* * * This review may contain spoilers * * *I can't believe it took me this long to read this series and author. Although I did just find out about her last week so I guess better late than never! I'm not even sure where to begin, to be honest. I absolutely adore Cyn and Raphael! I don't believe their relationship was instalust or too fast. It was gradual and slow-paced. The action didn't slow down or overshadow the romance at all! The story was both interesting and exciting. At one point, I was scared for Cyn because she tends to end up in the most dangerous situations. Thankfully, she is no damsel in distress!
CYNTHIA LEIGHTON. Cyn had characteristics I always look for in a heroine: strong, bad ass, confident, witty, and passionate. As a powerful Vampire Lord, Raphael has never met anyone like Cyn before. She fascinates and intrigues him to the point that he decides he wants her for himself. Of course, Cyn tries her best to resist his efforts and I absolutely commend her for that. They had amazing chemistry and the sexual tension between the two was palpable. When Cyn realizes her love for Raphael, my heart broke for her because she comes to the realization that he isn't ready for that kind of commitment yet. It's obvious that Raphael has strong feelings for Cyn, but as someone who has never experienced love before, he's scared.
RAPHAEL. As the story progresses, Reynolds does give her readers a few glimpses of Raphael's past and boy, is it tragic. Not spoiling anything, but this first book is about Raphael's search for his sister, Alexandra, after she was kidnapped by someone he thought trusted. I actually didn't connect with Raphael right away, but as I continued to read more, he grew on me. Like Cyn, he is a strong, powerful, arrogant, and passionate character but also very dangerous. He can be merciful, but one of his people betrays him, he won't hesitate to kill them. Total bad ass, I tell ya!
Raphael is the first book to the Vampires in America series by D.B. Reynolds and it's a strong one. This book ends with a cliffhanger and the story continues in Jabril so I definitely recommend you read that one straight after. I personally loved Jabril more since Raphael and Cyn's relationship gets tested, becomes even more intense, and is fleshed out more. Overall, I highly recommend this series!
Rating: ★★★★★
