Night’s Promise is a delightful entertaining read capturing the excitement and magic, anticipation and hesitation of young couple tenderly falling in love. That the hero in this story is a vampire with a secret gene and the heroine is a human who sought out vampires but never expected to meet one makes this vampire romance appealing as themes of trust, acceptance, and loyalty abound.

Derek Blackwood is a rarity as he is one of the few “born” vampires and the son of the powerful Queen of Vampires. Derek’s growth and maturity into manhood was not without challenges but he was learned to live in a human world. Wealthy, beautiful Sheree Westerbrooke has an obsession with vampires, dressing in black and frequenting Goth nightclubs hoping to catch the eye of a vampire. Sheree is well aware that the men at the club scene all say they are vampire, so when first laying eyes on the handsomely sexy Derek she plays along with his claiming to be a vampire. Upon learning that Derek is indeed a vampire, and she is deeply attracted to him, Sheree realizes she has to face the challenges of falling in love with a vampire or leave and become the “socialite” wife her mother wants. Derek has never felt an attraction/connection to a woman like he has for Sheree which is why is open with her about who he is. But, Derek is holding a back a secret fear – he feels is turning into a werewolf and has no idea who he will be after the full moon.

While the storyline was a little slow in the beginning, it quickly gains momentum. There are a couple of surprises that showcases Ashley masterful skills to effectively combine romance and vampire action without either feeling cheated. And yes, of course there is the fresh viewpoint she adds to vampire culture. I enjoyed not only the moments of tenderness and vulnerability between Sheree and Derek but those of Mara.

At first I was quite sure how Ashley was going to follow up the emotionally captivating storyline of Mara, Kyle and Logan from the last book but I was pleasantly surprised. This book is not as an intense story but overall I found this to be a fun and clever read illustrates that young love is universally the same whether human or vampire.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.