Sandy M’s review of Jared (Shadow Wranglers, Book 2) by Sarah McCarty
Paranormal Romance published by Berkley Trade 6 Apr 10

I’m going to nag on the issue of reading books in a series in order again. I’m one who usually likes to do that. Sometimes as a reviewer that doesn’t happen.This is one of those times, and I’m a little vexed that it did happen. There’s information revealed in this book about certain events in the first book in the series, Caleb; therefore, knowing some of what happens even before you start reading takes a little of the punch out of the story and makes it somewhat anticlimactic. But there’s plenty in this series that will keep me reading.

Of course, the three biggest elements in this series that make it prime reading for me: heroes who are brothers, cowboys, and vampires. Can hardly get any better for me. The fact there’s an estrangement of sorts between a couple of the brothers makes it even better. Despite that, too, there’s a lot of other emotion among all four of them as well as the main characters.

It’s Jared and Caleb who’ve had a bit of a problem for a number of years — vampire years — because Caleb turned his three brothers, not wanting to live into eternity without them once he’d been bitten. Things have gotten better between them, though Caleb still carries some guilt over his actions.

Jared has made the best of being a vampire, going from an old-time outlaw to a vampire no one messes with. The Johnson brothers have kept to themselves for centuries, but a war is brewing with Sanctuary, a group of derelict vampires who are experimenting with female vamps to create babies of their kind, because their females are known to be infertile. Returning home Jared comes upon Raisa being roughed up by a couple of Sanctuary bad guys. He can’t walk away, leaving her to an unknown, horrific fate, so rescuing her is the only option. He figures to get her to safety and they’ll go their separate ways.

He never expects to be so intrigued by her that he can’t let her go for other reasons. Raisa is extremely weak for a vampire, all due to not being able to keep blood down when she eats. Jared’s protective instincts rise to new heights when dealing with her. He finds out soon enough, though, that she has secrets she won’t reveal, secrets that will possibly work against him and his brothers when it comes to vanquishing Sanctuary.

And, of course, when her biggest secret is revealed, none of them, as well as the reader, expects what they get. It’s a situation that Jared must come to grips with, especially when he learns Caleb knew the truth of it for quite a while.

We also get a lot of Jace and Slade, the other two brothers, who hopefully will have their own books. We already get the beginnings of Jace’s story at the end of this one. But a look at Ms. McCarty’s web site doesn’t list anything forthcoming as of yet. My optimism is very high, though.

Grade: A

Summary:

Jared Johnson has always been a force to be reckoned with, first as an outlaw and now as a vampire. Caught in a war between immortals, he doesn’t have time to waste, but when a female vampire is attacked, he can’t just walk away. He expects a quick good­bye, but what he gets is a vulnerable woman who intrigues and seduces while giving away nothing of the secrets holding her hostage.

Raisa may not have extreme physical strength, but she’s been able to survive as a vampire longer than most by keeping to herself. But that’s about to change. Forced to accept Jared’s protection, Raisa finds it increasingly hard to resist his forbidden allure while keeping the secret that could destroy them both.

Read an excerpt.
Read a spicy excerpt.

Other books in this series: