IMMORTAL EVER AFTER by Lynsay Sands How Strong is A Woman??

IMMORTAL EVER AFTER

An Argeneau Novel
by Lynsay Sands
Avon/Harper Collins
February 26, 2013
Paperback& E-Book Formats
384 pages

A kiss doesn’t mean eternity . . .
Valerie Moyer doesn’t believe in vampires—until she is kidnapped by a fanged psychopath! After escaping her bloodthirsty captor, she’s through with creatures of the night. Until she finds herself under the protection of the darkly handsome Anders. Not only is she expected to accept that Anders is immortal, but also that she is the woman destined to be his life mate!
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MY TAKE

How strong are you under pressure? When your actions have resulted in preventing harm, or saved someone, with danger to yourself, have you felt heroic? My understanding is that most people, women and men, don't act heroically with the feeling that they are doing so.

This entry in the Argeneau series was seriously riveting from page one. Settling for the normal route doesn't seem to have left our heroine, Valerie, feeling great about herself outside of her professional abilities.  Even when she acts heroically she doesn't seem to recognize it in herself. But, Valerie continues to think well  under pressure and is a really strong person physically and emotionally.

But, Sands Argeneau books aren't about damsels in distress being saved, or even about superior vampires saving pitiable humans.  Often the guys need saving or the women get them selves out of jams with no help from men at all. And, in this book sometimes physical strength is not a match for the power of clear thinking. 

Like Lara Adrian, Lynsay manages to keep the series fresh by changing the focus and not using a formula to achieve a similar end.  There's a lot of comedic relief in the scarier parts of the book.  There's a little Keystone Cop action at the end. 

One thing I really liked is the depth of Anders history, and also the discussion of his given name. It's a riot, but I've known people with names that meant one thing a long time ago or in another language but which had an entirely different meaning in contemporary speech. It was super interesting to read of his past. He is the first Immortal associated with the Argeneaus who I recall as being a person of color.  How he grew up and became part of the Immortal Security Force was fascinating. It really made the character more accessible.The details Lynsay excels at revealing are those little things couples learn about each other at the beginning of their relationship.

I also liked how Lynsay handled the ordeal the kidnapped women went through. Valerie is a veterinarian and obviously has a penchant for helping people too. Her caring nature is developed more throughout the book. And, saving peoples' pets must be pretty good training for thinking under stress.

Neither Valerie or Anders is an Argeneau, but it is nice how the Argeneaus treat others as family. Maybe it's that in Canada politeness seems more the norm than in the USA these days, but the feeling of welcome Lynsay creates in her characters makes the reader feel like part of the big extended family that is the world of the Argeneau series.

These books are all on the shortish side of novel length, and while the action isn't always light (people do occasionally get killed) the books are not gruesome or horrific.  There's a  light feeling to them. I enjoyed this one a lot, and I hope you enjoy it as well. I highly recommend the Argeneau series and this book is a must read in the series. Because there's years of back story here, I don't recommend this on it's own not because the world structure is not explained, but because there character relationships are entwined in the back story.  And there are a lot of characters.

Lynsay is Guest Posting at FOOLS FOR LUV on TUESDAY FEBRUARY 12th, She will be giving away a signed copy of UNDER A VAMPIRE MOON so be sure to visit for the guest posts, daily giveaways and the giveaway hop.  




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