everafter
Posted by Editor Alexandra Wolfe | Filed under Book reviews
Title: EVERAFTER
Author: Nell Stark & Trinity Tam
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, 2009
ISBN 10: 1-60282-119-4
ISBN 13: 978-1-60282-119-4
Rated: 4 Stars
Genre: Paranormal Romance
How far would you go to save your lover’s soul?
When medical student Valentine Darrow is bitten by a Vampire on her way home to propose to her lover, Alexa Newland, her life becomes a nightmare. She is consumed—both by a craving for human blood, and by an obsession to find her attacker and bring him to justice. Alexa is determined to be everything that Valentine needs, but when Val’s appetite outstrips Alexa’s ability to nourish her, Alexa risks her life to save her lover.
Will Valentine be able to control her thirst—for blood and for vengeance? And can Valentine and Alexa’s relationship endure against seemingly impossible odds?
Stark and Tam have managed to scare the bejesus out of me in their highly skilled effort to introduce Valentine and Alexa, two professional students, who are thrust into the forbidden realm of Vampires and Were’s. The violent act of Valentine’s turning and the progressive changes that take place, puts the bite in the creepy word Vampiric. Deeply in love the two struggles to find the balance between making love and controlling the changes taking place that allow Valentine to dominate her human partner in body and blood.
“The mere thought of drinking from her made my throat ache more fiercely than it ever had. But I would hurt her.”
Alexa, the soul mate to her now blood drinking, immortal lover, fights to make sure she is keeping Valentine from spiraling into the recesses of guilt and depression in a nightmare she has no control over and has been forced to enter. Alexa becomes the provider for her mate, giving blood and strength and that binding need that only Valentine and she share. With extraordinary courage and brains Alexa finds a partial solution to some of thier challenges.
“I’ve done some research and I think I can feed Val indefinitely if I…”
Meanwhile the plot thickens with both women seeking the vampire that started this life-changing event, and the man who continues to attack others without remorse. A vampire guild and Were guild are examined and the age old question of how is it accomplished, and can it really be true that Vampires and other creatures are in existence, is more than answered.
I have to say the concepts of Vampires and Werewolves being true just creeps me out and I am not a fan of horror or creepiness in my books. I like a nice romance or science fiction story with action and magic. But the writing is superb, the characters believable, the plot strong, and although this is written in first person, first from Valentine then switching to Alexa, it was well done. I have to give these authors kudos and I’m sure this is the perfect read for an October release.
REVIEWED BY JEANNE NICHOLAS
Tags: bold strokes books, nell stark, paranormal romance, trinity tam, vampires
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