2013 Top Review: Twice Tempted by Jeaniene Frost

Twice Tempted 

by Jeaniene Frost 

Night Prince #2

Dating the Prince of Darkness has its challenges...

Leila's psychic abilities have been failing her, and now she isn't sure what the future holds. If that weren't enough, her lover, Vlad, has been acting distant. Though Leila is a mere mortal, she's also a modern woman who refuses to accept the cold shoulder treatment forever–especially from the darkly handsome vampire who still won't admit that he loves her.

Like choosing between eternal love and a loveless eternity...

Soon circumstances send Leila back to the carnival circuit, where tragedy strikes. And when she finds herself in the crosshairs of a killer who may be closer than she realizes, Leila must decide who to trust– the fiery vampire who arouses her passions like no other or the tortured knight who longs to be more than a friend? With danger stalking her every step of the way, all it takes is one wrong move to damn her for eternity.

OMFG. Vlad has push Bones down my yummy list and is quickly catching up to Barrons and Terrible.

You noticed that I rated Twice Tempted as a 2013 Top Read. How do I judge what books get that rating? If a book sucks me from page 1 and I feel everything that the main characters are feeling then it's a Top Read.

Twice Tempted was an emotional roller coaster for Leila and me. I felt every emotion she felt: pissed, depressed, hot and bothered, and finally happy. I was heart broken and crying with her.

The first few chapters punches you in the gut and has your heart in your throat. But we all knew that loving Vlad would not be easy. Don't worry, you get to see another side of Vlad as the story unfolds. Is he a badass alpha? Yes. Can he be cold? Yes Is he loyal? Yes. Is he swoon worthy? HELL YES. Can he be tender? You'll have to read Twice Tempted to find that out.

Leila and Vlad has a tug of war with their relationship. She wants him to say the right words, he wants her to see that he shows more in his actions than any pretty words could show.

As the two fumble their way through the romance area; they know exactly what do in the catch the bad guy area. Vlad fans know that he will do whatever it takes to protect what his. And now that Leila has learned to use her powers, we get to see her be a badass as well. The couple could not be more perfect for each other.

As read Twice Tempted I was reminded of the heart ache that Cat and Bones went through in Destined for an Early Grave. But in true Frost fashion you have to sit back and know that she will make things better. The hardest part of reading Twice Tempted is facing the long wait for the 3rd book. And the fact that we only have that 3rd book left since Frost has stated that Vlad and Leila's story will be a trilogy. I don't want it to end!!

I've added Once Burned and Twice Tempted to my re-read shelf. I highly recommend both books to readers whether you're a Frost fan or just wanting to check out her writing for the first time. While Vlad's books are a spin-off of sorts from the Night Huntress series you can read them without having read that series but I recommend you read it was well. You first meet Vlad in book 3, At Grave's End.


(ARC provided from publisher for review)

Dual Review: Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost

Once Burned

by Jeaniene Frost

Night Prince #1

She's a mortal with dark powers...

After a tragic accident scarred her body and destroyed her dreams, Leila never imagined that the worst was still to come: terrifying powers that let her channel electricity and learn a person's darkest secrets through a single touch. Leila is doomed to a life of solitude...until creatures of the night kidnap her, forcing her to reach out with a telepathic distress call to the world's most infamous vampire...

He's the Prince of Night...

Vlad Tepesh inspired the greatest vampire legend of all—but whatever you do, don't call him Dracula. Vlad's ability to control fire makes him one of the most feared vampires in existence, but his enemies have found a new weapon against him—a beautiful mortal with powers to match his own. When Vlad and Leila meet, however, passion ignites between them, threatening to consume them both. It will take everything that they are to stop an enemy intent on bringing them down in flames.br />


Jennifer's Thoughts:

I've been a fan of Vlad ever since he step on to the pages of the third Night Huntress book, At Grave's End. I was so happy when Frost announced that he would have his own spin-off series (looks like 3 books in all). After the last two Cat & Bones books being a little on the slow side for me I was ready to read about Vlad and he did not disappoint.

Vlad is the boogie man of the vamp world so no wonder he is the cocky bastard that he is but he has the swagger and power to back it up. Don't make the mistake of calling him Dracula, you just might find yourself bursting into flames.

