Review: Thirst by Jacquelyn Frank

by MK French

January 2017; Loveswept; ebook (279 pages);
paranormal romance
a free book was provided for this review

In Thirst by Jacquelyn Frank, Renee Holden is a New York City homicide detective, and the case she is working on has an eyewitness that swears it was a vampire that attacked the victim. As she investigates, she is drawn to Rafe DaSilva. He's an energy vampire, drawing sustenance from sunlight or absorbing the life force of "pure" humans, those who eat well, exercise and don't drink or do drugs. There are vampires who are less picky, but these sycophants turn violent and crazed. At that point, they can't be redeemed and must be hunted down. There's a treaty that would allow the vampire princes of different cities to band together to hunt down the sycophants more efficiently, making Rafe their primary target. Because he quickly grew to care for Renee, she's a target as well.

I love reading books about vampires in general, and Thirst started out really well. It built up the mystery of the bodies from Renee's perspective, as well as the conflict that Rafe had in trying to keep his society's secret from her while trying to find the sycophants endangering the vampire society. The romance aspect of the book felt rushed; both mention that it's only been two or three days that they've even known each other, and this is out of character for them. Going from a date after a "chance" meeting in a snowstorm to sex in an elevator and declaring undying love is a bit much, even in a paranormal romance. The addition of the energy vampires' origin at the end of the book only threw me out of the realm of credibility entirely.  I know, I know, we're supposed to suspend disbelief in a paranormal romance novel, but it was going too far. The conflict felt a little too contrived, the prologue was unnecessary, and the way the story was wrapped up was neat yet still unsatisfying. Renee is a very likeable heroine, and Rafe had moments where he shone. They were the best parts of the book, actually.

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and golden retriever.

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