Review: Kiss of Twilight by Loribelle Hunt

Title: Kiss of Twilight (Dark Bonds #2)
Author: Loribelle Hunt
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Heat Index: 3 out of 5
Release Date: Dec. 26, 2011
Word/Page Count: 88,000 words
Format: Netgalley

Dupree Jackson is everything a senior soldier of the Order of Templar should be. Cold. Unbreakable. A master at arms in the fight against demons. But as a hybrid, Dupree is beginning to lose himself to the demon half of his soul. One woman has the power to save him. If he lets her.

Kara Stone wants two things in life: to be merged with a demon so that she can become a full member of the Order; and Dupree Jackson. She knows they are meant to be together, if only Dupree would love her back.

Though his desire for Kara is undeniable, Dupree's need to protect her is stronger. Not wanting to see her merge, to face the internal struggle he deals with every day, he refuses to bond with her. But when Kara becomes a target and uncovers a dark secret about her past, Dupree may no longer have a choice...

A creative take on demons and Templars. I liked Kiss of Twilight. My grade might be overly generous, but I have to say that reading this story felt like putting on a comfortable, familiar sweater. It was like a really good takeoff of the television series Angel. There is nothing new, or particularly amazing here, but there are likeable characters and a universe rich in creative details.

What I really liked about this universe was how easy it was to jump into book 2 without reading book 1 of the series. There is a little bit of everything here, demons, Templars, vampires and werewolves. The romantic plotline, however,  is rather anorexic and without any real depth, so if you are looking for a grand romance, you will be disappointed.

In fact, there were several aspects of this story that should have automatically hit my wrong buttons: the orphaned but soon-to-be powerful heroine, the tortured hero denying his love for the heroine, mentor-to-villain, bonding or death, sequel bait POVs, and an easily wrapped up finale. Yet, this was such an easy, enjoyable read that despite the weaknesses that would normally drive me crazy, were just mild annoyances. I would say this is a solid C+, 'beach read', shallow, but ultimately likeable. I plan on reading the first in the series and will continue to follow it.