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Since time began, there have been Nightwalkers-the races of the night who live in the shadows of the moonlight. Love with humans is absolutely forbidden, and one man makes certain to uphold this ancient law: Jacob, the Enforcer.For 700 years, he has resisted temptation. But not tonight...Jacob knows the excuses his people give when the madness overtakes them and they fall prey to their lust for humans. He's heard every one and still brought the trespassers to justice. Immune to forbidden show more desires, uncontrollable hungers, or the curse of the moon, his control is total...until the moment he sees Isabella on a shadowy New York City street. Saving her life wasn't in his plans. Nor were the overwhelming feelings she arouses in him. But the moment he holds her in his arms and feels the soft explosion of her body against his, everything changes. Their attraction is undeniable, volatile, and completely against the law. Suddenly everything Jacob has ever believed is inflamed by the heat of desire. Bring on the night. show lessTags
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shanesuzanne Hot & Steamy with the same "mate"/obsessive type of relationships & hot male characters
shanesuzanne Hot & Steamy with the same soul/race saving mate/obsessive type of relationship with sexy male characters
Member Reviews
Wow! I was totally not expecting to like this book. It sounded really pretentious to me, and after the last couple of dogs that I had read, I was almost dreading getting into this one. Boy was I wrong.
Jacquelyn Frank has done to demons what Christine Feehan did to vampires. They are human, sophisticated, funny, and yet there is a dark side. Evil is encroaching, but they have found a new hope for the future.
The interactions between Bella and the demons are irreverent and delightful. Her relationship Jacob is very real to life. I hope the rest of the series lives up to promise of this book.
Jacquelyn Frank has done to demons what Christine Feehan did to vampires. They are human, sophisticated, funny, and yet there is a dark side. Evil is encroaching, but they have found a new hope for the future.
The interactions between Bella and the demons are irreverent and delightful. Her relationship Jacob is very real to life. I hope the rest of the series lives up to promise of this book.
Falling out of a fifth floor window might have been the best thing that ever happened to Isabella Russ since Jacob was there to catch her. Following him and then some how helping him to destroy the monster that he had been tracking was an unusual way to start a relationship, but both Bella and Jacob could feel that there was something there that made it different. Getting over the fact that it was against everything that he had ever known and practiced as the enforcer of his races laws, Jacob could not and would not give her up until he found out what it was that set this woman apart from everyone else he had ever met and saved from his fellow Demons.
Book 1 ….. Oooh, Demons with a twist. This race is one of the nightwalkers along with show more werewolves and vampires (which are the most common paranormal romance novel subjects) the twist is what great people they are. Fun and interesting concept I really enjoyed learning about each of the demon powers and the prophecies was a great tease for subsequent books. A bit predictable in a lot of different ways, but the gifts and the powers that kept changing or growing was also fun. Love seeing a humble demon and Jacob seemed to be a great place to start this series. I know I will be reading more from this author, including the next of the Nightwalker series (Gideon). show less
Book 1 ….. Oooh, Demons with a twist. This race is one of the nightwalkers along with show more werewolves and vampires (which are the most common paranormal romance novel subjects) the twist is what great people they are. Fun and interesting concept I really enjoyed learning about each of the demon powers and the prophecies was a great tease for subsequent books. A bit predictable in a lot of different ways, but the gifts and the powers that kept changing or growing was also fun. Love seeing a humble demon and Jacob seemed to be a great place to start this series. I know I will be reading more from this author, including the next of the Nightwalker series (Gideon). show less
I've had this one for I don't even know how long. It caught my eye at the book store but then got shelved on my to be read shelf and I just never got to it until after a conversation with a fellow book blogger. She said she loved this author and I also found out she is going to be at the Romantic Times Convention that I hope to attend. So off the shelf it came and I have now found a new series that I cannot wait to continue!
The World Building
When I read the synopsis I assumed it was going to be about vampires, one reason I held off on reading it since I was vampired out, but it turns out the Nightwalkers are actually demons. What I loved about this concept was they weretn' the evil, stereotypical demons with just a few members here or show more there who are redeemed by love of some special woman. Instead they are a species with their own culture, laws and families. They do not rampage across the country murdering innocent humans. There are only two days in which the nightwalkers are a real danger to humans and it's not by choice that they end up harming anyone. The Enforcer's job is to prevent any of these incidents from happening and he is responsible for disciplining any of their people that attempt to harm a human being. Talk about a whole new way of viewing demons.
The Characters
I loved Jacob's character. He's a combination of macho, super strong male but he also has a vulnerability that he tries to hide from others, he's lonely. His role of enforcer causes those around him to always walk around with a slight fear and reservation that one day he will be called upon to punish them or their children. He's even faced with the fact that his own brother subconsciously fears him. I love when a guy has a little bit of softness to him and admits it to himself from the beginning instead of trying to deny its obviousness. His sense of humor as he teases Isabella is wonderful to see and makes you just love him all the more and want him to find that perfect partner.
Isabella is also a great female heroine in her own right. First off she's a librarian! Plus she is an interesting mix of shy, soft heartedness and her irreverent thoughts makes you laugh as you read what she is thinking. As she comes into her own powers she also becomes totally kick ass and I love that although Jacob is madly in love with her until in a lot of other romance stories he does not try to lock her up and keep her away from the fight. He acknowledges that she will be able to hold her own and in some cases can even do a better job than himself.
The Story Line
There is a little bit of everything for the paranormal lover in this series. Demons, druids, necromancers, etc. The story started off a little slow for me but that may have been because I was sleep deprived but by halfway through I could not read fast enough. I kept wanting to turn the pages faster and faster to find out what happened and yet wanted to savor some of the great one liners and the little details about the nightwalker world. The nightwalkers aren't an entirely peaceful race. They have had epic wars with the druids that have had devastating consequences as well as another war with the necromancers that decimated a great number of the nightwalkers. Both wars are coming back to haunt them as a new group of necromancers are hunting them and the nightwalkers find that the druids might actually be their salvation. This book definitely starts to set up future story lines that leave you wanting to pick up the next book right away. Definitely a fun new series to add to my list. show less
The World Building
When I read the synopsis I assumed it was going to be about vampires, one reason I held off on reading it since I was vampired out, but it turns out the Nightwalkers are actually demons. What I loved about this concept was they weretn' the evil, stereotypical demons with just a few members here or show more there who are redeemed by love of some special woman. Instead they are a species with their own culture, laws and families. They do not rampage across the country murdering innocent humans. There are only two days in which the nightwalkers are a real danger to humans and it's not by choice that they end up harming anyone. The Enforcer's job is to prevent any of these incidents from happening and he is responsible for disciplining any of their people that attempt to harm a human being. Talk about a whole new way of viewing demons.
The Characters
I loved Jacob's character. He's a combination of macho, super strong male but he also has a vulnerability that he tries to hide from others, he's lonely. His role of enforcer causes those around him to always walk around with a slight fear and reservation that one day he will be called upon to punish them or their children. He's even faced with the fact that his own brother subconsciously fears him. I love when a guy has a little bit of softness to him and admits it to himself from the beginning instead of trying to deny its obviousness. His sense of humor as he teases Isabella is wonderful to see and makes you just love him all the more and want him to find that perfect partner.
Isabella is also a great female heroine in her own right. First off she's a librarian! Plus she is an interesting mix of shy, soft heartedness and her irreverent thoughts makes you laugh as you read what she is thinking. As she comes into her own powers she also becomes totally kick ass and I love that although Jacob is madly in love with her until in a lot of other romance stories he does not try to lock her up and keep her away from the fight. He acknowledges that she will be able to hold her own and in some cases can even do a better job than himself.
The Story Line
There is a little bit of everything for the paranormal lover in this series. Demons, druids, necromancers, etc. The story started off a little slow for me but that may have been because I was sleep deprived but by halfway through I could not read fast enough. I kept wanting to turn the pages faster and faster to find out what happened and yet wanted to savor some of the great one liners and the little details about the nightwalker world. The nightwalkers aren't an entirely peaceful race. They have had epic wars with the druids that have had devastating consequences as well as another war with the necromancers that decimated a great number of the nightwalkers. Both wars are coming back to haunt them as a new group of necromancers are hunting them and the nightwalkers find that the druids might actually be their salvation. This book definitely starts to set up future story lines that leave you wanting to pick up the next book right away. Definitely a fun new series to add to my list. show less
**Courtesy of CK2S Kwips & Kritiques**
There is only one Enforcer, and it is his duty to ensure that the Nightwalkers never bring harm to humans. The Nightwalkers are not inherently evil, but sometimes a demon’s control slips, especially near the Samhain or Beltane, and they unintentionally cause harm to a mortal. The Enforcer, Jacob, steps in then to stop it, and punish the wrong-doer.
But what happens when the Enforcer loses control? Who stops him before it is too late? While hunting a transformed demon who is beyond help, Jacob runs across the puzzling Isabella, who seems to be able to track demons instinctively and has an unnerving talent for destroying them – something unheard of amongst the human race. More than that, she tests show more the limits of Jacob’s self-control when no other has before.
Is Isabella more than she appears? She seems to hold the secrets to the Nightwalkers’ future, however unwittingly. Jacob knows he can’t let her go, for both his sake and his people's. But can their attraction be consummated without destroying them both? And does something deeper than the impending Samhain draw Jacob and Isabella together?
Demons are people too. At least they are in new author Jacquelyn Frank’s Nightwalkers world. If someone had told me before I read her debut novel, Jacob, that demons might have the same propensity for good or evil as any human, I might have questioned them. But after reading Jacob, I am a believer! OK, I’m not saying that I believe in demons, per se, but I did find the mythos Frank has created in this new series totally believable. In fact, I soon forgot that Jacob was supposed to be a demon. For me, he was simply a man that happened to be a different species than Isabella.
Jacquelyn Frank cost me some sleep, though, I will admit. I could not put this book down once I started it. Completely enraptured by the story, I thought if I could not finish the story by morning, I might just have to play hooky from work for the first time in my life to stay home and read! LOL
Isabella was undeniably charming, with a freshness and a wit that captivates the reader as easily as it did the Nightwalkers she meets. It is no wonder that Jacob falls so easily for her. She is all at once wholesome, sexy, funny, intelligent, and noble. Only slightly startled by the fact of the Nightwalkers’ existence, she accepts their place in the world without judgment, and resolves to help her new friends in their current plight without hesitation.
Jacob’s quandary in determining how to handle Isabella is heart-breaking. Even while knowing he needs to keep his distance for her own safety, he can’t help but be drawn to her. His protectiveness and passion have the reader praying for a way they can be together, and the author does not disappoint us in the end, providing a HEA that will guarantee satisfaction for the romantics in her audience.
Jacob: The Nightwalkers is the kind of story that saddens you when it ends, because you crave more, and leaves you salivating in anticipation when you learn it is only the first of many to come in this fascinating new series!
show less
There is only one Enforcer, and it is his duty to ensure that the Nightwalkers never bring harm to humans. The Nightwalkers are not inherently evil, but sometimes a demon’s control slips, especially near the Samhain or Beltane, and they unintentionally cause harm to a mortal. The Enforcer, Jacob, steps in then to stop it, and punish the wrong-doer.
But what happens when the Enforcer loses control? Who stops him before it is too late? While hunting a transformed demon who is beyond help, Jacob runs across the puzzling Isabella, who seems to be able to track demons instinctively and has an unnerving talent for destroying them – something unheard of amongst the human race. More than that, she tests show more the limits of Jacob’s self-control when no other has before.
Is Isabella more than she appears? She seems to hold the secrets to the Nightwalkers’ future, however unwittingly. Jacob knows he can’t let her go, for both his sake and his people's. But can their attraction be consummated without destroying them both? And does something deeper than the impending Samhain draw Jacob and Isabella together?
Demons are people too. At least they are in new author Jacquelyn Frank’s Nightwalkers world. If someone had told me before I read her debut novel, Jacob, that demons might have the same propensity for good or evil as any human, I might have questioned them. But after reading Jacob, I am a believer! OK, I’m not saying that I believe in demons, per se, but I did find the mythos Frank has created in this new series totally believable. In fact, I soon forgot that Jacob was supposed to be a demon. For me, he was simply a man that happened to be a different species than Isabella.
Jacquelyn Frank cost me some sleep, though, I will admit. I could not put this book down once I started it. Completely enraptured by the story, I thought if I could not finish the story by morning, I might just have to play hooky from work for the first time in my life to stay home and read! LOL
Isabella was undeniably charming, with a freshness and a wit that captivates the reader as easily as it did the Nightwalkers she meets. It is no wonder that Jacob falls so easily for her. She is all at once wholesome, sexy, funny, intelligent, and noble. Only slightly startled by the fact of the Nightwalkers’ existence, she accepts their place in the world without judgment, and resolves to help her new friends in their current plight without hesitation.
Jacob’s quandary in determining how to handle Isabella is heart-breaking. Even while knowing he needs to keep his distance for her own safety, he can’t help but be drawn to her. His protectiveness and passion have the reader praying for a way they can be together, and the author does not disappoint us in the end, providing a HEA that will guarantee satisfaction for the romantics in her audience.
Jacob: The Nightwalkers is the kind of story that saddens you when it ends, because you crave more, and leaves you salivating in anticipation when you learn it is only the first of many to come in this fascinating new series!
show less
Jacob is a Nightwalker, a Demon Nightwalker to be precise since there are Others who walk the night among the humans. Jacob is the Enforcer and has been for 400 of his almost 700 yrs. It’s his job to find and punish those bad little Demons who intend to interact in an, um, intimate way with humans. That type of interaction is forbidden because it doesn’t take much to harm a human, but Demons have a hard time resisting twice a year around Beltane in the spring and Samhain in the autumn when the full moon makes them crazy with lust and sexual desires. But never Jacob the Enforcer. Until the night he meets Isabella.
Isabella is a librarian, human, restless and intelligent with a hunger for knowledge. One night as she’s leaning out her show more fifth story window looking up into the night sky she falls out and is caught by Jacob who is out hunting a Summoned One. She senses what he cannot and leads him where he needs to go much quicker than he could’ve done on his own. Not only does she lead him to the Summoned One and the nasty necromancer who did the Summoning, but after Jacob gets his butt handed to him, she saves him and herself by killing the Summoned One (now the Transformed One) with a lucky move. How could a human do what she had done? Such a thing had not been heard of yet she did it. So many questions and the answers are forthcoming if you read the book.
I love this new (to me) series. The characters are real to me, the writing smooth, the world fascinating. Likeable characters, mystery, action and yummy hot sex along with humor and butt kicking. What’s not to love? I’m ready for Book 2, Gideon. show less
Isabella is a librarian, human, restless and intelligent with a hunger for knowledge. One night as she’s leaning out her show more fifth story window looking up into the night sky she falls out and is caught by Jacob who is out hunting a Summoned One. She senses what he cannot and leads him where he needs to go much quicker than he could’ve done on his own. Not only does she lead him to the Summoned One and the nasty necromancer who did the Summoning, but after Jacob gets his butt handed to him, she saves him and herself by killing the Summoned One (now the Transformed One) with a lucky move. How could a human do what she had done? Such a thing had not been heard of yet she did it. So many questions and the answers are forthcoming if you read the book.
I love this new (to me) series. The characters are real to me, the writing smooth, the world fascinating. Likeable characters, mystery, action and yummy hot sex along with humor and butt kicking. What’s not to love? I’m ready for Book 2, Gideon. show less
Jacob is the first book in Jacquelyn Frank’s Nightwalkers paranormal romance series. Jacob is an Earth Demon and the Enforcer of Demon laws. They have a strict moral code that forbids contact with any humans, but during the times of the Hallowed Moon, Beltane and Samhaim, many Demons find themselves lustfully drawn to humans. It’s then that Jacob must step in to stop and punish them. He’s also responsible for hunting down and killing any Demons who’ve been Summoned by necromancers and Transformed, something that hadn’t happened in a long time, until the story opens. When one of Jacob’s friends is Summoned, he sets out in search of him, but is having trouble finding him until he meets Isabella, a young woman who falls out of show more a high window. He saves her life and immediately feels drawn to her. Then she’s mysteriously able to, not only lead him to his prey, but manage to kill the Transformed Demon. No one has ever heard of a human being able to kill a Demon, so Jacob takes Bella to his home in England, until he can figure out what manner of person she actually is. He quickly discovers that she seems to have other extraordinary powers that go beyond anything a mere human can do, and then she finds an old prophecy in the Demon library that appears to explain what she is. As they do their research, Jacob and Bella cannot deny the attraction between them, but knowing well what Demon law says about contact with humans, he tries to fight it. Soon, though, they come to realize they’re fated mates who will die without one another. But the necromancers are still out there, searching for another Demon to Summon, and this time, Bella could end up as collateral damage.
