*Book source ~ A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Lisette D’Alençon is an Immortal Guardian. Young compared to many Guardians, she is a kickass French hottie that has been around a couple centuries killing vampires. Her twin brothers, also Guardians, have found love and she’s feeling down. She’s lonely and wonders if she even deserves love after accidentally turning her brothers into Guardians all those years ago. And then Zach comes into their lives. Mysterious, powerful, secretive and, also, apparently not on good terms with Seth, the leader of the Immortal Guardians. Seth has told her Zach is off-limits. Stay away or risk his displeasure. But Lisette can’t stay away and Zach is drawn to Lisette. Is it just lust or is it more? And is Zach the one who betrayed Seth or is it someone else?

Darkness Dawns (book 1) was one of the first books I reviewed for Kensington. I read it and was enthralled. I love this series. I mean, I really do. For realz! I have said it before and I’ll say it again and not give a fuck that I’m repeating myself, it has everything I love in a book. Humor, paranormal elements, sexy steaminess, action, multiple POVs, twisty plot, sexy steaminess (did I say that already?), a wonderful cast of characters and a great world. Plus, it’s set in my own backyard here in North Carolina. I like to pretend I’ll run into a Guardian some evening. *stares off into space, drools a little* Where was I? Oh, yeah. This one even has a bit of a mystery to solve and the possibility that one of the Immortal Guardians has turned traitor. Say it isn’t so!

The gang is back in Lisette and Zach’s romance. There are even a few new guys. I went into this book with trepidation because these two characters have had very little page time. I had no feel for them and didn’t know if I could connect. I was right to be worried because I didn’t connect as well as I have in the past with the main love story characters, but this book is plenty long enough and I came to love both of them once I got to know them. Now, I’m sitting here impatient for the next book. Who finds love next? Seth? David? Ethan? Or will it be new guy Aidan? My vote goes for Aidan even though he’s new. I need Seth to be alone a bit longer though I know that’s cruel. And I really want Chris to find someone to love. He may be human, but he deserves someone who’ll take care of him since he’s too busy taking care of the Guardians and the Network to take care of himself. Make that happen! *ahem* If that’s ok with you, Ms. Duvall. Plus, we still need to find the person responsible for creating the super vampires, discover what the hell the Others are and how Marcus and Ami’s baby is doing. Plenty of fodder for many books to come, I hope!

So many good quotes in this book that I have to add a few. The whole scene with Zach in bad shape at Lisette’s is quote worthy, but I’ll just add this one...

“Bastien nodded to Ethan, then stared down at Zach. After a few moments he looked around. “Where’s the shovel?”

Ethan coughed to cover a laugh.

“I didn’t kill him!” Lisette nearly shouted.

Bastien shifted his gaze to Ethan.

Ethan held up his hands. “Don’t look at me. I didn’t kill him.”

“He isn’t dead,” Lisette snapped. “And I’m not into rough sex!”

Bastien stared at her. “Ooookay.””

Chris to Bastien:

“”And you are supposed to be serving as guard. Seven vampires live across the hallway. What are you going to do if a couple of them have psychotic breaks and try to escape while you two are having a quickie?”

“Chase them down bare-ass naked and give the human guards an eyeful.”

“I don’t know about you,” one of the vamps said in his room, “but I’m pretty sure even total mind-fuck madness wouldn’t make me risk that guy chasing me down and tackling me while he’s naked and has a hard-on.”

“Seth glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. “Now what’s wrong. You’re scowling again.”

“I don’t know,” Zach said, puzzled. “For a moment I just felt this peculiar…I don’t know…non-murderous connection to you or something.”

“It’s called kinship, asshole.”

“Ah.””

*Book source ~ A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Original review was published in Sgt. Grit’s Newsletter, Vol. 2, No. 5, May 2004

Retired Captain William Putney, of the United States Marine Corps, recounts his story of the 3rd Marine War Dog Platoon used in World War II in his memoir Always Faithful. In June 1943, Putney enlisted in the Marine Corps. Fresh out of college with a degree in veterinary medicine, he was hoping to serve his country with honor and courage. It came as a disappointment when his orders sent him to be a line officer in the War Dog Platoon. However, he was soon engrossed in the training of the dogs and handlers for combat in the Pacific.

Putney’s writing flows easily carrying the reader along on his journey as he describes the almost seven months of training, the trip to Guadalcanal, and the tension filled, dangerous liberation of the island of Guam. After the war was over he was horrified to learn that the war dogs were being euthanized. No attempt was being made to retrain them for safe return to the civilian owners who donated them. He spearheaded the effort to establish a detraining program of the courageous dogs serving our country with courage and distinction. His efforts paid off when the Marine Corps established the war dog detraining program. The program was a huge success and out of 559 Marine Corps dogs, only 19 had to be euthanized (15 due to health reasons and only four were considered too incorrigible for civilian life). Putney paints the reader a clear picture of what the training, the dogs and their handlers, and war was like. It is at times humorous and horrifying without bogging us down in military slang incomprehensible to the non-military reader. This memoir is a wonderful story for the history buff, military buff, and dog lover.