Dev is hitting civilization after an extended period in the Outback. He's ready for a cold beer -- and a willing woman, if one can be found. They're few and far between in 1953 Australia. But when he steps out of the blazing sun and into the shadowy bar, the first thing he sees is a beautiful woman. When she gives him the eye, he decides to take her up on the offer -- even though she's accompanied by more than one bodyguard. If Lady Daniela were just a woman, Dev's life might not have changed forever from that day on. But she's not just a woman -- she's a vampire. Lady Daniela hasn't ever had a human servant, mainly because she hasn't wanted to bond with another that closely.

When Lady Daniela returned to Australia, it was done knowing she had a nasty task ahead -- throwing out her mother's lover, who usurped Lady Daniela's place 40 years before. With Dev along, it will be easier to take care of that piece of business. But the relationship that develops between them is hot and heavy in no time at all. Now he can help her to rid Australia of her Master, a 500-year-old vampire. However, binding Dev to her might help her, but it could get him killed.

This is the prequel to Ms. Hill's two previous novels about this Vampire Queen. While it was hard to set my mind in 1950s Australia, I gradually got there and it was definitely worth it. This gives us a look at Dev and Lady Daniela we haven't seen before. While it is a very, very hot read and deals with Bondage -- Domination and Submission, Sadism and Masochism, it's also driven by emotion and pulls you deeply into the story. The setting is very realistic and easy to picture and the storyline very fresh. I enjoyed it a lot, as I have all Ms. Hill's novels and am ready for another. A good read.

Book Summary

Third in a national bestselling series that’s been hailed as “erotica at its best.”(A Romance Review)

The daughter of two vampires, Lady Daniela is considered aristocracy in the vampire world. Still, she has to fight for what she wants—especially since what she wants is to depose a brutal territory overlord. For that she’ll need the help of Devlin, a handsome, brave human who inflames her desire far more than any man or beast.

Even though she could easily lay her claim and take Dev on as a fully marked servant, she resists the urge—especially since Dev is still tormented by something in his past. But when her enemy makes an unexpected appearance, Dev surprises them both by yielding completely to his feelings for Danny and showing her the devotion of a true servant—until she decides to take his freedom without asking…