Some of you may know that over the last week or so, I have been in the process of moving. We didn’t go far, just a mile or so down the road, but it was, by far, the most complicated and annoying move I have EVER experienced.
Unfortunately, moving and the recent birth of my son Ronin has caused me to be very limited on time. I’m pretty sure Ronin has some sort of internal alarm that goes off when I open my laptop. I can’t type one handed so I have to wait until he goes to bed to work on posts. Because of that, I missed a very special day on Friday.
Friday was release day for a book called Limerence 2 by Claire C. Riley. Claire is absolutely one of my all time favorite authors, and I really love all of her books. Limerence 1 is FREE for a limited time, and Limerence 2 is on sale for only 99¢!!!
OH! Did I mention that Claire included a quote from me about Limerence 1 at the Kindle copy of Limerence 2. I’m super excited about that. And Check out my review of Limerence 1!
To make it up to everyone, I am going to give away 2 e-copies of Limerence 2. So be sure to pick up your FREE copy of Limerence 1 while it is still on sale! So be sure to check out my entire post before you leave so you can enter to win this fabulous book!
Also by this author: Limerence, Odium II, Odium Origins. A Dead Saga Novella. Part TwoWhen you see life through the eyes of a vampire, you see the true colours of the world.
It’s been almost a year since Mia’s life was forever altered, and each day is a battle as she fights the dark vampire trapped within her. She is strong, and powerful, and she wants control. She will do anything to be free. Even if it means destroying them both.
Evan, a strong Bastion vampire is fighting a darkness of his own. And though their Queen won’t allow it, Mia’s connection with him is intense & addictive. They find it impossible to stay apart. But as their emotions grow stronger, Mia fears Evan’s secrets will destroy the very strength she needs to keep her inner vampire under control.
Is she strong enough to survive a love which is not allowed, while fighting the monster within?
The Queen is sick and the world Mia has only just come to know is changing. In the end, there can only be one survivor.
I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
My Review
Let me start by saying I really enjoyed Limerence 1. It was the first book by Claire C. Riley I ever read. Then she published the Odium and Odium Origins series. They became my newest favorites. With Limerence 2, she has continued this practice of over taking my life with her words and keeping me captivated by her storytelling. She has very obviously grown tremendously as an author. Don’t get me wrong, I thought Limerence 1 was great. Limerence 2 is just better. Much better, in fact.
Limerence 2 starts off about a year after the ending of Limerence 1. Unfortunately, I was a little bit rusty on some of what happened in the first book, so I was concerned I would be confused trying to read the 2nd since I read the 1st so long ago. Thankfully, it turned out not to be an issue after all. Riley gives enough context clues and flashback type of statements to remind the reader of what has happened up until now. I can even see it being read as a stand alone to some degree.
Her characters are well planned and thought out. They are characters that sound as if they really exist, and the back stories of the characters we learn about are quite interesting. My only “complaint” would be that the main character, Mia, is a spoiled sounding brat. She spends a good portion of the first half of the book complaining and trying to get out of her responsibilities. It really got on my nerves and I wanted to go through my kindle, tell her to put on her big girl panties, grow up, and punch her in the face. Believe it or not, I don’t blame Claire Riley for making Mia this way. I blame Mia. Claire is just putting on paper what her characters are up to, and telling their stories as they tell it to her. She gives them the voice they don’t physically have, and absolutely does a great job. Ms. Riley’s characters seem to grow and change just as she does.
I think the overall tone of Limerence feels quite dark compared to her other books, but that’s ok because it really set the mood and helps to keep the villains in their elements. The fighting scenes are intense and violent, as they should be. Mia is adjusting to being a vampire, and honestly, she’s not really doing a very good job of acting like an adult.
Something that Claire C. Riley did that I really enjoyed was that she gave her vampires a little bit of something extra to make their whole existence more unique than every other vampire story out there while at the same time, keeping them in the classical realm of horror.
