Thursday 2 November 2017

Blog Tour: Darkest Temptation by Rachel Van Dyken - Excerpt & Review

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Darkest Temptation, an all-new standalone in The Dark Ones Saga from New York Times Bestseller Rachel Van Dyken is available NOW!



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Darkest Temptation by Rachel Van Dyken

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publishing Date: October 31st, 2017


I'm a werewolf King who chose to step down out of grief for my mate.
For centuries I've been alone, choosing to live a life of modesty despite the wealth surrounding me.
I deserve to be punished.
I crave things I have no business craving.
And it is manifesting itself in a way I'm terrified I won't be able to control any longer.
Especially since she arrived.
Vampire. Orphan. Beaten beyond recognition.
My blood calls to her in a way that makes no sense.
I'm a wolf.
She's a vampire.
The two don't mate.
They barely tolerate one another.
All it takes is one slip of control on my part — one taste.
And I doom us all.
Then again, I never knew what is lurking inside has the power to balance good and evil.


Excerpt:

The air around me thickened with a sweet-smelling fog. I inhaled and closed my eyes, allowing my baser instincts to take over. “Wolf.” She whispered my name. I sniffed. The voice was not familiar. It was not my mate. It was… other. “Wolf,” she beckoned again. Branches crunched beneath my feet as I made my way closer to the sweet scent, closer to the warmth, closer to what I should have been running from. I was already mated. And yet — I was being pulled. Like a siren’s song. I hated sirens. Every last one of them. But only the strongest were male. This — I sniffed the air again as ecstasy took over — this was no male. This was all female. The instinct to protect kicked in, forcing a surge of adrenaline through my limbs as I staggered toward the trees. Green eyes blinked through the fog. I stilled. My breath caught. Vampire. I frowned, reaching for her. “Kiss me, Wolf.” Why was I tempted? Why did I want to touch this being? When every hair stood on end like she was foe not friend. When I had a mate back home that I loved more than life itself. Confusion warred with disgust, and then the vampire stood on her tiptoes and pressed her cheek against mine, the way my people greeted. But she was no wolf. Her lips grazed the outside of my ear before she bit down onto my neck… I jerked awake. Sweat pooled the bed like I’d just taken a shower. And my mate, the one I was so convinced would be lying right next to me, was gone. She’d been gone. Over a hundred years. And every year, like clockwork, on the anniversary of her death. I saw my vampire. She bit me. And I woke up with a bruise on my neck as if it were real.
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Review:

As some of you may know, I only started reading romance novels this year and I've mainly stayed in the realm of contemporary romance. I didn't venture out into paranormal or supernatural romance, but when the opportunity came up to review a book by Rachel Van Dyken, I was definitely in. I'm a huge fan of hers after reading Fraternize and Cheater. I was curious to see how the genre change would affect me as a reader. Even though Darkest Temptation, can be read as a standalone because it follows brand new characters, it is the fourth book in the Dark Ones Saga and I really wish I read the other ones before this one. I think it would've helped with the world building a bit more since I felt I was immediately thrown into the world and I found it hard to keep track of all the paranormal characters. The story follows Mason and Serenity who find themselves drawn to one another even when it is extremely unlikely and against the norm to be with one another. Mason is a werewolf King who is still mourning the loss of his mate, and Serenity is a vampire that feels loss with where she is. They seem drawn to one another and suddenly the mating process begins. There were a lot of twists and turns and I really enjoyed the plot reveals that led up to "why" they were so drawn to one another. It is very much well-written like the other Rachel Van Dyken books I've encountered and maybe if I read the other novels in the first place, I would think differently. But I found it really hard to jump into a paranormal romance because I'm so used to the logistics of a contemporary romance. I found some moments a bit hard to suspend my disbelief. I'm not a huge fan of insta-love unless it is done right and I felt like things escalated so quickly chapter by chapter. It's not simply falling into bed with someone, but the whole "mating" process seemed intensified. I did like that when they finally got together they were quite strong as a team and bound together regardless of what everyone thought. Overall, if you are a fan of the series already, you will definitely enjoy this trope of forbidden romance between a werewolf and a vampire. But for me, I think I'll stick to contemporary romances for now. 

 My rating of the book: ✮✮✮ (3/5 stars)

Read Today!

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2xRF47F

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Start the Series Today


The Dark Ones

Untouchable Darkness

Dark Surrender


About the Author:

Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor. She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers! 

RVD


Connect with the Author:

Rachel's Rockin' Readers: http://bit.ly/RachelsRockinReaders



Disclaimer: I have signed up with Social Butterfly PR to help promote this author and her book. I have received an early reader's copy of this book for my participation in the Blog Tours and in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 
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