Lawson’s review of The Renegade Hunter (Argeneau Vampires, Book 12) by Lynsay Sands
Paranormal Romance published by Avon 29 Sep 09
Here is another installment in the Immortals series by Lynsay Sands. Sure, they’re called vampires since they drink blood and have fangs, but blood-sucking fiends they’re not. At least that’s what they’ll say. There are times when these vampires go rogue, eat “off the hoof” and break the few rules laid down by the Council. This book starts where the Immortal Hunter ends, though it’s back with the Willians, from The Rogue Hunter.
Jo and Alex Willian don’t understand why their sister Sam and her fiancee Mortimer keep bringing strange men around. They’re at a party at Mortimer’s work and though the men are all hot, they don’t mingle with anyone. Jo decides to go out for some air and instead is attacked by a guy who manages to escape while some other guy kisses her. Though Jo is confused, she does go home after the incident.
Nicholas Argeneau has been a rogue for the last fifty years. He still tracks down other rogues to be turned over to the council, but he’s kept a low profile to keep himself from punishment. That changes when a group he’s been tracking takes too many hostages and he gets involved again with the Hunters (in the Immortal Hunter). Tracking one to the HQ, Nicholas saves Jo, then kisses her. He knows he can’t read her since he couldn’t make her go back into the building.
Nicholas then goes to check on Jo, but she’s been tracked by the rogue and Nicholas saves Jo again, and they go on the run. Nicholas must escape the Hunters after him while trying to lead them to the rogue after Jo. While this sounds a bit complicated, it does work pretty well and the action does take place over a few days, rather than 24 hours like the Immortal Hunter.
Both Nicholas and Jo are good together, but at this point there’s little use for story because once that “I can’t read him/her, they’re my lifemate” moment sort of overtakes the rest of the action. The reader knows what’s going to happen and it’s all just action to liven up the parts in between when the new lifemates get busy between the sheets (or wherever they are). The writing in this book did make things a bit easier to bear, as opposed to Rogue Hunter and Immortal Hunter, which seemed to be more like placeholders in the story to get to the next book, which is Armand and Eshe’s story.
Perhaps the mythology is getting too big, or it’s just too many books, but I’ll keep reading, I know. I just hope that the stories have a bit more plot and character development before the “we’re lifemates” moment and then they jump in the sack. Let’s have a little time to get to know people before the horizontal mambo.
Grade: C+
Summary:
The Argeneau family has a secret…one of their own is a rogue vampire!
Nicholas Argeneau was once a successful hunter who went after rogue vampires who break the immortal law. Except no one has mentioned his name in the last fifty years, not since he turned into a rogue himself. But once a hunter, always a hunter. When Nicholas sees a bloodthirsty sucker terrifying a woman, it’s second nature for him to come to her rescue. He had no idea he would also want to kiss her senseless…One minute Josephine Willan is taking in a breath of fresh air, and the next sharp fangs are heading straight for her neck! Luckily a gorgeous stranger saves her life . . . and gets locked up for his troubles. Can a man who kisses so lovingly and passionately really have committed the crime he’s accused of? Jo isn’t so sure…and she’s determined to prove that this renegade hunter is worth fighting for.
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
