After 22% of the novel, I still could not empathize with the main character, Kennedy. She was on the warpath, was stubborn and argumentative. I didn’t understand how anyone can care for her. But did that stop me cold? Of course not. The story was too good. And there were a number of other characters to love:
• Blake= the Beta (OMG, not an alpha! But still a strong, dominant wolf shifter). He drives a deathtrap and loves to tease her. Probably because he can smell past her obstinacy.
• Nora= Tells it like it is. Gruff but trustworthy in that she won’t lie about her feelings.
• Jared= the kitchen king of Vampires.
• Christian and Melissa= Finally, we hear about other “political” opponents.
• Her bestie from her youth
• Etc. But all these characters don’t overwhelm me.
This also has the feel of a mafia urban fantasy, and you will want to be familiar with the first novel. I struggled for a while to remember the story because I read book 1 a year ago.
As a woman investigating her parents murder and tortured by the loss of her dreams to escape the hotel she inherited, Kennedy has every right to be angry, but I feel for the others. I really like Deagan’s character. He is the flamboyant character actor. I really like his vampire progenitor, Jared, who now takes overseeing a kitchen seriously.
I spent a sleepless night thinking about all the characters and theme. I want to know how Kennedy is going to change society to treat immigrants better, to give the dispossessed, the non-conforming, a chance to live and love.
That leads to the ROMANCE:
Agh! Kennedy and Blake are a Queen and King at war! They bicker. They refuse to capitulate to the other’s demands. Kennedy stubbornly refuses to show her attraction, and Blake makes some concessions but acts like he doesn’t. It is all confusing and sexy without any sex. It all climaxes in a wedding reception where a dropped hand means so.much.more. If Sandy Williams spends another year writing the third novel I will die, I tell you!
One room. You can choose the number of beds.”Laurie blushed.