My review of MEANT TO BE IMMORAL is in the May 2021 issue of SFRevu and is exclusive to them until June 1st, 2021. You may read the review at the following link: <http://www.sfrevu.com/php/Review-id.php?id=19370>.

I'm so happy to be back in the Argeanu world and be reminded that low-stakes, low-angst PNR exists. Even the little bit of mystery in this book gets wrapped up neat and tidy, and the relationship gets to shine for the rest of the book. I loved seeing Mac and CJ grow together, with just a little bit of meddling from Marguerite, Julius, Bricker, and Decker. There were also so many exciting little hints at future books that I hope we'll get to see play out soon.

Haven't read the other 31 books in this series? Don't worry because these MCs haven't been mentioned anywhere before. If you're completely new to the series, this wouldn't be my first recommendation to start with since I think the vampire world is explained better in other books, but the Argenaus are always my favorite recommendations for romance readers who want to try PNR.

Thanks to Avon and Netgalley for my ARC to review.

Meant to Be Immortal by Lynsay Sands is a paranormal fantasy that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. A well-written story that is sure to leave you wanting more.

3.5 Stars

It’s been a while since I have dived into the world of the Argeneau. Meant to Be Immortal is a nice book to dive back in on.

Macon “Mac”Argeneau is just trying to set up his new lab in his new house. In a matter of an hour of moving in, someone torches his house, he almost dies (which is not the easiest thing for Mac) and meets his life mate. Talk about a moving day.

CJ Cummings is a former cop who now does special investigations, is in town to investigate one of their own. She is a smart cookie who realizes that she is getting a run around. When she arrives for her meeting the town sheriff convinces her to do some detective work as his men are all on other calls. What should be a simple questioning and gathering of evidence turns into something she quite doesn’t understand.

Meant to Be Immortal is an intense, hot and suspenseful read. Hooked from the first page to the last. Lynsay Sand has her Argeneau world well built and even with Meant to Be Immortal being the thirty second book of the series she delivers surprises the reader doesn’t see coming. Mac and CJ shine in many ways through this book. From there bickering back-and-forth to the laugh out loud moments they gave the readers. She is smart and he is clever. The two of them together make quite the team. Their attraction is from the get go and their chemistry is as hot as the fire that took Mac’s house. Meant to Be Immortal was an entertaining and fun read.

Meant to Be Immortal by Lynsay Sands is book 32 in Argeneau Series. This is the story of CJ Cummings and Mac Argeneau. CJ is a special investigator who happens to be interested in the arson that took place at Mac's house. Mac is an Immortal but one of the ways for him to 'die' is by fire so he too thinks someone started it. But Mac can't be to upset about the fire because it brought CJ into his word bring out feelings that he hasn't felt before really. But the dance starts know winning her over and keeping who he really is a secret until all can be revealed. I am such a fan of Ms. Sands writing. I highly recommend this book and of course Ms. Sand's writing. Loved it.

I love how this series always stays fresh with new plot lines and characters. Mac is a hematologist and someone seems out to kill him, but he has no idea why. CJ is in this small town investigating a complaint against a police officer when she’s drawn into protecting Mac.

This book is more slow burn than others in the series and Mac is seriously deficient in the romance department as a “logical scientist.” And CJ is focused on protecting her heart and getting her job done. There’s more of a focus on the danger and investigation in the first half of the book. There’s the humor and family love that I adore in this series and the steam level rises later in the book.

it was good but it felt like the main female character accepted him being a vampire too quickly and easily. Other than that I enjoyed the plot and found it to be a quick read, and unlike the last book in the series, I didn't feel extremely confused about any of the plot points. I loved the characters, although I’m not sure where the heck Mac is from or what kind of name Mac is, lol.

Mac had just moved into the home he's renting and hasn't even finished unpacking when he smells smoke and knows there's a fire. Now being immortal means that it's hard to kill him but fire will definitely do the trick. He finds himself with only one way to stay alive until the fire department can get to him, but it's not gonna be pretty once he gets out.

CJ is just getting into town to interview a police officer about a complaint against him when she gets recruited to go to the fire and investigate it because the the other police are busy on another case. She thinks she's just getting the run around again but goes to the fire and that's when things start to get weird.

Mac is an immortal (think vampire) but they don't call themselves vampires because they are nice but they don't want humans to know they exist. So when Mac is hurt in the fire, he has to drink blood from several firefighters in order to heal. But that just makes CJ more curious about why he was being transported to the hospital and then they changed their minds and turned back. It was would have been easier to just wipe her mind of that and give her new memories but since he can't do that to her because she's his mate, he has to come up with a believable lie.

Mac has just found his mate, but she's human and knows nothing about him or immortals and she's not interested in pursuing a relationship with him because of her past. So Mac has no choice but to make himself seem like there's a stalker after after him trying to kill him and he needs her to be his bodyguard. CJ tries everything she can to get away from him and out of this assignment but things just seem to pile up in her way every time she wants someone else to take his case so they end up spending a lot of time together.

CJ has feelings for Mac and Mac wants to spend the rest of his life with her but it's not going to be easy to convince her of everything he has to tell her about him and his people. The truth comes out after they are both put in danger and now CJ has a choice to make. The romance and the mystery surrounding the fire and the officer with the complaint against him made this a very interesting book. I really like how everything came together and we get a couple of twists thrown in at just the right time.

I've been reading this series for such a long time and the books are always so good. I love this series and plan on reading as many books as the author plans to write.


Disclosure: I was give an eARC of this book via NetGalley but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I should know better than to jump into a series at book 32. Seriously! However, it was really easy to grasp the concept of these Argeneau’s, all vampire- like immortals who are long-lived through nano’s in their blood stream. Nano’s that require them to drink blood constantly. CJ has been burned by her ex and is not that willing to let Mac charm her but when his whole family arrives she doesn’t really stand a chance. I liked her back story better than his empty charms but this book was easy to read so I didn’t hold my feelings of ambivalence against it.

Mac was a scientist, researching nano’s, I’d guess to help keep his family living easily but that was not ever really explained. I thought it odd that he’d be so smart when it came to research but so dumb when it came to his life mate. CJ was kind of prickly but she wasn’t that hard to understand. It annoyed me a bit that it was like watching a boy get his first crush, bumbling about a bit. I like my hero’s a little more take charge. CJ didn’t seem to mind though.

I have heard of this author, of course, but I don’t usually read paranormal books. I do have friends who are great fans of Lynsay Sands so I was curious and requested the book. I was surprised to find her writing to be a bit simplistic and expected a little more detail to the back story especially since we are on book 32 of the series. Without having read the others I can’t say if this was her normal style or if this was an off book. I can only rate it based on my own experience. Yours may be completely different so please pick it up and give it a chance, after all he does look good in that shower! ❤️❤️❤️

I receive a copy of this novel through NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review and it was honest.

Hematologist Macon Argeneau knows that immortals like himself can still be killed and fire is especially dangerous for them. When his house is set on fire with him trapped inside, evidence points to arson. Mac can’t think of anyone who’d want to kill him, but he’s able to see the bright side in the whole mess when the lovely investigator on scene turns out to be a potential life mate for him.

CJ Cummings is only in town to investigate a potential case of misconduct in the local police department but winds up being roped into going to the fire scene when the locals are shorthanded. She’s amazed that the wildly attractive scientist made it out unscathed and she’s sure he’s hiding something. She’d love to get to know him a bit better anyway, but she can’t afford a distraction from her work. But when it becomes apparent, he needs a bodyguard, Mac insists it must be her. When another attempt on their lives puts CJ in danger, their roles are reversed, and Mac is the one determined to keep her safe.

I liked the premise of this book and Mac was a lovely hero. CJ was rather rigid and downright rude to Mac though her reasons made sense when they came out. Still, I wanted more time with her actually being nice to Mac and developing that relationship with him rather than most of that occurring off page and the reader being told about it later. I loved the scenes we did get in which CJ began to open up to and trust Mac and I especially enjoyed the scene when she learned about immortals and such. The villain aspect here had promise and I appreciated that law enforcement was shown respect and not painted with a broad brush. There was, however, a lot of potential here with the villain element that was lost and handled a bit nonsensically, only to pop up later and be given a very speedy resolution. The ending to that particular storyline felt rather abrupt, as did the conclusion of the book in general. I would’ve liked a bit more, perhaps an epilogue, to make things seem truly settled between Mac and CJ. Nonetheless, I loved how Mac had no real clue how to woo CJ and eventually she was the one who escalated their relationship. The help they received from other Argeneaus was also pretty hilarious to me. Though I wanted a bit more development of both the mystery and the romance, I thought this was a cute story and I enjoyed it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an advance reader copy of this story.

