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pamgodwin's review
5.0
**This is a review of the trilogy as a whole.**
Forget Twilight. This series is one of the best hidden treasures amidst a genre of brooding passive-aggressive vampires. In this densely carnal, twisted take on fey, vampire, and otherworld magic, the heroine Valerie shines beneath the crushing weight of her love for two heroes. Jack, her childhood friend turned vampire hunter, is committed to keeping things platonically frustrating. Lucas, the 1600 year old vampire king, is complicated by his cold abstention of emotion. Each book in this series is infused with a deliberate pace that proves instrumental in establishing and perpetuating what I love most about this story: the dark tone and fantastical atmosphere. From book 1 to book 3, it is dreary, heartfelt, vengeful, and imaginative, without any tacked-on erotica or desperate cliches. The world building is masterful, the writing equally so. CH tortures you before handing over Valerie's hard-earned forbidden love, and while the third book concludes with a HEA epilogue, intriguing questions remain. A promise of another book, separate from the trilogy.
Forget Twilight. This series is one of the best hidden treasures amidst a genre of brooding passive-aggressive vampires. In this densely carnal, twisted take on fey, vampire, and otherworld magic, the heroine Valerie shines beneath the crushing weight of her love for two heroes. Jack, her childhood friend turned vampire hunter, is committed to keeping things platonically frustrating. Lucas, the 1600 year old vampire king, is complicated by his cold abstention of emotion. Each book in this series is infused with a deliberate pace that proves instrumental in establishing and perpetuating what I love most about this story: the dark tone and fantastical atmosphere. From book 1 to book 3, it is dreary, heartfelt, vengeful, and imaginative, without any tacked-on erotica or desperate cliches. The world building is masterful, the writing equally so. CH tortures you before handing over Valerie's hard-earned forbidden love, and while the third book concludes with a HEA epilogue, intriguing questions remain. A promise of another book, separate from the trilogy.
jenniferx's review
3.0
No real memory of reading this series, but Amazon & Goodreads say I did. Feel no need to reread it.
bookwife's review
2.0
I enjoyed the first book but the second book didn't do it for me. I hate the Rachel character. I also hate jacks character. Well let me rephrase. I hate reading their POVs. He loves Val so much but goes to Rachel. If I hadn't read his POV maybe I wouldn't have hated him so much. But I can't think of another book of the top of my head where I have like HATED a character.. Like characters are jackasses sometimes but I am so worked up about jack and Rachel that I won't be able to read the third book for awhile...
aquietreality's review
4.0
I just love the series! Val is a great character, the plot is gripping and I cannot wait for the next installment. I am certain that Val isn't going to be so easily manipulated by the males next time 'round. I was not a huge fan of the way the first person narrative sometimes jumped between characters, finding it jarring sometimes. But overall, a great read!
hazyclear's review
5.0
This book was amazing and I think I enjoyed it more than the first one. There are some steamy scenes that leave you breathless, and dying to find someone like Lucas. The character's are more fleshed out in this book and I felt like I understood Lucas and also Jack better. Jack and Lucas both do some really stupid things, and I wonder how things will turn out in the next book. There are a lot of unanswered questions at the end of the book and it left my wishing the next book was out. To forwarn readers, the ending is a cliffhanger.
bodebeabay's review
3.0
[b:Love is Fear|13042238|Love is Fear (Valerie Dearborn, #2)|Caroline Hanson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1394316019s/13042238.jpg|18206357] (Valerie Dearborn, #2) by [a:Caroline Hanson|5167134|Caroline Hanson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1363889597p2/5167134.jpg] is an Adult Paranormal/Suspense Romance.
I read the 1st book in this series a long time ago. I remembered wanting to read more of the series when I ran into in my public library. Unfortunately it did not measure up to my memory. The main character, Valerie Dearborn, needs to be spanked and grow up. She changes her mind with how the wind blows. She gets angry at the drop of a pin. She does the most idiotic things and she is the most self-centered, egotistical character in the story. Trust me, that is saying a lot. Cause there is a lot of ego, testosterone ridden males and self-centered characters in this story.
