Review: Immortal Hearts (Vampire Kisses #9) by Ellen Schreiber

Title: Immortal Hearts

Author: Ellen Schreiber

Series: Vampire Kisses
            1. Vampire Kisses
            2. Kissing Coffins
            3. Vampireville
            4. Dance with a Vampire
            5. The Coffin Club
            6. Royal Blood
            7. Love Bites
            8. Cryptic Cravings
            9. Immortal Hearts

Format: Hardcover (260 pages)

Release Date: May 15, 2012

Genre(s): Paranormal Romance, YA, Drama

Rating:

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Summary

Athena "Stormy" Sterling is coming to Dullsville, and Raven is both excited and panicked in anticipation of Alexander's little sister's visit. Alexander tells Raven that she and his sister have a lot in common, but can the mini-Raven be everything she hopes for? Alexander calls her Stormy for a reason.

Stormy's visit stirs up the perfect immortal whirlwind. Raven is forced to take a good look at what it would really mean to be a vampire in the Sterling family, aside from some of the things she already loves, like shunning the sun and sleeping in a coffin with Alexander. When Raven compares her life with Stormy's, she can see that it's not all starry skies and black roses. But Raven knows she's always wanted to be a vampire.

Alexander is as romantic and dreamy as ever, and though he keeps showing Raven how much he loves her, will she ultimately be able to convince him that it's the right thing to turn her?

This final chapter of Vampire Kisses' nocturnal romance will keep all mortal and immortal hearts racing. Source

 

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Review

Plot: I sadly have a bone to pick with Mrs. Ellen Schreiber. Me, like many other VK fans, have been waiting for the epic conclusion of Raven's romantic story. But it has crashed and burned in more ways than I can describe. In this last installment, Raven meets Alexander's little sister, Stormy, who she is anxious to please. I loved Stormy's character and how she was different than Alexander but there wasn't much substance. There is so much that could have been done with her instead of taking the easy and predictable way out. I don't really know the complete plot line of this book because there seemed to several that didn't truly keep me on the edge of my seat or had any true epic conclusion. I guess I should have assumed so because there was no consistent plot line that lasted through every book, so the last installment didn't have any tremendous climax other than whether or not Raven will be turned. I was waiting with baited breath as to what Alexander's decision will be, but it wasn't enough for me to be surprised or anxious at the ending.

Character(s): Raven - I've got to say, when I first started this series, I thought Raven was my hero. I think I can speak for many other people that this series came along right when we were going through our "goth" stage. It was amazing to have a heroine whose lifestyle revolved around that, but this installment did worry me that Raven's lifestyle got the best of her. She lives in a small town where no one is like her and instead of being happy with finding a guy who shares the same interests and feelings, she is determined to find out if he is a vampire and when she finds that out, she want shim to turn her. If someone continually told me that they wouldn't turn me or said that I shouldn't want that, after awhile, I would have taken their word for it. It seemed like she was more gaga over the dream of being a vampire and Alexander was her key rather than seeing what a great guy he was.
Alexander - I felt bad for him. He was constantly pestered to turn Raven and he wasn't being selfish at all but wanted her to have a life that wasn't immersed in darkness. I kind of wish there was a way for him to be mortal. I think the book swayed so much to Raven's wants, Alexander didn't really get anything. I wish he could have found a way to be mortal and finally have be able to see the sun.

Cover: The cover is adorable and cohesive with the rest. I wish this last one could have another character in the book like Stormy or Alexander. But it definitely is dark and gorgeous.

Closing Thoughts: I gave this book a two out of four because I was truly bummed with the finale and the ending. I waited for so long to see how the story would wrap up and it just seemed like it was just another book in the series. I would recommend this series to middle grade readers because it is a series to not get too attached to. It is truly bittersweet to read this book, I loved this series for years and hated seeing it come to a close, but I wish it was a bit more epic.

Where to find Ellen:Website l Facebook l Twitter l Goodreads

 

Peace and Fangs,

Alisha