Review: Eternal Seduction by Jennifer Turner

Eternal Seduction by Jennifer Turner  Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Dark Dreams Press
Available: October 31, 2008
ISBN-13: 978-0982432105
Genre: Paranormal Romance (light horror)
Book received from: Author

After living on the streets of New York City for over a decade, Logan Ellis admits her perceptions might be a little skewed. But twisted or not, there’s a satisfying irony in watching a well dressed vampire stand in the middle of a ghetto alley, windblown trash scraping small circles near his feet. What she finds even more intriguing, is waiting for him to decide whether or not he’s going to kill her.

Kerestyan Nelek hasn’t quite made up his mind. As the Lord of New York, he can’t allow a homeless drug addict, whose memories are packed with knowledge of vampiric existence, to run free in his city. It’s not the first time he’s been in this situation with a human, it’s just the first time in thousands of years he’s come face to face with one who doesn’t seem to care. And that’s what makes the decision so damn difficult.

What horrors would you have to witness before you went numb? How many years would it take for you to feel that way? What would it take to make you care again?
Logan’s answers are simple: the worst humanity has to offer, almost thirty…and something she never expected.

When I was asked to review Eternal Seduction the first thing that caught my attention was the beautiful cover.  I love the black and white image against the striking red roses and although it’s not necessarily reflective of the story, it is certainly eye catching and beautiful.

Logan Ellis is a 30 year old heroin addicted street waif in New York City.  She’s spent over a decade living on the streets, and has become disconnected from the harsh realities of her lifestyle and the human condition in general.  She’s seen her share of street crime and doesn’t hesitate to do what she has to do to get by.  Logan has seen some pretty shocking things living on the streets including vampires.  She knows they’re real, but keeps her distance and knows well enough not to tell anyone. Who would believe a homeless heroin addict, and as long as the vamps aren’t bothering her why should she care?

When Kerestyan Nelek, a 10,000 year old vampire and Lord Of New York, discovers Logan in an alley provoking a group of fighting fledglings so she can pass, he is intrigued by her lack of fear.  It is forbidden for humans to know of the existence of vampires so he must punish the young vampires for breaking the veil, and decide how he should deal with Logan’s knowledge of vampires.  After spending a bit of time with her, his interest is piqued and he decides killing her is not an option. He must find another way of dealing with her knowledge of vampires and possibly explore his attraction to her. Kerestyan takes Logan to his home where she is eventually introduced to a his vampire family and the supernatural world where it will be decided if she will die for her knowledge or become a part of the vampire world.

Jennifer Turner has created a world of vampires that is dangerous, gritty and somewhat deceptive.  At the same time her vampires cherish emotion and love above all else.  Just when you think you’ve decided who to trust, she throws in a little plot twist that sends your loyalties in another direction.

What I really loved about this story was the unlikely heroine Logan.  She is nothing you expect a paranormal romance heroine to be.  When we first meet her she is skinny, dirty from living on the streets, she smokes, does heroin, eats out of trash cans and steals to get by.  As the story progresses we don’t see major physical changes. She cleans up and begins to lead a healthier lifestyle and it is reflected in her appearance, but she doesn’t transform into a busty blonde bombshell or anything like that.  We also see a heroine who holds true to her character.  She is sarcastic and at times quite witty and maintains the qualities that make her who she is no matter the circumstances of her life. Although she goes through some emotional changes, her core holds strong and her ideals remain intact.  If you’re paying attention you’ll find plenty of things to love about Logan.

Kerestyan is however everything you want a hero to be.  He’s sexy, a vampire, in touch with his emotions, fair, loyal and protective of those he cares for, including his city and fledgling vampires.  He’s able to look past Logan’s tough exterior and see through to the qualities that appeal to what’s left of his humanity as well as what appeals to the inner beast of his vampire nature.  While he is clearly alpha male he never comes off as being an overbearing jackass, instead refusing to force his will on Logan to allow her to make her own decisions. Well, except for the kidnapping.

The secondary characters are colorful and certainly don’t fade into the background.  They support the plot well and shine without dominating the story. They add a bit a flare to this slightly dark romance.  My favorite is Odin, the twin brother to Kerestyan.  He is “Odin, the god of war”, literally.  He is badass, sarcastic, unpredictable and loves his brother dearly. He also likes to sew, and manages to add some well placed comic relief. I hope we’ll see more of Odin in future novels.

Jennifer Turner has taken paranormal romance, added wit and humor, mixed in a dash of mystery, with a unique take on vampire politics to create a novel you will not want to put down.  I will definitely be looking for more from this author in the future.

Purchase a copy of Eternal Seduction

Other books in the series:

Eternal Hearts Book 2 (Release date: to be announced)

Eternal Embrace Book 3 (Release date: May 2010)

Eternal Desires Book 4 (Release date: October 2010)

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