Black Sunshine by Karina Halle

Black Sunshine is Karina Halle's first attempt at a vampire romance and I can honestly say that it was an enjoyable but mixed bag overall. There were parts of the book that really intrigued me but fell flat for some. Unfortunately, the story falls under the traps of the genre with a heroine who is special but makes some irrational and stupid mistakes that ends up hurting others. She also falls under love/lust with the "anti-hero" of the book who I personally did not like at first but he did grow on me.

"You're worth more to me than anything they could give me in exchange."

Lenore Warwick is the main heroine of this book and she is special because of her mixed blood. I thought the prologue was absolutely fantastic. Black Sunshine starts off with an assassination attempt that is wrapped up in revenge. This starts off a chain of events that will eventually lead to Lenore meeting Absolon Stavig. What I found interesting about this is that Lenore doesn't remember anything about her past and who her real parents are. Furthermore, Lenore is hunted because of her special blood. I thought the Black Sunshine, the mysterious dimension eerily similar to hell, was an interesting concept!

"I just wanted Solon, in every way I could get him. Even if it's not what he wanted."

Now, let's talk about the part of the book that I actually did like—the romance. Lenore and Solon's relationship was a push and pull, hot and cold. Not only is he much older than her but there is something about him you can't help hate and love. I have to forewarn that there is a scene that might be triggering to some. It happens when Lenore went through her transition and the one helping her was not Solon. In the end, Lenore and Solon had amazing chemistry and their love scenes were very sexy. There were parts of the world-building that interested me but could be more fleshed out. The romance could also have benefited from more angst and emotion. I felt like I was looking at Lenore and Solon's romance on the side instead of being there with them. Anyway, I would love to read future books featuring Wolf, Amethyst, and Ezra. If you love vampire romances with a sexy as sin hero who is both cruel and cold but can be "saved" by the heroine, then this is the book for you!

*This ARC was generously provided by the author and publisher for an honest review*

Rating: ★★★★☆