Revenge is Sweet

Revenge Is Sweet is the second book in the Immortals of London series by Berni Stevens which is published by Choc Lit.

Although this is the second book in a series, it can be read alone as Stevens expertly fills in the back-story whilst at the same time avoiding the dreaded ‘information dump’. Stevens also seamlessly fills in any knowledge gaps of how vampires exist if, like me, you have never read a vampire novel before. Yet she manages to do all this without ignoring the needs and expectations of seasoned vampire novel lovers.

This novel is fast paced, filled with vengeful acts and keeps you on your toes, yet at its centre is an obsessive love between two vampires. If you like alpha male heroes and want to try something different to your everyday contemporary romance, than read this book and you may well become the next one to develop the Thirst for more.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

"Revenge is a dish best served cold"

Ladies and gentlemen, Berni Stevens did it again, she created another lush and sexy vampire novel, full of suspense, romance, twisted renegades, creepy vampire children and you name it. This sequel to "Dance until Dawn" doesn't let down.

As in the previous book Will & Ellie were sweet, endearing and so damn funny. The bantering between them was, as always, a real piece of art. (Ellie and Luke trying to get Will to use a mobile phone was definitely priceless).

Revenge is sweet is also very suspenseful, in my opinion even more than Dance until Dawn. I seriously didn't see some of the final twists coming and I really loved the initial mystery surrounding the new antagonist.At some point I was probably screaming as much as Ellie and what happened to Daniel---it was so heartbreaking! My heart went out to him.

Another thing I highly appreciated was how Ellie and with her the reader gets to know more about Will's past and how in the end their relationship solidify into something really beautiful (and they're so cute!).

I can't help but notice how things balanced out so to speak, in the first book is Will to be kidnapped in this one it is Ellie, they're even now (ha ha). And what about the scold's bridle? Totally creepy. Berni Stevens writes such nasty antagonists that is really to wholeheartedly hate them.I'd lie if I say I didn't enjoy the bad guy's demise, I'm still waiting to read Khiara's though... I'm here popcorn in hand waiting to read her death!

As in the first book the writing style is smooth and the pages fly by. Besides, it was very refreshing to have "Revenge is sweet" spare me from unnecessary and angsty melodrama and needless love-triangles(Thank you Berni, brava!)

What can I say? The ending was good, couldn't have been better really. But now what am I supposed to do with my life? I need more Will and Ellie! In truth, I believe every woman in this world needs a Will...and I don't mean a vampire, I mean a gentleman!

I found this book wonderfully atmospheric. It drew me into an alternative world and held my imagination there so that I was completely absorbed. The descriptions of the settings – from real life Highgate and Hampstead, to the gatherings of vampires and the palatial home of Will and Elinor, were all beautifully done. Meanwhile the drama and peril were gripping, the romance touching and the ending a fantastic pay off after all the tension. A great read.

Wish I could give more than 5*! This was wonderful!

I hadn't read the first book in this series, so I read Dance Until Dawn first and then went straight into Revenge is Sweet. This book can be read as a stand alone, but it helps to read the first one to get a stronger sense of character. And, since that's a 5* read too, it's no great task!

This one is slightly darker (forgive the comment about a book about vampires!) and although, it features all the same vampires (and Stevie)' it is a completely new story. And a scary one!

Ellie is a very sympathetic vampire and retains a lot of her humanity. This is what makes the darker scenes so effective. We see them from the vampir AND human points of view. What is totally acceptable to the vampires would be abhorrent to a human.

There are lighter moments and sparring between Will and Ellie can be very funny at times. Luke is a wonderfully patient character and I love Roxy - she reminds me of Alice Cullen!

The ending is perfect and I so look forward to the next book in the series. Thank you, Berni, for a book about "real" vampires in a real setting. Loved it!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest ARC.

There are some series where the next book simply welcomes you back with open arms, and you instantly fall back into that world without effort. That was my reaction when I started Revenge Is Sweet this morning. If you haven’t yet read Dance Until Dawn, the first in this series – no worries. Within the early dialog and descriptions you are given enough background on Will and Ellie for everything to flow quite naturally without a huge information overage. My only problem is going to be to not tell you too much so I don’t give important things away.

Will and Ellie are settling into their lives together, hard to believe it’s only been about a year since Ellie was turned. But life is about to get interesting and dangerous since a newly turned fledgling has been brought to Will to determine the threat he holds and what to do with young Daniel. When a person is newly turned they usually do not stray far from their maker. The turning is not an easy process, and many would go insane if not for the discipline and guidance of their maker. Daniel is a fifteen year old who was turned and left on the streets to fend for himself, most likely creating havoc and panic as his feeding would soon turn into a bloodbath. Daniel was stopped before he could inflict farm and was brought to the Elder of London – Will.

It soon becomes obvious that there is a renegade vampire in London. He or she is most likely an older, even ancient vampire since Will would have been aware of an unknown vampire in his territory. Ellie convinced Will to allow Daniel to stay with them. Will and their associates were asked to teach him what he needs for control and to survive. In that short period of time there have been other fledglings created. Very young children as young as six years old These young vampires were crazed and almost instantly insane from the turning and were destroyed. It seems someone wants Will’s undivided attention. With attacks and the loss of some of their members – they have Will’s full attention now.

Revenge Is Sweet has so many layers. On the surface it’s a compelling and entertaining vampire suspense / romance story. Yet we will learn more about Will’s past, have more than a few mysteries tossed at us, a touch of horror in both the killings and the punishments served, a deepening love story for Ellie and Will… and finally a perfect look into this couple’s near future. All of that without a sense of overload. Finely woven threads throughout this story give us glimpses of those layers – and it is a fascinating journey.

I sincerely hope that if you love mystery and suspense, or paranormal romance, or vampire stories in the tone of Dracula not sparkly vamps filled with angst, or simply want to continue learning about Ellie and Will’s life since you read the first story — all of those are excellent reasons to pick up Revenge Is Sweet. But the best reason is a simple one – this is a damned good book, with a compelling story line, interesting characters and enough action to keep you glued to the pages until the very end. What more could you ask for? Pick it up, I strongly doubt you’ll ever be disappointed.

*I received an e-ARC of Revenge Is Sweet from the publisher, Choc Lit and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

What an amazing book.
I thought that 'Dance until Dawn' was good, but 'Revenge is Sweet' makes for a fantastic sequel. It really didn't disappoint.

Both Will and Elinor are well rounded, believable characters, who have a relationship that I loved. It's passionate and tender all at once and shows a love between vampires that you'd really wouldn't expect.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend both Revenge is Sweet and Dance until Dawn, without hesitation.

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.