Fans of the paranormal will want to keep reading to learn more about A Vampire's Saving Embrace by Darlene Kuncytes. This series starter is fast-paced with a likable collection of characters and you'll discover even more with my review. Make sure to fill out the form below for your chance to win some great prizes!
That was, until the dark, handsome Desmond LaGrange showed up at the bar where she worked. How could she know that this mysterious man would end up saving her from the evil that she didn't even know existed? And why was she so drawn to him? Why did he make her body heat with just a simple look?
Desmond LaGrange was fighting a past he was trying hard to forget. But when he sees the beautiful Abby working behind the bar - something deep inside compels him to get closer.
Desmond LaGrange was fighting a past he was trying hard to forget. But when he sees the beautiful Abby working behind the bar - something deep inside compels him to get closer.
The only question is why?
And when he saves her from danger - can he resist the strong pull between them to let her go when the time comes?
Or will the passion that she ignites in him be his end?
And when he saves her from danger - can he resist the strong pull between them to let her go when the time comes?
Or will the passion that she ignites in him be his end?
EXCERPT:
Abigail Montgomery blew a stray strand of hair away from her face as she glared across the crowded bar - her eyes narrowed in frustration.
“I swear to God, Abs - you’re going to scare Mr. Hottie away with those looks you keep shooting his way. You look like you could peel the paint right off of the walls for crying out loud!” Kat, her co-worker yelled at her over the noise – gracing her with her best no nonsense scowl.
Abby gave Kat a disgusted grunt as her eyes stayed on the disturbingly handsome man sitting alone at the table on the other side of the bar.
He had been in Echo’s every night for the past three that Abby had worked. Sitting at the same damn table - nursing a bourbon, and watching her. He never approached or spoke to her - he just watched her work - his oh, so sensuous, full lips set in a grim line - and it was beginning to un-nerve her. This man was beyond model perfect, and it made Abby feel utterly intimidated and completely lacking. Just what in the hell was this man’s problem?
She took a deep, steadying breath and tore her eyes from him - trying to concentrate on something - anything other than his disturbing presence. She stooped down to grab a tray of clean glasses from beneath the bar, and unceremoniously dropped them with a resounding crash when she turned to find Mr. Gorgeous standing at the bar directly in front of her - his eyes locked on her face.
“Easy there, pet,” he whispered - the smooth, silky timber of his voice causing her to shiver slightly. Damn, but the man was delicious, she thought sourly.
He stood about six foot two and was unbelievably muscular – but not the steroid addled muscles of a body builder, she thought with a twinge – no… his muscles were real. Un-Godly real and painfully apparent beneath the very expensive shirt he wore. The man just reeked class and money. Cripes!
His hair was jet black and cut short to where it just touched the collar of said shirt in sexy, messy spikes. And his eyes - oh Lord, his eyes were sea blue and framed by unbelievably long, thick lashes. It should be illegal for a man to have such beautiful eyelashes she thought with a grunt. Yet, he was completely and irrevocably all man.
Abby felt a sudden surge of heat run through her as his eyes traveled over her face as he thoroughly appraised her - and she bit her bottom lip to stop her wayward thoughts. “Can I get you something?” she croaked out - immediately wincing at the tremor in her voice. Crap.
He smiled, his perfect white teeth glistening slightly - his eyes capturing and holding hers. “That depends, my pet - on just what it is that you are offering.” The wicked smile that came to his face caused Abby’s cheeks to burn, and an unwelcome heat to spread through her stomach as her entire body began to tingle.
Her hackles rose at the unwanted onslaught of it all and she glared. Abby did not like the effect this man was having on her in the least!
“Do you want another drink?” she ground out - her emerald eyes snapping fire as her cheeks blazed red – damn, was it getting warm in here? She silently wondered - hating how awkward and unsure she felt under his close scrutiny. He was holding her gaze as if he were looking into her very soul - and it was making her beyond uncomfortable in a completely embarrassing way. The guy had her entire body trembling.
“Actually…”
“Oh, Christ Abby,” Kat said, squatting down and starting to pick up the broken pieces of glass from the floor. “Are you all right?” Abby looked down at the fiery red-head and grimaced.
“Damn, Charlie is going to have my hide,” she whispered before glancing back up. She was startled to discover that Mr. Gorgeous was gone; and quickly searched the pulsating crowd on the dance floor - then the table where he had been seated for the past three days – but he was nowhere to be seen.
Abby felt a sudden rush of something that she wasn’t sure was relief or disappointment. She shook the thought off and bent down to help Kat with the mess she’d made; and groaned softly when she noticed that her hands were shaking. Damn, just what in the hell was wrong with her?
Abby was what most would call classically beautiful. She was 27, curvy in all the right places - five foot four inches tall with golden hair that hung to her shoulder blades in luminous waves; and deep emerald green eyes that took everyone who met her back instantly with their beauty. She was sweet and funny and seemed to put the people she met at ease immediately. Even though, she closed herself off from any outside activities. She always turned down the many dates she was asked on - preferring to keep her distance.
Kat on the other hand was full bodied and boisterous. Her flaming red hair matched her flaming personality and wild ways.
The two were complete opposites; but yet had quickly become best friends. Kat was Abby’s yin to her yang - the regulars at the bar calling them fire and ice.
“I saw you talking to that gorgeous piece - please tell me he was hitting on you.” Kat said, laughing happily - her eyes gleaming mischievously as she waggled her eyebrows at her friend.
Abby shook her head - not exactly sure what he had been doing. “No, he just wanted another drink,” she replied half-heartedly, and realized with a start that there was disappointment in her voice. She cursed herself again for her reaction to the man. Good Lord!
“Damn it, Abs.” Kat reprimanded, her eyes narrowing. “You really need to quit playing the nun and flirt a little. That gorgeous drink of water has been here watching you, and only you for the past three nights,” she bit out in a huff. “This self- imposed celibacy of yours is wearing thin. You are just too damn beautiful to let all that go to waste.” Kat placed her hands on her hips and glared at her.
Abby shook her head and shrugged. She was doing just fine on her own. In fact, she liked her solitude. She always had. Even as a little girl, Abby was more comfortable strolling alone in the woods near whatever house they had been living in at the time - listening to the sounds of the forest, than spending time with others. Although, if she were to be honest, she never really had the time to make any real friends. She and her mother had moved around often, and making and losing friends had just become too much for her. It was so much easier to just be on her own. No attachments meant - no hurt. “I’m fine.” She grumbled irritably – gracing her friend with her best scowl. “I amcompletely content with my life. Thank you very much!”
“Oh, come on Abigail!” Kat bit out, glaring right back at her. “You are one of the best people I know, and you deserve to be happy. Yet, you just continue to hide yourself away and wallow in your loneliness.”
“I am not lonely!” Abby snapped, her eyes blazing. “And I am not wallowing in anything!”
“Really? Well, that is definitely not how I see it. Honey, you need to kick up your heels a bit - and that man was about the finest specimen of the male gender that I have probably ever seen,” she continued – her voice softening a bit. “And, Abs, he was so totally into you. You have to move on for God’s sake. He’s not Eric. Not all men are sadistic assholes.”
Abby grimaced at the mention of her ex-boyfriend. She had worked extremely hard the past year to erase that abusive bastard from her life and her mind. Even though they had only been together for a little over four months, the damage he had done to her mentally and physically remained, and she caught herself touching the tiny scar under her chin with her finger. No! She silently reprimanded herself. She was not going there.
She had purged him from her life and had accepted the fact that she was better off alone. Dating had never been her thing anyway, and she had accepted that. She was a complete jerk-off magnet – and she had discovered the hard way that it was best just to stay away from men in general. Love was all an illusion anyway - Abby thought with a grunt. Men said all the right things until they got what they wanted from you – then all bets were off. Eric had painfully proven that. Before she could say anything else, Abby felt a hand on her arm and her body tensed -a creepy chill running up her spine.
She turned her attention to the man standing at the bar and inwardly cringed as he blatantly looked her up and down with a hunger that did nothing to reduce Abby’s unease. He was a thin, scruffy guy with dirty brown hair and eyes that looked… almost black - and intense in a way that caused her to immediately stiffen. “Hello, my lovely,” he purred, his voice guttural and raspy.
