LUCILLE’S VALENTINE
by Lorelei Moone
Narrator: Gethyn Edwards
Vampires of London, #3
Publication Date: March 10, 2020 (Audio)
Genres: Audiobook, Adult, Paranormal, Romance,
Novella, Vampires
Rating: 4 Stars
#Audiobook #Audio #Audible #Steamy #Romance #Novella #ParanormalRomance #VampireRomance #VampiresofLondonSeries #LucillesValentine
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for review from IndieSage PR and the author. I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising".
SYNOPSIS:
The enemy of my enemy is my friend?
Lucille Amboise has been serving as Enforcer to the Vampire Council for centuries; a role she’s always taken extremely seriously. When an investigation causes her to cross paths with a human tracker who is hunting the same criminal, she decides to join forces, at least on the surface, to increase her chances of bringing the rogue vampire to justice.
Two things she didn’t count on: The growing connection between the human and her, and the ever growing risk of losing either her life or her heart if he finds out about her true nature.
Valentino Conti’s family has lived on the fringes of human society for generations. He comes from a long line of hunters, not of animals, but of so-called Nightwalkers. His latest investigation takes him to London, where he’s surprised to find a mysterious woman on the trail of the same murderous monster he’s after.
They begin to work together, but he can’t contain his curiosity: Who is his new partner, and what secrets she does she hide?
All books, including this one, in the Vampires of London series are stand-alone and can be listened to out of order.
My Thoughts:
Mr. Edwards has been the perfect narrator for this series. My respect for the way he brings a story to life just grows with every book I listen to. He adds humanity into the author’s words which helps with the video that plays in my mind. The only issue I had was with the speed of this latest book.
While listening, I had to go in and check to see what speed was selected because my ears had a hard time connecting with what was being said. It seemed as if the standard speed was going by too quickly – as if our narrator was speedreading. This was the first time that I had to turn it down so that I could concentrate on what the author created.
This may be Lucille’s story but if you have followed the series than you already know that we have met her before. If you’ve not followed than I would start at the beginning so that you can understand the type of woman she is–even though she was a secondary character in the previous two books. This latest goes more into what her job is about–she becomes the star.
I almost felt like I should be sitting by a fire in a wingback chair with a glass of mulled wine. Sad part is that where I live its summertime but I just might do the chair and fire thing anyway. I could get a fake fireplace and that way I would still get the feeling without the heat. What was even sadder was that the time went by too quickly.
Our author has created a story with plenty of suspense, action and romance. If you like a kick **s woman and a couple of men that bring out the mystery of the story than you’re going to enjoy this latest Vampires of London. It may also make you curious as to what other type of books she has written. My problem is that I’ve come to love listening to her audiobooks-but that’s not always a bad thing.
Excerpt:
Valentino stole a glance at Lucille as they left the pub together. What a peculiar young woman. Everything about her, from the way she carried herself to her choice of Scotch signaled that she was an old soul. The fact that she had joined him out here meant that apparently she was fearless as well.
Was she part of the same underground he belonged to? The online message boards, the discussion groups that met virtually to discuss any supernatural activity they had come across. It had been one of those anonymous reports of vampirism that had brought him to London in the first place. Was she active in those circles? Or was her presence here a coincidence?
Her catlike movements as she walked alongside him toward the feeding site suggested she was strong and well trained. She definitely knew how to fight.
He wouldn't be surprised if she had some hidden weapons somewhere underneath her long coat. He had some too, after all.
When they reached the bin he had inspected on his own earlier, he pulled out the bottle of Luminol again and sprayed the area where he knew the blood to be.
She leaned in closer and followed the direction of the spray pattern with her index finger.
"Interesting."
Valentino smiled. "As I said, the evidence is right here."
Lucille stood back and stared at the ground surrounding the area. "It wasn't much of a struggle, so perhaps the victim came here willingly."
Valentino raised an eyebrow. "How do you know this?"
Lucille pointed at a very faint muddy footprint which the winter rains had done their best to erase. "If two men had fought here, they would have knocked over some of these bags of rubbish. They would have left smudged prints and scuff marks from their shoes. I don't see any of that here."
She turned to face him, her eyes narrow and darting back and forth between him and their surroundings. "Do you think the murderer might have arrived here by train? Or is he a local?"
"I think he is not the sort of man who could travel by train without drawing too much attention to himself. He is the sort who stays in the shadows."
Lucille nodded, as though she understood him perfectly, even those things he’d left unsaid. She really was peculiar, unlike any woman he'd met before.
Could he risk it?
It had been a long time since he'd ever told an outsider about his calling, and that had backfired spectacularly. Suddenly years of history didn't matter anymore, and the woman he'd opened up to because he wanted to spend his life with her had simply left.
But this right here was different; there was no history. What did he have to lose?
"There are more things between heaven and earth than most people choose to see or believe…"
Lucille folded her arms as she focused on him. He had her full attention.
"This murderer is not strictly a man," Valentino added.
"Why. Is it a woman?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.
The peculiar glint in her eye told him that he was on the right track. She was testing him; Valentino would bet his life on it.
"He's a Nightwalker. A vampire."
Lucille pursed her lips and glanced at the bin with the blood evidence on it, then back at him. The corner of her mouth twitched in amusement; it was so subtle he would have missed it if he wasn't paying attention.
"You're a hunter," she remarked, as though it was the most natural thing in the world.
He nodded. She knew the terminology. Unless she was the best actress he'd ever come across, nothing he'd told her so far had shocked her in any way.
"You have unusual methods. More like a forensic investigator than a hunter," she added.
He nodded again. "And your methods? Old school. More like a tracker."
Lucille smiled briefly. "I favor a more intuitive approach."
"Have you been at this long?" he asked. He was thirty-four, not old by any stretch of the imagination, but Lucille looked about ten years younger—exceptionally young for someone in their line of work. Perhaps it was a family affair for her, just like it had been for him.
"My entire life," she said.
Fine, so she wanted to keep things vague. He didn't mind. Their line of work was lonely and unappreciated for the most part. To run into another hunter was its own reward. He didn't need anything more than that for now.
"How about you make good on that promise then?" she said. "Of buying me another drink."
Valentino grinned. If she didn't look so serious he might have thought she was flirting with him.
They walked back together, and he again marveled at her smooth, deliberate movements, the strong spring in her step. It was a lonely existence; living on the fringes of society, hunting creatures that most people only acknowledged in their nightmares.
The times had changed since his parents and grandparents had been around. Mainstream society no longer believed in the supernatural, as he had so painfully found out in the past. Continuing in their footsteps had earned him a solitary life. It would be a nice change of pace to combine forces with a like-minded soul.
Plus, Lucille was an exceptionally beautiful woman. He would be lying to himself if he thought that she hadn't affected him on some deeper level. But he'd been at this too long to simply take other people at face value. He still needed to find out if he could trust Lucille.
"Right. Let's get that drink then," he said.
ABOUT LORELEI MOONE:
Lorelei Moone is an author of paranormal / fantasy romance based in London. A lover of all things sweet, and caffeinated, when she’s not writing about sexy bear shifters and their strong-willed curvaceous love interests, Lorelei can be found baking cookies or cakes for her family.
ABOUT GETHYN EDWARDS:
Gethyn Edwards is an up and coming new British narrator, with a growing track record in top romance titles. Reviewers describe his work as “emotionally charged”, “compelling”, and “a pleasure to listen to”. Visit his Facebook Page for more information.
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