ON THE PROWL (Bad Things #2) by Cynthia Eden

On The Prowl

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 13, 2016

Time to embrace your inner evil.

Rose Kinley never intended to be one of the most feared creatures to walk the earth. Once upon a time, she was a human—one who fell in love with a mysterious stranger. But when she got caught in a paranormal war, she lost her humanity and died…only to wake later as a vampire.

Now Rose has a choice. She can continue to try and be the good girl she once was or she can let her darkness out to play. Maybe it’s finally time for her to step into the dark.

He’s the reason she’s undead.

Panther shifter Julian Craig has a mission—protect Rose at all costs. It’s his fault that she lost her human life, and he literally made a deal with the devil so that she would have a second chance as a vampire. And as part of that deal, he’s supposed to keep his hands off Rose. An impossible task considering the dangerous lust he feels for her.

When Rose is targeted by a paranormal collector, Julian knows that he will have to let his own beast out if he is to protect the only woman who ever touched his battered soul. Rose may be afraid of the darkness she carries, but Julian is more than ready to show the world just what kind of a monster he truly is. Julian isn’t afraid of the dark…but the monsters that wait in the shadows? They will bow to him.

He’ll show her just how good it can feel…to be bad.

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REVIEW: ON THE PROWL is the second installment in Cynthia Eden’s contemporary, adult BAD THINGS paranormal, romance series. This is panther shifter Julian Craig, and newly-made vampire Rose Kinley’s story line. ON THE PROWL can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty although I recommend reading the series in order for cohesion and backstory as Luke Thorne (The Devil in Disguise) returns as the Lord of the Dark.

Told from several third person perspectives ON THE PROWL follows the once human Rose Kinley as she endeavors to survive the world as a vampire. When our heroine is killed in a hail of gunfire meant to kill her boyfriend Julian Craig, Rose wakes up as a newly made vampire thanks to the Lord of the Dark, and repentant panther shifter Julian Craig. Believing herself to be a monster, Rose takes off for places unknown and finds herself imprisoned by a covert government group known as Operation Night Switch (ONS) claiming that paranormals will make the world a safer place. Upon her escape, Rose comes face to face with Julian Craig, the man she blames for her undead life. What ensues are Rose’s attempts to stay clear of Julian Craig, and the search for the man who is abducting supernatural beings, using human minions to do his service. With Rose as the next target Julian is unwilling to leave her side.

Julian is a supernatural assassin; a killing machine that finds himself following orders to protect the woman with whom he has fallen in love. Rose is a reluctant vampire who is unable to accept the ‘dark’ side of her life, but a woman who is drawn to the man she believes destroyed her life. When Luke’s brother Leo-the leader of the light paranormals is unable to locate a missing angel, Rose offers herself up as bait to trap the person they believe is responsible for the missing angel.

The relationship between Julian and Rose is a second chance romance between a powerful shifter and a newbie vampire. Julian believes he has found his mate with Rose Kinley but Rose isn’t willing to accept her fate as a member of the undead. Our heroine is a little naïve and immature when it comes to detecting good vs evil believing humans could not be the monsters of her nightmares. The $ex scenes are seductive and intense; as a shifter Julian likes things a little rougher in the bedroom.

We are introduced to a number of supernatural beings including a wolf shifter (Rayce), an angel (Lila), a witch, a muse, and a gargoyle. Rayce and Lila’s story will be told next in Broken Angel. The requisite evil has many faces when someone known as the ‘Collector’ sets his sights on the supernatural powers.

ON THE PROWL is an imaginative story line but lacked a little something in the telling. I would have liked a little more background information about Julian and Rose; and we know very little about Rose’s time with the ONS- a group headed by someone Rose once knew. The character of Rose made for some disappointing scenarios when she is unable to let go of her preconceived notions about monsters vs humans thusly placing herself and the others directly in harm’s way. There is a potential war on the horizon between Leo and Luke; and Rayce is determined to find the angel that calls to his heart. The premise is interesting; the characters are enthusiastic; the romance struggles towards a happily ever after.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy