| Title | : | Dance in the Dark (Dance with the Devil, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781620047521 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | ebook |
| Number of Pages | : | 350 |
| Publication | : | First published July 26, 2011 |
An adult now, he is the cold, beautiful Johnnie Desrosiers, and spends his days translating old grimoires and solving mysteries. Then his friend Rostislav asks his help in solving a mystery that proves simple enough, but leads Johnnie down a path that reveals mysteries about his life he was never meant to solve…
Dance in the Dark (Dance with the Devil, #2) Reviews
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The first thing I want to say is before reading this book, I'd advise reading
Dance with the Devil. Trust me when I say while this might be a standalone, you'll kick yourself later for not reading that one first. I haven't even read it yet and I'm already regretting not reading Dance With the Devil before Dance in the Dark. However, you can read
Midnight either before or after these two because they really aren't related except for in the world building.
With that said, I really loved this book. It was easy for me to dive right in and stay there. I actually had trouble putting the book down. I loved the world surrounding the vampires and how other creatures were sporadically thrown in. The hierarchy of the creatures was fascinating but at times the vampires hierarchy was a bit confusing but that never stopped me from enjoying the story.
I have to say Johnnie and are probably one of my favorite couples. Johnnie is just so cold and snappy. More than once he was praised for acting more like a vampire should at twenty-six than a full-bloodied vampire did at one hundred and twenty-six. I found that highly amusing. He has the snotty, trust-fund baby attitude down to a tee and I honestly couldn't get enough of it. The love interest is the exact opposite of Johnnie. He has a more laid back attitude and takes things as they come. While they clash against each other, they make a perfect couple. Their easy banter and bickering just proved to me that they both have strong feelings for the other. I will say that I figured out who the mystery man that seduces Johnnie is right from the start
Aside from the characters what I loved about this book were the little mysteries in each chapter. They were simple mysteries but the style in which the book was written is different and that appealed to me a lot. There is a big mystery that stretches almost the whole book but it's kind of in the background and pretty much connects all the smaller mysteries together.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's a fun and easy read that'll draw you right in. I liked the connection between the characters and the little mysteries were extremely engaging. I wouldn't be opposed to reading more about this world and this couple. Definitely recommended. -
4.4 stars
Hours after I finished this last night (it's early morning when I wrote this) and I am still awed with this story. I understand now how Megan Derr gathered a great number of fans -- especially those loving fantasy stories ...
This is what story is all about -- it's about a moving plot, a "story" to told, and great characters. Megan Derr doesn't decorate the story with gimmicks (a numerous sex scenes, for example) -- what she offers is a carefully constructed plot. I, as a reader, is given a piece of puzzle one at a time, until I'm able to see the bigger picture, and all I can say is that I'm blown away by the sheer genius of it. To understand who Johnnie Goodnight really is, the secret behind his heritage, and how all the cases are connected. Until I come to that part of "AHA! So THAT is what the story is all about!"
Johnnie as a character is engaging. He is an adopted son of a Dracula, who takes Johnnie under his wing because the Dracula's wife was the one killed Johnnie's biological parents. All his life, Johnnie struggles to find a place to belong -- abnormals sneer at him, normals afraid of his family's reputation. I enjoy reading his journey of meeting friends who don't care about who he is -- the people in the bar, Bremen, that Johnnie ends up buying as a silent partner to the barman, Peyton Blue (another cast off, a lone wolf). It's wonderful to read how Johnnie finally opens up and sees how important he is to his Dracula's father.
Then there's the romance -- how clever that one is as well. Johnnie has been in love with his adopted vampire brother, Elam. But Elam will never seen him more as someone to be worthy to him. Then, one night, Johnnie has been captured by passion in the dark, with a creature he only knows as Eros. But Eros doesn't let Johnnie see him under the light, and Johnnie feels like a lover that has to be kept secret. I never think that what Johnnie feels for Eros is love ...
His feeling for Bergrin, on the other hand, is that one flourished wonderfully. Bergrin, the guard assigned to him by his father, someone to protect Johnnie (and of course, it annoyes Johnnie to no end) against threats that might come his way. I love their banters (classic!). The part where Bergrin almost asks Johnnie to dance is beautiful. Their short separation heartbreaking (). Their reunion a joy.
If I have complains (and what stops me from giving this a 4.5 or 5 stars) is that the beginning is rather slow-paced for me to enjoy. I know that it is needed to orchestrate the story; but at the same time it reduces my enjoyment of getting into it.
Nevertheless, it's an amazing tale and I would definitely read more from Megan Derr
PS: It will help to read
Dance with the Devil first, because one of the cases there actually relates to this one, which again, explains everything ... -
This is the best
Megan Derr book I have read so far and I now understand why she has such an enthusiastic fan base.
Dance in the Dark is supposedly the sequel to
Dance with the Devil but apart from the setting the characters are completely different as is the writing style.
Johnnie is a human child raised by a Vampire Lord after his parents were killed. Although he has no magic himself he has taken on all the personality traits of a Vampire and is haughty and detached. He is also very clever, having devoted himself to the study of abnormal beings and magic. He begins to chafe at his cloistered life in the vampire household so sets himself up in a pub in the seedy side of town and starts to use his intelligence to help others solve their problems. Johnnie has been infatuated with his cold, vampire stepbrother for many years but when he moves to the inn a phantom lover begins to visit him at night.
This tale is absolutely magical and the love affair is brilliant. I desperately needed to know who 'Eros' was with the same passion that I once needed to know if Bella would choose Edward or Jacob! By about halfway through the book I guessed but the journey for Johnnie to find out who he really loves is entrancing. Johnnie's world is peopled with wondrous magical beings, enchanted artifacts and ancient curses. It's almost like Harry Potter for adults. He takes on different cases but they eventually coalesce into solving the mystery of his own birth and what happened to his parents. I didn't want this story to end. Highly recommended. -
It was an interesting story, quite unique.
It was a fascinating story. Johnny's story is so extraordinary. A man adopted by a vampire master and raised in a supernatural world. Johnny has adapted so well to the world he grew up in that many people find it hard to believe that he is not a vampire himself. And yet he does not fully belong to any of the worlds, he is too unusual to belong to the world of humans, and at the same time too human to belong to the world of the abnormals. This is a very interesting idea and I think the author used it very well.
From the beginning, I predicted who Johnny’s secret lover might be, so I wasn't surprised by the answer to this mystery. I had a little hope that it would happen sooner and they would have more time to together tackle the problems Johnny had to deal with. But at least the author did not make us wait until the end of this story.
I don't like short stories and this form in this book did not worked for me very well either. The cases Johnny was working on were interesting, and I liked the fact that it took Johnny's good judgment to solve them. It's good that many of them were related in some way or contributed to the progress of the main plot. It made it easier for me to bear the fact that Johnny was not working on one case but on many of them.
I hadn't read the first book in this series, but it wasn't a problem. I have met many interesting characters in this one, including the main characters from the first book. I liked them all, so I will probably read the first book in this series and the next ones.
Overall it was a nice story with interesting characters and some really good ideas. -
I really liked this book especially because it was so different from any other book I have read. Each chapter was a case file for a fairy tale related mystery that Johnnie, the MC, tasked himself to solve. The little mysteries then tied in to the overall mystery of the book. I found them very entertaining and interesting and liked trying to figure out how the resolution would unfold.
The romance was subtle and I really liked the intrigue of Eros (the mystery lover who would only come to Johnnie with the cover of darkness). I didn't like Eros at all until I started suspecting who he really was. Then I fell in love with him, too! The story is mostly a paranormal mystery, so don't expect a hot and heavy romance because it has very little steam.
I would have given this 5 stars but I was too easily confused with all the complexities and the details of the mysteries and the book was just too easy for me to put down. I wasn't obsessed with finishing it even though it was very well written. Almost every question I could think of was explained by the end. -
I loved how each chapter was its own little mystery along with the overall mysteriousness of the whole book. It was fun trying to guess what was what and just a fun read overall.
I mostly liked the characters so that was good. It is hard to say much more than that without adding spoilers.
So I am giving four stars because it was fun and engaging to read but IMO it failed in the romance area -
It just wasn't my cuppa.
First mistake was listening to this book. I don't enjoy Paul Morey as a narrator. Second, I prefer my stories to be romance first, and mystery as a side dish to the main entree. This story was mystery with a side salad of romance. I don't enjoy mysteries so this book was just a bad fit for me.
Johnnie was adopted by Dracula after Dracula's wife murdered Johnnie's parents. Johnnie was a human so his father hired a bodyguard to protect him from the supernaturals that may seek to harm him in order to get to Dracula.
Johnnie is more Dracula in mannerisms, but at the end of the day he is mortal human. Johnnie yearned to distinguish himself as more than human and more than Dracula's son, so he became an investigator of supernatural happenings.
When Johnnie's friend asks him to investigate a pair of missing shoes, Johnnie is introduced to a mysterious supernatural. He doesn't know this person's name but they end up having a sexual encounter. Johnnie now has to also figure out whom his lover is.
I never connected with Johnnie and I had a suspicion of whom "Eros" was. So that mystery wasn't so suspenseful for me. I just didn't enjoy this story but I have decide that it must be the writing. This is my third Megan Derr book and I don't believe I've ever rated her story above a 2-star. -
This is one of those books that is so good it has that perennial re-readability that puts it over the top of awesome. I know that if I only have twenty minutes and need something that will satisfy I can sit down and read the scene where they yell at each other, finally realize their love and (a few scenes later) make up. Or many other scenes. Johnny is so endearingly proper and Bergrin is so hopelessly in love. This is a book that only gets better each time you read it and can discover clues of that which is not revealed to the end, making the characters become deeper and richer. But it is not just over the top sap. It has snark and laugh out loud moments and the world building is rich and layered. This is one of my favorite Megan Derr universes. So yah I could keep going for a bit but I think that might be enough. 5 stars. =)
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3,5 stars
"You make everything difficult, Johnnie"
And that'd be all there is to it if fairytales weren't real. Just ask an abnormal historian!
Dance in the Dark is a sweet romance with aspoiled brata detective who's got a strong personality, a good intricate mystery and a great historical -wink wink - background. -
❤️ 4.5 Stars!
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A Lovely Read~
Meet Johnnie son of Dracula' yummy , yum, yum!
What Loved...♥
>>>I loved Johnnie he has a big heart & is just captivating,
>>>I loved Johnnie's mate...it's a secret and I won't tell.
>>>I loved Dracula, he had such a perfect persona.
>>>I loved Sable & Chris's appearance .
>>>I loved the Dream Plane.
This one is truly a lovely read! -
*4.5 rounded to 5*
Review to come... -
One of the best book I read in my life.. no I'm not exaggerating, and I will tell why, point by point
This is almost an standalone, but at the same time it isn't. You don't have to read the previous book of the series
Dance with the Devil to understand everything, but it will help a lot! Why? The stories were closely entwined, but you may not even notice it. So yes, you can read it and after read the (superb) first book of this series.
About this book
Welcome to Johnnie's world!
An orphan child, adopted by a powerful Dracula named Ontoniel (P.S: in vampire hierarchy Dracula is the vampire that control a certain zone, and all vampires living in his area).
He can and will never be a vampire, but he certainly look like one. Proud, obsessed by his looks, unbelievable beautiful, arrogant... Johnnie is the best vampire... but he is not.
All the story is from his point of view, so you may miss he is Proud and kind, obsessed by his looks but ignorant of his charm, unbelievable beautiful but incapable to see his effect on others, normal or abnormals, arrogant but self-deprecating... Johnnie is the personification of the contradiction.
and maybe... just maybe... he is much more than he think he is...
