Kiss of Crimson (The Midnight Breed, Book 2)

Dell - Dell

Release date: 2007-05-29
Mass Market Paperback
Author: Lara Adrian
American Light Romantic Fiction, Fiction, Fiction - Romance, Romance: Modern, Fiction / Romance / General, Romance - General, Romance - Fantasy, Romance - Gothic

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Kiss of Crimson (The Midnight Breed, Book 2)

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I've LOVED all 4 books so far in this series. I cannot wait for the 5th book to come out. The "hero" of the book tends to be the "strong silent" type, with the twist of being a genetic "vampire". He's got his issues he's got to work through. But he's a fantastic guy. And the heroines are just as fabulous. They're HUMAN! They're not some charicature, some damsel in distress that must be rescued by the hero. These are strong, thinking, creative, powerful women in their own right. They're not afraid to be strong, they're a little afraid of the "unusual" gifts they each have, but once they learn to use that gift they realize it truly IS a gift. The women also tend to have their issues, they're not "perfect".... Again, they feel human because of their strengths and weaknesses. The characters seem like folks you could truly enjoy being around.

Most especially I'm loving the fact that while the guys are strong, assertive types, they're not controling of the woman character. And yet, as strong and assertive as the women are themselves, they're not afraid to GIVE UP control to the hero, however temporarily, when they know that he may be better able to handle a situation. (Hey, the guys ARE vamps! They DO have a little more physical strength than even your strongest human woman!) And, when the woman gives that control to the guy characters, even temporarily, not once in any of these stories do you see the guy get off on having control over her, or abusing his power.

Would that we had men like this in OUR world. Or, that they happened along a little more frequently.

Fantastic books. I strongly recommend to any woman who loves a strong, alpha male, but prides herself on being a strong, healthy female who isn't afraid to admit she likes a good erotic romance novel now and again. I wish more erotics novels were this good.

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Kiss of Crimson (The Midnight Breed, Book 2)

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Kiss of Crimson started right up on the action even though it takes place a few months after Lucan and Gabrielle in Book 1. Dante is out patrolling when he stumbles into a Rogue that doesn't react to titanium the way they normally do. The Rogue fights like an animal and Dante has a hard time taking him out when several other Rogues show up at the scene and blow up the dock. Dante barely escapes into the river and crawls upshore badly injured. He pulls himself into a vetrinary clinic needing to feed and finds Tess Culver alone. He tries to convince her that she's safe and she doesn't put up much of a fight through the feeding but stabs him with a syringe once he's closed the wound on her neck and he's realized that she has the mark of a Breedmate. The syringe knocks him out for a few minutes -- long enough for Tess to call a friend who gets worried and calls the police. Dante isn't out for long and has to scrub her memories so that he'll have time to properly explain things to her later. Obviously a beautiful start to a wonderful relationship

Dante heads back to the compound thinking that there's no way his night could possibly get worse when an agent from the Darkhaven comes by with unexpected news about vanishing teenage vampires and a new drug on the club scene that causes Bloodlust in the teens that take it. Those teens eventually become Rogue which would allow for Lucan's brother Marek to practically manufacture Rogue soldiers for his cause. Agent Chase Sterling wants to help the Order stop whoever is dealing in this drug and bring back the missing teenagers and Lucan has assigned Dante to babysit him.

The plot continues to complicate when Dante can't stop thinking about Tess and shows up at an art show just to see her. Tess has the gift of healing (even among the Breed) although before she met Dante she had sworn never to use her "curse" again. She uses her gift to heal a dog that Dante brought to her (to get closer to her, sneaky guy) and sort of helps Dante to fight off the death visions he's been having all his life. Also through a little digging Dante finds out that one of Tess' best friends is not only the dealer of the drug Crimson but also the man who created and pharms the drug. Agent Chase Sterling also has his own agenda and is looking for his nephew among the missing drug users to impress his widowed sister-in-law.

Eventually Dante and Chase catch Tess' friend Ben (the drug dealer that Tess didn't really know about) but Chase lets him go and then Ben gets kidnapped by Marek's minions. Tess was walking by Ben's apartment and Rogues set upon her and nearly killed her with their feeding. Dante goes berserk and pretty much takes out all the Rogues present before deciding that only his blood can heal her. This would complete the Breedmate process something that Dante had been reluctant to do without explaining the ramifications to her or even asking her permission.

Tess did go a little crazy when she realized what had happened and left the compound in broad daylight. Dante is felled by the same death vision he's had all his life but he realizes that it is not HIS death he sees, but Tess' and Dante realizes he can't just let her go to face her possible death. So Dante goes out in broad daylight with Agent Chase and Niko to save her and gets badly burned in the process. It's after this that Tess realizes that no matter what Dante inherently is he still loves her.

The story is more complicated and dramatic than the first and even our heroine Tess seems to be a stronger character than Gabrielle ever was. Tess' whole history and her overcoming her demons automatically make her a more realistic and courageous woman.

I believe the next one has to do with Tegan and Elise, which makes me wonder what is going to happen with Agent Chase (who had fancied Elise). I guess I'll have to read and see...