Neri
Black and Deep Desires by Claire Trella Hill
I feel very grateful, so I first want to thank Claire Trella Hill for sending me an ARC of this book. It has been a good mix of gothic and paranormal romance.
⭐⭐⭐ /5
“From an early age, Ophelia learned to keep her pets away from her unfeeling scientist father or they would disappear into his laboratory, never to be seen again. When her father unexpectedly returns to their isolated Yorkshire estate with a mysterious box, Ophelia’s suspicions are aroused…but nothing prepares her for the bloody business she finds.
Caged in silver and hungry, Salem is out for blood. Someone has betrayed knowledge of vampire existence to humans—but before Salem can discover who, he must escape diabolical experiments seeking the source of immortality. He cannot afford to trust the frustratingly intriguing girl who says she wants to help and smells of orange blossoms. He especially cannot wonder how she would taste”.
I overall liked this book, but I wish it had been a longer one, where all the plot could have been further explored and the characters more developed. I liked the storyline but I did feel like many key moments were too sudden or quickly resolved. For example, the moment of confrontation between Salem and Andrew or when Ophelia faces her family should have been the climax of the story. However, these scenes were too brief and in a rush and I would have loved that the action could have been longer explained.
As for the characters, I loved every single one of them. Ophelia proves how to wield compassion as a weapon; she is strong by it, not despite it – and I love that. Salem is complicated, and his life and character have lots of layers – which I wish had been explored more deeply. Moreover, I feel their romantic relationship was too quick as well. I like that they feel a connection but the romantic feelings and love should have come at a later point in the story.
