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Byron Renfield, a.k.a. Ren, has led a quiet solitary life for over
three hundred and seventy-nine years, and during this time he has
prided himself on his ability to follow the rules that have been set
before him. Ren has been very successful at following rules and
doing the right thing for his fellow vampires. As a matter of fact,
he is the youngest Dominie in the vampire world. Recently, his
sister, Fred, and her partner, Grace, passed away and while going
through their things he runs across some letters to Grace’s niece,
Violet. There is something about these letters that draws Ren to
Violet, but he has to resist as that is the rule.
Violet Deeds comes to Ren’s island on the invitation of her aunt,
Grace, and she is ready for a bit of break from her responsibilities
as a psychiatrist. Violet is both shocked and saddened when she
hears about Grace and Fred’s passing, and does not realize that
there are things about her life that her aunt Grace did not tell
her. Violet, also, cannot avoid that fact that she is irresistibly
attracted to Ren even though she knows nothing about him beyond what
her aunt has told her. They will be spending at least one night
together as she has already sent her boat away.
Ren was attracted to Violet even before he met her and seeing her in
the flesh is just making it worse. Ren must fight his attraction
with everything in him. He knows the consequences of breaking the
rules after witnessing his parent’s struggles. He tries to explain
to Violet who, and what, he really is and Violet does not seem to
understand the true implications of what Ren is telling her. Violet
seems to be concerned mostly with her growing feelings for him.
Eventually, their attraction overrules Ren’s sensibilities and they
break all the rules. There are many aspects of Ren’s life that
Violet cannot begin to understand or even imagine, and now that she
is part of it she has some questions. Will Ren and Violet be able
to find and maintain their growing love against all the things
stacked against them?
Forbidden: the Claim
is a poignant, touching, and intriguing read. Samantha Sommersby
writes emotional characters who engage the reader and has us rooting
for them from the start. Ren is a good solid vampire who follows
and respects the rules of his world. He has worked hard to help his
fellow vampires, but he never expected to find or experience love.
Violet Deeds is a confident woman who has made a place for herself
in the world and is just looking for a little break and visit with
her family when she visits Ren’s island. She does not expect her
world to be completely turned upside down. Samantha Sommersby has
created an interesting world for Ren and Violet and it will be
fascinating to learn more about them. Forbidden: the Claim
was fascinating and I will look forward to following the
series and delving deeper into this new look at the vampire world.
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