Jacob wields the power of the Earth element and can manipulate matter. He has spent 400 of his over 600 years of life as the Enforcer. He’s known for his ability to resist temptation, which is what earned him the job. However, those he’s Enforced in the past aren’t particularly happy about it, so for the most part, he’s not someone with whom most fellow Demons want to be friends. Thus far, Jacob has never succumbed to the same lustful inclinations that other Demons seem to have around the times of the Hallowed Moon, so when he feels a powerful attraction to Isabella from the moment he meets her, it confounds him. Then when she performs the surprising tasks of leading him to the Transformed Demon and then defeating it, he knows he has to keep her with him until he figures out how she can do these extraordinary things. Knowing well the laws of his people, he fights the magnetic pull toward Bella. Even though he also senses that it’s somehow different than what Demons usually experience during Hallowed Moons, he fears that his intense Demon lust might injure her if they make love. Then they find the prophecy that seems to indicate that they’re fated to be together, and eventually he can no longer resist. Bella seems to be his perfect mate and partner in every way, but when the necromancers come for another Demon, Bella gets caught in their trap and Jacob must fight to get her back. Overall, Jacob is a pretty nice guy, but I couldn’t help feeling like his character was underdeveloped. He’s over 600 years old, but has very little backstory beyond being an Enforcer, which is said to be a rather solitary existence, yet this is never really shown. He has friends, and even those he’s Enforced who appear in the story don’t seem to hate him in spite of their relationships being a bit strained. We also learn little about his family or what he actually does to Enforce Demon laws beyond merely stopping his fellow Demons before they make contact with humans. It’s implied that it’s something unpleasant, but never specified. Because of these things, I struggled to make a deep connection with his character.
Isabella is a librarian who has always felt strangely drawn by the moon and nighttime, but has no idea why. One night while gazing out her fifth-story window at the moon, she sees a handsome man walking down the street, who calls up to her, asking if she’s seen anything out of the ordinary. While answering him, she accidentally leans out too far and falls, but he miraculously catches her. Then she realizes that she can sense dark power nearby and leads him to the necromancer and a terrifying creature that she manages to kill. After that, Bella awakens in a castle with Jacob nearby. He and his friends explain what happened to her and that Nightwalkers, demons and other creatures of the night, actually do exist. As a librarian, she’s fascinated with their extensive library of Demon knowledge and starts combing through their books in search of an answer for what she was able to do. Eventually she finds the prophecy that changes everything the Demons thought they knew about Demon and human relations and which seems to indicate that she and Jacob are fated to be together. Throughout all this time, Bella feels an uncontrollable attraction to Jacob, and even though he tries to avoid taking things further between them, she won’t take no for an answer. Soon she discovers a connection to him unlike anything she could’ve imagined. But when Bella is caught by the necromancers, she must fight to keep herself and another demon she’s befriended alive until Jacob can find them. Bella is a likable heroine who is a nice combination of sweet and sassy. However, just like Jacob, I felt like she was underdeveloped. She’s a twenty-something, modern-day virgin, but there’s no real explanation for that aside from a brief mention that she hadn’t found the right guy. I also felt that she was way too readily accepting of all the extraordinary things that were happening to her and of the existence of Nightwalkers. She never really questions any of it, which wasn’t entirely believable. Also like Jacob, she has little backstory to speak of. She has a sister but no other family is mentioned, so the reader is given no idea of where she might have come by her powers that manifest pretty quickly.
I recall hearing good things about the Nightwalkers series, so I’d been looking forward to trying it for some time. After reading Jacob, though, I can say that all the elements of the book showed a lot of promise, but I didn’t feel like it fully followed through on the delivery. It started off really well, drawing me into the story, but after Jacob takes Bella back to his castle, things slowed down considerably. The next 250+ pages moved at a snail’s pace with an overabundance of world-building and narrative exposition that didn’t really propel the plot forward at all. This part was punctuated by the occasional occurrence of something a bit more exciting, but then it would go right back to plodding along until the last fifty pages or so, which brought the story to more a exhilarating conclusion. In addition to there not being a lot of excitement for a paranormal romance, I feel like to some extent the sluggish pace was caused by the writing itself. There were times that I played with sentence structures and discovered that the narration could have been much snappier if excess words and repetitiveness had been pared down.
