We Shall Rise

by J E Hopkins

[Cocktails and Books]

If you're a frequent reader of this blog, then you know that I have a very large soft spot for vampires who have been tortured and turned into the biggest a-holes to walk the earth. I'm glad to say that this book has a vampire lead who is right up my alley!

Kaden Gaspard has spent the past 160+ years doing his damnedest to prove his abusive father right and be a worthless immortal. He's used people and practically destroyed those he loves with his self loathing. But a beautiful Amazon warrior stirs desires in Kaden he didn't think he would ever feel. Suddenly his vampire body is awakened the moment this woman walks in a room and he's consumed by thoughts of her when she isn't. He's jealous of any male that gets close to her and feels an overwhelming need to protect a woman that could cut him down in the blink of an eye with her blades. But she also scares him, because being with Reysa means he must face all his demons and finally put them to rest.

Reysa, half vampire, half siren, has always protected those that she loves. After being abandoned by her grief stricken father, she created the loving family that she's always wanted with other immortal half breeds who don't fit in anywhere. When she meets pure bred vampire Kaden, she's immediately attracted to him. But it's not until she sings the Siren's Song that she realizes that he's her mate. She knows Kaden has issues, but she can see the goodness in him and knows he can be much more than he is. The only problem is trying to get Kaden to believe in himself and her faith in him.

While Kaden and Reysa deal with their very high maintenance relationship, they also need to deal with the uprising of a group of half breeds called the ELF who have managed to kidnap their friend Yasmine. They are determined to rid the immortal world of the snobbish pure bloods and take over the immortal ruling council. They're creating highly addictive and deadly drugs for immortals and they're kidnapping half breeds and performing experiments. Kaden, Reysa and their friends race to save Yasmine and try to stop the group. While they win a small battle, the war is yet to come.

This was a very entertaining read that had a little bit of everything. Comedy, intrigue and suspense, romantic entanglements and characters with heartbreaking issues. I enjoyed every page I read in this one.