Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Sundowners
SERIES: Sundowners #1
AUTHOR: RL Merrill
PUBLISHER: Celie Bay Publications
LENGTH: 298 Pages
RELEASE DATE: September 13, 2022
BLURB:
From the author of the supernatural suspense series Gifted (Healer, Connection) comes a new queer paranormal romance series.
Praise for Connection: “The romance element is complemented nicely by the relentless action and adventure throughout, creating an emotionally intense and page-turning narrative…A fast-paced and fun fusion of supernatural romance and mainstream thriller.” ~Kirkus
Vampire Creed Lowell drifts from town to town working with the elderly as a night nurse and looking to avenge his harrowing past. His youth and vitality make him a favorite of his patients and his gifts bring them peace. At long last he’s arrived in the place where he hopes to find the truth about those who betrayed him…but first he finds an unexpected love with a man who might understand him—or end him.
Grad student Roman San Angelo is struggling to handle his courses, teaching schedule, and research for his dissertation on an obscure cult. He spends every spare moment with his beloved yet demanding grandmother Frances who’s recently moved to an assisted living facility—and he’s fascinated by her night nurse, who is able to bring out the inner light which had faded during her battle with dementia. Something about Creed doesn’t add up, however, Roman finds himself fighting an undeniable attraction. His concerns multiply when Roman discovers a connection between Creed and a bizarre series of vampire-wannabe assaults in the area. A moment of weakness leads to a night of passion between them, and the promise of something more, and yet Roman can’t shake his concern that Creed is not what he seems.
Creed knows better than to bring a mortal into his world, even one who could help him find the link between the pack of violent vampires preying on the people of Santa Cruz and Creed’s past. When he discovers Creed’s secret, Roman is ready to step outside his comfort zone and accept everything a life with a vampire entails, and when Creed disappears, Roman will go to the ends of the earth to find the man who brought the light back to his grandmother and the warmth back to his own heart.
*This book contains violence and sexual content. It is meant for audiences 18+
REVIEW:
Two people with separate agendas on converging paths. One wants understanding, the other revenge.
Creed is a vampire, but not in the traditional sense. He feeds from emotions and the odd bit of blood. A healer by nature – what Creed takes, he gives back in healing. That being said – for fifty years, he’s been looking for the one who killed his best friend, Muse, and wants revenge.
Roman is fascinated by the connection/psychology between cults and crime and their effects. He has become a specialist on the subject, and law enforcement uses him as a consultant. When the worlds of Creed and Roman converge, sparks and battles of multiple varieties erupt.
Sundowners is the first of what I believe is a two-part series. The second is also on sale and will be reviewed shortly. I picked up this story because I am a fan of RL Merrill, who always writes to a high standard. Sundowners is no exception. It is a book that captured my imagination the more I read. Also, I found it refreshing to read a different take on vampirism.
The story is told in the first person from Roman and Creed’s viewpoints. Worldbuilding combines the ongoing story with nuggets of backstory at appropriate places throughout the narrative. When the story got down to the nuts and bolts, it was edge-of-your-seat, page-turning stuff.
Creed and Roman are beautifully believable, strong characters, and the wider cast includes some crackin’ individuals that I look forward to seeing further developed. Shout out here to Rey and Vanessa. Some of the old-timers, too, are capable of surprises. On that note, there is the exploration of the condition, sundowning, and its effects on dementia. Dementia alone is a heart-wrenching subject that many readers will relate to.
One aspect that I was thankful for is that the story isn’t left on a cliffhanger. However, there are some hooks that make me want to read more.
In short, Sundowners is a super read full of depth, emotion, and adventure. As soon as this review is posted, I’m going to read the follow-up book – Moonwish.
RATING: 
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