Midnight Rising by Lara Adrian

Geez. I cannot believe how much of a slimey amoral inconsiderate b.i.t.c.h. the heroine, Dylan is. She works as a tabloid journalist with her career going nowhere. And even when she did have a career in serious journalism she victimised a completely innocent man. So maybe her nasty nature was to be expected. And making her emotionally dependent on a cancer-ridden mom did nothing to redeem her in my eyes. Geez. The more I read about her the more I disliked her. Nor do I believe that Dylan is beautiful. Maybe a long time ago when she just started college. But not now. Not after working for years in scummy tabloid journalism. With all that smoke, alcohol, foul language and take-out meals. Even by her early 30s she’d have already mutated into a sexless geezer-gal. With about 100 notches on her bed-post. Why would Rio fall for someone like that?

Also. Until now this series has been relatively free of hookers. Unlike the BDB. I don’t find the idea of hookers interesting at all. Let alone do I want to read about them. As far as I can tell from newspapers, hookers are often old or ugly or addicts and prone to pass on social diseases. Often all four. Particularly in continental Europe. Why do people think they are suitable for romances with primarily a female readership? Ugh. (Plus in today's world it just doesn't work as a device for the good woman/bad woman divide. I've read too much about the poverty and brutality that being a hooker involves.) It's pathetic that this author (and her alter-ego) still circulate the stereotype that hookers are second-class citizens by definition.

Midnight Rising is put together in such a way that the heroine first admires the luxury, fine arts, good food of the Darkhaven. Only then does she become receptive to the charms of the hero. Gross! I suppose that the character of Dylan is supposed to be enough life-hardened not to be repulsed by the physical and emotional trauma experienced by Rio in the warehouse explosion. Trouble is. She has absolutely no empathy with anyone's situation but her own. She is transfixed by the thought of fame and money if she manages to get her vampire story into print. Nevermind the consequences for another person, Rio. Actually. Vile Dylan would make a perfect mate for ho-loving Sterling Chase.

In fact I’ve now gone off the whole series. Repeat appearances by lightweight hooker-loving wannabees like Chase, Reichen initially dimmed my enjoyment. And now this awful awful heroine. I will struggle to finish the novel. I probably won’t even bother. Rising is a 350-page novel but by page 150 the hero and heroine haven’t kissed nor are they hardly even friends. As a former reader of the series I do not want any more exposition of Breeds and their mates. I’ve read it all before. At all levels a reincarnated Eva would have made a much better heroine. With Rio falling in love with her all over again and her somehow atoning for what she did. I think I got suckered in by Kiss of Crimson which was a stonking good read. The others have been so so. I actively hated this novel.

I bought this book from the abe network which I accessed from the fantasticfiction website. It was sold as new and even with post and packaging seemed to work out cheaper than amazon. ABE seems to be an excellent seller so long as you buy one book at a time.

ps I have never met a hooker or a journalist. Nor did I ever aspire to become either. (Just thought I'd add that. Most of my 'knowledge' comes from documentaries and broadsheets.)