MIDNIGHT RISING - Lara Adrian
Midnight Breed Series, Book 4
Bantam
ISBN: 978-0-440-24444-8
April 2008
Paranormal Romance

Czech Republic and Boston, Massachusetts - Present Day

When journalist Dylan Alexander discovers a hidden tomb deep in the woods of the Czech Republic, she has no idea that her life will be forever altered. Taking time off to go on this holiday in her seriously ill mother's place, Dylan promised her editor to find a juicy story, and the tomb is the perfect setting to create it. However, when she returns to take pictures of the unusual drawings that decorate the cave, Dylan is shocked to find it occupied. The alluring man has obviously been hideously injured and isn't quite rational. As she snaps her photos, he becomes enraged and Dylan flees not just the tomb but the area. When she reaches Budapest and is finally able to e-mail her story, Dylan finds that the man from the cave has followed her and is intent on keeping her story from going public by kidnapping her.

Breed Warrior Rio knows that it's his fault that an outsider now knows of the secret tomb. He was given the assignment to destroy the cave months ago, but chose to hide out in the tomb and nurse the betrayal of his dead mate that ended in his disfigurement and the death of another Warrior. Rio's plans for suicide are now on hold, for it is up to him to save the secret that could destroy the Breed race, and that means confining the curious journalist and anyone she may have told about the tomb. There is danger not just from the possibility of the tomb's secrets being leaked as well as from the ancient evil that has disappeared from the cave, it also comes from Rio's unexplained attraction to the woman who is not only a journalist, but a Breedmate as well. Dylan can see the man below the scars and is drawn to him in a way she never thought possible. It will take everything Dylan and Rio have to battle an unspeakable evil, save many lives, and fight the chemistry that ignites between them.

Other characters include Reichen, leader of a German Darkhaven; the Breed Warriors in Boston that Rio belongs to; Dylan's mother Sharon; and a mysterious Breed bent on producing an army that is loyal only to him. When Dylan is told of the race of Vampires known as Breed and what it means to be a Breedmate, she must make a choice between remaining in the world that Rio inhabits or returning to her regular life. Complicating her decision is her mother's grave illness and her own independent streak. Unknown to her or Rio is the fact that someone is hunting Breedmates and that Dylan is his next target.

Dark and thrilling, MIDNIGHT RISING is an intimate journey of finding hope. Dylan doesn't want love or commitment after being betrayed by the men in her life. Rio has given up on life, and when Dylan is able to look beyond his scars and see the beautiful and damaged man that he is, he fights the longing that grows in his heart. While there are many things going on around them, this is a tale that focuses on their feelings and relationship. Intimate encounters are filled with desire and emotion. Excellent storytelling and writing will keep readers glued to the page as the tension notches ever higher between Rio and Dylan and the danger that surrounds them. This book stands alone perfectly, and fans of the series will be thrilled with Rio's tale. Don't miss the powerful and very highly recommended MIDNIGHT RISING.

Jennell