Midnight Awakening

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance Summary Elise Chase has left dark haven, the only home she has ever known to get justice for the death of her son. She has trained herself to fight and hunts down rogues in the city. She is on a mission and nothing is going to change her mind. When she stumbles on a minion and kills him, she is drawn into a danger she didn't see coming and then Tegan rescues her. Tegan is shocked to see Elise fighting or living in a run down apartment when she could have the safety of Darkhaven. Tegan understands the pain and the need for revenge, but he also understands how to stay alive. Elise has a powerful ability, an ability that is crippling her in certain ways. She joins forces with the intense Tegan, in order to stay alive, but also to get to the bottom of what the Rogue leader is really after. They stumble across a certain book, which contains certain clues that lead them to Europe and their allies there. Elise and Tegan will discover a secret, a secret that has been kept for centuries, and one that could destroy them. Soon Tegan and Elise not only discover a danger to their kind, but also a passion and a mating they didn't see coming. The Hero Tegan is a Breed warrior, and one of the most powerful of their kind. He understands pain and loss. He once lost his breedmate and still suffers from the pain of that loss despite the amount of years that have passed since. He was betrayed and lost everything he held most dear. Now he has trained hard and is one of the most toughest and fierce of the warriors that fight the rogues. He was the ghost you never saw coming, death breathing down your neck before you even realized you were in the crosshairs. He hasn't made that many friends, he is brutal at times but is tough. What I found I most loved about Tegan  is the hidden qualities that rise to the surface. At first he has quite a tough shell, a shell he has created to protect himself from getting hurt. A shell that most see as cold and unfeeling, but Tegan burns with quite a bit of emotion which he keeps under lock and key. Tegan has that "Tortured Hero" feel to him that is quite heartbreaking, but I loved seeing him shine at different points in the story. The Heroine Elise has been suffering and is grief stricken. Elise lost her mate years previous, and then her son got hooked on a dangerous drug that turned him into a rogue. Her son was killed right in front of her when he tried to kill her. Ever since that fateful night, she was changed forever. She left the only home she had ever known, Darkhaven, and left for the city where the rogues lay. She trained herself to fight and to kill minions.  Elise has a gift, but her gift can be crippling to her. She hears all the negative thoughts that surround her. What was most likable about Elise was her personality. She has always been reserved but kind and loving. But we see a change in her, where pain and grief have altered her a bit. She has become more tough and resilient, and I quite adored this side of her. Even though there are times she makes mistakes, these are quite human like and very easy to relate to. Plot and Storyline Midnight Awakening continues a bit after the second book ends. When I first started reading, I couldn't believe our heroine...Elise was the same as the character in the second book. They seemed so different from each other, but we see so much more to Elise. We see her strength and her courage and her ability to adapt to a new circumstance and how she deals with her grief. I really felt for her character, because she has lost both her mate and her son. That was quite heartbreaking, to see her working alone and killing minions and trying to get justice for what was done to her son. And in the beginning, when Tegan and Elise first interact with each other, I was a bit apprehensive. I couldn't see how these two would work and fit as mates. They seemed so different from each other. At first, they really are at odds with one another and hurt each other even without fully meaning to. But as they begin to work hand in hand more, they begin to mold a bit more and soften with each stage of the story. What was most interesting was how their relationship builds. It is different than the previous two books and I liked that. Seeing something, a bit different and unique develop. Both characters are tough in different ways and it was quite fun to see how they meshed together and created a wonderful harmony in their personalities. Midnight Awakening has a bit more of a "mystery" tone to the story. It does have some action too, but the major drive of this book is the mystery and trying to figure out what the leader of the rogues has up his sleeve, and Tegan and Elise are the keys to finding out what is really going on. We also see some of our other favorite characters, including poor Rio who is still recovering from his injuries. Now I want to talk about the actual romance a bit. They have quite the bantering going on...heated and intense. The sexual chemistry is blazing, they definitely have that going for them. What was most unique about their story was how they complimented each other so well....both physically and emotionally. I really loved the balance that develops between them. There were some intense moments but also some tender and romantic ones that will have you grabbing for your box of tissues. I’ll admit it to you now, and to anyone, anytime. I need you, Elise. I love you. You are mine. My woman, my mate, my beloved. My everything. But his book is next so I CANT wait. We also see a growth in certain character and I loved the depth in this book that kept me hooked. Love the style of Lara Adrian and with each book, I get more caught up in the world building. The Cover I quite love this cover. I love the blue and purple tones and the European street feel to the cover. Love how it relates with the story. Overall View Midnight Awakening was a brilliantly crafted romance that takes us across oceans riddled with mystery, suspense and desire....this book has everything that you need in a provoking vampire romance!! Lara Adrian at her best with this one.

3.5 stars.