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The Brethren #2
Dark Hunger
The Deepest Hunger. . . Tessa Noble is a vampire who will do anything to reach the safety of her brother in New Orleans--even if it means traveling with her nemesis, Rene Morin. A ruthless, brooding, yet startlingly sexy vampire, Rene seems to take pleasure in finding fault with Tessa's every move. As they travel, Rene feeds along the way, while Tessa struggles to resist the impulse to nourish herself. . . Feeds The Darkest Needs. . . Once in the storm-ravaged city of his birth, Rene's defenses begin to unravel, and Tessa is drawn to his more vulnerable side. Starving and spent with need, Tessa finally allows herself to feed off of Rene's own body, deepening the sensual attraction they share. Yet neither can afford to succumb to this desire. For Tessa and Rene are being followed--and a single misstep will put them at the mercy of forces more dark and powerful than even they can fight. If they are caught, the ecstasy of their newfound love will be matched only by the agony of its loss. . . Praise for Sara Reinke's Dark Thirst. . .
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
6 people are currently reading
300 people want to read
About the author
Sara Reinke
37 books144 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 - 25 of 25 reviews
January 11, 2010
I am sitting here trying to deal with the fact that this book ends on a cliffhanger from deepest pit of Hades. Why??? I cry in agony! And why would the publisher end Sara Reinke's contract and leave the third book unpublished? It's evil!
Dark Hunger picks up after Dark Thirst ends. This book is about Brandon's (the hero from Dark Thirst) sister, Tessa. Tessa has ran away from her husband, pregnant with her husband's baby. She wants a better life for her baby than she knows it will have with a mother who is the sixth, and lowest wife of a cruel man, living in a house ran by his evil first wife. Brandon, his love Lina, Lina's ex-partner Rene, and Tessa go on the road to find their way to California, and to escape the Elders, the killing machines that the Brethren send after rogue vampires. Tessa and Rene aren't exactly friends when their trip starts. In fact, they flagrantly dislike each other. Rene sees spoiled princess when he looks at Tessa, and Tessa sees lazy playboy when she looks at Rene. Not exactly what you would expect to turn into a love match. But it does.
This might be a romance, but it's also very dark and gritty. In fact, Reinke's vampires are probably the darkest I've seen yet in vampire romance. They are monsters in human form. I thought I would hate Tessa for the rest of the book after she rips a poor, helpless vagrant man's throat out to feed on his blood. At the time, her bloodlust got the best of her. The Brethen think of humans as lower than cattle. They feel that humans are only useful to do the menial tasks on their Kentucky farm, and for feeding on in their horrible acts of Bloodlust. So in all fairness, Tessa doesn't really know any better. Although I was horrified at first, it didn't take long to begin to see Tessa as a sympathetic character. As for Rene, well I liked him from the first time we met in Dark Thirst. He is a good person. He has done some less than admirable things, and he commits an act in this book that really made me unhappy with him, but he does it for the reasons he believes are right. Sigh.
I loved Rene's tenderness towards Tessa. He's a real gentlemen, even though Tessa has a hard facade that would make her a very annoying person to travel with. Thankfully, he soon comes to realize that Tessa hides her fear and vulnerability behind that facade. As Brandon learned to withdraw into himself to escape from the cruelty of the Brethren, Tessa forms a hard shell around herself for her own survival. Rene breaks through that shell to the sweet girl inside, causing her to fall in love with him. He does this by showing her tender concern (even taking a bullet to protect her) when all she's gotten from people around her was cruelty for years. I really loved their tender moments together, how they seemed to connect physically and emotionally. They were two lost souls who found each other. I guess the fact that Tessa is married when she and Rene get together should bother me. It didn't. Probably because the frame of reference is so different from real life, it's hard to put my moral beliefs into this story. Also Tessa's husband is a low-life creep who treated her like dirt, and he's got five other wives, as well. Still, I feel it fair to post this warning for any reader who doesn't like adultery in her/his romance books. To be honest, there so much other dark stuff going on, you really don't have the time or energy to fixate on that aspect.
I liked seeing Brandon and Tessa reconnect. They are twins who were very close growing up, but grew apart when Tessa was married to Martin Davenant, part of a family who hates and resists the dominant Noble house. The schism that forms between them is due to the heavy emotional burdens that they both carry and try to hide from each other. I was glad that they were able to rekindle their familial connection and closeness in this story.
