Quote-Tastic & Review: Aden and Unforgiven by D.B. Reynolds

Publisher: ImaJinn Books-
Series: Vampires in America #7
Format Read: eGalley
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Challenges: NetGalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge   
Release Date: November 26, 2013
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | ARe* | Barnes & Noble | 
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

She was seeking revenge. What she found was a vampire who swept her into the darkest depths of passion.

Chicago, Illinois... the windy city. Home to football greats, dinosaurs named Sue, and, when the sun goes down... powerful vampires battling for the right to rule the city and beyond.

Born into slavery, Aden is one of the most powerful vampires in North America, waging war on others of his kind in a struggle to become the next Lord of the Midwest. But in the midst of the deadliest fight of his long life, the ghosts of his past have come back to haunt him. Slavery still exists, and Aden is hellbent on destroying it and the vampires who profit from it.

Sidonie Reid is an investigative reporter in pursuit of the biggest story of her career, until that story costs the life of a friend and Sid realizes she has to do much more than write about it. Intent on bringing down the vampires and their slave network, Sid gains entry to the highest levels of vampire society, where she finds herself confronting the raw sexuality that is Aden.

Caught up in a dark passion that neither can resist, Aden and Sidonie join forces, determined to defeat the old regime and everything it stands for. The dangers are beyond calculation, but the ultimate reward is worth the risk. If they survive.

Bea's Thoughts:

A tortured hero, a driven heroine, a hot contemporary issue, and a coming war; "Aden" has no lack of material. There's a hot romance and forward motion in the overall story arc war amongst the vampires. 

Sidonie is driven to stop the local slavery ring and when she finds links to the local vampires she goes underground to make contact. But the local vampire lord is deceased and a new lord hasn't arisen. Aden is the most likely contender to win the fight to rule so Sid makes contact. There's immediate attraction but Sid resists Aden's arrogant and demanding behavior. The romance follows her usual pattern: a rich, sexy, sensual vampire who pursues the brave, feisty, independent, gorgeous human woman.

Also usual, there's a threat, but several this time. Aden has to fight off challengers to win his title as Midwest lord while both he and Sidonie are looking for the vampires behind the slavery ring. There's treachery, hot sex (lots of it) with some light BDSM, vampire politics, and romance. It's standard Reynolds fare but I particularly enjoyed the politics and machinations as well as the flashbacks to Aden's life as a human. The story kept me reading, wanting to see the romance unfold and what would happen next. I enjoyed it so much that I went right into reading the next story, a novella, "Unforgiven", review below.

******* 

Publisher: ImaJinn Books
Series: Vampires in America #7.5
Format Read: Kindle book
Source: purchased 
Release Date: October 10, 2014
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble | 
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

A Cyn & Raphael Novella

ALLEGIANCE . . . the ties that bind. Friendship, duty, blood.
TREACHERY . . . when friendship is abused, duty turns to burden, and blood is not enough.
UNFORGIVEN . . . because there are some things that can never be forgotten.

Allegiance . . . Treachery . . . Unforgiven.

War is imminent, and a spy has infiltrated Raphael’s estate. But his target is not Raphael; it’s his sister, Alexandra, whose earlier duplicity nearly cost Cyn her life. Raphael and Cyn are determined to play the spy’s game, traveling to Mexico to discover who their enemy is and just how far he’ll go to win. But once Raphael finds his sister, can he take the chance that she won’t betray him again?

Bea's Thoughts:

Raphael and Cyn! The original and reigning couple of the Vampires in America series. A spy has infiltrated Raphael's ranks. Will Raphael ferret out the spy? Will he and Cyn survive the trap waiting for them? The European vampires make a move on the American vampires and Raphael is quick to respond.

There's a lot action despite the short length and we get a nice peak at Rafe and Cyn's relationship. Reynolds spares us angst but shows how strong they are as a couple. We also get a glimpse of Juro and Luci, Cyn's friend. I'd love to see more Juro and maybe someday he'll get s story of his own.

There's humor, romance, sex, action, and suspense. I loved seeing more of Raphael and Cyn and seeing the overall story arc move forward. This is a must for fans. If you're new to the series, go back and start with book one. You definitely need to read this series in forward.

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This is from "Unforgiven". Raphael and Cyn are prepping for battle and debating whether or not she should accompany him. It sums up their relationship quite well.

Cyn sighed. "I'm tired of this Raphael. Every time we turn around, someone's trying to kill you."

At that, Raphael stopped what he was doing and turned fully to wrap his arms around her. "I'm sorry, lubimaya." I'll understand if you want to leave-"

Cyn stiffened in his arms before raising both hands to shove him away. He actually stumbled back a step which told her she'd caught him completely off-guard. 

"Don't you dare finish that sentence," she hissed angrily, slapping away his hands when he reached for her. "What the f**k, Raphael? Is that what you think of me, that I'd run at the first sign of-"

"It's hardly the first, my Cyn, as you pointed out. It's been one thing after another since we met."

"Then maybe it's you who should be running," she practically shouted. "Maybe I'm the bad luck charm. Is that what this is really about? You pretend it's all about me getting away from you, when really it's you who wants away from-"  

"Stop." Raphael put enough power into the command that Cyn's words froze unspoken in her throat. Eyes flashing, he grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "My love for you is the single burning truth of my life. If I am to go down in this fight, I would have you by my side and nowhere else, your face the last thing I see. But I would understand-"

"You don't understand anything," Cyn whispered through the tears streaming down her face. "If you think for one second that I'd leave you, you don't understand anything."

"Lubimaya," Raphael murmured, pulling her into his embrace. "I forget sometimes that my mate is a warrior, a woman who will stand with me instead of behind me."

Cyn pounded a fist against his chest, but he only held her tighter.