It's a rare thing for me to find a book that truly surprises me. I read a lot of books from the same genre and they tend to follow patterns. And though I enjoy many of them thoroughly and may find a minor surprise here or there, I'm rarely as wrong about a book as I was about this one.

I had lukewarm feelings for The Vampire Voss , but I forged on and found I really liked The Vampire Dimitri . The two books were similar in tone and seemed to set up a pattern I just expected the third installment to follow. But it didn't. I wasn't even right about who the love interest was, much less how the story would progress. Much to my surprise, this was the love story of Narcise and GIORDAN, not Narcise and Woodmore. Beyond that, it was not a rehash of the events of the first two books, but rather was set mostly before and after those events.

I usually detail at least a set-up on the plot of the books I review, but I really have already said too much. For those totally unfamiliar with the series, Narcise is a vampire held captive by her twisted brother. Giordan is the man who falls for her and risks everything to free her. (...I will not spoil... I will not spoil... I will not spoil...) (view spoiler)[Seriously, I couldn't believe the sacrifice he was willing to make. Nor did I ever expect the book to take such a turn!And the way Narcise responded to his selflessness made want to pelt her with rotten eggs! (hide spoiler)]

I am so glad I didn't stop after the first book. Or the second. This book blew me away. And I think part of it was the bait and switch from the first two installments. Brava, Colleen Gleason! I would definitely recommend the series. Just be prepared, this last book is far from sunshine and roses. There are some very low points for our characters here, some which include rape. It's a story about sacrifice, perseverance, and love. And definitely worth reading. 5 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley