Review: Deeper Than Midnight

Posted June 28, 2011 by Jen in 4 stars, Paranormal Romance, Rating A, Reviews Tags: , , , ,

Deeper Than Midnight
Author: Lara Adrian 
Release Date: June 28, 2011
Publisher: Bantam Dell
Midnight Breeds #9
ISBN: #978-0440246114
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format(s): Paperback (416 pgs), e-book
 
I received a copy of this book from the author for the purposes of an honest review.

From the author’s website:

     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 was 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.

What I’m talking about:

     Taking place immediately after book 8 of the series (Taken By Midnight, review HERE), Deeper Than Midnight opens with a bang as the newest Order initiate (and former GenOne Assassin for Order nemesis, Draco), Hunter, and former Breed Enforcer, Sterling Chase, enter a seed Enforcement establishment and end up in an all-out brawl. They are searching for leaks in the system that lead to the deaths of a prominent Breed family.
     For those not familiar with Lara Adrian’s Midnight Breed Series, I  suggest you go back to the beginning (or at least of few books) to get the back ground of her world. The Breeds are “vampire-like” males descended from alien beings that landed on Earth long ago. They live undetected and in secret among humans.  The series follows the adventures of the Order – a group of warriors that protect the Breed society, whether they want it or not.
     Deeper Than Midnight features the romantic coupling of Corinne and Hunter. She was held prisoner by the evil Draco for 75 years, subject to his ungodly breeding experiments.  He is the outcome of said experiments, but escaped Draco’s lair for freedom with the Order. Knowing all of this, it is understandable when I tell you that their romance took a long time to develop. At almost halfway through the book there was still no spark between the couple – other than a heated glance. I understand the reasons behind this – her abuse, his upbringing, but it made for a slow read at times. I also had to suspend the “real life” knowledge I have learned about emotional scarring and go with the idea that Corinne could overcome the scars of some 75 years of mental and physical abuse in a relatively short period. And to her credit, Ms. Adrian did a good job of addressing the concerns, taking it slow and having the pair work through some of the fears, although at times it came across a little too romanticized. In the end, this is a paranormal romance, not a drama. If Corinne can get over her past, more power to her!
     When the sparks finally do fly, it was tender and HOT. Even though I felt nothing from this couple until that point, I found myself jumping into their emerging passion with both feet (and a fan to cool me off). Their scenes were really well put together, and Ms. Adrian created a smooth transition from the timid and fearful couple to one that was ready to move forward with a physical relationship.
     However, the love story took a back seat to the action with Chase and the overall, series-spanning story arc involving Draco. Although the first half of the book was slow and I didn’t feel the connection between Corinne and Hunter, the second half of the book EXPLODES! Yes, the romance became heated, but it was the story arc of the Breed nemesis that stole the show. It was by far the best segment of this overall story arc yet. The forward progression made on this plotline was phenomenal, filled with superbly woven details and intricate planning.
     Chase… Can I just say I’m falling for this bad-boy Breed. He goes through hell in this story and it will be interesting to see what happens to him in the next book, Darker After Midnight, which focuses on the reckless warrior. (PS. I think we meet his Breedmate in Deeper.)
     The book ended with an stunning cliff hanger, and all I can say is that I am COUNTING the days until I can get my hands on the next book. It was one of those almost surreal moments when you watch the story reveal itself in slow motion and you are helpless to stop what will inevitably happen.
     In the end I thoroughly enjoy this book, even with the rough start. And even though the featured couple wasn’t as prominent as I would have liked, I enjoyed the other pieces of the story so very much.
My Rating: 
Enjoyed – strongly recommend (A-)

6 responses to “Review: Deeper Than Midnight”

  3. paperbackdaydreamer.com

    Great review and just another slap upside the head that tells me I really need to flippin read the book I won from your blog giveaway! 🙁 I have so much to read…I need to make myself sit down and read a lot.