Dark Hunger is one of those books that simply sucks you in, and you don't want to put it down. The characters are very real and you feel for them. Rene is a man who is tortured by his past and what he lost. He dearly wants to have a future full of hope, and sees that Tessa and her baby could be his future. Tessa feels a longing to love and be loved by a good man like Rene, and to make a home for her beloved baby. How could you not feel for them? Of course, Brandon is as adorable and as sweet as ever. I just want to hug him. I despised Brandon and Tessa's whole family, and most of the Brethen. I think they are soulless monsters, for the most part, even though Reinke's concept of vampires is more realistic than most. You wonder how they could breed such a gentle, loving person like Brandon. Tessa has some of the darker traits of the Brethren, but her love for her unborn child, her devotion to Brandon, and her desire for Rene to think well of her endows her with a humanity that most of the other Brethren lack. As before, I felt like Lina's character doesn't really come to life as well as Rene, Brandon, and Tessa, but I do like her, and I am happy to see that she and Brandon are still together and in love.
I would say this was a really great follow up to Dark Thirst. I fell head over heels for Rene, finding him a hero that stands out in my mind, for and despite his flaws and his good heart. Tessa was a heroine you could grow to like as you realized she did have a good heart, but had to get away from the Brethren to become the woman she was meant to be. But even before that, she had a strength and a fortitude that was admirable when considering the circumstances she faced. I think this book is a very good dark urban fantasy, emphasis on dark. There are some fairly gritty moments and some brutal scenes of violence, but any vampire fan could more than handle the violence, in my opinion. As I said, these vampires are really nasty. It's hard to feel much sympathy for them (other than Brandon, Tessa, and Rene, a half-vampire).
I am pretty upset that this book ended the way it did. It wouldn't bother me if the publishers hadn't pulled the third installment. Just evil! I hope that I can get an electronic copy of the third book, because I have to know how things end from this point. Update: Ms. Reinke contacted me to let me know that this book is available in electronic and print form from Double Dragon Publishing. The link should be in blurb description for this book on Goodreads. I know I'll picking Dark Passion up next to see where Ms. Reinke takes this fascinating series.
Dark Hunger picks up after Dark Thirst ends. This book is about Brandon's (the hero from Dark Thirst) sister, Tessa. Tessa has ran away from her husband, pregnant with her husband's baby. She wants a better life for her baby than she knows it will have with a mother who is the sixth, and lowest wife of a cruel man, living in a house ran by his evil first wife. Brandon, his love Lina, Lina's ex-partner Rene, and Tessa go on the road to find their way to California, and to escape the Elders, the killing machines that the Brethren send after rogue vampires. Tessa and Rene aren't exactly friends when their trip starts. In fact, they flagrantly dislike each other. Rene sees spoiled princess when he looks at Tessa, and Tessa sees lazy playboy when she looks at Rene. Not exactly what you would expect to turn into a love match. But it does.
This might be a romance, but it's also very dark and gritty. In fact, Reinke's vampires are probably the darkest I've seen yet in vampire romance. They are monsters in human form. I thought I would hate Tessa for the rest of the book after she rips a poor, helpless vagrant man's throat out to feed on his blood. At the time, her bloodlust got the best of her. The Brethen think of humans as lower than cattle. They feel that humans are only useful to do the menial tasks on their Kentucky farm, and for feeding on in their horrible acts of Bloodlust. So in all fairness, Tessa doesn't really know any better. Although I was horrified at first, it didn't take long to begin to see Tessa as a sympathetic character. As for Rene, well I liked him from the first time we met in Dark Thirst. He is a good person. He has done some less than admirable things, and he commits an act in this book that really made me unhappy with him, but he does it for the reasons he believes are right. Sigh.
I loved Rene's tenderness towards Tessa. He's a real gentlemen, even though Tessa has a hard facade that would make her a very annoying person to travel with. Thankfully, he soon comes to realize that Tessa hides her fear and vulnerability behind that facade. As Brandon learned to withdraw into himself to escape from the cruelty of the Brethren, Tessa forms a hard shell around herself for her own survival. Rene breaks through that shell to the sweet girl inside, causing her to fall in love with him. He does this by showing her tender concern (even taking a bullet to protect her) when all she's gotten from people around her was cruelty for years. I really loved their tender moments together, how they seemed to connect physically and emotionally. They were two lost souls who found each other. I guess the fact that Tessa is married when she and Rene get together should bother me. It didn't. Probably because the frame of reference is so different from real life, it's hard to put my moral beliefs into this story. Also Tessa's husband is a low-life creep who treated her like dirt, and he's got five other wives, as well. Still, I feel it fair to post this warning for any reader who doesn't like adultery in her/his romance books. To be honest, there so much other dark stuff going on, you really don't have the time or energy to fixate on that aspect.
I liked seeing Brandon and Tessa reconnect. They are twins who were very close growing up, but grew apart when Tessa was married to Martin Davenant, part of a family who hates and resists the dominant Noble house. The schism that forms between them is due to the heavy emotional burdens that they both carry and try to hide from each other. I was glad that they were able to rekindle their familial connection and closeness in this story.
Dark Hunger is one of those books that simply sucks you in, and you don't want to put it down. The characters are very real and you feel for them. Rene is a man who is tortured by his past and what he lost. He dearly wants to have a future full of hope, and sees that Tessa and her baby could be his future. Tessa feels a longing to love and be loved by a good man like Rene, and to make a home for her beloved baby. How could you not feel for them? Of course, Brandon is as adorable and as sweet as ever. I just want to hug him. I despised Brandon and Tessa's whole family, and most of the Brethen. I think they are soulless monsters, for the most part, even though Reinke's concept of vampires is more realistic than most. You wonder how they could breed such a gentle, loving person like Brandon. Tessa has some of the darker traits of the Brethren, but her love for her unborn child, her devotion to Brandon, and her desire for Rene to think well of her endows her with a humanity that most of the other Brethren lack. As before, I felt like Lina's character doesn't really come to life as well as Rene, Brandon, and Tessa, but I do like her, and I am happy to see that she and Brandon are still together and in love.
I would say this was a really great follow up to Dark Thirst. I fell head over heels for Rene, finding him a hero that stands out in my mind, for and despite his flaws and his good heart. Tessa was a heroine you could grow to like as you realized she did have a good heart, but had to get away from the Brethren to become the woman she was meant to be. But even before that, she had a strength and a fortitude that was admirable when considering the circumstances she faced. I think this book is a very good dark urban fantasy, emphasis on dark. There are some fairly gritty moments and some brutal scenes of violence, but any vampire fan could more than handle the violence, in my opinion. As I said, these vampires are really nasty. It's hard to feel much sympathy for them (other than Brandon, Tessa, and Rene, a half-vampire).
I am pretty upset that this book ended the way it did. It wouldn't bother me if the publishers hadn't pulled the third installment. Just evil! I hope that I can get an electronic copy of the third book, because I have to know how things end from this point. Update: Ms. Reinke contacted me to let me know that this book is available in electronic and print form from Double Dragon Publishing. The link should be in blurb description for this book on Goodreads. I know I'll picking Dark Passion up next to see where Ms. Reinke takes this fascinating series.
February 3, 2019
Entertaining, but would have enjoyed it more had I read the first book.
August 23, 2008
Dark Hunger by Sara Reinke was as delicious as the first book in the series but this one was more romance than its previous installment. All the emotions at play in this book will have you wondering if you you should laugh, cry, shove your proverbial foot in your mouth, die of embarrassment or just continue to grind your teeth in frustration at not being able to get to the next page fast enough.
Rene Morin is Cajun, part human, part vampire, all raw sexual male and kick him in the ass stubborn to a T. He has more money than he or his heirs could ever hope to spend, a mouth that doesn't know when to shut itself and a slight drinking problem.
Tessa Noble Davenant is full vampire, extremely beautiful, pregnant, and in a whole lot of trouble with her family. She is on the run now trying to protect her twin brother from a prominent family of vampires that are out for his skin. If sticks and stones can break your bones, I would truly hate to see what stares and sharp words could do coming from Tessa's sharp tongue.
Our story starts off right where we left off in the first book of the series, Dark Thirst. Brandon, Lina, Rene and Tessa all find themselves running for their lives from the Brethren, a prominent family of vampires. The Elders with the Grandfather leading them are hot on our escapee's tracks. Not only that but we also have Tessa's husband even closer and poor Tessa if he should be able to get his hands on her.
The first book was more about the family itself and then Brandon and Lina. This second book is more about Rene and Tessa with sections of the others put in here and there. The back story referring to the first book is prominent in places but only as needed to jog your memory of what or why this should or could be happening. I found the writing to be very smooth and the storyline very intense.
Our author has given us another jewel of a story that will have you drooling, crying, laughing, cursing, anticipation so great that sitting on the edge of your seat just might have you falling on the floor. A story of love, friendship, happiness, sadness, betrayal, secrets galore, intensely powerful actions scenes that will have you holding your breath in utter fear and sexual scenes that will leave you drooling and wanting for some of your own.
One final thought is this story left me completely stunned with its ending. It has such a twist that I did not in any way see what was going to happen coming and boy did it hit me hard. Kudo's Sara for surprising me so.
Rene Morin is Cajun, part human, part vampire, all raw sexual male and kick him in the ass stubborn to a T. He has more money than he or his heirs could ever hope to spend, a mouth that doesn't know when to shut itself and a slight drinking problem.
Tessa Noble Davenant is full vampire, extremely beautiful, pregnant, and in a whole lot of trouble with her family. She is on the run now trying to protect her twin brother from a prominent family of vampires that are out for his skin. If sticks and stones can break your bones, I would truly hate to see what stares and sharp words could do coming from Tessa's sharp tongue.
Our story starts off right where we left off in the first book of the series, Dark Thirst. Brandon, Lina, Rene and Tessa all find themselves running for their lives from the Brethren, a prominent family of vampires. The Elders with the Grandfather leading them are hot on our escapee's tracks. Not only that but we also have Tessa's husband even closer and poor Tessa if he should be able to get his hands on her.
The first book was more about the family itself and then Brandon and Lina. This second book is more about Rene and Tessa with sections of the others put in here and there. The back story referring to the first book is prominent in places but only as needed to jog your memory of what or why this should or could be happening. I found the writing to be very smooth and the storyline very intense.
Our author has given us another jewel of a story that will have you drooling, crying, laughing, cursing, anticipation so great that sitting on the edge of your seat just might have you falling on the floor. A story of love, friendship, happiness, sadness, betrayal, secrets galore, intensely powerful actions scenes that will have you holding your breath in utter fear and sexual scenes that will leave you drooling and wanting for some of your own.
One final thought is this story left me completely stunned with its ending. It has such a twist that I did not in any way see what was going to happen coming and boy did it hit me hard. Kudo's Sara for surprising me so.
August 29, 2009
I didn't want to give this book a 4* rating, but it deserves it, so what could I do?! It deserves it because it's well-written and continues to give the history and background of the world of the Brethren, an insular commune of vampires who celebrate coming adulthood by participation in a frenzied Bloodlust ceremony. The hero of the first book escaped the commune because he didn't want to take part in that. He was still on the run at the end of the first book, and this book focused partly on that, but mainly on his twin sister's flight, and on the four of them (Tessa & Rene, Brandon & Lina) trying to disappear off the radar of the Brethren.
(THIS NEXT SENTENCE INCLUDES A SPOILER OF SORTS)
And that's why I got so upset - these 4 have been operating as a team, and then the author has one of them do something that totally shocked me, and yes, angered me - I don't take betrayal well. Since I'm this far into their story, I will read the third one, but there had better be some conclusion!
(THIS NEXT SENTENCE INCLUDES A SPOILER OF SORTS)
And that's why I got so upset - these 4 have been operating as a team, and then the author has one of them do something that totally shocked me, and yes, angered me - I don't take betrayal well. Since I'm this far into their story, I will read the third one, but there had better be some conclusion!
October 5, 2008
[10/4/08 Important Notice Below]
Dark Hunger the second book in a three book trilogy, gave me a rollercoaster ride for my emotions. I wanted to laugh, cry, giggle with anticipation, and stomp my foot in frustration, in this page turner of a book. As with the first book, Dark Thirst, it sucked me into the world of Brandon, Lina, Rene & Tessa and wouldn’t turn me loose until I finished the book 14 hours later.
This second book concentrates on the burgeoning love interest between Rene and Tessa. As they, along with Brandon and Lina, travel across country to Nevada in the quest to escape the Brethren, a prominent family of vampires.
For more character info read the review by Terra57 She’s done an excellent review.
If you missed the first book, not to worry, the author pulls information from it to let you know what’s going on in the developing plot. There’s also a lot of flashback/background information that’s new to the characters of Rene and Tessa. That’s what this book mainly focuses on - character development.
The one thing that the author, Sara Reinke, did which wins her high praise from me. Is that whenever Rene, the Cajun part human part vampire, spoke french she immediately repeated the words or phrase in english. I always found it frustrating when romance authors liberally laced their dialog with foreign languages and I not knowing what was being said. Unless, of course, you had an french-english or some other dictionary at hand.
The end of the book left you with one hell of a cliff hanger. In that Rene did something completely out-of-character. It left you with a twist to the plot that I never saw coming and it’s got me wondering – how in the hell is Sara going to write herself out of this!
2009 can’t get here fast enough when the third and final book in the series, Dark Passion, hits the stores.
