Gwen’s review of Dark Hunger (The Brethren, Book 2) by Sara Reinke
Contemporary paranormal romance released by Zebra 2 Sep 08
Allow me to first tell you not to read the blurb on the back of the book – the one I read is completely misleading and mostly wrong. Read the blurb at the end of this review (got it from the author’s site). It’s more accurate. I wish all copywriters would read a bloody book before they write blurbs – at least the first couple of chapters, please.
I really enjoyed this book. At least I did until the very last chapter. Both the hero, Rene, and heroine, Tessa, are vampires. They’re on the run, trying to stay one step ahead of the Brethren’s Elders because various infractions committed by lead characters in this and the previous book in the series. I didn’t read the previous book, but was still able to follow the story. The author doesn’t do a lot of info-dumping and yet I was easily able to pick up the gist.
I liked both the main characters. I thought the heroine a little anemic (heh), but the hero was very yummy. I’m not sure I totally believed Rene’s 180 on his feelings for the heroine. He spends the first couple of chapters thinking Tessa’s a completely spoiled little rich girl and treats her shabbily as a result. He’s got some personal demons that keep him from letting anyone close, so it’s not until she tearfully confesses the abuse she suffered at her husband’s hands that he relents and starts to see more of her than the surface.
Most of the book is a road trip to the west coast. There are a series of events that keep the tension ramped up and let us see more deeply into their psyches and relationship. Tessa and Rene are very much a case of opposites attracting. I enjoyed his humor and his tender way of handling the heroine. I liked that Rene was willing to do anything to protect her. He’s protecting her from some of the most Machiavellian characters I’ve ever read in a romance novel. I mean, the villains in this book are so bad that you honestly can’t see how ANYONE can get one over on them.
And here is where we come to the biggest bone I have to pick with the author – the ending. I’ll try to express my dismay without spoiling the book for anyone. WHY OH WHY did Reinke have the hero do what he did at the end?? It totally ruined the book for me. Here I was expecting a nice HEA by way of some sly maneuvering on the hero’s part. We get that – sort of. But the cost of that HEA was just way too high, and it will come back and bite him in the ass before long. Possibly costing him his happiness and crushing people along the way. It will be very interesting to see how she writes her characters out of this hole in the next entry (no date or title on the author’s site, but probably summer 2009).
I’d have given the book a solid B if not for this very dissatisfying ending. I’d recommend this book to any fan of paranormal romance if you like them action packed and are okay with a head-scratching ending.
Grade: C+
Click on The Brethren series tag for more reviews.
Summary:
Tessa Noble-Davenant will do anything to protect her brother, Brandon, even if that means traveling across the country with Rene Morin. A cynical, brooding, yet startling sexy vampire, Rene seems to take pleasure in finding fault with Tessa’s every move. Despite this, a sensual attraction begins to develop between the two, one to which neither can afford to succumb. Rene and Tessa are being followed — and a single misstep will put them at the mercy of forces more dark and powerful than they can even imagine…
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
Yes, particularly to this,
I certainly want to know what happens now!
Did the ending frustrate you as much as it did me, Azteclady?
And how yummy was Rene?! Ohmigosh. The cover is exactly how I pictured him in my head, by the way. Good job publisher!
Hi, Gwen,
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my book and share your honest feedback! In all honesty, I knew the ending before I even began to write it, and I knew I’d be taking a big risk of making readers mad with that particular approach. Ultimately, I used it because I think Rene genuinely believes that the person involved can stand up to their enemies and defeat them, and therefore, would be okay. (It’s bloody hard to explain this without spoilers, LOL). Rene has an experience in the first book that makes him believe this with unwavering certainty, even though other characters are not so convinced. So while I debated about the choice, I never once considered writing the book without the ending, because I felt like it was the one that was most true to Rene and his primary motivation, which is to protect Tessa and the baby.
Please don’t wring my neck! 🙂
I’m glad you think Rene is yummy. 🙂 I gotta admit, I do, too. I always pictured him in my head as Josh Holloway from LOST, but when I saw the cover, I decided that suited him just as well, if not better. Kensington does an AWESOME job on their covers.
