Since finding love with his mate Brenden, vampire Dante Toren has found the inner peace he’s longed for ever since his release from a hellish paranormal prison.  But that peace comes with a price, as a new terror is never far from his mind – the fear of losing Brenden.  Ever since his young mate developed a weapon that has done wonders for their rebel Drone clan in the war against the Pure Born vampires, there has been a bounty on Brenden’s head.  To make matters worse, the Pure Borns have now allied themselves with dark magics, specifically a coven of witches and warlocks so evil even the stoutest of heart fear them.  With the tide of the war threatening to turn against Dante’s adopted Drone clan, the only chance of their survival, of Brenden’s survival, lies in the hands of a secretive warlock Dante isn’t sure he can trust. 

Love, whether it be between mates, family, or friends, is at the heart of this fantastic addition to Stephani Hecht’s Drone Vampire Chronicles.  In Passion and Blood revisits one of my favorite couples, Dante and Brenden from Mad Blood.  Both heroes are as sexy and lovable as ever and it was a delight for me to get to revisit their relationship and seeing it strengthened by the obstacles they must face together.  However, Dante and Brenden aren’t the sole focus of In Passion and Blood.  Ethan, the warlock half-brother of Dante’s brother Rafe, is central to the tale.  Despite the less-than-stellar introduction he made in the previous Drone Vampire Chronicles book, I grew to like Ethan immensely in this story.  Ms. Hecht leaves In Passion and Blood with a cliffhanger for Ethan which, when combined with a few wonderfully blatant hints at who his romantic interest will be in the future, has put me on the edge of my seat waiting for his book. 

Readers familiar with Ms. Hecht’s Drone Vampire Chronicles will no doubt love (as I did) revisiting most of their favorite characters once more.  For those unfamiliar with the series, Ms. Hecht provides enough information that new readers should be able to follow along.  However, I am sure anyone starting the series with In Passion and Blood will at least want to go back and see Dante and Brenden fall in love in Mad Blood, if not going back and starting at the beginning of the series with Blood Lust. 

In Passion and Blood was an utterly enchanting read I could not put down.  I loved it and cannot wait for the next installment of this addictive series!