Like the heroine, the story itself seems to change its mind with the direction of the wind.
I sincerely doubt I will read book # 3. After reading book 2, I just don't care what happens to Valerie anymore.
I read the 1st book in this series a long time ago. I remembered wanting to read more of the series when I ran into in my public library. Unfortunately it did not measure up to my memory. The main character, Valerie Dearborn, needs to be spanked and grow up. She changes her mind with how the wind blows. She gets angry at the drop of a pin. She does the most idiotic things and she is the most self-centered, egotistical character in the story. Trust me, that is saying a lot. Cause there is a lot of ego, testosterone ridden males and self-centered characters in this story.
Like the heroine, the story itself seems to change its mind with the direction of the wind.
I sincerely doubt I will read book # 3. After reading book 2, I just don't care what happens to Valerie anymore.
shelovestoread81's review
5.0
HOLY SH^^%%&*&(*&(&! I did not see this end coming at all with her losing both of the guys and getting made into the Fey Queen. (at least that is what I think will happen) I re-read the last 5 pages to make sure that what I read was correct. OMG!! I am so hanging on a cliff to see what happens it is crazy.
After re-reading this Val was wanting too much from both of the guys so I understand why Jack picked Rachel .
After re-reading this Val was wanting too much from both of the guys so I understand why Jack picked Rachel .
tee_m's review
2.0
There are no heroes in this book. All the characters were monsters or incredibly stupid, or my personal favorite, both!
The main character Valerie was a complete moron who was basically being passed around between monsters because she was too weak to know her own mind, protect herself of even decide which guy she likes better. It was disgusting. She was perpetually helpless, whiny, and indecisive. She knew nothing of what she was and did absolutely nothing to find out about her own powers or confirm anything Lucas told her. Just to top it off, she was constantly the victim. Jack’s victim. Rachel’s victim. Lucas’ victim.
Valerie’s audacity to blame Lucas for keeping secrets about what an empath is, when she didn’t bother asking him or trying to find out what she was, was wild to me. She was just as badly to blame.
To say the book was frustrating, repetitive, and eye-roll inducing would be putting things mildly.
Lucas should have a sign over his head that says “cruel and conflicted but also quite foolish.”
Rachel and Jack:
The main character Valerie was a complete moron who was basically being passed around between monsters because she was too weak to know her own mind, protect herself of even decide which guy she likes better. It was disgusting. She was perpetually helpless, whiny, and indecisive. She knew nothing of what she was and did absolutely nothing to find out about her own powers or confirm anything Lucas told her. Just to top it off, she was constantly the victim. Jack’s victim. Rachel’s victim. Lucas’ victim.
Valerie’s audacity to blame Lucas for keeping secrets about what an empath is, when she didn’t bother asking him or trying to find out what she was, was wild to me. She was just as badly to blame.
To say the book was frustrating, repetitive, and eye-roll inducing would be putting things mildly.
Lucas should have a sign over his head that says “cruel and conflicted but also quite foolish.”
Rachel and Jack:
bookwifereviews's review
2.0
I enjoyed the first book but the second book didn't do it for me. I hate the Rachel character. I also hate jacks character. Well let me rephrase. I hate reading their POVs. He loves Val so much but goes to Rachel. If I hadn't read his POV maybe I wouldn't have hated him so much. But I can't think of another book of the top of my head where I have like HATED a character.. Like characters are jackasses sometimes but I am so worked up about jack and Rachel that I won't be able to read the third book for awhile...
mcummings's review
5.0
This second installment in the series has a lot more depth to the story than the first. There are more high points(hot sex and more worldbuilding) and low points(darker storyline and more murder/mayhem). I read someone else's review who said they felt sorry for the characters, and I totally agree. In book one I totally wanted to be Valerie, but in book two I'm happy I'm not but cannot wait to see where her story leads.
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