early. Her latest assignment, to assassinate Antonio, reinforces that.
Antonio is a vampire lord and really should not even be on Rachel’s list of possible targets because they are so unevenly matched. The plan is to seduce him, which also shouldn’t work, but vampire mate bonds work in strange ways. It takes a large portion of the book for these two to even be in the same room, so if you’re looking for lots of romance and smutty good times, there isn’t a bunch in here. The majority of the book was spent in the buildup to what is a pretty awesome battle. To be honest, I was more excited about what the epilogue may be hinting to next than this couple.
November 11, 2022
Nothing excites me more than a new Vampires in America novel by D.B. Reynolds, and while awaiting the release of ANTONIO, I decided to do a thorough reread of the entire series (Vignettes and Novellas included) and after 13 years of reading this author and her compelling, captivating and ferociously passionate Vampires, my appetite for this series has never diminished.
ANTONIO starts differently than other stories in this series, as our heroine is front and centre in the first few chapters while her backstory is revealed to lay the foundation of the relationship between a charming, yet brutal Vampire Lord and human female whose enigmatic persona is equal parts intriguing and captivating. I found the slower pace perfect as we discover the wretched childhood that Rachel has endured, and how it moulded the strong, independent, and formidable woman she has become.
An exceptional author for me, is someone who writes a story that I start and finish in one day because I simple can’t put it down, and ANTONIO certainly fits that category; and as the story unfolds heartache, deception, intrigue, and passion are just some of the elements that will keep you riveted till the last page is turned.
ANTONIO is a fabulous addition to an extraordinary and dynamic series and an absolutely fabulous read.
ANTONIO starts differently than other stories in this series, as our heroine is front and centre in the first few chapters while her backstory is revealed to lay the foundation of the relationship between a charming, yet brutal Vampire Lord and human female whose enigmatic persona is equal parts intriguing and captivating. I found the slower pace perfect as we discover the wretched childhood that Rachel has endured, and how it moulded the strong, independent, and formidable woman she has become.
An exceptional author for me, is someone who writes a story that I start and finish in one day because I simple can’t put it down, and ANTONIO certainly fits that category; and as the story unfolds heartache, deception, intrigue, and passion are just some of the elements that will keep you riveted till the last page is turned.
ANTONIO is a fabulous addition to an extraordinary and dynamic series and an absolutely fabulous read.
December 7, 2022
Deeply dislikable female protagonist
I have read all 15 books in the Vampires in America books. And enjoyed them, some more than others, but enough to auto buy them.
It was a real struggle to get through the first third of the book - before the protagonists meet - as Racheal was at best, a wilfully blind narcissist and at worst, a full on sociopath.
While accepting a difficult childhood can cause many issues, she came across as selfish, cold and with very little appealing about her.
I warmed a little towards her, but not enough to like her. As these books focus on the protagonist’s relationship it all felt very hollow and dissatisfying.
In fairness to the author, I am now going to go back and re read the other books (and shorts) and review them as I go. Many of them are solid 4 star and some 5. I do recommend this series. It’s interesting, well written and engaging on the whole. And the strong and powerful female leads are usually my favourite feature.
Maybe just skip this one.
I have read all 15 books in the Vampires in America books. And enjoyed them, some more than others, but enough to auto buy them.
It was a real struggle to get through the first third of the book - before the protagonists meet - as Racheal was at best, a wilfully blind narcissist and at worst, a full on sociopath.
While accepting a difficult childhood can cause many issues, she came across as selfish, cold and with very little appealing about her.
I warmed a little towards her, but not enough to like her. As these books focus on the protagonist’s relationship it all felt very hollow and dissatisfying.
In fairness to the author, I am now going to go back and re read the other books (and shorts) and review them as I go. Many of them are solid 4 star and some 5. I do recommend this series. It’s interesting, well written and engaging on the whole. And the strong and powerful female leads are usually my favourite feature.
Maybe just skip this one.
February 3, 2023
disappointing
I’m really not sure what I just read, but it wasn’t up to the usual standards of D B Reynolds Vampire in America series.
It’s as though two different people wrote this book.
One who wrote boring ad nauseum filler words that were so repetitive and un interesting, and one who penned the interaction between Antonio and Rachel.
This book was expensive to buy at $7.99 for my kindle, and I really feel ripped off.
It was an uneven story to introduce Antonio as the vampire Lord of Portugal.
I liked Antonio, but there wasn’t much character development there.
Rachel was just a disaster. Was she supposed to be strong? Was she supposed to be cold hearted? Was she an unfeeling wench? Then suddenly she’s in love?
This book was just a mess. The main characters don’t meet until chapter 12.
Even the epilogue with the territory lieutenants was a little off the wall. Why ar
we interested in cat zoom calls.
I am a fan of Ms Reynolds, but this book is quite a disappointment. I will think king and hard before I spend another $8.00 on the next book.
I’m really not sure what I just read, but it wasn’t up to the usual standards of D B Reynolds Vampire in America series.
It’s as though two different people wrote this book.
One who wrote boring ad nauseum filler words that were so repetitive and un interesting, and one who penned the interaction between Antonio and Rachel.
This book was expensive to buy at $7.99 for my kindle, and I really feel ripped off.
It was an uneven story to introduce Antonio as the vampire Lord of Portugal.
I liked Antonio, but there wasn’t much character development there.
Rachel was just a disaster. Was she supposed to be strong? Was she supposed to be cold hearted? Was she an unfeeling wench? Then suddenly she’s in love?
This book was just a mess. The main characters don’t meet until chapter 12.
Even the epilogue with the territory lieutenants was a little off the wall. Why ar
we interested in cat zoom calls.
I am a fan of Ms Reynolds, but this book is quite a disappointment. I will think king and hard before I spend another $8.00 on the next book.
November 18, 2022
Such a Fantastic Series
I've loved every book in this series and this one is no exception. Antonio was sired by Xavier and never wanted his own territory. Until the time they were headed to Spain and crossed the border of Portugal. That particular Lord took exception and forced a fight. Antonio stayed to take care of the matter and ended up Lord of Portugal.
Rachel was raised to be an assassin for The Society. Her mother headed the group and when Rachel was five she was left on her own. She hated her mother and hated The Society but she was damn good at her job. Until she was ordered to assassinate Antonio. She poses as a language interpreter to gain access but finds herself strangely attracted to her target and for the first time discovers she can't complete the assignment.
As the story unfolds Rachel and Antonio end up in danger and dealing with betrayals but still manage to find their happy ever after. Excellent reading.
I've loved every book in this series and this one is no exception. Antonio was sired by Xavier and never wanted his own territory. Until the time they were headed to Spain and crossed the border of Portugal. That particular Lord took exception and forced a fight. Antonio stayed to take care of the matter and ended up Lord of Portugal.
Rachel was raised to be an assassin for The Society. Her mother headed the group and when Rachel was five she was left on her own. She hated her mother and hated The Society but she was damn good at her job. Until she was ordered to assassinate Antonio. She poses as a language interpreter to gain access but finds herself strangely attracted to her target and for the first time discovers she can't complete the assignment.
As the story unfolds Rachel and Antonio end up in danger and dealing with betrayals but still manage to find their happy ever after. Excellent reading.
November 28, 2022
It was great to return to the Author's Vampire in Europe series - what's not to like when you have a book featuring Vampires , Assassins and Intrigue
Vampire Lord of Portugal , Antonio , is a reluctant host to Lady Inge who is supposedly seeking an alliance on behalf of her Sire , the Vampire Lord of Germany
As part of her entourage Lady Inge has employed a human translator , Rachel Shepherd - however Rachel is no ordinary translator , she is an assassin in the employ of the Society .......... her target Antonio
As sparks fly Rachel begins to doubt her mission and when she discovers she has been double crossed by the Society she knows where her loyalty really lies .............
This is yet another enjoyable , fast paced , paranormal romance from the Author - Rachel shows touches of a younger Cyn .
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
Vampire Lord of Portugal , Antonio , is a reluctant host to Lady Inge who is supposedly seeking an alliance on behalf of her Sire , the Vampire Lord of Germany
As part of her entourage Lady Inge has employed a human translator , Rachel Shepherd - however Rachel is no ordinary translator , she is an assassin in the employ of the Society .......... her target Antonio
As sparks fly Rachel begins to doubt her mission and when she discovers she has been double crossed by the Society she knows where her loyalty really lies .............
This is yet another enjoyable , fast paced , paranormal romance from the Author - Rachel shows touches of a younger Cyn .
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
November 10, 2022
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of Antonio: Vampires in Europe by D.B.Reynolds. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley and BelleBooks, Inc for this ARC.
The D.B. Reynolds vampire series is one of my favorite vampire romance series, and I was excited to read her latest release. I was not disappointed. Rachel was a very fleshed-out female lead, and I loved her journey to the top assassin and later her romance with Antonio. I appreciated that she was a fully developed character, and we got a lot of backstories before the romance began. And it goes without saying that the two of them together were super steamy. While insta love is not my favorite trope, it worked here, and I had fun reading this book. I give this book a solid 3.5/5 stars.
The D.B. Reynolds vampire series is one of my favorite vampire romance series, and I was excited to read her latest release. I was not disappointed. Rachel was a very fleshed-out female lead, and I loved her journey to the top assassin and later her romance with Antonio. I appreciated that she was a fully developed character, and we got a lot of backstories before the romance began. And it goes without saying that the two of them together were super steamy. While insta love is not my favorite trope, it worked here, and I had fun reading this book. I give this book a solid 3.5/5 stars.
