2.5 stars

This probably going to be the last Amber Kell story I buy. She had 300 pages and squandered them on writing the same things she writes in her short stories: overbearing alpha male boyfriend who makes the decision for both of the characters that they're going to be in a relationship (whether the MC wishes it or no) and that the alpha male is going to pay for all the bills, etc., that the MC has accrued for whatever reason and will soon be drowning in, and that the MCs will bond by the end of the story whether there's a true relationship going on or not. Also, the alpha jerk makes the unanimous decision that he will decided whether Quentin's new job as a bounty hunter is good for him or not and whether the contracts he takes on are too dangerous.

I like Quentin. I like Quentin's mom. I like that they have a very strong relationship with each other. However, Quentin's mom is dying of a very aggressive cancer and nothing the doctors do is making much of a dent in stopping it. Her chances are extremely slim.

Here is a chance for something called character growth, because it would have been interesting to see how Quentin becomes truly independent for the first time in his life and how his potential vampire mate would have helped him overcome the grief of losing a loved one. Instead, Kell decided to go the easy route by giving the character an out by having his mother turned into a vampire, thereby missing a great opportunity for the challenge for her writing to grow and the character to experience one of life's truths. Yes, if you're asking whether I felt cheated at this point, I do feel cheated.

Also, the lack of true relationship building between the two MCs is so frustrating that I don't know where to start. Just because a vampire knows who his one and only will ever be does not mean the other person should not get a say in the how that relationship develops. The vampire can say "I only want to make my mate happy" all he wants, but the fact still remains that he's taken Quentin's choice away from him, something Quentin tells the jerk toward the middle of the book, but by that point Quentin's thinking processes are so muddled by hormones and lust, he's not thinking properly anymore. Thus we get the not in any way romantic lurve scene - after several obligatory interruptions - and absolutely no evidence that other than lust there's anything to recommend these two people to each other, much less the audience. >sigh ( )

Not bad, not good

I finished it, which says it wasn't horrible. Could use with a good edit. Story moves way to fast to not feel like a sort of fan fiction piece. Insta attraction, acceptance cause he's sexy, easy answers... ( )