Reviewed by Donna

 

TITLE: Cronin’s Key

AUTHOR: N.R. Walker

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 340 Pages

BLURB:

NYPD Detective Alec MacAidan has always been good with weird. After all, his life has been a string of the unexplainable. But when an injured man gives him cryptic clues, then turns to dust in front of him, Alec’s view on weird is changed forever.

Cronin, a vampire Elder, has spent the last thousand years waiting for Alec. He’d been told his fated one would be a man wielding a shield, but he didn’t expect him to be human, and he certainly didn’t expect that shield to be a police badge.

Both men, strong-willed and stubborn, are still learning how to cope with the push and pull of being fated, when fate throws them another curveball.

Rumors have spread quickly of turmoil in Egypt. Covens are fleeing with news of a vampire who has a talent like no other, hell-bent on unleashing the wrath of Death.

Alec and Cronin are thrown into a world of weird Alec cannot imagine. What he learned in school of ancient pharaohs and Egyptian gods was far from the truth. Instead, he finds out firsthand that history isn’t always what it seems.

 

REVIEW:

Alec couldn’t explain it; what had been confusing before now was crystal clear, everything that Alec didn’t even know was wrong was right. And he knew, he just knew, this man’s name was Cronin.

OMG and WTF and please pass me the headache pills because I feel a book hangover building fast. Unfortunately I don’t have the time to just bury myself under the covers and mourn the fact that the book ended because I have to tell you guys all about it now. I have a feeling it’s going to be a bit of a rambling mess because honestly, I just don’t know where to start. And there are so many quotes that I just have to include. So gather round folks, I’m only going to say all this once, and then I’m disappearing to languish (rather dramatically) in my bed as I’m forced to wait for another book about Cronin and Alec.

“I don’t like being interrupted when I’m talking. It is frustrat-”

“Like that?” Alec said with a smile. “Like I’m interrupting you like that?”

Cronin huffed. “Yes, like that.”

Meet Alec MacAidan, twenty nine year old NYPD detective who has never really fit in with his peers. He has a photographic memory, asks way too many questions, and rather unusual things seem to happen whenever he’s in danger. When a mysterious yet oh-so-hot stranger walks into his workplace and asks Alec to “come with him”, Alec feels the tug of his destiny and doesn’t hesitate. However, Alec is no pushover, and fate, destiny, whatever aside, he wants answers, and Cronin had best supply them quickly.

Alec is definitely a fun character. I think that’s probably the best word for him. He doesn’t care that he’s dealing with centuries (and centuries and centuries) old vampires who could crush him like a bug, they’re not exempt from his friendly teasing. Yes, he’s good with weird and takes all of the unexpected revelations in stride but he still freaks out every now and again. I loved that he never tries to deny his instant need for Cronin but still questions the validity of his feelings. And although, in the beginning he feels the need for space from Cronin to figure out his new, crazy feelings, he never acts entitled or deliberately cruel.

“Please, Alec, don’t ever doubt what you are to me.”

Alec’s heart tripped in his chest. “What am I to you?”

Cronin’s reply was short and immediate. “Everything.”

Described by Alec as a “beautiful man with pale skin and ginger hair”, Cronin was born in Scotland in 744 and became a vampire twenty-four years later. Since that time he has had only one, count ‘em – one, lover and has been waiting all these long centuries to meet the person who is fated to him. Now that he’s found Alec he is a little less than impressed that vampires across the world are going to be going to war and somehow his Alec has become the target of many of them. Along with his closest friends, Jodis and Eiji, he will do everything in his power to keep Alec safe.

Oh God, how much do I love Cronin. After the first few chapters, if I’d had to describe Cronin, I’d have said he was sweet and nervous and a little awkward. Unquestionably, he’s focused on pleasing Alec. He might grumble at his friends but it was all good natured. He’s obviously so damn thankful that he’s finally found his fated partner that I just wanted to hug him tight then jump up and down with him in excitement. But then Alec is threatened, and Alpha Vampire Cronin (yes, with capitals) comes out to play. I don’t really know if you use the term “alpha” to describe vampires but seriously, it suits him perfectly. He would gut you alive and hang you up with your own intestines if you dare to even think about harming his man!

Actually, Jodis and Eiji are the same. Side note – gosh, I love their names! All three of the vampire friends are surprisingly still upbeat and loving life considering how long they’ve been living it. Often in paranormal books characters that are centuries old are all mopey and serious and over life. Cronin, Jodis and Eiji will crack jokes and tease each other. They don’t take themselves too seriously, for all that they are “Elders”, until they have to. Until it’s time to go to war.

Alec finally, finally realized what fated meant. He wanted to be everything to Cronin. And he would be. Everything he needed, everything he wanted, Alec was it. As Cronin was to him. And Alec had never wanted anything more.

Alec and Cronin’s first make out session was HOT. If you’re anything like me then you’ve read so many sex scenes by now that they rarely do a thing for you anymore. But this couple surely did it for me. What can I say? They had mad chemistry going on. There were little touches and hugs and looks and feelings, so by the time they actually got around to “the good stuff” I was bouncing around yelling – KISS HIM!!! N.R. Walker really knows how to work that sexual tension before allowing it to explode onto the page, with the most satisfying results.

In the middle of Cronin’s luxurious apartment living room, the six of them stood in a closed circle facing outward, each with a wooden stake in their hand to be ready for whatever they would face, and Cronin leapt. They landed in the middle of a war zone.

Throughout the story you can feel the tension building, leading to what you know is going to be an epic showdown between the army of good and the army of evil. I could not have loved it more. When I said before that I was bouncing up and down because I was excited they were going to kiss, that had nothing on the excited bouncing I was doing as our heroes went into battle. I’m not kidding. At one point I had to stop reading because I was getting so enthusiastic I couldn’t concentrate on the words I was looking at. I was too distracted by guessing what was going to happen next.

After reading a book like this I’m always a little in awe that the author actually came up with the storyline. I love when they take history or mythology and twist it to make it fit the story they want to tell. And there is a significant amount of Egyptian myth and history in this book. Which is something I know very little about. So if you’re some Egyptian history buff, I don’t know, you may read this and think – this is all so very wrong. But from my point of view, everything about this book was so very, very right.

“Is this enough? There’s plenty more.”

Alec stared wide stared wide-eyed at the neat and crisp bankrolls.

“Um, shit. I didn’t mean that much.”

“You didn’t specify amounts,” Cronin said. “I don’t know how much a shitload of cash is in quantifiable figures.”

Alec smiled at him. Their faces were close again, and he whispered, “I like it when you talk all middle ages.”

Yeah, that quote doesn’t really match anything I’m talking about but I just had to squeeze it in somewhere.

Sadly, I’m really going to have to end this review at some point, even though there’s still heaps of stuff I could ramble on about, like the cool super powers some vampires have, the fact that Cronin and Alec made bloody kisses sexy or the strange fetish I developed for reading Cronin’s lines out loud in my attempt at a Scottish accent.

The fact that I loved this so much even shocked me a little. I do not read vampire books except, now, I guess I do. I also feel bad for the next book I read, because unless the sequel to Cronin’s Key magically appears on my Kindle, I fear whatever story I follow with just won’t measure up.

“Cronin, I would choose you.”

Cronin smiled tentatively, looking unsure. “What?”

Alec took Cronin’s hand. “I said on the second day I was here, I wasn’t sure that if it weren’t for us being fated that I’d choose you. But you have to know, Cronin, I would. I would choose you.”

 

 

RATING:  (shhh, ok, yes. I made up my own 6 star rating. Don’t tell Dani!)

 

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

ARe