DARK PROMISES by Christine Feehan

Dark #29
Berkley Books, March 2016
Hardcover from publisher
ISBN:  0425277356
ISBN13: 9780425277355
Paranormal Romance
*****



 

Perhaps one of Christine Feehan’s best Dark books to-date, DARK PROMISES, hits book shelves in March of 2016 and you do not want to miss out on this one, I promise.

Gabrielle has been in love with Gary Jansen for what seems like forever.  When she had to be turned to save her life, she put her human dreams on hold to help him research solutions to the Carpathian birthing problems, refusing to accept her new reality.  Now that Gary too has been turned, Gabrielle sees nothing standing in the way of their being together.

Once a gentle researcher, Gary now shares the blood of a Carpathian warrior and everyday he takes on more of the warrior traits.  Still, they think they are in love and plan to mate.  But lifemates are pre-ordained, not chosen and when it turns out that they are not lifemates, Gary takes a mission to the monastery where the oldest of the Carpathians wait out their days to put some space between them.  When Gabrielle follows crying for Gary, one of the monastery ancients, Aleksei, recognizes the call of his mate and makes his presence known!  And then there is Trixie.

This reader rarely gives out a five star review but Christine Feehan really deserves it this time with DARK PROMISES.  Most of her Dark books follow the same basic storyline and quite frankly they have gotten a little tired.  Not so with DARK PROMISES.  Here we have our first attempt at a mating that doesn’t take because the two people weren’t fated to be together.  It is heartbreaking, but in the end everything works out.  Aleksei is so much better for Gabrielle than Gary could ever be; but who would have thought that would have been possible going in? 

And while their storyline is running, another story is blossoming with one of Gabrielle’s relatives, an older, more mature woman, Trixie, who starts out as a vampire hunter, but later turns out to be a lifemate to another ancient Carpathian.  Her story was so intriguing because she wasn’t the usual, pretty young thing finding love for the first time, yet to the ancient, she was still a young woman in his eyes and as beautiful as any woman could be.  As these stories converged, the tears absolutely flowed.  It was so nice to see love and trust actually growing for both couples equally in all four parties for the first time.  For that reason, this reader gives Christine Feehan’s DARK PROMISES a well-earned five stars for her latest paranormal romance, DARK PROMISES.

Review by Tammy (TammyLRM@gmail.com)
*This is an objective review and not an endorsement*