Autumn Dreams The Eternal Mates Book #1
Paranormal Romance, Vampire Romance, Fated Mates
Starlight&Goddesses Publishing
October 10, 2023
Kindle
210
Amazon
A secret obsession and fantasy turns into a deadly reality, but the temptation becomes too powerful to ignore…
Andros Santino has been unable to feel any true desire or love since he was made immortal and cursed to live an eternity alone. As one of the last ancients left, his loneliness was greater than ever. For over 3,000 years he endlessly searched for his true eternal mate but was taken captive before he could complete his quest. His savior finally arrives 89 years later, but she is not what he ever expected—she awakens a dark hunger within him not only for her blood but also for her body and soul…
Annisa McNeill had no idea that fantasy could ever be a reality, even as she hoped for it since she was a child. She searched for immortal beings all her life in books, websites, newspaper stories, myths, and legends—but when she finally gave up her search after settling down, that’s when it found her. When she meets Andros she is unable to resist his alluring gaze and seductive nature, and she finds herself caught between reality and fantasy—and she can’t choose which one she wants more…
Reviewed by Linda Tonis
Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
Since the age of six Annisa McNeill has been obsessed by the thought of supernatural’s and always dreamed of meeting a vampire. Along with a group of students hiking and exploring she has no idea how her life would change and how her obsession with Others would become a reality.
Dragging behind the others she trips over something in the ground which turns out to be a handle on a wooden door. If anything piques her interest, there is no holding her back and not trying the lift the door would be beyond her. Unfortunately, the door is too heavy and a bunch of red ants climbing on her would lead to a life changing event. Jumping on the ants she falls through, landing in what appears to be a cave and is unable to get out on her own. Calling for help brings everybody to her rescue, but it will be a while till they can get the equipment, they need to bring her up. The plea to stay put falls on deaf ears and off she goes.
When she sees the writing and pictures on the walls, she just continues further in till she hears a sound behind a door and of course, opens it. There is a man chained to the wall, a man begging her to stay away from him and a man she realizes is no ordinary human. Despite his insistence that she leave she marches on and is determined to free him. Finding a set of keys, she begins to open the chains while he continues to beg her to go and all he says is blood.
It doesn’t take long before she realizes he is a vampire; a very hungry vampire and she is the meal he wants. When he feeds from her, and she is still alive all should be well, but it is far from it. Two other vampires show up determined to kill the man she just saved; one pays with his life the other a female tries to buy her freedom apologizing for having him chained for decades with no food. She survives to deliver a message to the group called the Table of Twelve, he is alive and coming.
Alexandros de Santino Serina is one of the very few ancients left, he is powerful and has lived for centuries. He was betrayed by the new leader of the Table of Twelve, Louis who he sired, and he has been away from civilization for so long he has to make up for lost time. His attraction to Annisa is fast and strong and her feelings are the same. Now she is involved in a world she once believed was fiction, now she wants the vampire who fed from her and is ready to start a new life.
Annisa is engaged to William a man whose treatment of her borders on abusive, but she overlooks his behavior blaming it on his abusive childhood. William never enters her mind while she is with Andros, and she is willing to do whatever she has to ensure he gets out of the cave safe, unseen and his secret of who and what he is kept under wraps. Andros questions if Annisa is his Eternal Mate since he has never felt what he feels with her for centuries, but there are questions that lead him to wonder if it is just that she saved him and is not afraid of him.
Andros realizes that Annisa is in danger and that his enemies will be after her now that they are aware of his feelings toward her. He knows the only way to protect her is to leave her and keep her away from the supernatural’s she dreamed of since a child.
This entire book follows Annisa and Andros, their desire for each other and their fight to stay away.It all takes place in a matter of days and unfortunately the one thing that kept this from being five stars is the lack of any solution to their problems and a “to be continued” as the final sentence. I did really enjoy the story and Annisa and Andros were wonderful characters which despite the last sentence is why I rated four stars.
My biggest disappointment is when book two will be coming out, a year, two years no idea so I will just hang in waiting and hope it is not a long wait.