Oops - I haven't read any of the other books in this series before starting this one. That being said, I think diving in at this book is totally OK and didn't have any trouble with catching up.

Juliette is on holiday in Russia with her friend when she meets Nicholai in a pretty unconventional way. He is a starving vampire who desperately needs blood but doesn't like to feed off of locals. The tourists become his "meal" and he discovers that Juliette is his heartmate. In this world, that essentially means fated mate. In typical paranormal romance, though, he hides his vampire nature and decides to try to "woo" her first.

In parallel, there's a group of demons causing trouble for Nicholai's "alpha council" friends who are investigating killings. This particular element of the story is pretty gruesome and dark, so be warned. This is, however, nicely balanced with the smutty romantic storyline of Juliette and Nicholai. Does it go smoothly? Of course not! There are some dangerous situations, some missed communication, and emotional baggage to be handled, but we get to a HEA (and lead in to another book).

This book was really good. It grabbed my attention from page 1 and I really enjoyed the characters. Alpha Lover was the first book that I had the opportunity to read from this author and I am really glad that I gave her the chance. It was well worth it!

This was a super cute, fun and sexy read. I truly enjoyed the characters, the build up moved well and the characters were developed well.... That being said I did not read the previous books in the series, this is listed as a stand alone which for the most part yes I agree, but knowing there are previous books does make you feel like your missing out on something. All in all this was a great sexy read with a setting and location that was imaginative to read about.

Destiny and romance lead the way in this third installment of the Alpha Council Chronicles series. I admit this is the first book I had read in the series and do feel like a reader could benefit from having read the previous books. It stands alone and is definitely engaging and draws you in but, I think some history found in the other books would enrich the story. I read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I recieved this as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review.

Overall, the story flowed really well and truly kept me entertained and wholly engrossed throughout .I also loved the amazing chemistry between the main characters. Brenda Sparks has written a fantastic sexy book. I have never read anything writen by her. I'm looking forward to the other books in The Alpha Council Chronicles. Whether you are a paranormal fan or not, you will likely really enjoy this read.