Meant To Be Immortal, by Lyndsay Sands, is available at booksellers on 4-27-2021. As part of the Argeneau series of Immortal stories it still stands up as a story by itself. I'm sorry to say that this couple didn't charm me or have me interested in their wellbeing. I found CJ and Mac to be bland and unappealing. I admit to skipping the last couple of chapters to see how things ended up and even that was a bust. Things were left hanging, no real resolution. I'm bummed, I usually like Ms Sands vampire stories, just not this one.

#LyndsaySands #MeantToBeImmortal #AnArgeneauNovel #Immortals #Vampires #Netgalley #Avon

An entertaining immortal love story

I always enjoy revisiting the world of the Argeneau family. This story is about Mac Argeneau, a hematologist for Argentis Inc. After centuries, he finally meets his life mate, CJ Cummings, an investigator with SIU, who responded to the scene after his house was burnt down. This book has everything you need for a fun afternoon escape. As with the rest of the books in this series, it can be read as a stand-alone.

When I requested Meant to be Immortal, I apparently didn't see the 3 in front of the 2. I thought this was the second book in a series and could just read the first book and then jump into the second. But there is no way I could have read 31 other books in the Argeneau series before this one, so I jumped in cold. I have no backstory for all the characters, or the world. Good news is, I was able to catch onto everything that was going on.

First, off props to Lynsay Sands for writing 32 books in a series since the early 2000s, that in itself is a huge accomplishment. Second, I was so surprised I'd never heard of this series before since I read a lot of UF and totally went through a vampire phase. While true the immortals are not really vampires, they are close. Third, even though I hadn't read any of the other books in the series, I was able to keep up with the story. Of coarse I think I would have enjoyed it even more, if I also knew some of the side characters that were obviously from other books in the series, but this story at least is pretty self contained. I could tell there are some nuances to overlaying characters I missed but it didn't seem too bad.

Mac meets his life mate after someone sets the house he is living in on fire. Immortals are very flammable so he was lucky to survive. CJ is in town to interview a cop accused of using too much force on someone he pulled over. When the small town has an extra busy night she gets roped into helping and Mac figures out a way make sure she is the one protecting him from whoever might be out to kill him. CJ is really prickly and standoffish and the last thing she seems to want is Mac around, but he needs to figure out a way to get her to thaw to him or lose this chance at a life mate.

Overall the story is cute. Mac is likeable enough but I'm not overly attached to him. CJ is a little harder to like since she has some baggage she is dragging around and goes out of her way to keep people at a distance. It seems she was a side character in a different book so maybe if I would have read that one I would have had a better base for her. Still I liked how Mac and CJ finally start to talk and get to know one another, building something. Her reasons for being off men were valid and her history a little sad. Still once she opened up I liked her a lot more.

The mystery in the small town was interesting and the reason the fire set, when it came out was almost comical. Still that was the weakest part of the story when it is all boiled down since this was much heavier on the romance aspect than the mystery. After reading this book, I will probably give the series a shot. It is interesting and I liked how the origin story of nanos seemed a little different than some of the other vampire/immortal origin stories. I could see really enjoying the series overall and liking this book even more had I read some of the others.

C.J. Cummings had been a homicide Detective, then worked for CSIS and finally with SIU. She liked her work now. When she was married and a young bride, her husband lived his life as if he were single, he got into drugs and was a cop. He even gave his wife HIV.
Mr. Macon Argeneau was caught in a full house fire. He had just moved in that day and was trying to set up his lab. He was found in the bathtub in the basement, no one thought he would live long. His body had been pan-broiled and had Blisters, big blisters. He was nice enough but brought up a suspicious question.
A lovely story of two people meeting each other around strange behavior. She has no idea who he is except he is a doctor of Hematology. They try to investigate the fire and put Mac in protective custody, her protective custody. They seem very compatible. but of course, it is going to be a little strange, they are immortal, Mac's people.
This my first immortal book and I did enjoy it and think Lynsay Sands is one heck of a good author.
It was a fresh look into Vampires, only the immortals are not but they do from time to time need to get a booster of blood. They do have Nanos to feed. The characters are great and Justin and Decker are so funny. The tale takes place in Canada and also on Peele Island. I hope you find yourself as mesmerized as I was.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

The book states that Mac kisses CJ on the forehead, but then CJ touches her cheek where Mac kissed her.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC to review!

If you're like me and will happily read anything from Lynsay Sands, then you won't be disappointed with this one! I love this series and always enjoy seeing characters from the previous books pop up and become integral to the new stories. This new installment was fast paced and action packed with strong new characters. While I enjoyed the plot, the romance fell just a little flat for me. I didn't really feel the sexual tension between the MCs and that's always my favorite part of a romance read. Overall, I enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to the next one!

4.5 stars

This is the thirty-second book in the Argeneau series by Lynsay Sands.

This story had quite an exciting start. Mac Argeneau has just moved into a new home when nearing the end of the unpacking he realizes that house is on fire. And the only thing his kind can be killed by after beheading is fire. He saves himself by filling the tub with water and immersing himself in the depths of the liquid.

CJ Cummings is in town to investigate one of the town’s police officers. She gets roped into dealing with this obvious arson case and thus gets thrust into the path of Mac. Turns out she is his life mate and now he must find a way to make her realize that they are meant to be together.

This book is long but not boring at all. It is easy to get into and really keeps your attention all the way through. I love the world building here and how intricate the storyline is. Quite a page turner.

Loved so much about it. If you like a paranormal romance, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title. Opinions are completely my own.

True Rating 3.5 stars

I do think if this had not been my first Argeneau book, I think I would have been more invested overall.

With that said, I do think that this is still an enjoyable paranormal! I found the world and our characters to be interesting. Yes, I got a little lost at times, but I still got the most important points of the story. The romance was great, and I enjoyed their dynamic a lot.

I will be exploring more of this series for sure.

I received a free proof of this book from NetGalley for review. Mac Argeneau received the worst house warming gift ever: his newly rented house was set on fire while he was still in it. If he'd been fully human, he would have died, but luckily, he is an immortal. Unluckily, they are still extremely flammable, so he only survived by staying submerged in a tub of water while it slowly parboiled him. (As beginnings to a book go, that's a bit of a doozy.) During the fire investigation, he met CJ Cummings, and thus began the wooing of his life mate.
If you have read the Argeneau series, this is a fun addition to the canon. (If you haven't, then you may feel a tiny bit lost, but it can still be read as a standalone.) Mac is a sweetheart, and watching him try to court his prickly love is an enjoyable way to spend some time. One of the best parts for me is always the inclusion of previous characters, particularly Marguerite. I love their family interactions, and she meddles exactly the right amount to bring the plot forward, while still being witty and enjoyable. The Argeneaus are a wonderful family, and each call-back character really makes each book more fun. Unfortunately, where it starts to slide is the actual story itself. The mystery is not much of a mystery, and the end felt very rushed. There was a time jump that left it feeling a bit unfulfilled, and I wanted that time to expand on the central relationship. They didn't actually become a couple until about 3/4 of the way into the book, and I really needed more of CJ and Mac together to be 100% certain that they would truly work together forever.
Overall, this is an enjoyable, sweet, and fun read. After 31 books in the series, the fact that Lynsay Sands can continue to tell a fresh story is an impressive feat, and I can recommend it to anyone wanting an escape from everyday life.

Ever since the looming crisis of evil insane fangless vampires were taken out there has been no big bad for the good guys to fight which has allowed the stories to become light hearted again. The problem with the last few books is that they are too light. Unfortunately this installment doesn't avoid that fate.

There were some great possibilities to give the leads scary villains and actual conflict. The thing that basically brought the two leads was Police Brutality. What's the point of bringing up such a currently hot button issue if it's not going to be explored? Especially if you make the female lead a Cop whose job it is to investigate corruption amongst Police? There was so much potential for the leads to be in risky situations and have deep conversations that actually bonded them together. Instead a crew of beloved characters showed up and we got long interactions with them talking about frivolous things. I'm so disappointed the female lead didn't actually get to do her job. Like so many other Paranormal Romance stories the leads didn't actually fall for each other organically. If the nanites didn't keep Mac from "hearing" CJ he wouldn't have given her a second glance and vice versa.

Also the reason why CJ didn't just drop her panties right away and turn was another thing that could've been so interesting and explored. Once again creating real conflict and actually bonding the leads. Especially when you consider Mac's job. To me that issue should've been one book and the police issue should've been someone else's story. But it was brought up at the very end of the book and solved like two chapters later without any fanfare.

This story had so much potential. Instead we got two people who ended up together at the end of the book with and HEA just cause. It wasn't a bad book, it just wasn't very good. I will be reading the installment. I love this world and want to see what happens with the characters in it. Hopefully we'll get a much needed grand conspiracy overarching enemy soon.