Kiss of Midnight by Lara Adrian

(MIDNIGHT BREED, #1)
PARANORMAL ROMANCE

He watches her from across the crowded dance club, a sensual black-haired stranger who stirs Gabrielle Maxwell’s deepest fantasies. But nothing about this night—or this man—is what it seems. For when Gabrielle witnesses a murder outside the club, reality shifts into something dark and deadly. In that shattering instant she is thrust into a realm she never knew existed—a realm where vampires stalk the shadows and a blood war is set to ignite.

Lucan Thorne despises the violence carried out by his lawless brethren. A vampire himself, Lucan is a Breed warrior, sworn to protect his kind—and the unwitting humans existing alongside them—from the mounting threat of the Rogues. Lucan cannot risk binding himself to a mortal woman, but when Gabrielle is targeted by his enemies, he has no choice but to bring her into the dark underworld he commands.

Here, in the arms of the Breed’s formidable leader, Gabrielle will confront an extraordinary destiny of danger, seduction, and the darkest pleasures of all. . .

“ You just promised me eternity, you know. I can make you live to regret it.”

I don’t have the best track record with Paranormal Romance novels – this is why.

It’s not a horrible story or anything, and if Paranormal Romance is your gig, you should enjoy it. For me, though, the reasons I don’t care for the genre shined through, spoiling the better possibilities the book contained.

Gabrielle and Lucian are struck by instalove and instalust to a degree – it’s one of those ‘ in the stars ‘ things. Like the Carpathian novels sort of, but to a less obsessive degree, when the vampire mates with a ‘breedmate’, then it’s for life. But unlike the Carpathian novels, here they can dissever the relationship, they can survive the loss of a fallen mate, and they can choose the mate by their own will.

Lucian fought tooth and nails not to succumb to Gabrielle – he is one of the ancient warriors who wants to keep dedicating his life, his focus, on his mission to rid the world of the dreaded vampires who have turned and taint his kind. He lives amongst others of his race who vow to do the same – some bonded with mates, some not – and their mission is pretty simple, straight and clear, black and white plainness.

Gabrielle is likeable enough, although a bit daring with her escapades, but I dug her. Lucian had a hotness appeal but didn’t push my actual buttons for some reason. He was serious and no humor. The story had a good background, there were twists and turns and a surprising betrayal at the end that was emotional and well-written.

Even if the book carries clichés of the genre, the author writes her words well, dishes out good dialogue, and obviously has passion about the world she’s creating. While similar to some PNR series, it’s NOT a rip-off, the world standing on its own creative feet.

The two-star rating is explained that, in spite of the good qualities mentioned above, there is too much steam I didn’t care about because the attraction is too instant without interesting complexity. There are twists but a degree of predictability and familiar ground I didn’t want to walk again.