Soren

I love how realistic this relationship was! Well. As realistic as a vampire romance can be.

Gabe's freak out? Needing a year to acclimate to this mind bending revelation? This feels reasonable. No shade to Danny but finding out about vampire existence and inviting the subject to your room and your bed that very night is a bit out there.

Not to mention Soren's patience with him really raised him in my estimation. No pushing. Just patience and a little light consistent stalking. Fated mates trope that's not instalove? And giving the other the time they need to fall in love on their own without stifling them? I really rate this! Soren for president.

I enjoyed this more than the first. Mostly because the characters are so incredibly well fleshed out, their fears and motivations so clear that I almost feel like we wouldn't have needed Hendrick's storyline except as a backstory for why Soren is the way he is.

Another thing I really appreciate about the author is how engaging they are with the secondary characters who are later to become primary characters, WITHOUT pulling focus from the primary characters in their own book. (Added bonus for the fact that Roman and Danny were barely in this. I love them, but they had their moment - I hate when authors resurrect previous characters to the extent that they're competition in another couple's book) Jay is so adorable and has such golden retriever energy that I can't wait to read his book. After Lucian's.

Lucien, I'm coming! I can't wait to get to know you.

Soren had such a snarky, sassy personality in the first book that you wonder why he's like that. Same thing with Gabe and his intense distrust and initial disgust with vampires and Soren. They both had such strong reactions to each other in the first novel that I'm glad we got to see into their minds and pasts and just get through some trauma together. For a couple that is so sassy their love was also so sweet and perfect as well.