THE DARK VAMPIRE - Kate Baxter
Last True Vampire , Book 3
St. Martin's
ISBN: 978-1-250-05377-0
May 2016
Paranormal Romance

California - Present Day

Jenner was insatiable before he was turned from a dhampir into a vampire, but now his blood lust is even stronger. Jenner thinks of himself as little more than an animal, definitely not worth the woman fate has just made his mate. Bria is the equivalent of dhampir royalty, and she looks so small compared to Jenner's bulk that he now lives in constant fear of hurting her. Despite the need of a tethered pair to be close to one another, Jenner denies both himself and Bria the intimacy they need.

Bria has spent most of her life locked away, hiding from a necromancer out for her blood. But just when she gets free of her uncle's overprotective nature, now Jenner wants to keep her hidden away from danger, and from himself. Now that Bria has been turned into a vampire, and has her soul back thanks to Jenner's tethering, she's not about to take this whole he-man act lying down. But with two strong personalities butting heads, this pair might never find common ground.

Author Kate Baxter shows no signs of slowing down when it comes to her Last True Vampire series. With one hit after another, paranormal fans will not want to miss out. Jenner is a true alpha male, but it's fascinating to watch him argue with himself, and even fear his own impulses. And watching Bria go from semi timid shut-in to finding her own independence shows not only excellent writing, but spot-on characterization.

THE DARK VAMPIRE can be read as a stand-alone, but some characters who play a minor role will make more sense if readers have checked out the previous books in the series; Book 1, THE LAST TRUE VAMPIRE (JUNE 2015) and Book 2, THE WARRIOR VAMPIRE (DEC 2015). There's no news about a fourth book as of the writing of this review, but several background plots have been left open, so have hope!

Amanda Toth