I would love to recommend this book to anyone who prefers traditional horror vampires over sparkly sensitive type. It’s got a great storyline, awesome characters, and reintroduces the reader to the ideals of classical monsters.
Limerence 2 is definitely worth your time and money so be sure to check it out while it’s on sale!
Excerpt
The door swings closed behind me, and I’m embraced in the darkness. I follow Lora along the darkened hallway, my hand clutched firmly in hers to stop me running away. We reach another door, and behind it I feel like I’ll find my nemesis, my saviour, and maybe even freedom. Lora turns to look at me with a sly grin, her eyes gleaming and red-tinged with hunger, and as I stare at the aura floating around her in a cloud of colourful commotion, I know that this was a ridiculously stupid idea. We’re friends—as much as selfish vampires can be friends anyway—but when it comes down to it, in her eyes her happiness, her freedom, will always come first. I will be forgotten and abandoned in favour of her own desires and needs. I don’t take offence to this: that’s just the way things are; that’s just the attraction of blood and what it does to you. Like any addiction, it strangles everything out of your life.
She swings the door wide open, pulling me inside with her, and I am swallowed into the lion’s den.
It’s dark in here also; of course it is—isn’t this the typical cliché of things to come? The room is full of writhing bodies both warm and cold. With the Queen away, it seems everyone has gone wild. Perhaps this is a normal vampire’s way of letting off steam. Perhaps. Or this could be just a normal way of life here in this particular coven. Either way it screams danger, fun, and temptation. And I know it was a stupid decision to come here, but I can’t back down now—couldn’t even if I really wanted to; my own inner demons are excited, my nerve endings spitting out sparks.
Music plays, but nobody dances; instead they sway, the music more like a backdrop to set the mood for everyone. Almost everyone is huddled with another vampire either talking, feeding, or…doing something that under normal circumstances would be described as inappropriate in public, but here it’s okay. Here everyone is safe. We protect our own, watching over them as they feed, or fornicate. Nobody feels shame: it’s hard to believe that this could ever be wrong when so many are doing it. And I feel myself being swallowed easily into the sensual atmosphere.
My body shivers in anticipation, travelling up and down my spine like a tiny trail of ants marching towards something dangerous.
We make our way across the room to another lounge area lit up with red lights like a cheap brothel, and Lora pulls me over to the human in the corner on tap for everyone to use. She kneels down between the human’s thighs and drops her face to his inner thigh, biting down and drinking deeply. I watch, growing thirstier by the second. Mad Donny is the steward tonight, of course—as if he would ever let one of his humans escape his clutches.
Be sure to check out Claire’s other books now while you can!
You won’t be disappointed!
Purchase Links
About Claire C. Riley
Claire C. Riley is a USA Today and International bestselling author with almost twenty novels of various genres to her credit.
A lover of all things dark and dirty, she likes to write characters you love to hate but can’t help falling in-love with. She isn’t afraid to challenge herself, or her readers, to step outside of their comfort zones.
She also writes under the pen name of Cee Cee Riley, where she writes in the MC romance and post-apocalyptic romance genres.
Claire lives in the United Kingdom with her husband, three daughters and one naughty beagle, where she can be found whiling away her days playing board games with her kids and reading.
Author of:
Odium The Dead Saga Series
Odium Origins Series
Limerence (The Obsession Series)
Out of the Dark Series,
Twisted Magic,
Beautiful Victim
Blood Claim
Co-authored books with Madeline Sheehan:
Thicker than Blood,
Beneath Blood & Bone,
& Shut Up & Kiss me,
And by Cee Cee Riley:
The Ride or Die a Devil’s Highwaymen MC Novel Series
And coming in November – The Devil’s Highwaymen NOMAD series.
Author of:
Odium The Dead Saga Series
Odium Origins Series
Limerence (The Obsession Series)
Out of the Dark Series,
Twisted Magic,
Co-authored books with Madeline Sheehan:
Thicker than Blood,
Beneath Blood & Bone,
& Shut Up & Kiss me,
And soon to be released by Cee Cee Riley:
The Ride or Die Series
