Twilight Desires (Morgan Creek, Book Three): Amanda Ashley

“Sofia Ravenwood was once fascinated by vampires—their seductive power, their inhuman strength, their dark desires.  Then one of them attached her family, and she threw out her goth attire and vowed to keep clear of her enemies. Until she heard about Ethan Parrish:  a sweet, sizzling-hot former college football player, turned into a vampire against his will.

 

“Wandering the deserted streets of Morgan Creek, Wyoming, Ethan’s sure he’ll be alone forever—a monster like him deserves nothing else.  Then beautiful, complicated Sofia agrees to meet him, fangs and all.  The need she ignites in him is more than just the pulse of her blood or the scent of her skin.  But he’s not the only bloodsucker desperate to make her his own…”

 

Here we are!  This is Ashley’s third and newest installment in her Morgan Creek series.  *In the name of full disclosure, I did receive an advanced copy of this book directly from the author, herself, in exchange for my honest review.*  The book’s official release date was August 28, 2018 (though the cover of the copy in my possession states it'll be available in September of 2018), but, knowing I review books and have reviewed her books in the past, Ashley reached out to me and kindly offered to send an advanced uncorrected proof to me.  I, of course, was happy to read it.  I did, however, first need to read the preceding two books in this series!  If you’ve read those recent reviews, then you’ll know I had some mixed feelings.  I liked some of the characters and really appreciated the uniqueness of the plot surrounding the location of Morgan Creek, itself, but some things didn’t strike me as outstanding.  I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what this book has to offer.  We were introduced to both Sofia and Ethan in the second book in the series (Sofia is Micah’s younger sister and Ethan is Holly’s cousin) – more so Sofia than Ethan.  From what I already know about them, Sofia is a bit of a spitfire and Ethan has no qualms about giving Saintcrow, his sire, any attitude or lip.  I’m looking forward to seeing how Ethan’s dynamic plays out with the other vampires in Morgan Creek – especially because he’s always believed in vampires and hated them so much – and I’m really hoping we continue to see Sofia’s attitude and spunk.  I have felt that the biggest thing this series has been lacking is a really unique, standout female lead; I’m really hoping Sofia can accomplish this task.




***




I'm about 75 pages into this book after starting it last night.  It's a much easier read and I like the pace of the story; I think Ethan's confusion and frustration coming to terms with his new life as a vampire is well-written.  So far, Sofia does seem better developed than the other female leads I've encountered and I hope it continues.  It feels like she really does have a life of her own and, while some of her attitudes and behavior is a bit immature, I think it suits her age well (she is, after all, only 19).  Ethan has an attitude and a bit of a death wish.  I like seeing a change in him when he's around Sofia.


However...Sofia has a feels "her heart swell with love" 31 pages into the story...thirty...one...pages...(Ashley 31).  I found it unbelievable and unrealistic, especially because she and Ethan had only met a couple of times at that point.  It almost makes me wonder if that was a hiccup in the writing because there haven't been any mentions since then.  One other hiccup is the fact that Ethan keeps taking her to bars and out for drinks (she likes tequila sunrises)...but she's only 19.  I am not upset over the fact that she's underage-drinking, I just can't quite figure out how it's so easy for her to get a drink absolutely everywhere they go.  Ethan hasn't even considered that it might be more difficult to take a 19-year-old out to a bar.  Granted, Ethan does most of the ordering, but no fake ID has been mentioned and no one's bothered to card her.  It's just a little too easy, almost as if we (conveniently) forgot how old she actually is.




Some moments have felt a bit scattered and contradictory.  POTENTIAL SPOILERS:  The scene where Mateo uses a human henchman to kidnap Sofia seems a bit random and ill-planned; on top of the fact that I'm not really sure why he had Sofia locked in a basement while he fed on another woman he'd kidnapped.  It seemed like a lot of trouble for not a lot of real reason.  The biggest issue I've taken thus far is with Ethan's very irrational, mercurial mood in Chapter 10.  I get being upset because Sofia hasn't called; however, he'd just had a wonderfully productive planning meeting about the changes he wants to make to Morgan Creek.  He seemed to be getting exactly what he wanted.  From one sentence to the next, Ethan transforms into a self-loathing, suicidal maniac willing to do whatever it takes to get Saintcrow to come and put him out of his misery.  It felt very sudden and I actually had to put the book down and wonder, "What the heck just happened here?"  We'll see how this progresses.




One other little plot hole I feel the need to mention:  Earlier in this review, I state that Ethan always hated vampires.  This statement stemmed from Holly's statement in book two that, when Ethan was a child, he always used to carry around objects to ward off vampires.  Last night when I was reading, Ethan indicated that he'd never really believed in vampires.  Hm.




***


I finished this book just over a week ago; however, I was in an airport on my way out of state (sans computer), so I didn’t get a chance to finish my review on this until this morning.  I ended up liking Ethan a good amount and I liked Sophia more than I’ve liked other female leads in this series.  I particularly liked the conflict between Ethan and Sophia’s older, rightfully-protective brother (and vampire), Micah.

I do have to say that I found the romance to be a bit hasty.  (***Minor spoiler:  I found the marriage between Ethan and Sophia to be pretty rushed.  I get excitement and all that, but it was borderline unbelievable.  I found their attraction to feel more natural than their actual love, if that makes any sense.***)  However, I liked their banter and the sparks between them.  I think their romance felt the most realistic to me of all of the three books I’ve read in this series.

There was a decent villain in this book in the form of a vampire who wanted to bring Morgan Creek back to its “glory days” when wandering humans were kept captive by a coven of vampires.  However, I kept waiting for more like-minded vampires to join in the fight and give Ethan and Saintcrow a better run for their money (on top of the fact that I expected Saintcrow to call upon Micah when the proverbial shit really hit the fan and Kadie went missing.  It felt strange that a vampire so in love with his mate wouldn’t call upon every single resource at his disposal when it came down to it.  Who cares of Micah and Holly were on what would technically be their second honeymoon (they went to New York first at the end of their book)?  That felt a bit odd to me.)  These like-minded vampires were hinted at and I kept waiting for something to happen with them, but it never did.  The greater threat came into play with the introduction of another supernatural being:  a witch.  There were a couple of them in this book and I would say (from my relatively limited knowledge) that they were pretty “purist” as well, which sticks nicely with the rest of Ashley’s writing.  Even though there was more tension in this book with the variety of conflicts and some decent “bad guys,” I still found myself longing for the big knock-down, drag-out battle scene.  I know if I were Saintcrow, I’d want revenge in the worst way.  Nothing would be able to stop my desire for blood; my own safety be damned.  The way this was handled made him seem a bit more fragile than one would expect from a master vampire.  I feel like I’m spending quite a bit of time on Saintcrow in this review and he’s not even the male lead.  I think this is because the series really does revolve around him.  Another reason is probably because I like him more now than I did in even his own book.  I feel like I really got to see the charm, wit, and acerbic sense of humor/sarcasm that I didn’t quite get to experience earlier.  I love it when characters develop and Saintcrow has done so.  ***Minor spoiler:  Also, the whole walking in sunlight thing was VERY convenient and I’m not too sure I cared for it.  The rest of Ashley’s vampires are very “purist” and that’s something I truly respect, so perhaps this is what rubbed me the wrong way.  I may have forgiven it for Saintcrow, but as soon as Ethan was allowed to do so, that killed it for me.  What goes hand-in-hand with this is my opinion that Saintcrow seemed overly generous with his master vampire mojo.  He let Micah drink from him, thereby instilling in him heightened powers; he drained Ethan again and let him drink, affording him additional powers and abilities (like walking in sunlight).  I feel like these were things that he should have kept very close to the chest, regardless of circumstances or who the other vampires were.  These abilities are what allow him to be so powerful, to lord his strengths over other vampires and maintain control over his domain.  Eternity is a long time and, should Micah or Ethan ever decide to turn their backs on him, they would now present a greater threat.  Something to think about.

***

Overall, I think this book was my favorite of the series.  Ethan gives Micha a run for my favorite male lead in the series.  I think Micah has a better sense of humor, but Ethan has a much better “tortured, angst-ridden, moody male” vibe about him.  I liked Ethan’s head-butting with Saintcrow, but (as previously mentioned) some of the interactions felt a bit forced or nonsensical (as in, they weren’t quite what I was expecting or they didn’t quite fit with Ethan’s emotional state).  I enjoyed the development of Saintcrow, but this proves how the series really does focus on the male leads.  Kadie and Holly really fell to the wayside in this book.  I expected a lot more from Holly as a secondary character, especially because she was the one who helped hook up Ethan and Sophia.  Instead, when it came time for Ethan and Micah to meet, she really took a big leap into the background.  I thought her rapport with Sophia (and as a calming, rational person in Micah’s life…or death, if you’re a stickler for semantics) would go a long way toward developing the plot and conflict, but it didn’t really.  I’m curious to see if other vampires from Morgan Creek will crop up in future books.  Jokes were made that the rest of Micah and Sophia’s family should be turned into vampires since they’ve already gotten a good start, but I don’t know if I expect this to be an actual hint to future stories.

I’m honored that Ashley chose to send me an advanced copy of this book to review.  I’m always thrilled whenever an author reaches out to me and I’m more than happy to contribute my own (tiny) voice to the conversation.  I recommend this book to vampire romance purists out there.  While the romance is a bit tamer than I’m used to, I think this presents a good alternative to those who find other authors a bit too “raunchy.”  There is romance; there are quality classic vampires.  If this is what you’re looking for, then Ashley’s writing is right up your alley.  I had my criticisms for each of the books in this series, but I tend to write much more in-depth reviews when I know an author will see it.  I would want the breadth and depth from anyone who was reviewing my own writing, so I feel like I’m doing a service to the writing community.  I found aspects which could have been expanded upon and some things I felt worked well.  The underlying plot of Morgan Creek is unique, interesting, and creative.  There is a ton of potential here for even more books in the series.

Happy reading!

Twilight Dreams (Morgan Creek, Book Two): Amanda Ashley

"Holly Parrish has never met anyone like Micah Ravenwood:  his dark eyes, his movie-star smile, the indefinable way he looks at her.  Even when she thought he was no more than another client for her investment firm, her lust overpowered her logic.

"But she never expected this attraction to whisk her from her busy southern California life to a silent and eerie ghost town in Wyoming.  Only vampires call the deserted place home--and one of them is Micah.  He says he's brought her to Morgan Creek for her safety, that vicious creatures are hunting her.  But how can Holly trust him?  One look and she can see the need barely restrained behind Micah's polite words.  The heat of his kiss, the pleasure of his touch--none of it can tell her whether he wants her as his lover--or his prey..."






I'm about 50 pages in and I think I already like this book more than I liked the first in this series.  I feel like this is due in large part to the fact that I have already seen a great deal more from Micah's perspective than we did Saintcrow's.  We met Micha in the first book and, given our first "meeting," I wasn't certain how much I would like him as a hero of his own story.  He actually feels more developed with a solid backstory.  Knowing what we do of his family and history (especially having a good percentage of the story told from his point of view thus far) I feel like I care about him more already.  I sympathize more with him; hopefully the trend continues.






Holly is still pretty generic.  She is pretty, smart, does her chores every Saturday, and loves to eat.  So far, she doesn't differ very much from Kadie (other than her career) and she's still pretty generic.  I hope she develops more as the story goes on.






We've also been introduced to some villains already, which is nice.  I like starting a book off with an undercurrent of conflict; it makes for a better story and a more intense read.  I think, perhaps, this is some of what the first book in this series was missing.  Granted, Saintcrow and the rest of the vampires in Morgan Creek are technically the villains, but we don't get an external villain until much, much later in the book.  This is probably why it felt like the story (and Kadie's conversations and conflict with Saintcrow) kept going in circles.  There had to be something to keep the story moving until an external villain could be introduced.  I like the villains thus far and I'm looking forward to the inevitable clash.






I'm hoping for a bit more of an explanation as to why Holly (who works solely in a formal business world) would be meeting a prospective new employee at a goth club.  It feels a bit unbelievable and REALLY unprofessional on his part.  Maybe it was a trap?  I'm hoping to find out more as I continue onward.






