TEST
There’s nothing really wrong with Be Mine Tonight, but there’s just nothing really great about it either. The first in a series of books featuring a band of 14th century warriors-turned-vampires, the author known for her historical romances turns a competent, if a bit uninspired, hand to paranormal romantic fiction with a bit of a…well, uninspiring result.
Prudence Ryland is an independent young woman with a death sentence: Her doctor has given the cancer-ridden young woman a very short time to live. Being the forthright sort, Prudence has thrown herself into the search for the Holy Grail believing that somehow drinking from it might cure her. Wouldn’t you know it that in a romance novel this far-fetched scheme actually seems to be on the verge of success – so much so that the Catholic church is sending two emissaries to learn more about Prudence and her discoveries.
While one of these men is a priest, the other is a broodingly handsome man who goes simply by the name of Chapel. Chapel, of course, is no ordinary man, but is instead one of the warriors met by readers in the book’s prologue in which they drink from the “Blood Grail” – supposedly forged from the silver paid to Judas – and all turn instantly into vampires. Since the church is not certain if Prudence is about to locate the Holy Grail or what you might call the Un-Holy Grail, Chapel is along to make certain that the Blood Grail – if it is, in fact, the Blood Grail – is kept away from human hands.
Of course, there is chemistry of the instantly combustible sort between Chapel and Prudence. (Bet you didn’t see that coming!) And as Prudence’s physical condition weakens and as they get closer to the final discovery, Prudence and those who love her begin to realize that there may be more than one way to “cure” her illness.
I want to make the point that this is a competently written book. The prose reads smoothly and there are no glaring plot contrivances (well, beyond that Holy Grail stuff) or TSTL moments. But – and this is a big but – on the other hand, there is nothing here that really inspires me to recommend it to readers either. Everything here feels as if it’s traveling along a well worn path and, quite honestly, I find myself wondering if the author’s heart was really in this switch to writing a paranormal series. Be Mine Tonight, to be perfectly frank, exemplifies the essence of a true C book. My grade shakes out a bit higher than that because of Ms. Smith’s sure and steady – if uninspired – hand.
With more books to come in this series – those other warrior-vampires need their books, after all – I’m thinking that Ms. Smith’s books just might get lost in today’s undeniable paranormal glut. Unless she can deliver something with a little more bite to it in the next book, that seems about right to me.
Grade: C+
Book Type: Paranormal Historical
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 23/06/06
Publication Date: 2006/07
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.