***Disclaimer*** I may receive a small commission from any purchases you make using my links to Amazon as an affiliate. This does not sway my reviews in any way.***
***ALSO, I should add that I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for a review. That will NEVER sway my thoughts on a story. I’ll always tell my readers what I think and if a book is worth picking up or not.***
This is not a classic vampire story and certainly not a classic romance. There are moments when I wanted it to be such, but many more moments when I was glad that it wasn’t.
Let me explain.
18th century France is one of my favorite times and places to read about, watch films about, and daydream about. Versailles is one of my favorite pieces of architecture in the history of…well, basically everything. And Madame de Pompadour has always been a subject of mystery, intrigue, and romance that, for me, can never be forgotten or moved past. She must have really been something! Certainly King Louis XV thought so.
In The Assassin and the Libertine, it is the death of Madame de Pompadour that sets off the story. The story’s hero, Étienne, is accused of Madame de Pompadour’s murder and as the heroine of the story was the best friend of the king’s favorite mistress and in charge of bringing her killer to his justice, a very common enemies to lovers story begins to unfold.
Here’s where I would normally start rolling my eyes and looking for something else to read. It’s a common plot. Only, in this one, the accused murderer is also a vampire. It does complicate things, but the fact is that there are so many stories set up this way, an author really needs to do the work involved in separating their work from the works of others. The bounty hunter/assassin (in this case) vs. evil hunky vampire accused of obscenities and atrocities is done to death. Yet, in this book, the author manages to yank her story out of the void of cliches and plop it directly into a reader’s wildest bloody fantasies.
The book has a decent heat level and the writing is great. I love the story having the depth of the eighteenth century because honestly, it does add more appeal for me. I’ll certainly look for this author again and I’ll most definitely be sure to recommend this book to my friends.
Daphne de Duras is a proper French duchess by day and fledgling assassin by night. Her latest mission is to dispatch justice and protect the French aristocracy by executing Étienne de Noailles, disgraced former noble, legendary rake, and vampire emissary to the court of King Louis XV.
As far as I can tell, both kindle and paperback copies are available at Amazon if you’d like to find out for yourself. Not convinced? Here’s what the blurb says:
But Étienne’s alleged crime—the gruesome murder of Madame de Pompadour, the King’s mistress and Daphne’s friend—doesn’t quite fit the dashing vampire’s nature. With his immortal days suddenly numbered, Étienne needs to convince his would-be executioner not only of his innocence, but that they should hunt the real killer together—a challenge almost as difficult as convincing himself that he isn’t falling for her.
Daphne reluctantly agrees to a temporary partnership when Étienne persuades her that something more sinister is afoot. He can, after all, help her find answers in places she’s unable to go alone. And despite her deep loathing for any and all vampires, she can’t help but start thinking of a few other places she’d like to go with him.
Amazon.com
Coming Soon! I’m going to choose a recipe to make and share an early look at The Unofficial Bridgerton Cookbook, only at RhiannonWritesOn.com!
Rhiannon Writes On 