I just have to say these are the kind of reviews that I personally enjoy and appreciate. Yeah, I like the ones that are glowing, but candid ones that outline what an individual reader likes, doesn’t like or what works or doesn’t work for them are the truly valuable ones. So thank you very much again!
Currently, the third book in the series is under consideration with my editor, so keep your fingers and toes crossed for me!
*crossing fingers* ’cause I really need to know how this gets solved in the overall plot arc. Here’s hoping it comes out soonest, Ms Reinke!
Gwen, yes, it did, which is why I say that I consider the series more urban fantasy with strong romantic elements than a paranormal romance…
Thanks for commenting, Sara! And, ARGH! Yes you frustrated me, but it’s going to make me buy the next book. If nothing else to see how badly Rene gets his butt kicked by Tessa.
Interestingly enough, I really liked the ending. To me, it was very much in keeping with Rene’s character. From the beginning, even in Dark Thirst, he was invested in keeping Tessa and the baby safe. I know other readers will be angry, but to me, it was very real and realistic. Anything else would’ve been saccharine and simplistic.
Oh, and I think I know which experience you’re referring to and I agree with him. Of course, he’s the one who sussed out the truth in the first place.
BTW, when does the next book come out?
Roslyn – I think it’s one of those books that will hit folks real “high” or real “low”. Recognizing that is one of the reasons I opted for a “middle” grade. You should see my notes on the book – I’ve got three or four grades written down and all of them crossed out a couple of times.
By the way, I looked up “pischouette,” Rene’s fav handle for Tessa – it’s Cajun for “little girl”. Who knew…
Hi, Roslyn!
Thanks for sharing your feedback! I suspected when I wrote it that it would be as Gwen suggested — something folks would either love or hate. I think that’s part of the fun of writing — I love to see how different people interpret what I’ve written!
Hey, Gwen! Yup, I found “pischouette” on an online Cajun reference site while working on “Dark Thirst.” In “Thirst,” there’s a scene where Tessa gets mad at Rene for calling her that and tells him it’s not French. He answers that it’s not her “high-falootin’ sort” and tells her it means “little girl” in Cajun, which he found then — and continues to do so, it seems in “Hunger” — to be appropriate. 😉 There are different spellings of it. Some sites referred to the term as “peeshway,” I think, or some phonetic variation therein. It was interesting to learn some of the Cajun dialect, their references and what-not, especially how in many ways, it differs from standard French. I know in “Dark Thirst,” for example, one of the copyeditors went through and changed all of my “cher” references to “chere,” a technicality I had to duplicate for consistency in “Hunger,” even though “cher” is technically the correct Cajun term. I always learn something new when I’m writing — another fun habit I’ve picked up over the years. 🙂
I’ve introduced a new forum for Brethren Series readers: http://sarareinke.activeboard.com. It includes deleted scenes, plus an alternate ending for DARK HUNGER that may shed some light for readers on what happens in the first few hours after the book concludes. Spoiler alert — some of the threads here will contain spoilers for both books in the series, so don’t read if you don’t want to know! 🙂 Check it out, sign aboard and join in the conversation! You’ll also find links to the board in my website navigation bar: http://www.sarareinke.com.
I received word from my editor on October 1, 2008 that there will be no further books in The Brethren Series. I appreciate all of the wonderful feedback I’ve received from readers and know many have been left wondering what happens after DARK HUNGER ends. Although I tried three times to pitch an additional installment to the series, the original pitch is the story as I meant it to continue. I don’t have much of the manuscript completed, and what I do have, you’ll find in the “Deleted Scenes” thread at my forum, as alternate scenes from “Dark Hunger.” The outline for the proposed third book in the Brethren Series, “Dark Passion” is now also available at my forum. IT CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE PUBLISHED BOOKS. Hopefully it will answer any lingering questions readers may have about the events set up in “Hunger.” 🙂 You’ll find it here: http://sarareinke.activeboard.com/index.spark?forumID=114707&subForumID=452543&p=2
Thanks again to everyone who has read my books and let me know their thoughts on them. You’ve made a rewarding experience even more worthwhile.
Sara