In addition to the shaky characterizations, there were many areas of the book, which despite the excessive narration, were lacking in depth and detail. Not only was Bella too accepting of the sudden revelations in her own life, but pretty much all the characters were unbothered by these new developments. Jacob and the other Demon characters barely question the prophecy, or Bella’s presence in their lives and her ability to do things they’ve not seen or heard of before. While the narration dragged along, the events happen almost too quickly with very little thought going into them. The relationship between Jacob and Bella is merely a fated mates/insta-love kind of romance that didn’t entirely work for me. They basically just accept that they’re supposed to be together, while there’s virtually nothing in the way of commonalities or getting-to-know-you moments to bond them in a more emotional way. I felt some connection but not as strongly as I would have liked. Jacob is also said to have an uncontrollable lustful side that could cause Isabella injury, but he’s never really anything but gentle with her. Even when things get more intense between them, it’s still not much more than strong passion. Until the story opens, the necromancers haven’t been seen in many years, but no explanation is given for why. They’re also supposed to be extremely dangerous, and while a couple of minor characters do get killed, they’re mostly a distant threat until the very end except for one brief incursion. Bottom line: I truly wanted to love Jacob but it ended up being kind of meh for me. I liked the characters and some of the story elements, but they really needed more polish to make it into a great story. That said, though, since I have nearly all the books in the series on my TBR pile, I’m sure I’ll give it another chance to wow me at some point. show less
Jacob wields the power of the Earth element and can manipulate matter. He has spent 400 of his over 600 years of life as the Enforcer. He’s known for his ability to resist temptation, which is what earned him the job. However, those he’s Enforced in the past aren’t particularly happy about it, so for the most part, he’s not someone with whom most fellow Demons want to be friends. Thus far, Jacob has never succumbed to the same lustful inclinations that other Demons seem to have around the times of the Hallowed Moon, so when he feels a powerful attraction to Isabella from the moment he meets her, it confounds him. Then when she performs the surprising tasks of leading him to the Transformed Demon and then defeating it, he knows he has to keep her with him until he figures out how she can do these extraordinary things. Knowing well the laws of his people, he fights the magnetic pull toward Bella. Even though he also senses that it’s somehow different than what Demons usually experience during Hallowed Moons, he fears that his intense Demon lust might injure her if they make love. Then they find the prophecy that seems to indicate that they’re fated to be together, and eventually he can no longer resist. Bella seems to be his perfect mate and partner in every way, but when the necromancers come for another Demon, Bella gets caught in their trap and Jacob must fight to get her back. Overall, Jacob is a pretty nice guy, but I couldn’t help feeling like his character was underdeveloped. He’s over 600 years old, but has very little backstory beyond being an Enforcer, which is said to be a rather solitary existence, yet this is never really shown. He has friends, and even those he’s Enforced who appear in the story don’t seem to hate him in spite of their relationships being a bit strained. We also learn little about his family or what he actually does to Enforce Demon laws beyond merely stopping his fellow Demons before they make contact with humans. It’s implied that it’s something unpleasant, but never specified. Because of these things, I struggled to make a deep connection with his character.
Isabella is a librarian who has always felt strangely drawn by the moon and nighttime, but has no idea why. One night while gazing out her fifth-story window at the moon, she sees a handsome man walking down the street, who calls up to her, asking if she’s seen anything out of the ordinary. While answering him, she accidentally leans out too far and falls, but he miraculously catches her. Then she realizes that she can sense dark power nearby and leads him to the necromancer and a terrifying creature that she manages to kill. After that, Bella awakens in a castle with Jacob nearby. He and his friends explain what happened to her and that Nightwalkers, demons and other creatures of the night, actually do exist. As a librarian, she’s fascinated with their extensive library of Demon knowledge and starts combing through their books in search of an answer for what she was able to do. Eventually she finds the prophecy that changes everything the Demons thought they knew about Demon and human relations and which seems to indicate that she and Jacob are fated to be together. Throughout all this time, Bella feels an uncontrollable attraction to Jacob, and even though he tries to avoid taking things further between them, she won’t take no for an answer. Soon she discovers a connection to him unlike anything she could’ve imagined. But when Bella is caught by the necromancers, she must fight to keep herself and another demon she’s befriended alive until Jacob can find them. Bella is a likable heroine who is a nice combination of sweet and sassy. However, just like Jacob, I felt like she was underdeveloped. She’s a twenty-something, modern-day virgin, but there’s no real explanation for that aside from a brief mention that she hadn’t found the right guy. I also felt that she was way too readily accepting of all the extraordinary things that were happening to her and of the existence of Nightwalkers. She never really questions any of it, which wasn’t entirely believable. Also like Jacob, she has little backstory to speak of. She has a sister but no other family is mentioned, so the reader is given no idea of where she might have come by her powers that manifest pretty quickly.
