Red-Haired Ash Reads

Domitian Argenis recognized Sarita as his life mate when she was just a child. Ever since he has been patiently waiting for the right time to claim her. What he didn’t expect was for it to happen after he had been kidnapped by a mad scientist and left on an abandoned island with only Sarita as company. 

This book finally dives into the mad scientist Dr. Dressler storyline that has been hinted at for the past few books. The immortal hunters have narrowed his base down to somewhere near Venezuela, but more hunters start disappearing during the search for the Doctor. Domitian volunteers himself to help capture the doctor and instead finds himself falling into a trap. The whole storyline with this mad scientist doctor has been very vague up to this point and while I did enjoy it overall, there were aspects that were a bit ridiculous. 

Domitian is an old immortal who has waited over two thousand years for his life mate. Now that he finally meets adult her, he can’t keep himself away, even if it means ignoring the danger they are in. For a man who is thousands of years old and has lived through primitive times, Domitian felt very clueless when it came to supplies needed on their journey to walk through a jungle to civilization. Also, for the fact that these two knew they were being watched and in some sort of experiment of the Dressler’s, Domitian really just ignored it all and was easily distracted by Sarita. 

Sarita was a strong, determined, and very independent woman. When she realizes things are not as they seem on the island she investigates. When she finds herself trapped on an island for some reason, she thinks up ways to escape and avoid being seen by cameras. Sarita was just a capable woman who I enjoyed. I wish Domitian had felt more like a two thousand year old man and not a clueless man in his 20s. I also like that she didn’t immediately fall for Domitian and told him plainly that she didn’t know him so of course she didn’t love him yet. 

Their relationship is the standard fated mates with shared pleasure, intense sex that knocks the couple out, and very quick feelings forming. I enjoyed these two’s relationship for the most part but I think they will not be ones who will stick with me. They ended up just being an ok couple with no real standout features. In the end, I think I enjoyed the mad scientist and his creations story, more than I did this couple. 

Dr. Dressler’s island was very Island of Doctor Moreau with horrible experimentation on animals, people, immortals, and other types of paranormals that are being mentioned for the first time. While I enjoyed the storyline, it felt a bit rushed after it had been built up over the last few books. I will be interested in seeing if some of the humanoid creations will appear in future books now though. 

Overall, this was another good but not amazing couple for the series. I definitely enjoyed the overarching story this time more than the couple, but I still enjoyed the book. It will be interesting to see who falls in love next and what will be the next long plot point.  

TW: kidnapping; non-consensual human and animal experimentation; death; forced insemination; injuries and blood; 

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Previous books and reviews for the series:

#1. A Quick Bite
#2. Love Bites
#3. Single White Vampire
#4. Tall, Dark & Hungry
#5. A Bite to Remember
#6. Bite Me If You Can
#7. The Accidental Vampire
#8. Vampires Are Forever
#9. Vampire, Interrupted
#10. The Rogue Hunter
#11. The Immortal Hunter
#12. The Renegade Hunter
#12.5. Bitten By Cupid
#13. Born to Bite
#14. Hungry For You
#15. The Reluctant Vampire
#15.5 The Bite Before Christmas
#16. Under the Vampire Moon
#17. The Lady is a Vamp
#18. Immortal Ever After
#19. One Lucky Vampire
#20. Vampire Most Wanted
#21. The Immortal Who Loved Me
#22. About a Vampire
#23. Runaway Vampire
#24. Immortal Nights