Seduce the Darkness by Gena Showalter
4th book in the Alien Huntress series. Can be read as a stand-alone. I have read the previous three books but more than ten years ago so remembered nothing of the world building. I had no problems understanding the world environment.
Paranormal sci-fi romance crossover.

Bride is a vampire living alone in the human world. She doesn’t know her powers or any other vampires. When she runs into Devyn, literally, because he smells like an old friend she’s lost track of, she is confused. Bride is determined to backtrack his steps so bargains and cajoles and threatens. Devyn is amused and intrigued by the vampire. His work with AIR (alien investigation removal) makes him uniquely qualified to find out what makes Bride thrive.

Bride and Devyn are amusing together constantly arguing and trying to one-up each other. They also have significant chemistry though they both try to deny it. The deep world building is creative and clearly explained even though it was started in prior books.
I’m a little uncertain about the ending, resolution of one character. I won’t spoil it though while I move on to the next in the series. I loved the strength and power of Bride and the romance in the end for the two.
All the secondary characters added a depth to the story and expanding need to find their stories in the other series books. ( )

Devyn is so over the top into himself that you just have to laugh and I love that Bride manages him so well. Another fun read from Gena
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Seduce the Darkness
4 Stars (mainly for the romance)

Abandoned as a child, Bride McKell has survived on Earth by using her wits. As a vampire, Bride needs blood to survive and is desperate to learn more about her race. When she encounters Devyn, King of the Targons, he promises to be both a source of information and irritation. Devyn, a notorious womanizer, is used to getting his own way with the fairer sex, but Bride pushes every button he never knew he even had. As Devyn and Bride grow closer, an unexpected threat surfaces to tear them apart forever …

Bride and Devyn’s love-hate relationship is one of the sweetest and most endearing in the series. It is impossible not to enjoy their snarky repartee and having Devyn succumb to a female’s spell when he has vowed never to do so is exceedingly entertaining - the bigger they are, the harder they fall!

Unfortunately, the plot is one of the weaker elements. The pacing of the first 2/3s is on the slow side and the final third is exciting but lacks foundation and development. The Schon storyline is progressing but gets relatively little page time and is ultimately unrelated to the major plot points at the end.

All in all, worth reading for the romance and the characters, but adds little to the overall story arc of the series. ( )

Devyn, King of the Targons, has had a lifelong goal to sample a female from every race and breed of alien and human. When he meets Bride McKells, he's not terribly interested, since he's already had a vampire, but as it turns out, he just can't get her out of his mind.
Vampires are an interesting addition to Showalter's Alien Huntress series. She weaves them in nearly seamlessly, implying they are another race of alien, just one who's been here on earth much longer than the more recent alien immigrants. The action regarding the Schon and their queen is moved forward slightly, but almost as an aside, since it's merely a subplot to Devyn and Bride's story. The two heroes are more than a match for each other. The Targon's vast powers were going to be difficult to top, but Bride holds her own and more. Their humor and arrogance are also compatible. An excellent pairing, and much fun to read about. ( )

This story was so funny I was laughing in several places! Devyn was a hoot, even more so than in prior books, and Bride was priceless. Mia was less bitchy, so I liked her again, and Dallas will soon be in deep shi! with Nolan's Queen.

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