Honoria Todd is on the run from vampire nobles in Bec McMaster’s Kiss of Steel. Her father was murdered while working on a vamp cure for the Echelon, the near-immortal royalty who injected themselves with the virus. She’s forced to flee with her sister and brother into the night promising her father never to let them have his notes. She lives under false name in the rookeries of Whitechapel. She lies to get a job working as linguist in the rich part of town to make money. But soon, her employer learns she’s been lying and dismisses her. Her brother is ill with the vampire virus making her desperate to finish her father’s cure. She fears retrieving her father’s hidden notebook lest it leads the assassins right to them. With no money and nothing else to lose, she falls at the mercy of Blade, a rogue blue blood (aka vampire) ruling the streets of Whitechapel. The Echelon want him dead too, but he escaped from their dungeon. Banding together with the gangs to hold off their mechanical army from their territory. For the moment, an uneasy truce exists as long as they stay out of each other’s territory.
Honoria was raised in the world of the rich, but not of it. She’s always looked down at blood concubines, but she has nothing else to offer Blade except her blood. Honoria prays that’s all he’ll want from the deal. Blade knows something is amiss with her, nobody from the streets acts that pretentious. He agrees to protect Honoria and her family, no funny business… Unless she wants to kiss him that is (snap!). They strive to keep things blood exchange level only, but the heat between them is soon too hard to deny. They are both stubborn and unsure of how to let their guards down. Besides assassins, a monster vampire is on the loose in the rookeries and appears drawn to Honoria’s family. Blade is determined to catch the beast before the Echelon gets involved, which will make matters worse for everyone.
I rather liked this Vaginal Fantasy pick, especially since it had quite a bit of breathy sexy times. All Blade had to do is touch her and she gets weak in the knees. And since giving blood is a orgasmic experience in this universe, Honoria can’t help but succumb to his roguish charm. But preferably behind close doors because she’s lady. I enjoyed all the minor characters especially Will, Blade’s werewolf member of the gang. He took him in at a young age, so Will’s been by his side ever since and quite protective of Blade. He doesn’t like Honoria as she smells of trouble – and he’s totally right. But love rules rather than logic in these romance novels. I’m not super familiar with the steampunk genre, but those elements were pretty underwhelming. Weapons seemed to be industrial in nature and they have blood letting factories, but other than that typical Victorian London technology.
I’d recommend this series to anyone looking for rather steamy tale of vampires in old London. Really fun as long as you don’t take it too seriously.
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