Nick Belanger can't stop thinking about the single mother who lives next door. She's smart. She's funny. She's so beautiful he can't stare at her too long for fear his eyes will start to glow. But Kayla thinks he's just an ordinary guy who works in security. Finding out he instead is a powerful immortal warrior who hunts and slays psychotic vampires for a living may not go over well, particularly since she has a daughter she doesn't want to endanger. Kayla Dorman can keep neither her gaze nor her thoughts from straying to the man next door. Who can blame her really? He is the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome with smart, charming, and honorable thrown in. He's also a few years younger than her and surely would not be interested in a single mom who hasn't dated since her divorce. At least that's what she thinks until an accident nearly takes her life and Nick risks all to save her. The dynamics of their relationship swiftly change. The friendship they've developed over the years deepens into love as the two spend every minute they can together, laughing and teasing, never suspecting a threat may lurk in the shadows. But that threat soon strikes, making it clear that Nick is the target and his enemy doesn't care if Kayla gets caught in the cross fire. Though Kayla bravely rises to the occasion and is determined to do whatever it takes to help Nick defeat his enemy, Nick is terrified of losing her. Can he identify and eliminate his new nemesis before the man takes everything from him?

MY THOUGHTS

This is the first book in the series that is not centered in North Carolina, thus introducing us to a couple new characters and giving us a glimpse into how the rest of the immortals guardians understand the Ami/Marcus/Adira situation. Now that Gershom is out of the picture, we are brought a new story about friends becoming more and complications from a greedy man searching for a fountain of youth.

Audiobook Note

As always Kirsten Potter is excellent at bringing this book to vibrant life.

About the Characters

Nick is so respectful that he robs himself of time he could have had with Kayla. He’s almost inept at approaching her as more than a friendly neighbor until the decision is taken out of his hands. Kayla is resilient as a lot of unbelievable information is thrown at her all at once. She also thinks fast and is resourceful in a dangerous situation. Eliana is a fun personality. She’s a loyal friend and tries to play wingman for Nick with Kayla. She’s teasing and almost bubbly without being obnoxious.

Things I Liked

The immortals’ world is all about family and community and that really shines through here. That very community brings some familiar faces to Texas. Kayla has a grown daughter that brings a little extra fun to the table. I love when she walks in on Nick and Kayla sleeping. Nick is adorably awkward as he attempts to navigate the daughter situation. I would love to see more of her.

Things I Didn’t Like

The story felts a tad slow at first, though it got intense and moved quickly once that changed. The conflict makes sense, but felt almost over the top. It is also unclear just how connected to the military our bad guy is. That is likely a doorway for new challenges now that there’s no more Gershom.

More Thoughts

I wonder if Becca was told anything and if she noticed any changes in her mother. Nick is cute and a little old fashioned normally, but in the bedroom he turns a bit commanding and gruffer than we’ve previously seen, though not by much. I would love to have seen more of his shifting, but I am a shifter addict. While we get some familiar characters from previous books, and I like the idea of meeting new ones from other places, it’s still a little off putting to be in a different setting than the last 9 books.

Does it stand alone?

Yes actually. Dianne Duvall always does a good job of reintroducing the basics of the world and relaying relavant information as necessary. Add to that the fact we start fresh story arc wise and relocate from the previous books and this actually stands alone very well.

Bottom Line

Overall, I liked Broken Dawn as it was sweet and exciting. Getting to know Eliana a little better before we read her story made me very antsy for more.