RENEGADE HUNTER

Author: Lynsay Sands ISBN: 9780061474316 10/2009 PARANORMAL Publisher: AVON

The Argeneau family has a secret . . . one of their own is a rogue vampire! Nicholas Argeneau was once a successful hunter who went after rogue vampires who broke the immortal law. Except no one has mentioned his name in the last fifty years, not since he turned into a rogue himself. But once a hunter, always a hunter. When Nicholas sees a bloodthirsty sucker terrifying a woman, it's second nature for him to come to her rescue. He had no idea he would also want to kiss her senseless . . . One minute Josephine Willan is taking in a breath of fresh air, and the next sharp fangs are heading straight for her neck! Luckily, a gorgeous stranger saves her life . . . and gets locked up for his troubles. Can a man who kisses so lovingly and passionately really have committed the crime he's accused of? Jo isn't so sure . . . and she's determined to prove that this renegade hunter is worth fighting for.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

I always enjoy my time with the Argeneau clan, but I have to admit that the last two books, including this one, have left me with a less than satisfied feeling. Not that I don't enjoy the usual feisty heroine and perplexed hero, because believe me, I do. It is simply that the heroes' halos (that I put on them) are becoming a bit tarnished with the ineptness they display when it comes to catching the bad guys.

The way Sands describes the bumbling good guys lack of security, despite all of the their high tech knowledge, paints them in a less than flattering light. These vamps are supposed to be hot and fangy, after all. However, Nicholas, the hero, appears to be the only one that is crafty enough to zero in on what the evil no-fangers are doing. But supposedly, Nicholas is a rogue—or a bad vamp himself. Why, oh why, does no one in his family suspect (or support) that he really is a good guy when he protects the innocents that the good Argeneau's cannot? The last two books are riddled with scenes where Nicholas saves the day; and yet, he is a dangerous rogue. Hmmmmm....

Okay, yeah, the plot is silly, and that distracts wildly from how much I could like RENEGADE HUNTER. I do like it despite how dumb I find it, though. Sands does have a way of making the characters endearing, even when they are not exactly splitting the atom.

Shannon Johnson