As someone who's been following this series from the very beginning I'm thrilled to see John and Vincent and their complex relationship once again. Keep reading to get a glimpse of Love’s Last Bite by Viki Lyn and Vina Grey, the third installment in the Orbus Arcana series, along with my impressions of this book. Learn even more about this book by visiting the other blogs hosting this tour and make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $15 bookstore GC too.
VINCENT KAMATEROS is no longer the lonely exiled vampire running a cupcake shop, but the heir to his father’s throne.
JOHN REEDER is out and accepts his vampire lover, but he has to deal with his lover being destined to rule the vampire kingdom.
While Vince and John revel in their newfound love, dark forces are at work in Orbus Arcana, determined to keep the progressive Vince from becoming the next vampire king.
Time is short and decisions loom. Their irrevocable choices will change their lives forever.
EXCERPT:
The boat swiftly sailed toward the open sea. John stood on the deck discussing the merits of using a certain knot with the Captain. He loved to discuss sailing with just about anyone, but he was having a difficult time after the shit that Vincent just threw at him.
Jesus. H. Christ.
King Vincent.
Or would he go by King Kamateros? His stomach revolted. This was not in the plan, not really.
Sucking in sea-tinged air, his shoulders drooped as weariness settled over him. Turning, he spied Vincent leaning on the railing, a glass of wine held between two elegant fingers. The man was beautiful.
Vincent stared into the distance. With his bronzed skin, taut lean muscles and his hair blowing back in the sea breeze, he looked so damn good. Sometimes he wished Vincent kept his emotions shielded. Even from a distance, he sensed Vincent’s stress. A strange sensation when this happened, a faint tremor passed over John’s heart. His poor lover was as worried and upset as he was. This had to be hard on him, too. As much as Vincent touted his right to rule, there had to be a side of him that desired a normal life. A life they had right at this moment.
A life that was about to be shattered.
John politely excused himself and headed for the starboard. He’d better talk with Vincent. Soothe his worry that John would ever consider leaving him.
Jesus. H. Christ.
King Vincent.
Or would he go by King Kamateros? His stomach revolted. This was not in the plan, not really.
Sucking in sea-tinged air, his shoulders drooped as weariness settled over him. Turning, he spied Vincent leaning on the railing, a glass of wine held between two elegant fingers. The man was beautiful.
Vincent stared into the distance. With his bronzed skin, taut lean muscles and his hair blowing back in the sea breeze, he looked so damn good. Sometimes he wished Vincent kept his emotions shielded. Even from a distance, he sensed Vincent’s stress. A strange sensation when this happened, a faint tremor passed over John’s heart. His poor lover was as worried and upset as he was. This had to be hard on him, too. As much as Vincent touted his right to rule, there had to be a side of him that desired a normal life. A life they had right at this moment.
A life that was about to be shattered.
John politely excused himself and headed for the starboard. He’d better talk with Vincent. Soothe his worry that John would ever consider leaving him.
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
Just when life seemed to be calming for vampire heir Vincent and human John, the vampire world intervenes once again as Vincent's life continues to be in jeopardy from an unknown villain. Family's also causing problems as a human for a life-mate is seen as a weakness in the vampire world which could put Vincent's reinstatement as heir in jeopardy. For John, coming out is as awful as he expected which leaves a group of vampires his family in name as he slowly gains their admiration through his loyalty to, and support of, Vincent. Their romance continues to sizzle in numerous sexual interludes and just a few misunderstandings as they're both willing to talk through their issues. While Vincent shows utmost calmness and wears his dominance like a cloak, John is the one to show his emotions more with a tendency to jump to conclusions before being the voice of reason. They may appear to be different but together they're a formidable team who got put through the wringer and came out stronger because of it.
While I enjoyed watching Vincent and John's relationship flourish, and take a dramatic turn, I was more drawn to the unrequited connection between the flamboyant Angelo and the stoic Jude Mikhail. Angelo desperately wants to commit himself to one person but fears of future headed towards insanity because of his gift have him holding back. He refuses to get close to anyone for fear they'll follow him into death, so he continues to be the playboy, but the longing for more is always there. JM is drawn to Angelo against his better judgement as he brings energy and humor to his quiet existence. His vows are also holding him back but Angelo's promise of eventually getting JM in bed points towards an intense and sensual battle on the horizon which has me excited for more books in this series.
This was an entertaining story that mostly took place in the glamorous and glitzy vampire world, with all its pomp and circumstance. These characters are compelling, and John's recent decision promises big changes ahead. Though this story went on a bit too long with a conclusion too quickly wrapped up, I still enjoyed the ride. My enjoyment mostly stemmed from Angelo and JM and a complicated relationship that has me clamoring for more. Their connection brought a smile to my face as Angelo is larger than life and can always be counted on to provide much-needed humor and I enjoyed the flashes of humor JM expressed when he let his guard down around Angelo. Though this story ends with a definitive conclusion there's still some stories left to tell. So here's hoping Ms. Lyn and Ms. Grey return us to this emotionally conflicted world soon!
My rating for this is a B.
*I got this book from the authors for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR'S INFO:
An introvert and artist with a healthy dose of skepticism about life and love =Viki. An extrovert and academic and a die-hard romantic =Vina. It was so not a match made in heaven. But Viki and Vina discovered a mutual love of traveling around the world, the paranormal, good coffee, and a healthy admiration for their respective creativity. Sitting in a coffee shop one day, they started brainstorming about story plots and Vince and John and the car crash in the bakery. A story was born. Vina writes the sappy romance and Viki tempers it. Between them, they managed to find their boys a ‘happily ever after’.
VIKI'S WEBSITE: http://www.vikilyn.com
VIKI'S BLOG: http://www.vikilyn.com/blog
VIKI'S TWITTER FEED: http://www.twitter.com/
VIKI'S FACEBOOK PAGE: http://www.facebook.com/
VINA'S WEBSITE: http://vinagrey.wordpress.
VINA'S FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/
VINA'S TWITTER FEED: https://twitter.com/
**********GIVEAWAY**********
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Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the excerpt and the review.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI had to delete the above comment since I had to many typos! I'm still on my first cup of coffee. Slept in this morning! Thank you for hosting us today! And for the review. Angelo indeed is going to have his own story. :) He quickly became one of my fav secondary characters but now needs to move front and center. And of course John and Vince will be there to egg him on or cause him no end of trouble. After all, for all the teasing Angelo dumped on them! :)
ReplyDeleteNo worries on typos.... I'm not grading you...LOL! Thanks for stopping by and for the low down on Angelo and JM! I ADORE them together! So much angst! Is the wait going to be too torturous?
DeleteThe Scarf Princess
Hey Jody...not too torturous. If I didn't think Viki would kill me for committing us to a date while we are still negotiating schedules between us, I'd say August. But let me just say....think changing leaves, fall colors....
DeleteCheers,
Vina (ducking for cover)
I THINK I can make it to Fall..... I'll just make up my own Angelo/JM stories until then......
DeleteThe Scarf Princess
And I see another one...too many typos! Ahem. Good thing we have a proof editor! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting and for visiting, folks. Now, though I started out loving Angelo (and I still do), my heart is totally captured by Jude Mikhail. He's a tormented soul in some ways and I am loving, loving, loving developing his character. When he drops his guard as our reviewer said, he's not only kinda funny but oh-so-romantic!!!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Vina
I'm assuming this is the first book in the series? Thanks for the review with the two interesting relationships in one book to look forward to reading.
ReplyDeleteJbst,
DeleteThis is actually the third installment in the series. Here are my reviews for the books....
FIRST INSTALLMENT
SECOND INSTALLMENT
Hopefully you'll read this series soon as it's an entertaining and sexy journey!
The Scarf Princess
I enjoyed the post and it was great to read a review too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post. I enjoyed the review!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading the excerpt. Thank you for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteI love the excerpt! This series is on the top of my TBR. :D
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the new release! I wasn't aware that the book was out and stumbled on this site. Great site by the way! Love this series.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Julie and for your kind words! Good luck in the giveaway!
DeleteThe Scarf Princess
Great cover too.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the review, thank you for giving your impressions.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the excerpt and the review. I did a search and found that I had purchased For The Bite Of It last year but had slipped through the cracks! I need to start with that one as soon as possible!
ReplyDelete