Flight into Fantasy

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!

OMG!

There are some exciting things coming down the pike this week. I’ll be posting my first ever author interview and random reader contest! Yes, there will be fabulous prizes! (Actually, there will be *a* fabulous prize, because, sadly, we at blog headquarters are cheap, being a mere poor college student. We also have delusions of grandeur, hence the royal plural.

Anyway, more news regarding the author interview and contest as it happens, so watch this space.

I don’t know how some hbloggers manage to write completely new content every day that people actually want to read. This is not a gift that I have, although apparently one of my professors copped to actually reading my blog, which was only freaky in the sense that now he knows I have a taste for m/m/f threesome porn, which is not necessarily one of the facts that generally gets trotted out during the typical teacher/student relationship. I also know I need to get over myself, because at least blogging for several years has taught me to not put stuff out there that could cause real embarrassment. The fact that I read M/M/F romances is something I’m not embarrassed to admit publicly the way, say, I’d be embarrassed to cop to any postings I might make while drunk. (For the record, I don’t think such things exist, because I don’t drink all that often.)

Anyway, for those keeping track of my latest bout of Paraguayan Death Flu, I seem to be over it for the most part. My throat is still sore, and I still have a horrendous cough, but fortunately for y’all, and for Sallie Mae, who will eventually be collecting my immortal soul, I’m not about to die.

In other news, I got CD’s in the mail today. The one playing right now is from The Very Girls, who are a couple of Dutch chicks living in Texas who produce some exquisite two-part harmonies. This is just an awesome, mellow, feel-good CD and I lurve it.

In other other news, my goal is to get a review for Demon Night up tomorrow, because it officially releases on Tuesday, and so I want to give Meljean all the buz I can, even if, like, nobody who wouldn’t already buy the book reads this blog. I also found out today that one of the first ebook authors I eever discovered, Dakota Cassidy has a book coming out this month. I want that one, too!