I recall hearing good things about the Nightwalkers series, so I’d been looking forward to trying it for some time. After reading Jacob, though, I can say that all the elements of the book showed a lot of promise, but I didn’t feel like it fully followed through on the delivery. It started off really well, drawing me into the story, but after Jacob takes Bella back to his castle, things slowed down considerably. The next 250+ pages moved at a snail’s pace with an overabundance of world-building and narrative exposition that didn’t really propel the plot forward at all. This part was punctuated by the occasional occurrence of something a bit more exciting, but then it would go right back to plodding along until the last fifty pages or so, which brought the story to more a exhilarating conclusion. In addition to there not being a lot of excitement for a paranormal romance, I feel like to some extent the sluggish pace was caused by the writing itself. There were times that I played with sentence structures and discovered that the narration could have been much snappier if excess words and repetitiveness had been pared down.
In addition to the shaky characterizations, there were many areas of the book, which despite the excessive narration, were lacking in depth and detail. Not only was Bella too accepting of the sudden revelations in her own life, but pretty much all the characters were unbothered by these new developments. Jacob and the other Demon characters barely question the prophecy, or Bella’s presence in their lives and her ability to do things they’ve not seen or heard of before. While the narration dragged along, the events happen almost too quickly with very little thought going into them. The relationship between Jacob and Bella is merely a fated mates/insta-love kind of romance that didn’t entirely work for me. They basically just accept that they’re supposed to be together, while there’s virtually nothing in the way of commonalities or getting-to-know-you moments to bond them in a more emotional way. I felt some connection but not as strongly as I would have liked. Jacob is also said to have an uncontrollable lustful side that could cause Isabella injury, but he’s never really anything but gentle with her. Even when things get more intense between them, it’s still not much more than strong passion. Until the story opens, the necromancers haven’t been seen in many years, but no explanation is given for why. They’re also supposed to be extremely dangerous, and while a couple of minor characters do get killed, they’re mostly a distant threat until the very end except for one brief incursion. Bottom line: I truly wanted to love Jacob but it ended up being kind of meh for me. I liked the characters and some of the story elements, but they really needed more polish to make it into a great story. That said, though, since I have nearly all the books in the series on my TBR pile, I’m sure I’ll give it another chance to wow me at some point. show less
I picked this book up in a thrift store for .99. I figured if it's awful, no harm no foul. I was pleasantly surprised.
Billed as a paranormal romance, this book could have been more erotica than paranormal romance. It is not. Yes, as is common with the romance genre there are sex scenes, but it's not every two pages at the sacrifice of having a fully developed story.
Also, having read a ton of the genre, there is always the concern of "it's already been told." This series is unique. I will continue through it.
Billed as a paranormal romance, this book could have been more erotica than paranormal romance. It is not. Yes, as is common with the romance genre there are sex scenes, but it's not every two pages at the sacrifice of having a fully developed story.
Also, having read a ton of the genre, there is always the concern of "it's already been told." This series is unique. I will continue through it.
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- Canonical title
- Jacob
- Original title
- Jacob
- Original publication date
- 2006
- People/Characters
- Isabella "Bella" Russ; Jacob; Noah; Kane; Saul; Corrine Russ (show all 21); Magdalegna "Legna"; Gideon; Elijah; Ezekiel; Hannah; Myrrh-Ann; Ruth; Simon; Samson; Adam; Ingrid; Kyle; Rick; Santo; Abram
- Important places
- New York, New York, USA; England, UK
- Dedication
- For Laura, my proofreader, my editor, my cheerleader, my critic who keeps me from looking silly, my very most loyal fan and one of my best friends.
For Tanya, who believed in me just as much as Laura has and in all the... (show all) same ways. Thank goodness for the internet!
And... for Pat, who gave me my very first typewriter and made me put my money where my mouth was at the tender age of thirteen. I finally did it!!!
With special thanks to Kate, Robin, Sulay, and Diana. Thanks for all you have done and for putting up with all my... eccentricities.
Extra special thanks to Lori Foster for holding a very fated contest and all the authors who helped her run it. It changed my life into what I always wanted it to be--the life of a published author! - First words
- How ridiculously simple it would be to cause them harm.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"I think it is safe to say that you are the one who caught me."
- Blurbers
- Linda Howard; Christine Feehan; Sherrilyn Kenyon; Cathy Maxwell; Lori Foster; JoAnn Ross
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- English
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