ETERNAL EMBRACE - Ann Lory

Eternal, Book 1
Loose Id - www.loose-id.com
ISBN: 978-1-59632-352-0
November 2006
Erotic Paranormal Romance

San Francisco, California - Present Day

As Cassandra "Cassie" Stephens pulls in front of the magnificent house of Dimitri Alexios, she marvels at its beauty. No wonder Mr. Harper, Cassie's boss at the San Francisco Museum, is thrilled that Mr. Alexios wishes to donate some of his priceless artifacts for a showing. Yet the beauty of the house pales in comparison to the darkly handsome Dimitri, as Cassie feels herself responding to the simple touches and glances he affords her. Cassie can sense that there is something different about Dimitri, but she chalks it up to his love of privacy, and though they share a kiss that rocks her world, Dimitri seems to pull further and further away from her. What is the dark secret that he keeps from her?

For over five hundred years, Dimitri Alexios has lived a solitary existence as a vampire, feeding only when necessary and never taking too much from a mortal. All the emotions he thought dead inside of him come hurtling back to the surface once Cassie enters his domain. Dimitri hasn't wanted to touch a woman in love for a long, long time, yet now that's all he can think about with Cassie. To love a vampire, though, is a doomed existence, and Dimitri does everything he can maintain a safe distance from her. But how can he when she brings such joy and comfort to his life?

Dimitri's fears for Cassie's emotional state will have to be put on the back-burner though once Gabriella, the vampiress who sired Dimitri, finds out about Cassie. Gabriella is a vindictive woman who is not about to share her toys with anyone, let alone a mortal. Can Dimitri trust Cassie to still love him after she learns the truth about him?

Even though there are a few stumbling blocks along the way, Ann Lory's ETERNAL EMBRACE is still a good read. One of the problems is that the conflict switches gears in the middle of the book. At first, readers believe that the only obstacle these two lovers have to overcome is Dimitri's immortality. But then all of the sudden, here comes Gabriella, who hasn't been mentioned at all except in vague flashbacks, and she's out for blood...literally and figuratively. I felt that this was a way to bring another character into the running, Dimitri's fellow vampire Jacques, who will have his own story. The dialogue between Cassie and Dimitri can be a bit choppy at times too, but it all smoothes out before the end. Despite those minor issues, Cassie and Dimitri will have many rooting for their relationship to be successful.

There's a secondary love story between Jacques and Cassie's best friend, Kelly, which is left hanging at the end of ETERNAL EMBRACE. But like I said, readers don't have to wait too long since ETERNAL OBSESSION will be out soon. So if hunky vampires who are into doing good are your thing, then Ann Lory's latest will be right up your alley!

Courtney Michelle