Nathen was recently diagnosed with autism, and he’s a newly created vampire. His maker, a multinational corporation with its finger on the pulse of the technology industry, has recruited him to stop a terrorist plot. In the process, he meets Cameron, a telepath and psychologist, who has a troubled past he keeps locked up in the shadows of his psyche. Nathen is confused by social cues and Cameron … cues and Cameron can barely block out the thoughts of others.
Together, they find common ground, and with the help of their friend Syn, they work out the secrets of the terrorist group and learn that the plot is far greater than they could have imagined.
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I really enjoyed Nathen and Cameron’s romance, they were very engaging characters. I loved Nathen’s differences, they did make him perfect for Cameron and allowed Cameron’s mind to rest around him. They were well-written complex characters and the storyline was very interesting, I’m looking forward to reading more in this series.
*I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book provided by the GRR team*
This book is quite different from just about anything else I have ever read before. The two main characters are unique, you might say marred, in some way, but they work together in a kind of synergy. The story contains an odd mix of magic, paranormal, mystery, suspense, thriller, science fiction, and technology elements. That’s a lot to mix in one book, and there were times when it bogged down for me. The time frame covered is very short (one week, I think), so there is a feel of insta-love or insta-lust that burns very hot. I was quite surprised by the ending, and yes there is an irritating cliffhanger. Overall, it’s an intriguing story, with very unique characters, but I didn’t really relate to them well enough that I know if I’ll read the next one.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.
This was, for me at least, an incredibly unique book. It is paranormal, sci-fi, and romance.
Nathen is a tech wizard and his vampire story is like none that I’ve known before. He does possess some common traits of vampires, but others not so common. The fact that he’s autistic also adds to his uniqueness. Cameron works in psychology and possesses magic that interacts in unexpected ways with Nathen’s vampiric state, (at least unexpected for the characters). There is a third character, Syn, who is also a tech genius and Cameron’s best friend. I very much liked all of these characters and their interactions.
The romance between Nathen & Cameron progresses at light speed, with a fair amount of sweet, angsty, and sexy moments. The whirlwind insta-nature of it is probably unrealistic, but this is a paranormal sci-fi book with aspects that allowed me to be forgiving of that.
There is a kind of mission for the characters, as they investigate a cyber terrorist group. If you’re not tech-savvy yourself, you’ll probably be like me – totally & completely lost during many conversations as they analyze this situation. I confess I did a lot of skimming, because my own mind kind of fogs over when I see tech-speak. I probably missed important aspects of the story due to this, but was still able to enjoy the characters and the general feeling of the story. There are also conversations involving technology, artificial intelligence and how they can be used in society; with this, there is obvious social commentary that may or may not appeal to readers.
I found the first half of the book on the slow side – VERY interesting, but I wasn’t on the edge of my seat. The last half of the book, on the other hand, became gradually more suspenseful and had me needing to know how it would end. I could not have predicted the ending at all. I shall say no more about that for risk of spoilers.
I need there to be more books with this world and characters and hope they are soon to come. For one thing, there’s a LOT that was not clear about Cameron’s past and his abilities. There’s a lot to do with how Nathen became a vampire and the existence of other paranormal individuals that remains to be explained. It seems pretty clear to me that the authors want to give explanations over time, to keep readers wondering how this alternate world works.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
The premise of the book was rather interesting, and that’s what caught my attention. The Corporation with its fingers in every pie is creating vampires and holds their leashes tight. Curious I was. Vampire who is also autistic? Even more curious I was. I was really happy about an autistic MC. I think the authors showcased the traits specific to autistic person very well, especially considering that you meet one person with autism, you’ve met ONE person with autism, as the saying goes. I am sure some things were personal in Nathen’s behavior patterns but they were well presented in the story.
The plot twist in the end was so unexpected and rather brilliant. I loved the way authors lead the story to its conclusion. That said, what kept me from fully enjoying the story was the fact that the conversations between Cameron and Nathen felt and read clinical, as if both men being the consummate professionals that they were kept over analyzing and over psychoanalyzing everything under the sun. I feel if they just hung out without over discussing and deconstructing every single thought they both had, it would have been more fun for me. The time frame of the story is approximately one week, so at times it felt a bit insta attraction/love although the authors managed to avert this from happening.
I am sorry to say but I never warmed up to Syn, Cameron’s BFF. She blew hot and cold, was so temporary in her views and stance that it at times grated on my nerves. The dark part of the story came from recollections of Cameron’s past trauma. That was well written and I liked how Nathen handled himself in the situation, how he gave Cameron the support he needed. Another thing to note is that the story happens in the same universe as the author’s previous novel Escape and has an encounter with the book’s MCs, Theo and Robbie. That was fun. The story was steadily paced with possible triggers, mildly angsty and medium level of steam. I liked the concept, the plot twist and how the ending sounded and opened the door for the sequel that should happen. Copy received for my honest and unbiased review
This was absolutely thrilling! Page after page of holding my breath, gripped by the suspense and my brain buzzing with questions. Not to mention, the autistic vampire + telepathic mage combo, which was a delight. Nathen and Cameron together were a combination of beyond cute and incendiary, and I liked seeing them blend their obvious opposite personalities and gifts.
AND, kudos to the authors for the ending, I didn’t see that coming.
Very interesting concept – the corporate vampire! Our main characters initially seem as if they are such opposites, but it becomes clear, throughout the story, that they have way more in common than is initially apparent. Even their “opposites” are more like the two sides of the same coin.
I enjoyed getting know both characters and getting the first taste of the world they inhabit. I really enjoyed Syn and was intrigued by a certain motorcycle riding duo. I really hope they are part of the continuing story.
The heat level was moderately high, 3.5 ish, lol. It was enough to be interesting but not over the top in any way.
Like I said above, I hate cliffhangers…that said, I’ll be anxiously awaiting book two!