Author: Larissa Ione
Date of Publication: September 24th, 2013
Formats Available: Paperback, E-book
Buy This Book : Amazon
Synopsis: A WOMAN OUT FOR BLOOD
Nicole Martin was only eight years old when the vampire slaves rose up in rebellion and killed her family. Now she devotes her life to finding a vaccine against vampirism, hoping to wipe out her memories—along with every bloodsucker on the planet. But there’s one thing she cannot destroy: her searing, undeniable attraction for the one man she should hate and fear the most . . .
A VAMPIRE OUT FOR REVENGE
A member of the renegade vampire MoonBound Clan, Riker is haunted by demons of his own. When he recognizes Nicole and remembers how her family enslaved his loved ones, his heart burns for vengeance. But when he kidnaps Nicole and holds her in a secret lair, his mortal enemy becomes his soul obsession, his greatest temptation, and, perhaps, his only salvation—a hot-blooded lover who could heal him with her touch . . . or bury him forever.
My Review:
This is my first book by Larissa Ione and despite the numerous reviews telling me not to start with this book, since it's not her best, I ignored them all on continued on anyway. I'm so glad I did! Bound by Night completely blew my expectations out of the water, if this is what Ione is like when she's not 100% I have a feeling I'm going to absolutely ADORE her when she is. This novel is a fast paced ride jumping between a scorching romance and a plot full of heart stopping action.
The first book of the MoonBound Vampire series was the absolute perfect blend of action and romance. I've never been a huge fan of novels that focus so heavily on the romance that there is no other plot, but Bound By Night did a great job of including the swoon worthy romance we all know and love, but at the same time giving the novel a strong enough plot to keep me interested. Nichole's hatred for vampires made for a fascinating story line and I really enjoyed the idea of vampires becoming slaves. So often in paranormal novels vampires hold places of power but in this novel the opposite is true, making for a captivating and original world.
Not only was the plot fantastic but I loved the interactions between characters. Ione did a wonderful job creating a cast of characters with not just unique personalities but unique ways of interacting with each other. I loved watching not only Nichole and Riker interacting with each other but Nichole with Grant and Lucy and Riker with Hunter and Myne. The diverse personalities and back stories made each character stand out but their common goals bonded them all together. By the end of the novel I couldn't help but feel a connection to each of the characters (but really... who couldn't love Lucy!) and now I can't wait for the next book because I have a feeling I know who it's going to be about and I can't wait to see how that all pans out!
The romance between Riker and Nichole was beautifully executed, from their initial hatred of each other to the sexy scenes in between. One of the things I loved most about the romance was the pacing. If there is one thing I hate, its romance novels where the characters meet and have sex 30 pages later. Instead of succumbing to an instant love connection I really enjoyed watching Riker and Nichole slowly realize their feelings for each other and begin understand more about the other. I'm a strong believer that the slower a romance moves in the beginning the more powerful it is later on and Ione demonstrated that perfectly. By the end of the novel there was no doubt in my mind that Riker and Nichole loved each other and I supported them every step of the way.
Despite a lot of back and forth reviews on this one I would highly recommend Bound by Night! All the wonderful things about this novel far outweighed the few weaker points and I can't wait to read more by Larissa Ione!
5/5
*I received a copy of this novel from the author/publisher/publicist via Netgalley in exchange for a free and honest review and received no monetary compensation for this review.
Interesting that you loved it even though it's not supposed to be her best book. I haven't read this author yet either - maybe I should start with this one. :-)
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I’ve nominated you for the Liebster Award! Hope you accept! You can find my questions at 2 Bookaholics
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a great book, I'm surprised how many people said it wasn't her best. If this was her at her worst I'm sure she's amazing at her best!
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