Nocturne by Irene Preston and Liv Rancourt

Nocturne

Author: Irene Preston and Liv Rancourt
Title: Nocturne
Series: Hours of the Night 2
Genre: Paranormal
Pairing: M/M
Rating: Four Petals

On the Author's Website:
http://www.irenepreston.com/blog/hours-of-the-night/nocturne/

Summary:

It's Mardi Gras, cher, but this year le bon temps kick off with murder…

For generations, the White Monks have treated the vampire Thaddeus Dupont as a weapon in their battle against demons. However, when a prominent matron drops dead at a party, Thaddeus and his lover Sarasija are asked to find her killer. Their investigation leads them to an old southern family with connections everywhere: Louisiana politics, big business, the Church, and an organization just as secret as the White Monks.

Meanwhile, an esoteric text containing spells for demon-summoning has disappeared, Thaddeus is losing control of le monstre, and Sara is troubled by disturbing dreams. These nightmares could be a side-effect of dating a vampire, or they could be a remnant of his brush with evil. As the nights wear on, Sara fears they are a manifestation of something darker – a secret that could destroy his relationship with Thaddeus.

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Maggie's Rating: Four Petals

Maggie's Review:

I received this book as an ARC via the author in exchange for an honest review.

Sara and Thad know they still have a divide between them to bridge for their relationship to really flourish.  Thad's a strict Christian with strong beliefs in good and evil.  Sara's a child of the modern era, so his beliefs are different, plus he's not Christian.  When someone steps into that divide to try and tear them apart, neither Sara nor Thad know whether they'll even be alive the next day to continue their relationship at all. 

This is a fun series to read, but then New Orleans is a fun place to be.  The welcoming air of Mardi Gras only adds to the series.  Yes, I missed the gators wearing Santa hats, but at the same time the setting of beads, bliss, and bombs in Nocturne was wonderful too.  Having such an interesting setting helped ground the rest of the story of vampires and magic with a touch of realism, and provided depth to everything else. 

If I had one complaint about this book, it was that the characters never talked with one another.  So much of what went wrong or caused drama in this book could have been solved without problem if they just opened their mouths.  I got frustrated while reading because I could see what was going on when they couldn't.  In my opinion, my feeling that much emotion over a book only shows how well written it actually was. 


Maggie's Recommendation:

This book provided yet another wonderful setting to ground the vampires and magic in the real world.  I had some issue with the characters not communicating with each other properly, but overall I really liked this book and definitely recommend it.