Deeper Than Midnight – Lara Adrian

Deeper Than Midnight Series: Midnight Breed #9
on 2011-06-28
Pages: 320
Format: eBook
Goodreads

DELIVERED FROM THE DARKNESS, A WOMAN FINDS HERSELF PLUNGED INTO A PASSION THAT IS DEEPER THAN MIDNIGHT.

At eighteen, Corinne Bishop was a beautiful, spirited young woman living a life of privilege as the adopted daughter of a wealthy family. Her world changed in an instant when she was stolen away and held prisoner by the malevolent vampire Dragos. After many years of captivity and torment, Corinne is rescued by the Order, a cadre of vampire warriors embroiled in a war against Dragos and his followers. Her innocence taken, Corinne has lost a piece of her heart as well—the one thing that gave her hope during her imprisonment, and the only thing that matters to her now that she is free.

Assigned to safeguard Corinne on her trip home is a formidable golden-eyed Breed male called Hunter. Once Dragos’s most deadly assassin, Hunter now works for the Order, and he’s hell-bent on making Dragos pay for his manifold sins.

Bonded to Corinne by their mutual desire, Hunter will have to decide how far he’ll go to end Dragos’s reign of evil—even if carrying out his mission means shattering Corinne’s tender heart.From the Paperback edition.

Ever since Hunter walked onto the pages of Niko’s book, I had been itching for his story. I have always been a sucker for tortured males and they don’t come much more tortured than this! Created during the rape of a captive breed-mate by a psycho alien (put like this it sounds bonkers!), then placed into a training camp for killers at 6 and kept under control with the threat of beheading, I think Hunter has had it tough! He has never had human contact, or friends, before his time at the compound with the Breed. My heart has bled for him over these past books; his awkwardness with social situations and unfamiliar emotions have caused me a tear or two more than once! I wanted to love this book, I wanted this book to give him a HEA that makes up for his past hurts, unfortunately, for me, and it fell a little flat.

Corinne was a good heroine for Hunter. She had also suffered at the Dragos and wanted to see him dead as much as he did. She could have let herself become completely broken by everything she endured; instead, she focused on finding Dragos to find the answers to some very big questions. Their romance was very sweet but also seemed to be very rushed. One minute the feelings were simmering under the surface, the next there were declarations of love. It felt they weren’t the main focus of their own book and I wanted so much more for them. Please don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed their story. I liked both characters and was so pleased that they found a little happiness. Their love was so pure; it was like reading a story of teenagers (with more sex :D) as neither had known love, lust or tenderness. My problem was that I wanted them to heal old wounds, to get past their issues, but I feel they were brushed aside with a sweep of the “love heals everything” brush. It wasn’t enough for me.

So if Hunter wasn’t the focus of his own book who was. One word, Chase. This book showed just how far the fabulous Sterling Chase has fallen over the course of this series. I knew when Tegan and Elise got it on, that it wouldn’t be good for his mental health. If I didn’t already know that his book was next, I would fear, after the events that unfolded in this book, that Sterling Chase would no longer grace the pages of this series. Yes, my fellow Breed fans, this book is SHOCKING for Chase. And the end…OH MY GOD! There is no way I would abandon the boys in such time of need 😀

As part of the series, this book is a solid addition. As a love story, it really didn’t live up to my expectations. It needs to be read to keep up with the twists in the Dragos story-arc, but it wasn’t what I wanted for Hunter. Maybe I’m too involved with this character or maybe I had subconsciously decided what I wanted for him and this simply wasn’t it. I really can’t decide. As a prequel to Chase’s book, it’s amazing; I’m chomping at the bit for that man’s HEA because by golly he needs one now!