Enemy Lover

This book isn't quite a sequel to Bonnie Vanak's The Empath (Silhouette Nocturne), but it features the Draicon, the magickally talented werewolf race who appeared in it, as well as their enemies, the Morphs, deadly shapeshifters who can turn into any creature, even something as tiny as a fly. And it is these insidious creatures which has insinuated themselves into Jamie Walsh's life, turning her against Draicon Alpha Damian Marcel, her destined mate. She once tried to kill him, using the magick which the Morph shared with her, but now that she has been put under a spell that is slowly turning her body to stone, she must learn to trust in Damian again as he goes in search of a book containing a counterspell to free her... Somehow, I couldn't get into this book as much as I got into its predecessor. The world-building is still just as good, but something about Jamie's personality didn't sit well with me. I didn't hate her, but she didn't seem as strong as most Silhouette Nocturne heroines tend to be: she seemed a bit too cock-sure for her own good at times and a bit "poor me" at others. But that's not say I didn't welcome a chance to mingle with the Draicon and watch one of their leaders find and win his mate and save her, not just from her enemies, but from herself as well...

"I really liked this book. I knew that I would just because of the storyline, as I love heroes in pursuit, and I love characters who are flawed and somewhat antiheroes. The heroine, Jamie, falls in that category. She had infected Damian with a disease in the first book, and was in cahoots with the badguys, the degenerate Morphs, in the first book. But in this book, you realize what her motivations are and can view her sympathetically. I enjoyed Damian's tenderness towards Jamie, and his realization that he mucked up things between them the first time around. I admired his determination to protect her and his refusal on giving up having her as his mate. The characters in this book are well-drawn and real. They have painful pasts and are deeply drawn to each other. That's always appealing to me. Jamie's trust issues are understandable considering the horrors she endured from her family in the past. I was glad she found Damian and became a part of his large, loving family. I liked Damian's adoptive family, Cajun werewolves, who happen to be bikers also. I guess because of my family issues, I am always drawn to stories where characters find a sense of belonging and family, even if they didn't always have this. I enjoyed the first book, although I was a bit uncertain about the mythology and worldbuilding. But I must say I really felt that Ms. Vanak found her stride in this world she created, and made me long to read more books set in the world of the Draicon, and read more books with the characters introduced in Enemy Lover, Damian's adoptive brothers."

In New Mexico werewolf Damian Marcel knew that Jamie Walsh is his draicara life mate even after she tried to kill him. Jamie wants Damian too and even gave him her virginity, but refuses now to have anything to do with him since she learned he killed her brother Mark. Damian follows Jamie to New Orleans. At the same time the magic that bonds them is also turning her into a stone. Meanwhile the Morphs, malevolent shapeshifters, are killing in order to steal the victim's life essence just as they die. Damian as a Dracian werewolf must prevent the Morphs from changing a still recovering New Orleans into their personal dining facility. This is an exciting werewolf romantic suspense in which love may not be enough in spite of the magic that binds the stars to one another; they remain beloved enemies. Damian has an overflowing plate between persuading Jamie to be his draicara, reversing the curse that is petrifying her, and ending the Morph reign of terror. Ironically although for the most part carrying the action load, Jamie is the more fascinating character as her loyalties are divided. ENEMY LOVER is a terrific paranormal romance. Harriet Klausner

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques Damian Marcel, Draicon of his pack, is looking for his draicara, his life mate. After she tried to kill him, it's a wonder he would want to find her for anything but revenge but he knows she is the one who is the other half of his soul. Now he has tracked her to New Orleans and longs to make his claim. Jamie Walsh believes Damian killed her brother and fled after her attempt to kill him with a poison kiss spell led her to New Orleans. The last thing she wants is to see Damian again so she is none too pleased when he arrives at her door at the same time she is secretly thrilled. Trouble is far from over when Damian discovers Jamie has been bespelled with the deadly granite spell. Her body is slowly turning to stone and any use of her magick only speeds up the dark spell. Damian and Jamie have one chance to save her - an ancient book of magick that contains a spell to save her. However, the Morphs want the book also, to put to use the dark black magick spells contained within. Time will tell who reaches the book first but that is the one thing Jamie doesn't have. Unless the magick of the life mate bond can help her... Damian and Jamie are perfect complements to one another, which made the enmity Jamie feels for Damian in the beginning so shocking. We all know they are meant for one another, as does Damian, but watching them fight the attraction provided plenty of tension. I love the bits of humor we find throughout which keep the story from becoming too dark. Jamie is a techno-geek who is addicted to gaming and Damian has been around so long he can' even figure out something as simple as a basic cell phone. This made for some lively moments that bring you to chuckle. Add that to the usual conflicts between a very powerful Alpha male whose protective instincts are in full swing and a strong willed, stubborn and independent female and you know there is going to be more than one explosion. The sense of impending doom is quite pervasive from the first page. The Morphs are growing stronger and bolder as well as more desperate as they try to stop Damian and Jamie. Of course the ever present stone spell leaching away Jamie's life adds intensity as well. As if that wasn't enough, we also find some very dark stories involving Damian's brothers and Jamie's distant family from her childhood. I thoroughly enjoyed The Empath when I read it last year and I was intrigued by Damian's story from the first moment I met him in the midst of the secrecy surrounding him. So I was quite excited to get his story at last in Enemy Lover and find out what really happened. In fact, I liked Enemy Lover even more than The Empath. The whole premise of Jamie's plight was fascinating and I love the originality of the stone spell dooming her. When Jamie finally learns the truth about what really happened the day Damian killed her brother her emotions are quite powerful, especially in light of some of the other revelations about Jamie we di