Dance in the Dark (Dance with the Devil, #2) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Jul 27, 2011 Mandapanda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

This is the best Megan Derr book I have read so far and I now understand why she has such an enthusiastic fan base. Dance in the Dark is supposedly the sequel to Dance with the Devil but apart from the setting the characters are completely different as is the writing style.

Johnnie is a human child raised by a Vampire Lord after his parents were killed. Although he has no magic himself he has taken on all the personality traits of a Vampire and is haughty and detached. He is also very clever, hav ...more

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Nov 05, 2016 Kelly (Maybedog) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: what-lgbtqia, where-grr-mine, how-ebook, what-male-protagonist, what-mm-read, what-mm, what-myth-or-fable-retold, how-series

I really enjoyed the first book so I don't know why I kept putting off this sequel. I'm sorry I did because I absolutely loved it and can't wait to read the next in the series. The mystery was intriguing and I surprisingly like the subplots even though I don't like short stories much. The world building continued to be interesting and I loved what the new type of paranormal being turned out to be. The action was good and I got some OMG-he's-in-trouble moments if not my OMG-he's-gonna-die scenes. I really enjoyed the first book so I don't know why I kept putting off this sequel. I'm sorry I did because I absolutely loved it and can't wait to read the next in the series. The mystery was intriguing and I surprisingly like the subplots even though I don't like short stories much. The world building continued to be interesting and I loved what the new type of paranormal being turned out to be. The action was good and I got some OMG-he's-in-trouble moments if not my OMG-he's-gonna-die scenes.

I loved the characters. Johnny came across as an asshole in the beginning. I get why he was that way but there was really no easing of that demeanor even in private, even in his head. Eventually I came to love him, but it took me some time. Bergin was fun and I even loved the Dracula. I wish there were more strong female characters that were there other than to serve as a story device (e.g., as a wife who was missing so we could meet the husband), but there were a couple of good ones and they weren't stereotypes. One was from the previous story I think. I missed the MCs from the first book as I really wanted more of their story. They appear briefly near the end but it wasn't enough. I like new-couple-every-book series but I like them to be in the same place in time and space, checking in every now and then with the other couples. This book occurs something like 25 years later and 3000 miles away.

I really disliked Elam and hoped so badly that Johnnie didn't end up with him that I searched the back of the book for "I love you" to see who he gave his heart to. I won't tell you as I wished I hadn't known at least right away, but I was relieved to see that Johnnie did say those three words even though no such declaration was made in the last book.

A couple of nitpicks:

A wealthy upper crust sheltered person would at least know of the kind of thin and usually crisp crust pizza they serve in bistros.

How did they get to (view spoiler) if it took hours by plane and they needed a vampire to come get them to return home?

All in all, a great read and highly recommended. ...more

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