Review: Demon Night by Meljean Brook

Title: Demon Night
Author: Meljean Brook
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Grade: A
Reason for Reading: Because I’ve read the rest of this series, and I won an ARC under the condition that I review it before the release day. Which is what I have done, since the book releases tomorrow.

Synopsis: Charlie Newcomb worked hard to get her life back together. But all that is shaken when she’s set upon by three vampires desperate to transform her beauty into something evil. Because Charlie is the vital link to something they want—and need. It’s Charlie’s flesh and blood sister, a medical scientist whose knowledge could be invaluable to the predators.

But to get to her, they must first get to Charlie, now under the intimate protection of Ethan McCabe. As her Guardian, Ethan is attracted to her vulnerabilities—as well as her strengths. The closer he gets, the more protecting her becomes not just his duty, but his desire. But will it be enough to save Charlie when the demon night falls?

My Thoughts: This book is by far and away my favorite book in the series. Yet again, Brook manages to draw some interesting, complex people against a backdrop of a truly interesting setting. The plot was interesting, and the romance is definitely one of the best I’ve read in a while.

Charlie definitely gives Lilith of the first book a run for her money with regard to Meljean Brook heroines. She’s not the same kind of kick-ass woman that Lilith is, but I liked her a lot. She’s obviously gone to the school of hard knocks, which has shaped her and made her a strong person. I loved that she knew her strengths and her weaknesses, and did her best to compensate for her own weaknesses. I got the sense that she definitely would have been OK if Ethan hadn’t wandered into her life, but that she definitely needed him and he completed her.

Ethan was wonderful. I admit to a love for cowboys, and Westerns in general, and I loved that that was Ethan’s background. Plus, he was just all-around deliciously sexy. I loved that he was attracted to and loved Charlie and came to realize this a lot sooner than Charlie did. And I loved the fact that he was willing to do whatever he could to provide for her. And the two of them together? Freaking hot. They also talk to each other, and about deep, meaningful subjects, which is something I don’t see happening in too many books.

I especially liked that the issue of dependency was raised in this book. Often, the relationships in paranormal romances leave me feeling like there’s some definite codependence issues going on with the characters, so it was refreshing that Charlie needed exactly the opposite. She wouldn’t have dealt well with a “Mine! Mate!” sort of alpha male, and I liked that about her.

The non-romance aspects of the plot were great, too. Mostly they worked for me because I got them all the first time. The world didn’t need to be set up quite so much, which meant it was easy to just relax into the story.

I loved this contribution to the Guardians universe, and I’m thrilled that I got to read an early copy. I can’t wait to see what else Meljean Brook has to offer in the near future!