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The Brethren #4
Dark Passages
Tristan Morin is a vampire on a to not fall in love with Karen Pierce. To do so would prove that humans and Brethren were meant to be physically and emotionally bound to each other -- something he, as a full-blooded Brethren, refuses to believe. It would be so much easier if Karen wasn't beautiful. And if there wasn't something about her that draws him like a moth to a flame, damn near impossible to resist.
Karen has always felt an inexplicable attraction to Tristan. More than just the fact he's strikingly handsome, it's as if being with him is something natural, comfortable and right. But soon a brash choice on his part leaves her heartbroken and confused, and a sadistic new enemy will put their tentative love -- and their lives -- to the ultimate test.
"An amazing read! With a hero like this one, the bite -- and what comes with it -- is worth the blood." -- NY Times and USA Today best-selling author Sharon Sala
Karen has always felt an inexplicable attraction to Tristan. More than just the fact he's strikingly handsome, it's as if being with him is something natural, comfortable and right. But soon a brash choice on his part leaves her heartbroken and confused, and a sadistic new enemy will put their tentative love -- and their lives -- to the ultimate test.
"An amazing read! With a hero like this one, the bite -- and what comes with it -- is worth the blood." -- NY Times and USA Today best-selling author Sharon Sala
195 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 8, 2011
1 person is currently reading
124 people want to read
About the author
Sara Reinke
37 books145 followers“Definitely an author to watch.” That’s how Romantic Times Book Reviews magazine describes Sara Reinke. New York Times bestselling author Karen Robards calls Reinke “a new paranormal star” and Love Romances and More hails her as “a fresh new voice to a genre that has grown stale.” Sara writes romance, urban fantasy, horror, and young adult fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 3, 2020
I really enjoyed this book, it was a rollercoaster of emotions and suspense, complete with unrequited love, and revenge! I really liked Karen, but was frustrated with Tristan's indecision, but Mason was a hoot taking them both to Vegas! I'm really looking forward to checking out the rest of the series to see what happens to the rest of the family.
April 21, 2021
Great book have read the whole series well worth it
May 20, 2011
I want to say I liked this book but from the very beginning I just couldn’t get into it. Maybe it’s because it’s book 4 in a series I’ve never read. I hear you yelling…now why did I read it if it’s book 4? Well simple. I was pressed for time, generally authors do a pretty good recap at the beginning of each book….but honestly, it wasn’t the back story that had me shaking my head. This is a novella, so inherently short…however half of it read like a medical journal. The author HAS to have knowledge of the medical field or else she has done a TON of reading in various medical books. It had a lot to do with blood types, antibodies and all kinds of stuff. Stuff, I really didn’t care about. When we are talking romance novels, I don’t need to know the specifics…unless you plan on testing me later. Give me a general overview and I’m good.
Tristan and Karen are fighting their attraction. More so Tristan then Karen. Karen is seriously jonesing for this hunky vamp. They sleep together and she is imagining a picket fence and the whole nine yards. When he blows her off she’s devastated. She then gets invited to a impromptu trip to sin city with Tristan and his uncle. Seems there is a vamp on the loose that would like to sample her blood. Somewhere along the way Tristan and Karen are forming a mental connection. One Tristan can’t deny any further.
I liked Tristan well enough, though I thought his reasoning for not wanting to be with Karen was slightly juvenile. I mean, if you love someone then letting your pride get in the way seems wrong. There is obviously a lot of back story from the past few books but I really didn’t need to read it to understand that he felt connected to her and was letting his mind get in the way of his happiness.
There was a altercation in the book were he gets slapped. Huh? Punched fine..slap…no. Guys should never slap. I kind of laughed at loud at the thought of two male vamps slapping each other around. Where were the teeth? The growling? The strength? Instead I got a full grown older male slapping the younger vamp because he got a bit mouthy. Nikki likes alpha’s.
Karen seemed to rely on Tristan for her happiness a lot. She hung on his every word at times. Some of that was the connection she felt with him and part of it was the fact that she wanted him so badly. Her role in the climax of the book helped me to like her more when she finally stepped up to the plate and helped out. Her inner dialogue was very “I love him, why doesn’t he love me” for most of the book.
I think the heart of the series has a lot of promise. Sara writes well and she does a great job at the imagery. I just think this one fell flat for me because of the abundance of medical terminology and the inability to connect with the main characters. I do have the 1st full length book in this series as well, and will read it.
Tristan and Karen are fighting their attraction. More so Tristan then Karen. Karen is seriously jonesing for this hunky vamp. They sleep together and she is imagining a picket fence and the whole nine yards. When he blows her off she’s devastated. She then gets invited to a impromptu trip to sin city with Tristan and his uncle. Seems there is a vamp on the loose that would like to sample her blood. Somewhere along the way Tristan and Karen are forming a mental connection. One Tristan can’t deny any further.
I liked Tristan well enough, though I thought his reasoning for not wanting to be with Karen was slightly juvenile. I mean, if you love someone then letting your pride get in the way seems wrong. There is obviously a lot of back story from the past few books but I really didn’t need to read it to understand that he felt connected to her and was letting his mind get in the way of his happiness.
There was a altercation in the book were he gets slapped. Huh? Punched fine..slap…no. Guys should never slap. I kind of laughed at loud at the thought of two male vamps slapping each other around. Where were the teeth? The growling? The strength? Instead I got a full grown older male slapping the younger vamp because he got a bit mouthy. Nikki likes alpha’s.
Karen seemed to rely on Tristan for her happiness a lot. She hung on his every word at times. Some of that was the connection she felt with him and part of it was the fact that she wanted him so badly. Her role in the climax of the book helped me to like her more when she finally stepped up to the plate and helped out. Her inner dialogue was very “I love him, why doesn’t he love me” for most of the book.
I think the heart of the series has a lot of promise. Sara writes well and she does a great job at the imagery. I just think this one fell flat for me because of the abundance of medical terminology and the inability to connect with the main characters. I do have the 1st full length book in this series as well, and will read it.
June 16, 2011
After a broken engagement Brethren doctor Tristan Morin tries to ignore the continuous attraction he feels for human nurse Karen Pierce for fear her involvement with him will put her in jeopardy against a vengeful family enemy. Karen Pierce understands the world of The Brethren and just wants to be with Tristan no matter the cost. Between fear from the outside and fear from his losing control, Tristan keeps pushing her away until a deadly encounter makes him realize how much he really needs Karen. But by then will it be too late or just in the nick of time?
This is the fourth book in Ms. Reinke's Brethren series and though it may be short in word count it's big on action and romance. Tristan has felt trapped for a long time because of family obligations keeping him in the community. The stress of this is intense and you can strongly feel his unhappiness with his situation. It's only when he's with Karen that he shows a more relaxed side of himself. His bloodline has learned not to harm humans but he still holds a part of himself back from her for fear his bloodlust will get out of control and you can feel the barrier between the two of them in the early stages of the story.
Karen is strong-willed and easily accepting of The Brethren world. She's no shrinking violet and is quite willing to fight for those she cares about, both Tristan and the community she's been calling home. Even though Tristan keeps pushing her away she still has hope for their future and works to achieve that.
The sexual interludes are steamy and the connection between Tristan and Karen is very believable. The concern that Tristan has in regards to their relationship is understandable and thanks to a character from a previous book he finds a way to keep control. The villain is indeed nasty and has held a grudge for a very long time which manifests in an intense final confrontation. The climactic encounter with the villain is very violent and bloody and makes you hurt along with the characters and ends in a surprising way. I was very much on edge while reading this scene and cringed as each punch was thrown.
I liked hearing about and seeing characters from previous books and liked how easily it tied this novella in with the rest of the series. For those who have not read the previous books in this series have no fear. The world of The Brethren was quickly and seamlessly explained as were previously known characters. At no time do you feel lost.
This was an entertaining and satisfying read full of action and romance. The world of The Brethren is an exciting and emotional society and with each book you get further sucked in to their way of life. I'm excited to see what comes next as the internal struggle for power amidst their kind continues.
June 17, 2011
Romancing the Dark Side Review:
Definitely an author to put on your list!
Tristan Morin is a pure blood vampire, also known as The Brethren. He's grown up in a life of privilege and even after continuing the family legacy by becoming a doctor, still feels alone in the world. There's only one person that makes him feel complete, the one person he should have never set his eyes on, Karen Pierce. Karen is a human doctor hired by his grandfather Michel to work with the Brethren and who Tristan has madly fallen for.
The Brethren have been known to mate with humans, but as a pure-blood Brethren, Tristan is completely against this idea. He cannot fathom that a human and Brethren can truly be destined for each other, this belief of his is the sole reason he pushes Karen away after sharing a night full of passion. Heartbroken, Karen leaves Tristan and vows to forget about him. Her plans to get Tristan out of her mind and heart are coming along until she's invited to a weekend getaway to Vegas by Tristan's extravagant uncle Mason. This unexpected trip will not only reunite her with the man who has broken her heart, it will test her willpower as well as Tristan's.
This book starts off hot and sultry, fooling the reader into believing it's more erotica but as you delve deeper into the characters, you see a genuine romance. The world building of the Brethren was fascinating and although some readers might argue that there is a lot of medical terminology involved in Reinke's writing, I was quite intrigued by it. The relationship between Tristan and Karen is taken to the next level in this book but it's apparent that this isn't just some fling, these two people have worked and shared moments together which is refreshing, the concept of two characters who get together and are instantly in love with each other does get old after a while. The danger that ensues on their trip makes the story adventurous and there are some shocking revelations towards the end that piece everything together.
Dark Passages is a passionate story with delightful characters. This is my first book in the series but I will waste no time in reading the rest. A recommended read to anyone looking for a heartfelt romance with a bit of family secrets and rich drama.
eBook courtesy of author/Bewitching Book Tours for review.}
Definitely an author to put on your list!