November 14, 2022
Loved this latest instalment
I loved this latest instalment of this series
What I especially enjoyed was the background and story building in the first half of this book meaning that when the two main characters met they were mainly fleshed out which was a refreshing change from the majority of books in this genre when it's either love at first sight in the first chapter of a similar scenario and variation of the theme
I thought Rachel was perfect for Antonio, really enjoyed this story and have no complaints which is rare lol
As always my advice is to start with the first book in this series as they follow on from each other and follow a timeline so your enjoyment of this latest book will be greatly enhanced
Enjoy 😉
I loved this latest instalment of this series
What I especially enjoyed was the background and story building in the first half of this book meaning that when the two main characters met they were mainly fleshed out which was a refreshing change from the majority of books in this genre when it's either love at first sight in the first chapter of a similar scenario and variation of the theme
I thought Rachel was perfect for Antonio, really enjoyed this story and have no complaints which is rare lol
As always my advice is to start with the first book in this series as they follow on from each other and follow a timeline so your enjoyment of this latest book will be greatly enhanced
Enjoy 😉
November 13, 2022
Nice to have the vampires back!
Interesting look at the European vampires. Interesting to see where Reynolds might be going with it since she went back to the American vampires in the epilogue, after leaving Germany and France in a mess. Slightly repetitive and the editing was slightly rougher than her books usually are. First post-Covid story, I guess. The love story went straight from lust to love, but both characters are highly aggressive and militant, so I guess that fits. Bit worried about the Dedication of the book, don't know if it was literal or not, but wish her the best if it was even close. Enjoyed it a lot.
Interesting look at the European vampires. Interesting to see where Reynolds might be going with it since she went back to the American vampires in the epilogue, after leaving Germany and France in a mess. Slightly repetitive and the editing was slightly rougher than her books usually are. First post-Covid story, I guess. The love story went straight from lust to love, but both characters are highly aggressive and militant, so I guess that fits. Bit worried about the Dedication of the book, don't know if it was literal or not, but wish her the best if it was even close. Enjoyed it a lot.
November 14, 2022
I'm a bit disappointed in this installment in the Vampires of America series. It began strongly, with a great female main character. What I didn't care for, was that I had to wait until at least 40% before both main characters met. I would have preferred more of the book centered on the romance then on the heroines occupation as an assassin. I enjoyed the first interactions between both Main characters, but I found they fell in love way too quickly. I wish there had been a little bit more push and pull and tension in their relationship. I quickly lost interest with the main conflict and honestly skimmed probably the last 30% of the book.
November 15, 2022
I love ViA, I really do
And the FMC was unique, here--her job was a very good idea.
But holy cow--Reynolds obviously fired her editor, and reading this was border line painful. Infodumps were repeated 3or more times, plot was slapdash, and characterization felt thin and full of holes. And the Romance was the same--i didn't get a satisfying romance arc--it wasn't and then suddenly was. And the contradictions. Oh lord, the contradictions.
I skimmed half the pointless and repetitive dialog and rumination. I've never skimmed a Vampires in America book before!
Please, please hire a good editor for bk 16. I'd weep if I had to take ViA off my auto-buy list.
And the FMC was unique, here--her job was a very good idea.
But holy cow--Reynolds obviously fired her editor, and reading this was border line painful. Infodumps were repeated 3or more times, plot was slapdash, and characterization felt thin and full of holes. And the Romance was the same--i didn't get a satisfying romance arc--it wasn't and then suddenly was. And the contradictions. Oh lord, the contradictions.
I skimmed half the pointless and repetitive dialog and rumination. I've never skimmed a Vampires in America book before!
Please, please hire a good editor for bk 16. I'd weep if I had to take ViA off my auto-buy list.
November 15, 2022
I was disappointed with this book, I was over half way through this book before Antonio and Rachel even met, even though there attraction was immediate there love scenes were not as all consuming as in her other books in this series. I have all the Vampire In America books and I love them, Raphael and Cyn are epic together, so are the other Lords and their lady loves, this book just fell short and we are just left at the end wondering what's happening with the two. Hopefully she can clear up some things in her next book. Maybe a novella were they all get together for some event would be great and we could play catch up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2022
The beginning was great; pulled me in, kept me super interested. Then probably about the last 1/3 was 'eh which is why I gave it 4 and not 5. There weren't many sex scenes or the typical knowledge straight off that they were mates. The two main characters actually didn't meet and/or interact until about 50% through the story. But overall really enjoyed the story. It was very refreshing to read a story that held my interest and kept me going back for more. That hasn't happened in a few books.
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