Important Update:
I have just read via Sara Reinke’s e-mail announcement list that of Oct. 1, 2008 Kensington publishers have dropped the Brethren series due to sales on the first two titles.
I as a loyal reader of Ms. Reinke’s I am severely disappointed in Kensington for not, at least, letting the author finish with the 3 story line arc. To leave a reading audience hanging that way shows that Kensington is more interested in the bottom-line dollar wise then to satisfy it loyal customers.
I fervently hope that Ms. Reinke finds an e-book publisher so that the question of what happens to Brandon, Lina, Tessa, & Rene is resolved.
The outline for the proposed third book in the Brethren Series, Dark Passion is now available at her forum. IT CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE PUBLISHED BOOKS. Hopefully it will answer any lingering questions readers may have about the events set up in Dark Hunger; You'll find it here….. http://sarareinke.activeboard.com/
Dark Hunger the second book in a three book trilogy, gave me a rollercoaster ride for my emotions. I wanted to laugh, cry, giggle with anticipation, and stomp my foot in frustration, in this page turner of a book. As with the first book, Dark Thirst, it sucked me into the world of Brandon, Lina, Rene & Tessa and wouldn’t turn me loose until I finished the book 14 hours later.
This second book concentrates on the burgeoning love interest between Rene and Tessa. As they, along with Brandon and Lina, travel across country to Nevada in the quest to escape the Brethren, a prominent family of vampires.
For more character info read the review by Terra57 She’s done an excellent review.
If you missed the first book, not to worry, the author pulls information from it to let you know what’s going on in the developing plot. There’s also a lot of flashback/background information that’s new to the characters of Rene and Tessa. That’s what this book mainly focuses on - character development.
The one thing that the author, Sara Reinke, did which wins her high praise from me. Is that whenever Rene, the Cajun part human part vampire, spoke french she immediately repeated the words or phrase in english. I always found it frustrating when romance authors liberally laced their dialog with foreign languages and I not knowing what was being said. Unless, of course, you had an french-english or some other dictionary at hand.
The end of the book left you with one hell of a cliff hanger. In that Rene did something completely out-of-character. It left you with a twist to the plot that I never saw coming and it’s got me wondering – how in the hell is Sara going to write herself out of this!
2009 can’t get here fast enough when the third and final book in the series, Dark Passion, hits the stores.
Important Update:
I have just read via Sara Reinke’s e-mail announcement list that of Oct. 1, 2008 Kensington publishers have dropped the Brethren series due to sales on the first two titles.
I as a loyal reader of Ms. Reinke’s I am severely disappointed in Kensington for not, at least, letting the author finish with the 3 story line arc. To leave a reading audience hanging that way shows that Kensington is more interested in the bottom-line dollar wise then to satisfy it loyal customers.
I fervently hope that Ms. Reinke finds an e-book publisher so that the question of what happens to Brandon, Lina, Tessa, & Rene is resolved.
The outline for the proposed third book in the Brethren Series, Dark Passion is now available at her forum. IT CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE PUBLISHED BOOKS. Hopefully it will answer any lingering questions readers may have about the events set up in Dark Hunger; You'll find it here….. http://sarareinke.activeboard.com/
October 29, 2009
This continuation of the Brethren series is a long way from the farm in Kentucky.
Only thing I did not like about this book was that it took an awful long time to not get very far, story/plot wise. There is no denying Sara Reinke can write and entertain. Her characters are scripted with emotion and the Brethren world is a joy to visit.
Rene is Lina's ex-partner and is taken off duty when he loses a leg[from the knee down:] in a shootout. Tessa is Brandon's twin sister and she is pregnant. She comes off the farm looking for Brandon before the Elders can find him and kill him. The end of book 1 finds Tessa meeting Rene and all 4 [Tessa, Brandon, Rene and Lina:] having to devise a plan to escape the Elders. Book 2 maps out that plan and the eventual coming together of Rene and Tessa.
I like the revelations of the Brethren history. Of Tessa's side of life[as we read about it from Brandon's POV in Dark Thirst:]. I liked that Rene was the scarred/disfigured hero this time. Sara Reinke likes to add an altered dynamic to her romances it seems. Perhaps that was the building point and why it took this book to bridge the gap between what happened then and what happens next. Overall I enjoyed what is becoming of this series.
3.5 round up to 4.0`
Only thing I did not like about this book was that it took an awful long time to not get very far, story/plot wise. There is no denying Sara Reinke can write and entertain. Her characters are scripted with emotion and the Brethren world is a joy to visit.
Rene is Lina's ex-partner and is taken off duty when he loses a leg[from the knee down:] in a shootout. Tessa is Brandon's twin sister and she is pregnant. She comes off the farm looking for Brandon before the Elders can find him and kill him. The end of book 1 finds Tessa meeting Rene and all 4 [Tessa, Brandon, Rene and Lina:] having to devise a plan to escape the Elders. Book 2 maps out that plan and the eventual coming together of Rene and Tessa.
I like the revelations of the Brethren history. Of Tessa's side of life[as we read about it from Brandon's POV in Dark Thirst:]. I liked that Rene was the scarred/disfigured hero this time. Sara Reinke likes to add an altered dynamic to her romances it seems. Perhaps that was the building point and why it took this book to bridge the gap between what happened then and what happens next. Overall I enjoyed what is becoming of this series.
3.5 round up to 4.0`
February 16, 2009
Ah if book three is as good as book 1 and 2 then I have a new series to follow. Book 2 did not disapoint and it is as good as book 1 which was an excellent beginning to a series. I'm excitted that I caught it at the beginning (a rarity). Looking forward to more from Sara Reinke.
April 23, 2024
Dark Hunger
I read the first book in this series years ago. If the ending is a cliffhanger that's good. If not, argh!
I read the first book in this series years ago. If the ending is a cliffhanger that's good. If not, argh!
March 3, 2015
Dark Hunger picks up right where Dark Thirst left off -- Brandon, Lina, Rene, and Tessa are still on the run from the Brethren Elders, who are seeking to find and punish both Brandon and Lina for violating the laws by leaving the compound and more.
This book is the weakest in the series, in my opinion. It largely follows Rene and Tessa's relationship, and despite the fact that I love Rene and he's an interesting character (being from Louisiana might leave me biased here), Tess, despite the author's obviously good intent, is just not terribly compelling. The fact that we see very little of Brandon and Lina throughout the book doesn't help matters, either.
Initially, when the book begins, Tessa and Rene hate each other. They're like two members of the Breakfast Club--the princess and the rebel, and they clash like oil and water. Rene hates Tessa's prim, seemingly stuck-up, spoiled-rich-girl personality, and she hates his brashness and seeming insensitivity. In fact, at the beginning, Tessa plans to abandon Rene and join Brandon and Lina for the rest of their escape to California, because she can't stand him anymore.
Of course, since this is a romance, everything changes pretty quickly when Rene and Tessa are attacked by a would-be mugger. Rene, desperate to protect Tessa and her baby, not only gets shot, but kills the man (a big deal for a vampire who doesn't kill to feed). This incident results in the beginnings of new understandings between the two of them. Tessa learns that Rene is actually not all bravado, and Rene learns that Tessa has more beneath her surface as well. Soon, the two are confiding in each other things they haven't told anyone else, and ultimately, fall in love.
What makes this book weak is largely that while it's nice to get some of the backstory on these two characters, it doesn't feel like that's enough to carry the book. Yes, we get it, Rene is upset about what happened with his ex-wife. Yes, we get it, Tessa's husband is an asshole. But it feels like these two concepts are overdone, and I think if Reinke had included more of Brandon and Lina - or even Brandon and Rene (who have become good friends), I think the book may have worked better.
Part of what I found infuriating about this book was the fact that the first book was very much about the idea of Brandon having much more powerful telepathic (and maybe even telekinetic) powers than anyone lead him to believe, that Augustus knew this and was somehow suppressing them. We saw, at the end of book #1 (Dark Thirst), that Brandon was able to harness some of these abilities--such as summoning birds like Rene can do--and I really expected to see Rene attempting to help Brandon develop and hone his abilites, but we don't see anything of the stort. It's almost as if that plot thread was forgotten completely, and it was really disappointing. Even when the big show-down occurs, it's almost like Brandon's only purpose is to get his sister to safety after the battle is over. It's like, really? Come on. He couldn't have done SOMETHING? I complain about this issue in Book #3 as well, and I realize that Reinke was trying to make this Tessa's fight (in a very literal sense), but it still felt like we were being cheated a bit. If Brandon is so freaking powerful, supposedly, then why don't we see it?
The book ends with a HUGE cliffhanger; I know many considered the first book to be a cliffhanger but I didn't see that one nearly as much as this one. This book's ending left you screaming, NOOOO!!! I need to know what happens!!! - Thankfully, the third book is good--much better than the second--so you can satisfy your desire to know how things get resolved.
Also, I know some people I've discussed the series with were concerned about the concept of drinking Brethren blood (since it seems to enhance their healing abilities), fearing that it was being suggested that Brandon would be "cured" and be able to hear and speak. This is not the case; while he does have the psi-speach ability (he can talk to people in their minds), he still needs to read lips/use ASL/write in order to communicate--although do keep in mind that his use of ASL (partially because his hands are still healing after the end of book 1) is very very limited in this book.
This book is the weakest in the series, in my opinion. It largely follows Rene and Tessa's relationship, and despite the fact that I love Rene and he's an interesting character (being from Louisiana might leave me biased here), Tess, despite the author's obviously good intent, is just not terribly compelling. The fact that we see very little of Brandon and Lina throughout the book doesn't help matters, either.
Initially, when the book begins, Tessa and Rene hate each other. They're like two members of the Breakfast Club--the princess and the rebel, and they clash like oil and water. Rene hates Tessa's prim, seemingly stuck-up, spoiled-rich-girl personality, and she hates his brashness and seeming insensitivity. In fact, at the beginning, Tessa plans to abandon Rene and join Brandon and Lina for the rest of their escape to California, because she can't stand him anymore.
Of course, since this is a romance, everything changes pretty quickly when Rene and Tessa are attacked by a would-be mugger. Rene, desperate to protect Tessa and her baby, not only gets shot, but kills the man (a big deal for a vampire who doesn't kill to feed). This incident results in the beginnings of new understandings between the two of them. Tessa learns that Rene is actually not all bravado, and Rene learns that Tessa has more beneath her surface as well. Soon, the two are confiding in each other things they haven't told anyone else, and ultimately, fall in love.
What makes this book weak is largely that while it's nice to get some of the backstory on these two characters, it doesn't feel like that's enough to carry the book. Yes, we get it, Rene is upset about what happened with his ex-wife. Yes, we get it, Tessa's husband is an asshole. But it feels like these two concepts are overdone, and I think if Reinke had included more of Brandon and Lina - or even Brandon and Rene (who have become good friends), I think the book may have worked better.
Part of what I found infuriating about this book was the fact that the first book was very much about the idea of Brandon having much more powerful telepathic (and maybe even telekinetic) powers than anyone lead him to believe, that Augustus knew this and was somehow suppressing them. We saw, at the end of book #1 (Dark Thirst), that Brandon was able to harness some of these abilities--such as summoning birds like Rene can do--and I really expected to see Rene attempting to help Brandon develop and hone his abilites, but we don't see anything of the stort. It's almost as if that plot thread was forgotten completely, and it was really disappointing. Even when the big show-down occurs, it's almost like Brandon's only purpose is to get his sister to safety after the battle is over. It's like, really? Come on. He couldn't have done SOMETHING? I complain about this issue in Book #3 as well, and I realize that Reinke was trying to make this Tessa's fight (in a very literal sense), but it still felt like we were being cheated a bit. If Brandon is so freaking powerful, supposedly, then why don't we see it?
The book ends with a HUGE cliffhanger; I know many considered the first book to be a cliffhanger but I didn't see that one nearly as much as this one. This book's ending left you screaming, NOOOO!!! I need to know what happens!!! - Thankfully, the third book is good--much better than the second--so you can satisfy your desire to know how things get resolved.
Also, I know some people I've discussed the series with were concerned about the concept of drinking Brethren blood (since it seems to enhance their healing abilities), fearing that it was being suggested that Brandon would be "cured" and be able to hear and speak. This is not the case; while he does have the psi-speach ability (he can talk to people in their minds), he still needs to read lips/use ASL/write in order to communicate--although do keep in mind that his use of ASL (partially because his hands are still healing after the end of book 1) is very very limited in this book.
August 10, 2010
Okay, this one was better and worse than the 1st one. I really liked the 1st one. I loved Brandon. But Rene in this book defiantely has a big place in my heart. IMO Rene and Tessa's relationship was alot more complex and passionate for obvious and not so obvious reasons more so than Brandon & Lina's. But the ending of this one which I will not be telling, MESSED ME UP!!!! I am certainly on edge a bit to read the 3rd and finally installment for this series. There certainly is alot more going on in this one and it gets alot deeper. Which will prove I'm hoping for a great ending and all my questions to be answered in the final book. I do recommend this read but only if you are following the series. Other wise you may feel this story is for lack of a better word "pointless" in the grand scheme of things if you are just reading it as a stand alone.
March 12, 2010
I was completely caught up in this story. I could not wait to read it after having read the first one: a deaf-mute vampire in a relationship that not only crosses the species line but challenges racial norms as well. How do you top that? Where do I begin? The fact that Tessa is a noble, pregnant vampire who has been cut off from the world, estranged from her husband, and Rene, an ex-cop with a penchant for drinking from prostitutes, has a legit drinking problem as well as a prosthetic leg--nevermind his horrific experience in Vietnam! And the ending! Oh, my! I agonized over Rene's decision! I haven't read the next one, though. Hard to find in my neck of the woods. I imagine she'll just take me completely by surprise yet again. Sara Reinke is definitely anything but textbook!
August 5, 2025
On the run from an abusive husband and a cult family, the pregnant heroine joins up with a depressed loner who lost his leg and his wife. In fact the story begins with the hero holding a gun an planning to kill himself. But a phone call stops him and instead he hooks up with the spoiled pure bred lady. The heroine came off as entitled and snobbish at first until you realized just how bad her life is. She's pregnant with a baby but her husband who beats her and is on the run to meet up with her fugitive brother. The two characters had a nice dynamic where you truly felt that they didn't want to want each other but in the end couldn't fight it. They balanced each other out, personality wise and I loved the hero's protectiveness towards the baby...sooo sweet!
May 4, 2009
The second installment in the Brethren series by Sara Reinke is as good as the first book. While shelved as a romance title, the book does not concentrate too much on the subject, but offers a thrilling action-packed story as well.
Especially the history and culture of the Brethren, how the vampires are called in this series, are filled with more detail. I enjoyed the original ideas the author has on how the vampires are organized in family clans with their own rules etc., which makes the Brethren series stand out from the mass of vampire (romance) series you can find nowadays.
Especially the history and culture of the Brethren, how the vampires are called in this series, are filled with more detail. I enjoyed the original ideas the author has on how the vampires are organized in family clans with their own rules etc., which makes the Brethren series stand out from the mass of vampire (romance) series you can find nowadays.
January 24, 2011
Read this one as the second in a trilogy. I actually liked that this book featured new characters as the leads, yet incorporated Brandon and Lina from the first book. I have read a lot of reviews about this series, and many people said they were disappointed with the 2nd and 3rd books. I wasn't disappointed at all. I didn't see the surprise ending coming, and although I didn't really like the decision that was made, I felt that it was in tune with what the character would actually do, so I was okay with it. I will be reading the 3rd book soon.
August 18, 2015
I didn't love this book but I didn't hate it either. Maybe it's because I haven't yet read the first in the series which sets up what this book tries to accomplish.
I've always liked the enemies to friends theme so I liked the animosity between Tessa and Rene but I just felt something was missing.
This is definitely a series that needs to be read in sequence. Maybe I'll reread this one once I read Dark Thirst.
I've always liked the enemies to friends theme so I liked the animosity between Tessa and Rene but I just felt something was missing.
This is definitely a series that needs to be read in sequence. Maybe I'll reread this one once I read Dark Thirst.
January 28, 2011
This book makes me want to stab people. The end made me so mad I cursed out random stangers on the street! Okay maybe not that far but it put me in a funky-foul-ass mood for days, days! But only because I am so TEAM BRANDON that anything that happens to him effects me. That's how you know he is a good character, when I want to rip other hero's (if you want to call Rene that. I don't, I call him the asshat)heads off!
May 9, 2009
This book started off slowly but turned out to be a great read. It began right where the last book ended. It was one of those books where you were not so excited about the ending because it left you hanging wanting more but you have to wait until the next book comes out.
September 26, 2010
Wow, this book really pissed me off. Tessa is just an annoying character, didn't get invested in her at all, and the ending - wow. Yeah, not cool. Not cool at all. I was shocked, as I so LOVED book one in this series. Not bothering to finish it. Bummed.
March 27, 2009
So, it was great, but she can't end it there, she just can't!!!!!!!!!!!! Will review later ... now I'm just like ... mad, I can't close a book feeling mad ... come on, make another one!!!!
June 7, 2010
bingung langsung baca buku keduanya. katanya gak ngaruh klo gak baca buku pertamanya juga (kata amazon). vampir2nya pada payah2, kyk gak punya kekuatan apa2 gt
July 25, 2011
This book was so much better than the first. I have to read the 3rd installment to find out what happens next. I can't wait!
November 30, 2013
another cliffhanger
February 16, 2016
1.5 Stars
September 21, 2012
Let me just say this about the cliffhanger...
WTF!!!!!!!
WTF!!!!!!!
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