The plot resemble the first book of the series
Johnnie is not a PI because he desperately need money (as Chris, the narrator of
Dance with the Devil). Johnnie love a mystery, something to put all his knowledge in practice. His suits and shoes is not his only obsession... books are too. He know everything about abnormals (supernatural creatures)! It was his way to fit, growing with a Dracula as a father. His world is a place were humans are inferior creatures, and he know it... when his father announce his brother (true son of the Dracula, Elam) will get married Johnnie decide it's time to have his own live... and maybe, help others, solving intriguing mysteries.
It's also a romance but I WILL NOT say a word about it. Immediately you will know something supernatural is following Johnnie. I will not say more... and you WILL love to try to solve this mystery. It's a mystery inside a detective story, but it's YOU that must discover who or what is that creature... because Johnnie will be trying to solve other mysteries, and it will not be his priority.
I love this book, and in my modest opinion it's the best of the series
Up to now I read 3 books,
#1
Dance with the Devil
#2
Dance in the Dark (this review)
#3
Midnight
While I adored the first, with Chris and all his collaborators, and liked a lot the third, with the brave Devlin and his sweet draugr Midnight, I was truly obsessed with Johnnie. Maybe because he is weak, but powerful, or maybe because he is lonely and seeking the love of his family. Or his rituals of dressing (love them all, each one described perfectly). I don't know exactly what, or if there is just ONE thing that made me love him so much... I think it's all... his weakness... and the most strong character of the series IMO.
Johnnie oh Johnnie... I'm truly obsessed by you!
5 stars -
4-4.5 stars – Wonderful paranormal romance about Johnnie, a human raised in a vampire family, who has a habit of mystery-solving, and thankfully also has a stubborn bodyguard watching his back since cases seem to grow more dangerous than he thought.
This book is #2 in Derr’s
Dance with the Devil series, but it’s not necessary to read the first book since this one focuses on different MCs. (I recommend it though since #1 is also a good read, and some of those characters pop up here, so it's fun to see them again.)
Like in #1, the structure of this book is made of different “cases” to solve. Johnnie is 26 and beautiful and quite grumpy that he is human and “normal” and will never fit in to the elite abnormal world around him. In love with his adopted brother (who cares less for normal human bothersome Johnnie), he moves out of his protected family estate (against his adopted vampire father’s wishes) and moves in above a sketchy dive bar. There he finds that his reputation of puzzle solving has become quite famous, and various clients stumble into the bar seeking his help.
Unlike in book #1, this story is told in chronological order (whereas the cases in the first book were from different time periods, past, present, future, past again, etc.) I really enjoyed the first book, but I also liked the change here, and I felt that this story resembled more of a novel rather than a combination of shorter related stories that contributed to a whole. I also like that this book focuses solely on Johnnie whereas the first book focused on PI Chris, but also had some side trips with his colleagues.
I loved Johnnie, haughty, very entitled, but kind-hearted, who tried so hard to remain cool and composed, but was also startlingly vulnerable due to his fear of not fitting in or not being good enough. And I totally loved Bergin, Johnnie’s bodyguard and eventual partner-in-crime who is like a rough-and-tumble fire to Johnnie’s cool, controlled facade.
I also loved that, behind all the mystery-solving, this was a growing love story, but Derr added a nice mystery to that as Johnnie found himself pulled in two different directions--one towards his shadowy lover Eros, and one towards his daytime savior that forever gets on his nerves. The building tension is very delicious. I figured things out before Johnnie did, but I totally dug the journey to his enlightenment.
But not only was there this great romance, but also this side tender story about Johnnie and his father, and how family can be built, and not just born. It was sweet and meaningful.
I think it needs one more round of copy edits since there were a few typos/missing words, but overall, I thought it was a great, addicting read, and I think Derr did an excellent job of balancing the story, the mystery, the characters, and the love.
Out of the two books, I think this one is my favorite so far, but I did really enjoy book 1, so if you like paranormal elements mixed in with mysteries with your m/m romance, I highly recommend these two books. (And I’m very much looking forward to book 3,
Midnight.) -
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.0
The second installment in the
Dance with the Devil series is Johnnie Goodnight’s tale. Johnnie was orphaned at the age of nine when his parents were killed by a blood-crazed vampire. The husband of the murdering vampire took pity on Johnnie, adopted him, and lovingly raised him as his son. As the human son of the Dracula Desrosiers, Johnnie led a life of privilege but always felt like an outsider living in the vampire world.
This book follows a similar format as
Dance with the Devil insofar it consists of a compilation of cases. Unlike
Dance with the Devil (which I recommend you read first), however, this book progresses chronologically. Johnnie’s investigation leads him to encounter a secret night-time lover whom he calls Eros. Johnnie’s affair with Eros is counterpoint to his daytime interaction with Bergrin and his other companions (regulars at Bremen, the pub Johnnie invests in and lives above).
I loved the secondary characters in this book, especially Bergrin and his family. I also LOVED Ontoniel! His propensity for love and the courage he had in bucking tradition to do what he felt was right is hero material in my book! I thought the mystery Johnnie was desperately trying to solve was riveting. So why the rating? Johnnie. While Ontoniel was made of the right stuff, his adopted son was not. I didn’t care for Johnnie’s character. He’s a pompous, ungrateful, spoiled brat and I did not find him charming in the least. His frequent pity parties were pathetic and grated on my last nerve. He had so much to be thankful for but rather than appreciate all of his blessings, he constantly focused on what he perceived as not having and was incredibly bitter. Bleh. So NOT heroic.
Bottom line: Another foray into the entertaining world created by Megan Derr. This book was not as good as the first but nonetheless worthwhile if you can ignore the pompous ass of a protagonist.
6/20/2017 ETA: I enjoyed Johnnie's character more this time around. Yes he's a pompous ass and a bit of a diva but he truly grew on me. 4.5 (4.0) stars -
What would happen if HC Andersen, Oscar Wilde, and JR Rawling write a book together? I think the result would not be far from this amazing book.
The setting is the same world as Dancing with the Devil, but much later time. In fact, characters from that book (SB, Chris, Phil, Zach, and Doug) appear here.
It's a book about family, class-difference, all kind of 'abnormal creatures', and of course, about love between two men. -
4.5 stars
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It bothered me a bit that Zach now suddenly has an Irish accent when it was American in the first book, but other than that I enjoyed it.
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"What do you want?"
"To be with you in hell," came the reply.
Intrigued now, though he knew he should be frightened or at least angry, he gave the next spoken line of the poem. "It would seem your words/Bode neither of us any good."
A hand cupped his chin, the man's thumb rubbing along his lip again. "Tell me how men kiss you. Tell me how you kiss."
I must've read the blurb wrong for I expected hot vampires and lots of blood drinking but instead I got demons, alchemists, sorcerers... you name it. Eww!! I hate fantasy so it came as a surprise when I found myself totally engrossed with the story. And I mean totally, as in WTF? I've been reading for six hours straight. I'm supposed to be studying!
The mysteries that Johnny has to solve are short, fun and all of them are related to fairy tales. At first I had trouble with him because he was a conceited, arrogant brat, but thankfully the author knows what a round character is. Then there's the mysterious man and Bergrin. Those two are reason enough to read the book *grin* -
"To stop a werewolf, get a witch/
To stop a witch, get a sorcerer/
To stop a sorcerer, get a vampire/
To stop a vampire, get a dragon/
To stop a dragon, get a demon/
To stop a demon, get another demon."
"Death doesn't scare me. Death will never scare me. The only thing that scares me is you."
Johnnie was... pratty and annoying. Which made him strangely adorable. And for an observant man, continiously compared to Sherlock Holmes, he is strangely unobservant when it comes to himself and his. Stubborn, yet charming.
(I'm still LOL-ing at the name, despite the fact that I SHOULD HAVE GUESSED. :D) was no less stubborn and acting stupid. So they are actually perfect for each other.
