My Lord Eternity [Paperback]

Desire Has Never Been So Dangerous
Seduced and cast aside by a rogue, Jocelyn Kingly survived the shameful scandal with her pride intact, as well as a new determination to save women less fortunate than she was. Her mission is aided by a well-intentioned vicar named Amadeus Fallow, whose services prove invaluable. Despite the fact that his presence on occasion makes her skin crawl with unease, his assistance is far preferable to the attentions of charming Lucien Valin. Rakish and self-indulgent, Lucien is exactly the sort of man she detests, even though her overwhelming attraction proves impossible to deny. But when the local brothels are terrorized by a plague of vicious murders, Jocelyn discovers that there is more to both Amadeus and Lucien than she ever imagined-and that a mysterious amulet in her possession is at the core of their dark, unearthly secrets. Can she trust the man who claims to be her friend...or will she surrender to the man who longs to be her lover?

An interesting side note on this series is that it's fairly innocent, making it appropriate for more mature teens. I actually read these books to approve them for my daughter. No, they're not Julia Quinn or Teres Medeiros, but I have also read many that are much worse (one of which was written by Lisa Kleypas). So take it as a light read and enjoy a few hours with a nice vampire.

Nearly every problem the author had with her first book, she also had in this one. Bad character development, bad plot, no description, and absolutely no reason for the heroine, Jocelyn, to fall in love with Lucien, a.k.a. Tall, Tawny and Egotistical.

To be absolutely fair, the author has improved slightly since her last book, or maybe she just got lucky. Lucien is a touch more interesting than the hero in the first book and Jocelyn is truly an independent woman, fighting her own battles. However, Lucien is still horribly overbearing and full of himself. It's hard to understand why Jocelyn didn't just put a stake through his heart instead of marrying him.

Therein lies another problem. Jocelyn weathered scandal and rejection from cold, unfeeling parents to become the version of Mother Theresa that she is now. She goes out alone at night in the slums to help the hopeless, homeless and hapless. A woman out alone who's never had any problems until the Big Bad Evil Vampire comes along? Highly doubtful. Not to say that Jocelyn isn't a strong woman, she is, but all that strength just dries up and vanishes when Lucien comes into the picture. Suddenly she's leaning on him for everything and independence is a thing of the past. She puts up a token fight, but at one point he literally says that she "belongs to him" and she's just thrilled to accept that. Most readers today will feel like giving her a good shake to put some sense into her.

Lucien is very much the kind of guy you'll find in any college bar today. Sure of himself and his irresistibility and unable to conceive of the fact that a woman might not want him. He's constantly in Jocelyn's personal space, touching and kissing her, just like a drunken frat guy. His constant references to Jocelyn as "my dove" only give credence to the inebriated college boy comparison. He kind of has the same appeal too, attractive and rakish, but no one in their right minds would want to marry him.

The villain, Amadeus, is one of the biggest plot holes in the book. This is supposed to be a super-intelligent, evil vampire, but the reader learns very little about him. The "experiments" he does on humans are glossed over, only one example being presented. Much more description was called for there to make his evil believable. His intelligence is also called into question at the end. The "trick" Lucien uses to free Jocelyn is probably one of the lamest things ever attempted, and if Amadeus were really that intelligent, he wouldn't have fallen for it. He also would've seen Jocelyn's "trick" coming a mile away. There are rocks with more intelligence than Amadeus.

As in the author's previous book, the world of vampires behind the veil sounds mind-numbingly boring. Amadeus can't be blamed for wanting to get out of there. Even Lucien found it dull, at one point turning the library into a harem. Which, by the way, directly contradicts many of the things the author has said about this world. According to her, everyone there lives in peace, free from passions and happy to pursue a life of scholarly study. Well, apparently that didn't apply to the three vampires who escaped, or Lucien who was quite obviously not happy there. And if there was no passion, exactly what did Lucien fill this "harem" with? Scantily clad books? Continuity is not the author's strong point.

Once again, if you're looking for a good vampire romance, skip this one. It's better than some out there, but it's still pretty bad stuff.