Turned by Virna DePaul

Title:  Turned

Series:  N/A

Author:  Virna DePaul

Genre:  Paranormal/Romance

Blurb:  Welcome to a mesmerizing world where vampires hide among humans. This centuries-old species has its own rules, code of conduct, and taboos. Only the FBI knows that vampires exist—and although the Bureau agrees to keep their secret, it also plots to give humans the upper hand.  Turning mortals into vampires is forbidden.  But there are creatures who refuse to play by the rules.  Ever since he was turned, FBI special agent Ty Duncan has had one mission: bring rogue vampires to justice. As a recruiter for Belladonna, a shadow agency formed to keep vampires in check, Ty must tap Ana Martin, a troubled ex–gang member and one of the few mortals who can infiltrate places that his kind and the law cannot. From their first encounter, Ty fights a hunger to make Ana his own.  When Ty claims to have information about Ana’s missing sister, Ana has no choice but to trust this captivating stranger who awakens her deepest desires. But as she and Ty climb the heights of pleasure and passion, an enemy is conspiring to destroy them both.  Can Ana help Ty find his humanity in a love that could heal them both, or will their passion lead them into a darkness impossible to escape?

Thoughts:  Quite a few things intrigued me about this novel.  I enjoyed the character of Ana, since she wasn’t your typical heroine.  A former gang member, she has both mental and physical scars.  She’s a heroine that knows pain and suffering, but comes out stronger in the end.  I also enjoyed the slightly different little twist on vampire lore, and the story itself sounded interesting and appealing.

For some reason, it fell a little flat for me though.  I never quite reached that ‘can’t wait to turn the next page’ moment that I really look forward to in a book.  I can’t really pinpoint why – there was plenty of action mixed in with the romance, not to mention the paranormal angle, and it was well-written, but for me it just didn’t capture me the way that it should.  While the FBI angle was supposed to really play a prominent part throughout the book, for some reason it seemed like more of an afterthought.  Ty certainly didn’t give off the vibe and persona of an ‘agent’ – be they paranormal or otherwise – and anything really related to their ‘Belladonna’ project just didn’t cut it for me.  It’s a decent read, but probably not going to be a favorite series of mine that I am simply clamoring to grab.  Good – but doesn’t compare with some of the other ones out there.

Rate:  B