I loved the Chris and Sable cameo, and the Phil and Zach ones. -
I had a small quibble that the answer to the mysteries was sometimes in some strange paranormal rule that we hadn't been told about beforehand, but this didn't detract at all from the tremendous fun I had reading this book. Johnnie was adorable and the development of the relationship was sweet and perfectly paced.
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Great book, a mix of mystery, magic, love and a dose of Harry Potter for adults;)
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3.5 Stars I liked this one more than the first probably because at least in this one the short stories were told in order so it was a lot easier to follow and get to know the characters better. Johnnie is a hard character to like in the first part of the book. He's cold, aloof, arrogant and even a bit pretentious. I wasn't sure if I was going to warm up to him but once Bergrin really entered the story I began to really like him and to see another side of him. I also really like the relationship between Johnnie and his adopted father. The story also has some fun and entertaining secondary characters (the bar friends). I wasn't a fan of all the quotes that Johnnie kept using and it seemed as if this book couldn't make up mind whether it was more historical or contemporary and at times it felt more historical but with things like cell phones it obviously wasn't.
Each short story/chapter is a little mystery that Johnnie is solving but eventually they do tie into the main plot which I really enjoyed. We get to see the characters from the first book which was nice as well. It's definitely different and the writing style takes some getting used to but I will continue this series. -
"Better to dance in the dark than be devoured by it."
UPDATE AFTER 2018 RE-READ - Enjoyed it more the second time, enough to bump to almost 4.5 stars instead of 4. After re-reading the first book before this one, I can still say the same - the second is much better with story fluidity and by following the natural order of events. Despite this being a m/m series, I'm all for a hetero romance book involving Ontoniel (sp?) and Phil - what cute possibilities, and she definitely needs a romance since it seems like everyone else is developing one. Johnnie and G-man are hilarious and comforting and just filled with sparks - wicked times, loved the realistic feel of their feelings, the wedding scenes, the mysteries thrown in and the ending. I do wish I could read another book through the same POV and see more of their story, but sadly....
ORIGINAL REVIEW AFTER 2016 READ BELOW
Cold, beautiful Johnnie Desrosiers has led a sheltered and pampered life since being adopted by the husband of a demented vamp wife who slaughtered his parents. Yes, really. He is in love with adopted brother (Yes, really), but they hate each other too. Feeling left out and lesser for being an ordinary human, he ventures out on his own (a little) and starts doing some investigative work. He runs into trouble, makes a few friends, but keeps getting strange visits in the middle of the night by a wanton, unknown creature in the dark.
The formatting isn't as off-putting as the first in the series, which was told through a mess of short stories out of order. That's true evil to do to a reader. Dance in the Dark has the crunch of a short story with sometimes abrupt change, but thank goodness it's IN ORDER and it follows a natural progression of storyline, interest, development and outright love/lust stuff.
Johnnie isn't perfect but he grew on me. At first he was even too cold for ME to latch on to, not just a façade, but he becomes a likable sort later. Sort of someone you have to discover and know to actually warm up to. Bergrin and the rest of the gang at the bar are top-notch 'friend' characters who add needed personality to the story. I also dug the weird bond Johnnie has with his adoptive, powerful father. Interesting dynamics at play.
“Perhaps love was worth any and all sacrifice, but that love was of no comfort to those who were sacrificed.”
The short stories are all mysteries of their own, but the tales tie into the main story eventually. Yes, we get some revisiting for the fun characters of the first book too.
The author writes well and I love her developing relationship here - it's authentic and true. She doesn't use plot gimmicks like too much sex to drown a potential plot - most of the bedroom stuff is hot but kept very brief and minimal. I will say I wish she'd stop rushing through the first experiences, because those really come across to me as the important stuff in developing relationships. Besides that though, can't complain on Johnnie's love life. Even the ending fight is sweet in a wicked way.