Speaking of flames, I knew once we got a look into Vlad's bedroom game it would be all heat and fireworks. Have a fire extinguisher handy while reading the smexy scene.

But when Vlad is outside the bedroom he can be a bit cold to the heroine, Lelia. He makes no bones about letting her know that he will never love her (the death of his wife really screwed him up in that dept). But Vlad is very loyal and will protect anyone that he sees as his and he sees Lelia as his.

I really like Lelia, she's tough and can take care of herself. But she still has a soft side to her. Despite not wanting to get her heart broke she still fell for Vlad by the end of the book and she is not going to back down from Vlad vow about not ever loving her. And I can see Vlad breaking that vow by the time the three book series is over.

All in all Vlad's first book was great and I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel, Twice Tempted. I have a feeling that Lelia is going to break Vlad's hard candy coating soon.

Narration Note: 

I own this book both in paperback and ebook but I decided to check the audio out from the library so I could listen to it a work. The narrator was ok but how she pronounced Vlad's name drove me nuts and I didn't care for her voice for Bones. But over all the narration was good but I would prefer to read the next book unless my library has it on audio and I want to make my work day go by faster with a little Vlad in my ear.

Jonetta's Thoughts:

Leila ended up with telepathic and electrical powers following an accident as a young girl that also left her scarred. The experience changed her life forever, relegating her to a life of loneliness and solitude until the night she was kidnapped and asked to channel the world's most famous...and dangerous...vampire, Vlad Tepesh, known as the Prince of the Night.

Vlad is his typical arrogant, intimidating self in this story and as always, he has the goods to back all that attitude up! He becomes intrigued by the innocent but plucky Leila, enough to keep her around until he has a chance to determine her usefulness and if she's being straight with him. Someone is trying to get to Vlad and Leila's powers provide assistance in identifying and tracking the foe. The interplay between these two sizzle with electricity...literally and figuratively and Vlad seems to have found someone up to the challenge of being with him.

I've looked forward to this book since it was announced and it delivered. Leila is an interesting young woman and she seems to be holding her own with the difficult Vlad. He's not sure of his feelings because it's been a long time since he's had to or wanted to care about anyone so Vlad's not on sure footing. Their romance is erotic and charged and I liked them together. The action is exciting and the characters surrounding them are equally interesting (anyone else pulling for a separate story for Maximus?).

This is a great start to this spinoff series and there's promise that there may be more than one or two books going forward. If so, I'm in.

Next book in the series:

March 26, 2013

Once Burned Snippet

I grabbed the below snippet from Frost's BLOG.

Vlad stopped when he was only inches away, still nailing me with that hard, copper-colored stare. Then he held out his hand.

“My ring.”

I put it in his palm, forgetting to switch it to my left hand before touching him. A current sizzled into him with the contact, which I expected, but I didn’t expect what came next.

The gothic hall vanished, replaced by the hazy cocoon of midnight green drapes encircling the bed I was on. I wound my hand into the thick fabric while a moan left my lips, sharpening into a cry at the incredible pleasure shooting through me. My grip on the drapes tightened as I writhed under the erotic combination of wet, deep strokes and lightly chafing stubble against my most sensitive flesh.
“Please,” I gasped.


Vlad lifted his head, his hair like dark silk against my thighs and his gaze lit up with emerald.


“No,” he said throatily. “More.” And he lowered his mouth again.


Vlad’s face crystallized in front of me, but instead of green drapes all around us, we were back in the hall and he was staring down at me, frowning.

“I know you caught a glimpse of something when you touched me. Your mind went silent. Tell me what it was.”

My cheeks flamed with heat. At the same time, disbelief washed over me.

No. Not me and Vlad like…like that!

His frown cleared, replaced by a brow going up. Damn his mindreading. Think of something else! I mentally screamed, avoiding his stare. ANYthing else!

I no longer looked at Vlad, but I could almost feel his gaze roving over me, noting my newly tight nipples, accelerated heartbeat, and probably picking up on that damned lingering throb between my legs, too.

“Not surprising,” he said at last, his voice thicker with things I didn’t want to name. “I predicted the same thing myself.”

This snippet makes me forget all about not liking the cover.

CAN. NOT. WAIT!