"Twice Tempted (Night Prince #2)" by Jeaniene Frost

This is the second book in the Night Prince series, a spin off of the Night Huntress series. Yes, there may be spoilers. My review of the first book of the Night Prince series is here, and my review of the first book of the Night Huntress series is here.

I have to admit, I don't mind when fictional vampiric heroes get all cruel and unusual (towards enemies, obviously not the heroine), especially when they happen to be the inspiration for Dracula. That is part of the reason behind why I think I liked this book better than the first- in addition to some other happenings.

Leila is much stronger in this book than she was in the first, both emotionally and physically. Her powers have grown, and her tolerance for Vlad's behavior has plummeted, leading to the opening events of Twice Tempted. I won't spoil it for you, but I had to resist the urge to stand up and cheer when she made some difficult choices that you don't often see chosen in urban fantasy or paranormal romance.

The Plot (As Seen on Goodreads):
'Dating the Prince of Darkness has its challenges...
'Leila's psychic abilities have been failing her, and now she isn't sure what the future holds. If that weren't enough, her lover, Vlad, has been acting distant. Though Leila is a mere mortal, she's also a modern woman who refuses to accept the cold shoulder treatment forever–especially from the darkly handsome vampire who still won't admit that he loves her.
'Like choosing between eternal love and a loveless eternity...
'Soon circumstances send Leila back to the carnival circuit, where tragedy strikes. And when she finds herself in the crosshairs of a killer who may be closer than she realizes, Leila must decide who to trust– the fiery vampire who arouses her passions like no other or the tortured knight who longs to be more than a friend? With danger stalking her every step of the way, all it takes is one wrong move to damn her for eternity.'

Despite not seeing much of Vlad for the first part of the book, you get to know him more than you did in the first book. I can't say I was sure I actually even liked Vlad as a hero until this book, when his motivations became more clear. You become horrified in the first book by his 'fierce loyalty', but Twice Tempted actually shows you how he came to be that way.

Cat gets a cameo appearance in this book, but honestly... I'm on team Leila now. Cat is a fine heroine, but she doesn't have quite as many scars as Leila carries, nor is she entirely human. Leila isn't entirely human either with her powers, but at least she doesn't look like a Barbie doll. Yes, I judge characters' appearances harshly- anything anti-perfect matters to me in that area.

A favorite quote of mine:

Piss off a modern guy and he'd likely go to a local bar. Piss off a vampire with an impalement habit and an in-house dungeon, and it was a no-brainer where he'd go.

                 ~Twice Tempted by Jeaniene Frost, page 318 Kindle edition

Twice Tempted was a much-needed sequel to the series- I liked it so much I reread parts of it just so I wrote this review with the perfect amount of fervor. Not only was Leila much stronger than I took her to be in the first book, she proved she wasn't just a pawn to be played. I could go on, but I may devolve into inarticulate blabberings of spoilers. If you are a fan of Dracula and paranormal romance, you shouldn't resist trying to read the Night Prince series- it might surprise you.

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars for a sequel that exceeded my expectations of the series!

Content: Ages 18+ for the usual Vlad Tepes goodness. (Gore, sex, and the odd dismemberment).

Page Count: 360 pages