I didn’t know this was number 18 in a long series of books but I’ve picked it up only to have some trash novel to read on the beach. All fun and entertaining but with some major flaws, logic being one of them. If you’re looking for some hot action, this is the book to read – loads of steamy sex, talks about his long broad.. sword going into her .. silky velvet cave and as many aphorisms and metaphors that you can imagine.

“They kept to themselves. We all had a ‘live and let live’ philosophy, so we didn’t mix unless someone committed crimes in our territories. Karpatii, mage and humans were close. The others stayed away from us and from each other.”

Dangerously close to becoming a vampire, Manolito De La Cruz has been called back to his Carpathian homeland – and has unexpectedly caught the scent of his destined lifemate, MaryAnn Delaney.

MaryAnn is human and well aware of the aggressive instincts of Carpathian males. A counsellor for battered women, MaryAnn has no room in her life for someone like Manolito. But when she goes to South America to offer guidance to a young woman, she has no idea of the trap awaiting her. For she’s been lured there by Manolito, who has seductive plans for the irresistible human female.

Once there, she’ll be his. Once his, she’ll never be released. She is his dark possession.

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I had to laugh at the tropes: the woman is well curvy with chestnut hair and a forgettable personality that could be just anyone. The man is dark and virile and very controlling *cough* domineering – you know the type that might grab you in a fight.

Most of the story is sex.

What isn’t sex, it’s badly plotted with other characters you won’t care much about and whose prime characteristics are “violent”, “animal” and in tone with the era it was written in, we have shape shifters but because this entire story takes place in the Amazon, we have werepanthers not werewolves.

It’s a good read but not a classic. 3/5.

PS I had to laugh a little at the name. Never have I seen a Carpathian name like Manolito. Manole, maybe 🙂 and we all know what he did with his wife.