cover image The Untamed Vampire

The Untamed Vampire

Kate Baxter. St. Martin’s, $7.99 mass market (400p) ISBN 978-1-250-12539-2

Baxter’s fourth Last True Vampire paranormal (after The Dark Vampire) delivers plenty of excitement and romance. Chelle Daly is a vampire with no maker. Brought into her powers by a magical artifact, she stands alone, isolated in a strength she can barely comprehend. Gunnar Falk is every inch an alpha werewolf, bound by centuries of experience and tradition to protect his pack. They are brought together by Chelle’s quest to learn the secrets of her origins. Despite the threat their union represents to all levels of the supernatural community, their passion is too strong to be denied. Together they must face betrayal from within the pack as well as a rogue faction bent on revenge. Baxter creates a romance that is by turns funny and terrifying, enhancing her complex world as she brings the story to a well-earned conclusion. The protagonists’ connection relies on the tired trope of a fated love, but their relationship is developed in a slow, natural fashion that lends it both tenderness and steamy satisfaction and will please readers who like protagonists in control of their stories. Agent: Natanya Wheeler, Nancy Yost Literary. (May)