***




I still prefer the development of Micah's character to Saintcrow's.  I feel the sympathy toward him that was missing for me in the first book of this series.  I care about him more.  He feels more tortured, perhaps because, in some ways, he's still coming to terms with his vampire existence.  Holly, on the other hand, feels very similar to Kadie (i.e. generic).  They have the same reaction and mentality toward vampires (which I suppose is reasonable), the same obsession with food, and no real defining hobbies or traits (personality or physical) that set them apart or make them unique from a caricature of what, perhaps, someone expects a modern woman to be.  Take away their physical descriptions and professions...and they're basically the same woman.  They're both virgins (there's nothing wrong with this, but I'm definitely noticing a trend:  the men are very possessive, the women are innocent virgins, there's a lot of steamy kissing, and the sex usually winds up very vanilla (nothing but missionary) -- man, does this last one make me sound like a kink, but I promise I'm not).  Neither of them really seems to have a defining history or past.  Both of them occupy themselves the same ways (nothing more than movies and books).  Their scenes always seem to start with or involve food (usually overly-descriptive, mass quantities of food).




I still like the fact that this book has more tangible villains; it makes for a more exciting read.  Even if Holly is falling a bit flat for me, I think the plot is moving well and it doesn't feel as "trapped in a cycle" as Kadie and Saintcrow's book did.




***


Well, I finished this book last night and I can safely say that I did end up liking it more than I did the first in the series.  Kadie and Saintcrow played large roles in this sequel and, I can say with definitiveness now, that Kadie remains rather underdeveloped (as does the relationship between Kadie and Saintcrow).  Saintcrow did gain a little bit more individuality in this book (which is surprising because he was not the male lead), so it made him a bit more interesting.


I did end up liking Micah a great deal more than Saintcrow in the first book.  As a male lead, Micah was better developed, more individualized, and had a much better-explained backstory.  This is probably due in large part because he's such a young vampire that he still has living human relatives.  It helped show what he was like as a human and gave me a much better sense of who he was as a character.  (Now, I'm not saying that the only reason Saintcrow was underdeveloped was because he had no living human relatives...there are a lot of ways he could have become more well-rounded.)  He was witty and his personality suited his age.  I understood his attraction to Holly a bit better than I did Saintcrow's to Kadie, but it still fell a little bit short.  I'm stuck asking the same question:  What makes these women so damn unique?  They may be attractive and resistant to their vampiric charms, but that could be any one of hundreds, if not thousands, of women.  We see very little of Holly's family life (until the very end of the book) and nothing of her friends.  I felt like there was a big feud being hinted at when Holly mentioned that he father was a believer in vampires and hated them with a passion, but it never came to fruition.  Holly remained pretty flat, never quite setting herself apart from any other female lead in a vampire romance novel.  She loves the man; she is put off by the vampire; and she doesn't long for eternal life, but will accept it if it means she never has to leave the man she loves.  (Possibly a minor spoiler:  This is just a side note and I may be reading too much into this, but I REALLY cannot imagine any modern twenty-something picking fingertip veils for her bridesmaids...  This choice shattered the illusion for me because it felt really dated.)


I still had a few issues with the flow of the dialogue and there were some repetitive phrases, words, and conversations that simply struck me the wrong way.  This probably won't bother others as much, but I wanted to at least mention it.


I did mention before that I liked the fact that there were more tangible villains in this book.  It turns out that there were a few (we're introduced to another later in the book) and this made for a more dynamic plot.  However, I admit that the "big fight scenes" felt a little bit anticlimactic.  The action was fairly glossed over.  I didn't feel like I was watching an intense battle, rather hearing a quick account of what took place.


The last few chapters did set up the protagonists and villain for the third book in this series, which is scheduled to be released in a few weeks (and of which I also received an advanced copy in return for my honest review).  If these few chapters were any indication, we're in for our most combative male lead yet.  I am pretty certain I know who his female counterpart will be and I hope she matures and becomes a better-developed female lead than we've seen previously.


Overall, I liked this book more than the first in this series.  I appreciate that Morgan Creek is like the vampires' base -- their haven -- and I look forward to seeing how this continues and what becomes of the town now that there's no one to take care of it.  What will Saintcrow decide to do with it?  The story has potential, I just hope we get to see a more dynamic female lead.