Abby pulled her arm from his grasp just as a blinding headache hit her full on – almost knocking her to her knees. Holy hell, she thought, bringing her fingers to her temples as she winced in pain. Just where in the hell had this come from? She looked at Kat, her face set in a grimace. “Kat, could you help this gentleman,” she choked out. “I think I might need to go home. I seem to be getting a migraine.”
“Oh, sure,” Kat said, quickly glancing at the man standing there. Her smile faded as she watched him look at her - then back to Abby. He was looking her friend up and down as if she were on the damn menu, and it caused Kat to grow extremely uncomfortable. “Go on, get out of here,” she whispered, ushering Abby toward the back room. “I’ll take care of this jerk. You just go on home and get some rest.” She pushed her through the door and turned back to the bar - realizing with a deep feeling of dread that he was gone.
Abby grabbed her purse and walked out of the back door and into the alley beside the bar. She took a deep calming breath and closed her eyes, inhaling the fresh air deeply. As soon as she got outside, her headache began to subside and she thought about going back in and finishing her shift, but the creepy guy at the bar convinced her that she should just go home, take a couple of aspirin and go to bed. Tonight had been one hell of a doozy! First, tall dark and gorgeous – then Freddy freaking Krueger!
BUY LINKS: Amazon | BN
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
For her first novella, Ms. Kuncytes has created a fast-paced story that nicely combines intense sexual interludes, likable characters, an intriguing storyline, flashes of much-appreciated humor, and a cast of secondary characters that
even though they're of the paranormal variety are easy to relate to. Though some aspects of the storyline are predictable I still enjoyed the author's writing style and recommend this series starter.
Abby starts off as a very independant woman. She appears quite capable of taking care of herself but really just wants to live her life on her own. Unfortunately her life soon takes a dramatic turn where she must rely on another to keep her safe after the night she's attacked by a demon. This leads her to an unexpected world that's been hiding in plain sight and introduces her to an intriguing mix of paranormal creatures. As she gets closer to the mysterious Desmond who saved her she becomes a bit less independant and a bit more clingy towards Desmond. Thus begins their emotional back and forth where they want each other but don't want to admit it. As she's fighting to keep alive and deal with her attraction to Desmond she's also learning the truth about herself and others that provides a nice twist to the story.
Desmond is your typical vampire.....sexy and brooding and I found myself drooling over him just like Abby. He's a predator not afraid to shed and drain the blood of an enemy but charming and romantic nonetheless. He's been keeping a close eye on Abby but must get even closer on the night she's attacked by a demon. He's attracted to her from the start and being so close to her brings out his possessive side. He acts irrational at times but these newfound feelings she causes him are hard for him to deal with. He brings her into his inner-circle of fellow paranormal creatures to keep her safe and you slowly see her integration into their unconventional family. There's also unrelenting sexual tension surrounding him and Abby and I enjoyed the progression of their relationship into even more intense encounters even as it frustrated me. Desmond and his friends will do anything to keep her safe and it all comes to a head in an extremely quick yet satisfying conclusion.
Ms. Kuncytes has created an entertaining story that has some predictable moments but also a few satisfying twists and turns and a unique spin on traditional vampire myths. The romance is steamy and heartwrenching at times but ultimately culminates in a HEA. There's quite a bit of head hopping which allows the reader to get a better understanding of the character's hearts and minds. There's a delightful assortment of secondary characters that have me excited for the future, especially Luke who's Desmond's werewolf best friend. He's sexy and funny and loyal to those he cares about. Abby's friend Kat is also entertaining and just as loyal as Luke and I have high hopes for them and the continuation of this series. Fans of the paranormal will find much to like about this book even if they've seen some of it before.
My rating for this is a B.
*I received this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
Darlene Kuncytes was born and raised in Northeast Ohio. She has enjoyed writing ever since she can remember, and has always had a love for romance.
"A Vampire's Saving Embrace" is her first novella, of what will hopefully be many more. She has always loved the supernatural with a touch of suspense - not to mention the allure of finding one's soul mate.
She loves hearing from her fans- so be sure to drop her a line.
She loves hearing from her fans- so be sure to drop her a line.
**********GIVEAWAY**********
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks for sharing your post and the giveaway. I love vampire books and this one sounds great.
ReplyDelete