After reading the novella set in the same universe, I immediately purchased the author’s full-length novel. And while I enjoyed it for what it was, a paranormal romance with plenty of erotic moments, I wasn’t as blown away as I was by my first experience with Rice’s writing. 

I thoroughly enjoyed all of the characters, from the main three to each of the supporting cast. This story also took the “paranormal” concept and added an interesting little spin — the main hero and heroine are 100 percent human, and they are both experiencing the supernatural elements of this world together. However, though the supernatural gave Emily a bit of a nudge regarding her life, I think the relationship would have developed without the external influence. All the magic did was push along a bit of character development.

My largest quibble is the uneven tone. Moments of inappropriate levity that didn’t fit the atmosphere the author had created. I think I’d happily read another book with these exact characters, but I’d rather it be a straight romantic thriller rather than the paranormal romance of this tale. Mashing in the paranormal gave me the impression of a cross-over fanfiction story rather than a wholly developed world, especially since very few answers about the not-quite-human characters are answered.

Rating: 3.5 (out of 5) stars. Cross-posted to Amazon and Goodreads.