Sandy M’s review of Eternal Craving (Gods of the Nights, Book 2) by Nina Bangs
Paranormal romance released by Leisure Books 28 Apr 09

Nina Bangs always surprises me when I read her books. There’s usually a little something — the book starts out slow, a certain character bugs me, whatever — that makes me think I’m not going to enjoy the story. Next thing I know, I’m caught up in everything going on and can’t put it down. Same thing with Eternal Craving. The issue with this book? Men who shift into dinosaurs. Please.

And I’ll be damned if I didn’t love every last word of this book, despite my initial eye rolling. I kept thinking there’s no way this is going to work for me, but I do enjoy when an author proves me wrong. Ms. Bangs does so quite well in this case. Finn is the leader of the Eleven, ancient predators he’s brought back to life in human form but who still have the soul of their respective dinosaurs. The mission of the Eleven is to rid the world of immortals who are on course to destroy all humans, as they interpret Mayan calendar, in 2012. One thing I’m glad of is that Ms. Bangs took the easy road when she named her characters after their respective dinos.

Al is having a hard time with the new human part of himself. He thinks Finn is not being honest with the group, knows for a fact there’s something wrong with his memories and believes Finn is behind that. Al is an Allosaurus, and he would rather be back in his prehistoric days when all he had to worry about was to hunt, kill, eat, and mate. That’s better than these human emotions he now has to deal with, especially when it comes to Jenna.

Making the trip to Philly to find out what the heck is going on with her sister, Kelly, who is the heroine of the first book in the series, Eternal Pleasure, Jenna is bound and determined the finally get the truth out of her. Kelly married Ty (yep, he’s a T. Rex) and is now running across the country god knows doing what. She has no idea what she’s about to step into. But as fearful as she is of the huge hunters when they appear, she gets to know them and begins to care for them, especially Al.  She also learns she is the key to vanquishing the next immortal before he can put his plan in motion.

While the predators themselves aren’t the sexy part of the story — the men in human form are a completely different story, however — Ms. Bangs makes you feel for them, shows you how they struggle between all they’ve ever known and what is now so new to them. You even get to the point you cheer them on when it’s time fight. Both Al and Jenna have a lot of growing to do; Al to balance his past and his human-ness, Jenna to believe in herself and finally put that belief to work. I also laughed out loud a few times, so there’s a little bit of everything to be had in this book.

I’m quite surprised I loved a romance about hero-worthy dinosaurs. I still chuckle at that thought, but I also look forward to reading the first book in the series — I know I have it around here somewhere — and then all of the subsequent books. Not only are there more of those huge beasts who get the girl, but there’s still  a few mysteries to be figured out and I’m itching to know what they are.

Grade: B

Summary:
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THE ELEVEN—an alliance of ultimate predators. Primal, lethal, irresistible.
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THE PROPHECY—an ancient Mayan prediction that the world will end on 12-21-12.
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THE PREY—where can you hide from pure evil?
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Lies. He’s been promised a new life as the hunter he once was. But Al soon learns that all the rules have changed. Now he must control his most basic urges—the need to kill, to feed, to mate. And the woman he wants looks at him with both heat and fear in her eyes. Jenna Maloy doesn’t buy the story that he’s come to Philadelphia to save souls. She seems to see through the layers of deception to the primitive heart of him. With her beside him, Al stalks the dark forces that crouch in the city’s night shadows. But the real battle rages in his heart. Love is a formidable opponent. How can he ask her to stay with him after she’s seen the savagery of his beast? He only knows that if she turns from him he’ll be cursed with an Eternal Craving.
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Eleven Gods of the Night…
The only creatures more deadly are the ones they’ve been summoned to destroy.
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Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series: