SEDUCED BY DARKNESS

Author: Delilah Devlin ISBN: 9780061161247 3/2008 PARANORMAL/EROTIC Publisher: AVON A

For eight hundred years Nicolas Montfaucon has dedicated his life to preventing the rebirth of an immortal evil. But now a terrible storm has assaulted unsuspecting New Orleans—and the beast walks the earth once more. "The Devourer" has been awakened, and there is only one in the besieged city who can help Nicolas defeat the foul creature—a mysterious and beautiful enigma who haunts the handsome Revenant's erotic waking dreams and enflames his passionate obsessions. Chessa Tomas is not an ordinary policewoman. A vampire, she works only at night, patrolling a seamy and unseen underworld of roiling chaos. Though Nicolas is sensuality incarnate, Chessa wants no part of him or his kind—but she cannot close her eyes to the unholy malevolence that would consume their world. And Nicolas has uncovered the secret lust that rules her—a steaming, uncontrollable desire he intends to unleash, bending Chessa to his will by making her most forbidden fantasies real.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Lordy, Lordy, but it's hot in here! I've just finished SEDUCED BY DARKNESS by Delilah Devlin, and I tell you, that woman writes hot! I feel like I should turn the air conditioning on high! The fact of the matter, though, is that even without the steam Delilah Devlin has an awesome story with SEDUCED BY DARKNESS.

Take one vampire policewoman and an immortal intent of keeping the world safe from extraordinary evil, pit the pair against a newly awakened horror and you've got the gist of this story. What you haven't got, however, is the intense plot twists, superior dialogue and so-realistic-they-jump-from-the-pages characters. Oh, and then there's the scorching sex scenes. Let's not forget those!

Nicolas and Chessa seem, initially, to be such opposites that watching them come together is something that grips, then holds, the reader in utter fascination. Chessa's assertion that she is interested in Nicolas in a purely carnal way is something that only carries her so far. Then, despite her objections, the reader sees her defenses begin to slip. The policewoman's armor seems to have a small chink in it where the hotter-than-sin Nic is concerned. This would be all about the sex if it wasn't for the evil that's been unleashed as a result of a storm. No matter how much we would like to see this couple continue in a purely amorous fashion, the not-so-hidden horror lurking in the shadows threatens on every page. Will they be able to conquer evil? Or will this couple fall prey to the unleashed beast? And, in the end, who will wear the chains?

I won't give the ending away but I'm sure you can figure it out for yourself. Whether or not good overcomes evil is a sidebar to this, I think. The true story lies in the acceptance of what and who you are, and in overcoming obstacles to take a rightful place in the world. Chessa comes full circle in this and it is her development that I most enjoyed watching. And, of course, the hot romance...that worked well for me too!

SEDUCED BY DARKNESS is the second book in a series. I wish I had read the first. I haven't, but it wasn't necessary for me to completely understand what's going on in this story. I just know, after reading this book, that the first one was probably a good one. I will, however, be sure not to miss the next book in this series. SEDUCED BY DARKNESS has earned Delilah Devlin a spot on my keeper shelf!

Kay James