Into the Fire (Night Prince, #4) by Jeaniene Frost

Title: Into the Fire
Classification: Adult Fiction
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Series: Night Prince
Format: Hardcover; 320 pages
Publisher: Avon (February 28, 2017)
ISBN-10: 0062465864
ISBN-13: 978-0062465863
Author's Website: http://jeanienefrost.com/
Notes:  I received an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I am also an Avon Addict which means I love the books that Avon publishes enough to volunteer to read as many ARCs and books as they can send my way. So you'll be seeing a lot of books reviewed by me from this publisher. Please note, however, that if I don't like a book, it will be truthfully reflected by a low rating. Please note that as I read an ARC, any quotes listed are subject to change, they will need to be checked and verified against the final version.

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Vlad and Leila have been together under a year and the flames of their love seem to grow stronger with every day. If they had it their way they'd live together in peace, but the world of vampires and sorcerers just doesn't seem to want to let them. Leila is the victim of a spell gone wrong. A spell intended to kill her instead bound her to Mircea by both flesh and blood. If he feels pain, she feels pain. If he is killed, she'll be killed. As Mircea is the one who hexed them both you'd think he could fix things, but he insists he can't. While you might think the eye for an eye type of standoff  would keep her safe, it doesn't. Someone has found out about the hex and has decided to use it to force Vlad's hand. Can they find a way to stop the spell without killing Leila or is Vlad doomed to become someone's puppet? One things for sure with these two nothing ever comes easy. They're constantly stepping out of the frying pan and into the fire.

This is the fourth book of the Night Prince series and while you might get away with reading this one as a standalone, I don't recommend it. There is so much history with this group that you will lose some of the magic of the series if you don't read its predecessors first. While Jeaniene Frost claims to have no vampiric powers of her own, she manages to keep her readers in thrall with each new book she writes. She breathes new life into the classic story of Dracula by adding a sexy new twist and a romance that will curl your toes and melt your heart.

Vlad is a hard man to love. He's got a coldness to him that turns many off. Seeing him with Leila, however, one quickly forgets all that until his mate is threatened. Then there's no doubt who he is and fear is a common side effect of those around him. The reason for this is not only his fierceness on the battlefield, but his ability to set things on fire with himself remaining unaffected.

Leila has not had an easy life. She is smart, strong, sassy, resourceful, loyal and tells it to you straight. She acquired special abilities years ago when she came in contact with an electric power line that should have killed her. Not only can she see a person's past and future, but if she comes in contact with an object she can also find where they are at present or will be in the future. She also has a much more "shocking" talent that she picked up that day. She emits electricity when touched. She's the equivalent of a human taser gun and has only recently learned how to control her power. Before she shocked anyone who came into contact with her. This made for a very lonely life until Vlad came along and swept her off her feet.  

Overall, I gave this one 4 out of 5 roses. There is plenty of madness, mayhem, and murder so strap your seat belt on because you're in for a bumpy ride. *smirk* In this book, the latter part of Vlad and Leila's 'for better or worse' marriage vow is getting a workout, and friendships and loyalties will be put to the test. Leila will learn more about her powers, and Ian and Mencheres both make an appearance. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one earned a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.

Order of the Night Prince series:

Early Review of Once Burned (Night Prince, #1) by Jeaniene Frost

• Title: Once Burned (Night Prince, Book 1)
• Classification: Adult Fiction
• Genre: Paranormal Romance
• Format: Paperback, 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon (June 26, 2012)
• ISBN-10: 006178320X
• ISBN-13: 978-0061783203
• Author's Website:  http://jeanienefrost.com/

They say no good deed goes unpunished and for Leila, aka Frankie, it could never have been more true. She can sometimes see a person's past or future with just a touch. When she bumped into a woman named Jackie, she learned she'd been having an affair and was going to leave her husband. She also learned Phil, the woman's husband, had learned of the affair and was going to kill her in a most methodical way, so that no one would have any chance of identifying her in the unlikely event her body was found. Knowing what she did, Leila couldn't let the man get away with his perfectly planned crime. So without much thought about her own future she spoke, "Stop them...He's going to kill her." She didn't realize that her actions had just started a snowball of trouble that would keep getting bigger finally gaining the attention of some ruthless supernaturals who saw her curse as a tool they could use. A tool to finally bring down one of the baddest and most notorious vampires ever to walk the face of the earth--"Vladislav Basarab Dracul", also once known as Vlad the Impaler and more popularly as Dracula.

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I always enjoy Ms Frost's books and this one is no different. In Once Burned, we meet Leila Dalton. She's smart, strong, sassy, resourceful, loyal and tells it to you straight. She acquired special abilities when she came in contact with an electric power line that should have killed her. Not only can she see a person's past and future, but if she comes in contact with an object she can also find where they are at present or will be in the future. She also has a much more "shocking" talent that she picked up that day. She emits electricity when touched. She's the equivalent of a human taser gun, but she can't control it. She shocks anyone who comes in contact with her. This effect makes for a very lonely life. Luckily for her, she met Marty, a vampire whom the voltage didn't affect unless she has contact with him for more than an hour. The two had become friends and created an act for a carnival. While Leila was looking for Marty at a local restaurant she'd encountered Jackie, the woman she'd bumped into. That was the day her life would forever be changed. By a slight quirk of fate Jackie's sister was a TV news reporter. Lelia (aka Frankie) and her talent had been outed.

We also get to learn more about the mysterious Vlad and his background. We've all heard the stories of Dracula, but do they depict a true picture of the man? We get to see two very different sides to Vlad and get some insight as to what molded him into the man he is today. The two halves that make the whole of Vlad up are like night and day. On one hand he is a gentle, tentative lover and on the other a cold ruthless killer and a man to be feared.

While you would think that Leila and Vlad would end up enemies, especially since she's forced to find him for his enemies, the two end up on the same side--Team Vlad. Part of what I believe attracts Vlad to Leila is that she's not too afraid of him to speak her mind. Additionally, with her talents she'd be quite useful to him. The big problem for Leila is she doesn't want to get involved with Vlad. Everyone she know warns he'll break her heart. That he's incapable of love. Even Vlad states, "I can give you honesty, monogamy, and more passion than you can stand, but not love. That emotion died in me long ago, as I suspect you already know.”  But when you're extremely attracted to another individual who knows your every thought, he's got the advantage. When that other individual is Vlad, well, your fate is probably already sealed before you know it. The man does not play fair.

Some (there were oh so many it was hard to whittle it down) of my favorite moments:

-  “You think my blood is the only tie between us?"
   His voice was low, yet edged with palpable hunger. It seemed to rub me in places I'd only ever touched before, making my anger fade under a flash of desire. Vlad was so close that his hair was a shadowy veil all around me, and when he began to caress my face with light, sure strokes, it was all I could do not to close my eyes in bliss.
  "This is our true tie. You're meant for me, and I will have you.”

-  "Give me a break. Another reasonably good-looking dead guy would rev my engine, too, so don't break your arm patting yourself on the back."
  "You're deluding yourself, but as I told you, I don't run away from challenges." Vlad said, stroking the tight stubble along his jaw. I refused to follow the movement; staring at his mouth would only lead to more thoughts of that vision. 
  "Let's put it to the test..."

- "If I felt nothing more for you than lust, Maximus would be on that pole for a week, and you, my lovely interloper, would not be here right now."
  Hardly the words you'd find on a Hallmark card, but they caused a glow of happiness nonetheless.

- "What other surprises do you have in store?" I asked, adding dryly, "Let me guess: Your the real Roman commander that Russell Crowe portrayed in 'Gladiator'."
  He chuckled, running his hand along my arm and not drawing away as the currents that flowed into him. 
  "No, but with the right incentive, you could get me to wear that short leather skirt and pretend to be."

Why the name Once Burned? Well, there are many possibilities, but I didn't see any definite moment in the book that clearly spelled it out. It could be I was so enthralled that I just missed it. I'd venture a guess it had to do with Vlad having bad experience with people and hence getting "burned" by them. He even warns Leila to remain frightened of him and never to betray him. The second possibility is that Leila has a scar which ran from her temple to her right hand where she was burned from the electricity. The third possibility is that someone Vlad literally once burned to death might be what the title is referring to. With so many possibilities, this book was very appropriately named.

Overall, I could not help but give this one 5 out of 5 roses. I'm really loving the story line and Vlad. I fell in love with the world Jeanine Frost created after reading her first book Halfway to the Grave and have been a big fan every since. I've been waiting for Vlad's story since Ms. Frost first mentioned it would be forthcoming and Ms. Frost delivered all that she promised. Can't wait to read the next book in this spin off from the Night Huntress series.

If you're a fan of the Night Huntress series this is a MUST READ. There are cameo appearances by Cat, Bones, Mencheres, and Kira, but everything else is all Vlad and Leila. The majority of book takes place in Vlad's home country of Romania. The heat between Vlad and Leila is electric and smoking hot. The pages sizzle with the sexual tension and energy these two transmit. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one gets a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.

Order of the Night Prince series: