Twice Tempted (Night Prince series, Book 2) (The Night Prince Series)

Boy do I love the Jeaniene Frost/Tavia Gilbert combo writer/narrator duo! I was entranced by this listen, and even scheduled some "extra housework" just to make sure I could finish off this addicting audio. There is just something about an arrogant, alpha hero being tamed by the love of his life that satisfies me like no other romance can; and Vlad's (the "Impaler's") love affair with Leila is epic.

Surprisingly, although I finished Night Prince 1 well over 2 1/2 years ago, I was able to easily fall back into their story. If you haven't yet read Once Burned, I do recommend that you go back and read or listen to that title before Twice Tempted, as the story does evolve sequentially, and even this book ends in a cliffhanger. Therefore, if you want the whole tale, you will need to commit to listening to the rest of this series. Fortunately, Book 3, Bound by Flames was already released in January 2015--although it does appear that there is a fourth book in the works, which is presently expected to be released sometime in 2016.

This second book starts where Book 1 leaves off. After Vlad saves Leila by using his powers, Leila finds that her psychic abilities are gone. Whether it's temporary or not, she is not sure. But the one thing she does fear is that this unexpected change has made her less desirable to the man she is in love with, the vampire who is better known to the world as "Dracula", but who despises that name.

When a misunderstanding further brings to the forefront just how deep Vlad's feelings are for Leila, Leila must choose between what her heart wants and what her pride will accept. Unfortunately this directly clashes with Vlad's pride; and soon Leila finds herself exploring her old life back at the carnival.

However, when Leila once again finds herself in danger, an unlikely ally comes to her side, further opening the divide between Vlad and Leila. Vlad, however, is determined to see to her safety, even if it means imprisoning her against her will. But will Leila choose safety at the expense of her heart or will she insist on having it all? Is a man like Vlad who has seen so much violence, hate and horrors, capable of truly loving? Moreover, to have it all, Leila may need to decide whether she is willing to give up her humanity. Of course one wrong move and the dangerous forces that have her in their sites may eliminate all choices once and for all.

Tavia Gilbert, as always, rendered a fantastic performance. From the genuine sounding Dracula impersonation for Vlad, to the youthful, savvy, independent voice for Leila; each character was performed to perfection. Not only did all the males have genuine male sounding voices; but they were all easily distinguishable from each other. The same can be said of all the females playing a role in Twice Tempted. Had I not known that one person was creating all of the various voices, I would have sworn that there had to be multiple narrators.

I also love how Ms. Gilbert conveys the emotion or pace of the scene by the way she tells the story. I was easily able to pick up when danger was near just by the speed of her delivery. Likewise the romantic, passionate scenes are equally evident from her performance; and the heat level is definitely aided by her enactment of these scenes.

Twice Tempted delivered on all fronts. Plenty of fast-paced action, hot steamy scenes, food for thought and of course the magnificent narration, making Twice Tempted a great choice for an audiobook listen! I can't wait to dive into Book 3, Bound by Flames!

Source: Audiobook borrowed from the library.