Lily Riley

Mina Van Helsing fell in love with Rafael Dracul when she was 18. He was the tempting devil who made promises of a life together. On the night they planned to run away to elope, Rafael never showed up and left Mina waiting and thinking she was not enough for him. Twenty years later and Mina has become a doctor working to stop the blood plague that is running through France in an age where food is scarce and turning into a vampire is a tempting option for many. Rafael drops back into her life and sends Mina in a whirlwind of emotions and memories she must parse through, while fighting the inevitable attraction she still has for him. He's asking Mina and her friends, Les Dames Dangereuses, to help him discover who is responsible for creating the blood plague and stopping it from spreading any further. Rafael still wants Mina and has his end sights on her as his wife. Will she be able to get past twenty years of emotions and atoning for Rafael's sins? Absolutely loved this story and had a hard time putting it down! I did not read the prior two books, and while the characters carry over into this story, it can certainly be read as a standalone. It is very well written and the author does a great job in explaining backgrounds and experiences of the other characters in a concise manner so you don't feel like you need to put this down to go back and read the others first. I will be picking up books 1 and 2 very soon!… (más)

It's an interesting take on the Dracula and Mina ship, but not amazing. There are a great deal of complicated relationships, and by the third or fourth deliberate misdirection or misunderstanding, it gets a bit tedious. The plot is interesting, but is bogged down by too much exposition. The fact that the POV alternates between Rafael and Mina also means that the reader frequently covers the same ground repeatedly. The sex scenes are steamy, and the political intrigue is well written, but it's hard to get to those parts when you have to slog through many pages of Rafael or Mina wondering the same thing over and over again.… (más)