I enjoyed it more than the first, although the original was pretty good in itself outside a few annoyances. May continue with the series, but not sure. The stories are connected in a way but each book starts all over again with different characters too, and while Dance in the Dark chose to have it's stories in order, I'm not the biggest fan of the way the author is breaking these up for creativity sake. -
I really like this series by Megan Derr. In this book, which is #2 but can be read as a stand-alone, the story is told in chronological order (unlike the previous one,
Dance with the Devil (Dance with the Devil, #1)), but it's still told case after case. The story has a more coherent feeling, because the cases are related from a certain point on, so the narration feels more traditional. I liked the first one better though, because the scrambled order made me work more with the story to piece bits of it together and it was maybe more interactive.
In this book we listen to Johnnie Goodnight, a "normal" man whose parents were killed by a blood-crazed vampire and who was adopted by the vampire's husband. He grows up more vampire than a vampire: his good looks, his aloofness, his sophisticated ways make people think he is a vampire. He probably tried to blend in, to be accepted, but there's part of his heritage looming in the background and there's also a restlessness that brings him to search his own path of life. I liked very much this trait of his Johnnie's personality. He is also smart, compassionate and lonely.
One night he is approached by a creature he can't place and in the dark, night after night, their encounters become hotter. This creature doesn't want to be seen by Johnnie, and like the mythical god of love, Johnnie gives him the name of Eros. There's so much longing it broke my heart. Unfortunately I can't comment more without giving away an important part of the plot, but trust me, what happens later to Johnnie and Eros is fascinating and amazing.
The world building is fantastic as in the first book. I liked Johnnie's adopted family and the family he chose for himself above the Bremen, the pub where he decides to live, where the patrons are vampires, imps, alchemists, werewolves, etc. As in the first book, there are modern elements (cars, cellphones, etc), but there is an old-fashioned feeling in what people wear, the books they read or research, etc.
There were a couple of things that I didn't really like. First of all, later in the book, when everything seems to fall apart, Johnnie becomes sort of whiny, more like an adolescent drama queen than a man. I also feel, after the big revelation about Johnnie's love interest, there was too much sappiness in the middle of moments where action was required. This is a pet-peeve of mine, I admit. Anyway, this made me enjoy the story a little less because it took me outside of it, I can see though why many readers prefer this book to the first.
I really enjoyed it. I think Megan Derr is a very reliable author, she always finds compelling world, seducing words, interesting characters. Recommended! -
I'm a little surprised how few of my GR friends have read this book. After I gobbled up
Dance with the Devil, I had to jump right into this book. This book is set in the same world and about 20 years after the first book in the series. This book also has Case Files for chapters, but unlike Dance with the Devil, these cases are listed chronologically.
Johnnie Desrosiers was adopted by Dracula Desrosiers after a tragic incident left Johnnie an orphan. It is unheard of for a vampire to take a human ward in, much less adopt him outright. Raised by vampires, Johnnie is cold, beautiful, and privileged like a vampire but with more humanity. Raised in a world where Johnnie can't compete in beauty or power with the vampires around him, Johnnie relies on his intellect and studies to find a niche. This intellectual curiosity eventually leads him to start solving paranormal mysteries and helping other abnormals around him.
I liked that his investigations brought him in contact with the characters from the first book as his cases overlapped cases from the Chris White Parananormal agency. We were able to revisit the characters from the previous book, particularly Phil, one of Chris' investigators and friends.
I enjoyed this book just as much as the first book, even though it didn't have the whimsy of having the case files out of order. I really liked Johnnie as well as his unique love interest, Eros. I also enjoyed the small twists and turns in the plot and the discovery of some juicy secrets from Johnnie's past.
Another strong recommend. Megan Derr is becoming one of my favorites M/M authors. -
4.75 stars
The best in the series so far. I adored the protagonists and it was great to see Chris & Co. again. The only complaint I had - gazillion of quotes started to bore me after a while. But, overall, the book was fabulous. I love Derr's world and I hope this isn't the last book in it. -
I loved this! I loved Johnnie and it was great seeing Chris and Sable (and company) again. This is definitely going on my re-read shelf.
Recommended! -
Got the ebook - enjoyed it. Thanks for the read!