Tristan Morin is a pure blood vampire, also known as The Brethren. He's grown up in a life of privilege and even after continuing the family legacy by becoming a doctor, still feels alone in the world. There's only one person that makes him feel complete, the one person he should have never set his eyes on, Karen Pierce. Karen is a human doctor hired by his grandfather Michel to work with the Brethren and who Tristan has madly fallen for.
The Brethren have been known to mate with humans, but as a pure-blood Brethren, Tristan is completely against this idea. He cannot fathom that a human and Brethren can truly be destined for each other, this belief of his is the sole reason he pushes Karen away after sharing a night full of passion. Heartbroken, Karen leaves Tristan and vows to forget about him. Her plans to get Tristan out of her mind and heart are coming along until she's invited to a weekend getaway to Vegas by Tristan's extravagant uncle Mason. This unexpected trip will not only reunite her with the man who has broken her heart, it will test her willpower as well as Tristan's.
This book starts off hot and sultry, fooling the reader into believing it's more erotica but as you delve deeper into the characters, you see a genuine romance. The world building of the Brethren was fascinating and although some readers might argue that there is a lot of medical terminology involved in Reinke's writing, I was quite intrigued by it. The relationship between Tristan and Karen is taken to the next level in this book but it's apparent that this isn't just some fling, these two people have worked and shared moments together which is refreshing, the concept of two characters who get together and are instantly in love with each other does get old after a while. The danger that ensues on their trip makes the story adventurous and there are some shocking revelations towards the end that piece everything together.
Dark Passages is a passionate story with delightful characters. This is my first book in the series but I will waste no time in reading the rest. A recommended read to anyone looking for a heartfelt romance with a bit of family secrets and rich drama.
eBook courtesy of author/Bewitching Book Tours for review.}
May 18, 2011
See the full review at:
Read My Mind
My Review:
DARK PASSAGES is definitely different from your average vampire paranormal romance. Right away, it establishes that The Brethren do have special powers, but they can succumb to mortal sicknesses and diseases like the rest of us. I liked this bit of fallibility that Sara Reinke gives her vampires. I like it when an author isn't afraid to put their own twist on an existing mythos.
Reinke explains much of the differences that she has given to the vampires (Brethren) through the eyes of her female protagonist, Karen, who knows about their secret. While some of the explanation came out a little bit like an infodump, I was never pulled out of the story, and I appreciated getting the background, especially since I haven't read any of her previous novels in the series.
There was an underlying danger that threatened the couples' lives, but it really took a back seat to the developing romantic relationship that Tristan and Karen were forming. Though this danger did become real, it wasn't until the end of the novel, and the reader is treated to a fairly emotion-filled journey with the two, mostly from Tristan, as he fights his bloodlust for this woman that he has spent so much time with as a colleague.
I enjoyed reading DARK PASSAGES, and it has whetted my appetite for the other books in the series. There are many secondary characters that are introduced that I would love to find out more about, and two of them do have their own books. Reinke takes the paranormal romance genre and delivers a real romance, not just hot scenes amidst mortal danger. There is a real development to Tristan and Karen's love for each other, one that follows a more real-life timeline, and one that I was compelled to follow to the end.
3.5/5 for plot
4/5 for characters
3.5/5 for language
My Rating: 11/15 (3 stars)
Recommended, if you liked:
Love at Stake (series) by Kerrelyn Sparks
A Werewolf in Manhattan by Vicki Lewis Thompson
My Review:
DARK PASSAGES is definitely different from your average vampire paranormal romance. Right away, it establishes that The Brethren do have special powers, but they can succumb to mortal sicknesses and diseases like the rest of us. I liked this bit of fallibility that Sara Reinke gives her vampires. I like it when an author isn't afraid to put their own twist on an existing mythos.
Reinke explains much of the differences that she has given to the vampires (Brethren) through the eyes of her female protagonist, Karen, who knows about their secret. While some of the explanation came out a little bit like an infodump, I was never pulled out of the story, and I appreciated getting the background, especially since I haven't read any of her previous novels in the series.
There was an underlying danger that threatened the couples' lives, but it really took a back seat to the developing romantic relationship that Tristan and Karen were forming. Though this danger did become real, it wasn't until the end of the novel, and the reader is treated to a fairly emotion-filled journey with the two, mostly from Tristan, as he fights his bloodlust for this woman that he has spent so much time with as a colleague.
I enjoyed reading DARK PASSAGES, and it has whetted my appetite for the other books in the series. There are many secondary characters that are introduced that I would love to find out more about, and two of them do have their own books. Reinke takes the paranormal romance genre and delivers a real romance, not just hot scenes amidst mortal danger. There is a real development to Tristan and Karen's love for each other, one that follows a more real-life timeline, and one that I was compelled to follow to the end.
3.5/5 for plot
4/5 for characters
3.5/5 for language
My Rating: 11/15 (3 stars)
Recommended, if you liked:
Love at Stake (series) by Kerrelyn Sparks
A Werewolf in Manhattan by Vicki Lewis Thompson
March 8, 2011
I gave this book three stars because it's part of a series that I feel has potential. However, I do feel that it's missing substance due to the fact that it's a short novella (book 4 of the series).
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews