Embrace the Night (Night #1) by Crystal Jordan

Embrace the Night (Night #1) Reviews

• 
  t'irla ~The Bookslayer~ aka Barbara

  What a pleasant surprise! I received this book in a bundle of freebees and really wasn't expecting too much. Embrace the Night is a great suspense PNR> The Premise: MC are witch/Warlock with secondary characters being werewolves and vampires with the odd elf and "normal" tossed in. In our story Chloe our heroin is a Doctor/Scientist who is on the verge of creating a vaccine to aid the Werewolves in their potentially lethal shift during the full moon. The Bad guys want the vaccine and kill all Chloe's partners, in walks Merek a Warlock with precog as his talent..except he can't see the future of those closest to him. Toss in a werewolf godson and living on the run and you have a on the edge of your seat story.
  
  I found Crystal Jordan's characters interesting and it was easy to connect with them. I especially loved Alex the werewolf godson and the FBI Italian vampire:)...I sense a sequel to this book with our vamp and Chloe's bff Tess and can't wait to read it. The world CJ created was interesting but could have been more detailed and I don't think she spent enough time building the character backgrounds and details for her bad guys...I still don't really know why Smith wanted the vaccine and who exactly he was, the Vamp magic user too...lots of questions about these types of characters who had a role but you didn't know motivation and how they were connected to Smith. A bit more build up happened with Gregor but still it would have been nice to know more about him. That being said Merek was an awesome hero who had issues and deal with his own angst and didn't just pander to Chloe's.
  
  Recipe: Toss two great Main Characters together add a werewolf teenager, mix with murder and a plethora of bad guys, season with a hunky Vamp and beautiful pathologist.Place in a well thought out plot and add a few hawt! steamy sexy moments and you have the making of a great PNR!
  
  I gave this book a solid 4 stars and am eager to find more books by this author!
• 
  Toni

  Off the bat, I just want to say…This is NOT a love story that involves werewolves (note wolf on cover). There is a great werewolf in the story and there is love involved, but this is not a werewolf love story. Ok, now that has been said.
  
  What a great story!! I loved the 2.5 main characters (I’ll explain later).
  
  In this story there are Magickal ones…vampires, werewolves, witches and fae. While they are hidden from the Normals, that would be us, they are mainstream.
  
  Chloe Standish is a woman with a heartbreaking past. While she has worked hard to become the strong independent woman she is today, she still has many scars. Merek Kingston is a man that still lives in the past. Not able to get over his past to move onto the future. When these two meet up for a one night stand, sparks fly literally.
  
  Thrown back together months after their brief affair, they enjoy the passion they share for each other, but fight the future they could have together. They must work side-by-side to stay alive along with Chloe’s godson Alex (that is the 0.5). The three of them are fighting against the odds as the Magickal community seems to be all against them.
  
  There is passion from the first page to the very last. While it is very hot passion, it was all held within context and delightfully done. Ms. Jordan knows how to write great scenes from sex to action all the way to interpersonal ones. She did a great job!
  
  There is no great mystery, no real deep plot or surprise. Just a well told story of 3 people coming together to form a lifelong bond. It’s a great summer read that is not too light or too heavy. If you want to escape, grab this book!!
  
• 
  Annette

  This book starts out with the main character screwing a stranger using words better suited in a late night cable porno. I stopped reading it after page 2, double checked what I downloaded and then skimmed ahead a bit. Today I tried reading it again and then deleted it.
  
  Now don't get me wrong. I love reading paranormal romance. I curse all the time. That isn't what bothered me so much. What made me give up on it was I felt like it was written by a horny 18 year old male virgin. There was a lot of "c---k pounding her p---y" "her musk", much "cl--" rubbing, I need you now and yelling out each others names as he shot his "come" into her. (Pssst...if you're going to c-ck, p-ssy, and cl-t your way through the book it's cum not come.)
  
  Horny 18 year old virgin. That's all I have to say about that.
• 
  Jane Stewart

  I did not enjoy it. I wanted it to be over. Lots of explicit sex. Several fight and flight scenes.
  
  STORY BRIEF:
  Vampires, werewolves, witches, and fae are called Magickals. Humans are called Normals. They live among each other. Magickals keep their powers secret so that all Normals believe everyone is a Normal. Merek is a police detective warlock. He can see the future for everyone except people he cares about. Chloe is a witch doing chemical research. She is part of a three-member team trying to create a serum to help werewolves control themselves during full moons. One member of her team is killed. The second member disappeared. The FBI puts Chloe into protective custody until they catch the terrorist behind it. The terrorist is Smith who wants control of the serum. He will gain power and wealth by controlling who gets it. Protective custody isn’t safe enough and the bad guys still get to Chloe. Merek takes a leave from his job to be Chloe’s full time protector until Smith is caught.
  
  REVIEWER’S OPINION:
  This plot has been done many times before. But that’s ok if it’s done well. But this was not. My reaction was “they’re just doing stuff.” There was nothing compelling or engaging. Toward the end as I was thinking about the main characters I thought “I don’t care what happens to them.” I just want to be done reading and hope the next book is better. What’s missing? Good characters. Interesting and emotional relationship development. Someone doing some smart things. Things that surprise or delight me. Interesting dialogue would be a plus. There were a lot of action/fight scenes, but they didn’t win me over. It was mostly throwing fire balls, putting up shields, guns with special bullets, and werewolves slashing with claws. Some motives for doing things weren’t well developed. A few times Merek was pondering too much which felt like filler. He thinks he’s not good enough for her so he leaves her. It wasn’t done in an interesting way.
  
  The book falls under erotic paranormal romantic suspense. The best I can say is read this if you want lots of explicit sex between Merek and Chloe. One early sex scene was pretty hot, but much of it felt thrown in. I didn’t feel any emotional connection. My reaction to the sex scenes was “they’re just doing stuff.” Most of the sex was vanilla, but there was a small amount of self–pleasuring, tying the hands, spanking, and rear door activity.
  
  DATA:
  Story length: 346 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual language: strong/erotic. Number of sex scenes: 13. Estimated number of sex scene pages: 51. Setting: current day mostly Seattle, Washington, plus various other U.S. locations. Copyright: 2011. Genre: erotic paranormal romantic suspense.
• 
  Habrewer

  Embrace the Night by Crystal Jordan
  * I received a copy of this book from Kensington in exchange for an honest review*
  
  Chloe Standish is a witch that is afraid of the dark. She lives in the city because it never sleeps, is always bright and she is never alone. She was raised by her Aunt Millie, a very powerful person in the Magickal community.
  
  Chloe is a witch that specializes in potions. She’s a Doctor (chemist) that has been working for the Vampire Conclave to develop a serum that would stop a werewolf from changing during the full moon. She is only one-third of the equation and now she is the only one left. She is on the run and scared to death, Merek is her only chance and survival and heartache.
  
  Merek still blames himself for the deaths of those close to him. His abilities won’t let him see the future of those that are important to him. From the first time he saw Chloe, he knew she was trouble because he couldn’t read her but he couldn’t walk away from her. Now he has sworn to protect her and Alex, her godson, from the bad guys, without his abilities all he has to rely on is his gut instinct.
  
  Merek, Chloe and Alex set out on the run with a few simple rules, no magic, no electronic toys and no big cities. Both Chloe and Alex are having problems with these rules but know that they have to abide by them or die. They pay for cash, don’t stay in one place too long and have to find some place safe for Alex during the full moon. Everything is going good until they are turned in for a reward and the real fun begins, will they all come out of this alive?
  
  Merek and Chloe are so hot together. I love how they come to know each other’s little quirks (honey and nightlights) throughout the story. They are a perfect match for each other whether they know it or not. He needs someone that understands him and accepts him for who he is and loves him no matter what has happened in the past. Chloe is terrified of being alone; she needs someone she can depend on to be there for her through everything. They have found these qualities in each other.
  
  This was a story packed with action on top of the love story. Merek, Chloe and Alex have to fight for their survival several times but each time, it was imperative for the story to proceed further. The story includes not only witches but vampires, werewolves, and normals. The secondary characters add an extra level of depth t the story.
  
  Overall I really enjoyed this story and can’t wait for the next installment in this series to come out. I give Embrace the Night 4 Flaming Hearts.
• 
  A Voracious Reader (a.k.a. Carol)

  Chloe Standish is a doctor and a biochemist. She’s also a witch. When she discovers her vampire boyfriend is cheating on her she heads to the supernatural friendly bar Sanguine to look for a hot one-night stand to occupy her mind and body.
  
  Merek Kingston is a loner, a cop and a warlock with powerful abilities. He’s not just clairvoyant. He’s clairvoyant³ where he sees all the way into the past, all possibilities in the present and to the end of days in the future. He struggles constantly to keep his seeing under a tight rein. He stops at Sanguine to drown the near-future vision of his partner lying dead on the ground when he meets Chloe and can’t see anything about her. In her presence his abilities are quiet and while he knows it’s not a good sign he can’t prevent himself from taking her home with him.
  
  Two months after that night and Chloe’s sneaky dash away the morning after the two meet again when Chloe’s life and werewolf research are threatened by a werewolf terrorist. They have to go on the run to give the FBI time to catch the bad guy, but this means being in close proximity to each other and the out-of-control lust they feel. Will they be able to overcome their painful pasts and trust their hearts to each other? Will they stay a step ahead of the bad guys? Will Chloe finish her research that could prevent werewolves from dying during their monthly Change? You know what they say…where there’s a will there’s a way.
  
  This was a great story. The plot was tight with plenty of twists to keep it interesting. The characters, including secondary ones, were well-developed and appealing. The pace is where it fell a tad short for me. The suspense would build and then there’d be a sex scene. The sex scenes were detailed and hot, but there were too many of them and the imagery was a tad repetitious. I felt as if I was running with the characters trying to stay ahead of the bad guy and the suspense would just begin to get to me when Chloe and Merek just couldn’t keep their hands off each other. I was trying to ride the suspense wave to the conclusion, but instead I sat there twiddling my thumbs waiting while they got it on yet again.
  
  I did enjoy the characters and the world in which they live though, so I will be checking out Book 2, Night Games.
  
• 
  Jessica

  It's really not kidding about the erotic romance warning on the back -- so, while I might wish that there had been more of Merek and Chloe during non-sexytimes, that's on me. The author did do a good job, though, in making me care about them both as individuals and as a couple and the ending was satisfying and felt earned.
  
  I do want to sit them both down for a 10th grade health class style condoms lecture, though. There wasn't even the usual throwaway line about Magickals being immune to STDs and unwanted pregnancies. Condoms, people, they were invented for a reason!
  
  Anyhoodle, the only other real complaint I have is the final battle scene where Chloe suddenly develops super-powered magic. As a reader, I felt like the author was cheating right there.
  
  Other than that, the characters are enjoyable -- both primary and secondary -- and the world is interesting enough that I'm curious about other books in the series.
• 
  Charity

  This book is packed full of everything including action, suspense, romance, erotica, and paranormal characters. There is a warning right on the cover for sexually explicit content, but that isn’t all you are going to get. There is a great story here and it just so happens that the sex scenes are in detail… and boy what details!
  
  Chloe has a heart of gold and is easily identifiable. Merek is the knight coming to the rescue, or in this case the warlock. He is also bound to be the star of several erotic dreams in my near future. It is easy to get emotionally involved with all the characters. Jordan will easily be able to build some of the secondary characters into their own stories, and I sincerely hope she continues on with a series.
  
  In a few places in the book the point of view changed from one character to another without indication and there were a few grammar errors. An overall GREAT read, and an author that is going on my watch list.
  
• 
  Dannielle

  This is a rare for me. I tended to be more annoyed with Merek then Chloe in this book. Chloe is a witch and Merek is a warlock. His power is seeing the future, and when he can't see Chloe's future it makes him run the other direction. I was annoyed at how he took his power for granted. In this world there are humans (Normals), so all of them can't see the future, plus the rest of the Others can't. I understand about his past and the bad things that happened to people he loved, his whining just dragged on too long.
  
  Chloe was really strong. I got a little annoyed at her fear of the dark, but with all the crap thrown at her during the book she remained pretty damn strong. Very happy with her character.
• 
  Leanne

  A society in a society is where this book take place. It is a normal world but most humans have no idea that magic and vampires and werewolves live among them.
  Chloe Standish is a scientist trying to find a cure to keep werewolves from having to turn when the moon is full. Turning is very dangerous and can sometimes kill the werewolves and this is what happened to Chloe's best friend. Just before she is able to finish her work all hell breaks loose and she's on the run with a cop named Merek and her godson Alex.
  
  The love scenes are scorching in this book! The story is very well weaved and the characters jump off the book. I really enjoyed reading this alternate universe from our own. This author has an unbelievable imagination and I am so glad she deemed to share it with us.
  
• 
  Lisa M

  3.5-4*s Chloe is a scientist and a witch who is part of a team of 3 working on a "cure" for lycanthropy. One of the other researchers is murdered, and the other goes missing. Merek, a warlock with the Magickal Task Force of the Seattle PD, is assigned to the case. Soon Chloe and her godson, a werewolf, find themselves in Merek's protective custody and on the run from the bad guys.
  
  Yes, this book is romantica, but don't discount it because of that. The story had a good solid plot and emotional impact.
  
  I'd like to see Cavalli get his own book.
• 
  Katherine

  I loved this book!I have only read her shorter books, and wasn't sure what to expect from this one. It was wonderful. A powerful witch with issues, a powerful warlock also with issues who is a cop in a world where Normals don't know about the existence of Magikals. There is suspense, danger, violence, romance, hot sex and witty dialogue. I was thoroughly engrossed in the story and very much want to read the next in the series, "Night Games".
  
  (In the interest of full disclosure, I won a copy of this book. Ms. Jordan did not ask me to review or endorse this book in any way.)
• 
  Marlissia

  To be honest, I started reading this book with high expectations(which is my fault). I made it to chapter 4 before I just skimmed my way through the whole book. It was way too long, with sex scene after sex scene thrown in just for the sake of erotica. Not that I object to the explicit nature of the story, but in no way did these scenes serve to further the plot. I found myself rolling my eyes every time Chloe said, "Touch me, Merek," and thinking,Here we go again.
• 
  ൠSinful

  Paranormal Erotic Romance.
  One of my favorites for the summer. I finally picked up a pen and started underlining all the awesomeness.
  Totally my style.
  Great characters, interesting back story, plenty of energy and suspense, a whole new world.. fascinating, captivating..I just couldn't put it down.
  
  Very easy read. Loved her voice. Hope I get to read more by Jordan.
• 
  Patsy Hughes

  Chlore & Merek, Wizards, Magikals, Shapeshifters, Elves & Vampires, what a combo, with mystery and magikal zing to add to this explosive and tantalizing story. The story kept coming, the action, the fear and the connections that the characters created were spell binding. Turn down the a/c grab a tall ice cold glass of your favorite beverage and turn up the fan, It's H. O. T.
• 
  Amy

  I LOVED this book. I can't even begin to explain why, I was just captivated. However, I don't think I'll read the rest of the series. I was kind of hoping the next book would be a Luca/Tess book but apparently that doesn't happen (not a spoiler, just read the summary of the next books), so I'm thinking I'll stay out of the rest. But I have to admit I liked this one a lot!
• 
  Jenn

  
  
  Enjoyed the book and liked the world, but would have been fine with fewer sex scenes. It seemed the only time the hero and heroine thought about their feelings for each other was during their detailed sexual exploits.
• 
  Jenny Delandro

  This was part of a 3 book bundle from ebook library @ Pennant Hills
  Love the flow of Crystal's books and fell in love with the characters ...
  Easily let the book transport me to a world where Magikals live among Normals ...
  where werewolves can die under the affects of full moon ...
• 
  Gigi staub

  Loved the book the characters were rich, interesting and I got emotionally involved with them...can't wait for the next story in the series.
• 
  Ruth

  WOW! This book took my on a roller coaster ride. I loved the romance, action, and suspense in this book. I will be looking for more books from this author.
• 
  E_bookpushers

  4.5 stars.
  This was certainly enjoyable. I don't know how I missed it when it was released a couple of years ago. Must read the next one.
• 
  Linda

  just ok. like the shape shifting and storyline held my interest, sex was fine, but sometimes seemed unnecessary