ceridwenanne's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.25
This was one of the glut of vampire urban fantasy from the early 2000s, but the grown up, non-toxic version. Good for a long car ride.
kimfy2023's review
5.0
I came across this book by accident. It took me a while to get into it but once I got into it, I was hooked. Complex characters, a feisty heroine and an interesting and credible take on vampires. I ended up reading the entire series more than once and will surely read it again. I highly recommend it particularly if you like Patricia Briggs, Ilona Andrews and Faith Hunter.
laurenjodi's review against another edition
4.0
A Hidden Fire
4 Stars
A solid beginning to what will hopefully turn out to be a captivating series.
The pacing is slow at the outset possibly due to the detail put into the world building and characterization. Nevertheless, the story and romance build gradually toward an exciting climax.
There are obvious shades of Twilight in the plot, however, the tone is definitely more adult and Giovanni is more reminiscent of Saloman in Marie Treanor's Awakened by Blood series although he is less intense and enigmatic.
Beatrice is an intelligent and engaging heroine but not as proactive as I would have liked. She is too accepting of circumstances that require more spunk and tenacity. Hopefully she will grow into her potential as the series progresses.
The historical background is fascinating and smoothly interwoven into the plot, and the secondary characters are a highlight - especially Carwyn the sarcastic priest and Caspar the take no nonsense butler. The villain is also suitably smarmy.
In sum, a well written and engrossing tale and I look forward to continuing the series.
4 Stars
A solid beginning to what will hopefully turn out to be a captivating series.
The pacing is slow at the outset possibly due to the detail put into the world building and characterization. Nevertheless, the story and romance build gradually toward an exciting climax.
There are obvious shades of Twilight in the plot, however, the tone is definitely more adult and Giovanni is more reminiscent of Saloman in Marie Treanor's Awakened by Blood series although he is less intense and enigmatic.
Beatrice is an intelligent and engaging heroine but not as proactive as I would have liked. She is too accepting of circumstances that require more spunk and tenacity. Hopefully she will grow into her potential as the series progresses.
The historical background is fascinating and smoothly interwoven into the plot, and the secondary characters are a highlight - especially Carwyn the sarcastic priest and Caspar the take no nonsense butler. The villain is also suitably smarmy.
In sum, a well written and engrossing tale and I look forward to continuing the series.
kathryn14's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
5.0
This book, like Gio, never gets old for me
10/10
10/10
cupcakesrawesom's review against another edition
5.0
This book was amazing!!! I absolutely loved it!! There were many twists and turns and some heart break at some point, I cant wait to read book 2!
vmars314's review
5.0
I loved it!!! Could not put it down. The chemistry is great between Beatrice and Gio and I love Gio's friend Carwyn!! Vampire, librarian, and a centuries old mystery/conflict. I can't wait to read the rest of the series and see where everything leads!
Update 8/7/22: Narration wasn't great because the narrator's accents were pretty bad, but not so bad that I had to stop listening. For first time readers I would reccomend reading the book instead of listening to it.
Update 8/7/22: Narration wasn't great because the narrator's accents were pretty bad, but not so bad that I had to stop listening. For first time readers I would reccomend reading the book instead of listening to it.
verbalhaven's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
kellylibrarian's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
marymisk's review against another edition
2.0
It was ok but I won't continue reading it. Seemed like nothing happened for at least 70% of the book. If you are looking for any steam, this book does not have it. A little making out and that's it. I had heard it was a slow burn romance, which I love, but this just seemed to lack chemistry. I also felt like Gio treated B like a child. Granted, she's much younger than him but still an adult.
Spoiler
I don't like the ending at all. There is a bonus chapter at the end where she leaves town and doesn't see him for 5 years and is with somebody else and then Gio suddenly shows up. I didn't like that in terms of a plot shift. I'm sure the author did it to age B but still...snarkymotherreader's review against another edition
5.0
I apparently purchased this book in 2013 and never read it. I'm now kicking myself - fiercely - for doing so.
There is so much to love about this book!! Let me count the ways in which I adore it...
1) The feel of the story was similar to The Mummy (the Brendan Fraser version not Boris Karloff original). Not the storyline itself but the FEEL of the story. There's a charming female Librarian and a dashing hero, and they spend the entirety of the book trying to uncover an ancient mystery. It was glorious!
2) The slow burn was on point. This novel is NOT smut, so don't go into it expecting that. It's a true, romantic slow burn that is way sexier than constant bumping and grinding.
3) Character building and dialogue were center stage throughout the entire novel. There wasn't a single time where I found myself wondering over paragraphs, bored by the exposition. Every detail was written to intrigue the reader and propel the story forward.
4) Doctor Vecchio. ::swoon:: At first, it cracked me up that his last name was literally "old" in Italian, but the character made up for the odd choice. He had both the brooding AND charismatic traits we love in our heroes and never pulled the insta-love cliched nonsense that is so prevalent in romance novels.
Fans of intellectual romance novels with humor, sizzle, and intrigue should pick up this book NOW and be prepared to devour the entire series!
There is so much to love about this book!! Let me count the ways in which I adore it...
1) The feel of the story was similar to The Mummy (the Brendan Fraser version not Boris Karloff original). Not the storyline itself but the FEEL of the story. There's a charming female Librarian and a dashing hero, and they spend the entirety of the book trying to uncover an ancient mystery. It was glorious!
2) The slow burn was on point. This novel is NOT smut, so don't go into it expecting that. It's a true, romantic slow burn that is way sexier than constant bumping and grinding.
3) Character building and dialogue were center stage throughout the entire novel. There wasn't a single time where I found myself wondering over paragraphs, bored by the exposition. Every detail was written to intrigue the reader and propel the story forward.
4) Doctor Vecchio. ::swoon:: At first, it cracked me up that his last name was literally "old" in Italian, but the character made up for the odd choice. He had both the brooding AND charismatic traits we love in our heroes and never pulled the insta-love cliched nonsense that is so prevalent in romance novels.
Fans of intellectual romance novels with humor, sizzle, and intrigue should pick up this book NOW and be prepared to devour the entire series!