Vampires and vaqueros face off on the Texas-Mexico border in this supernatural western from the author of The Hacienda.
As the daughter of a rancher in 1840s Mexico, Nena knows a thing or two about monsters—her home has long been threatened by tensions with Anglo settlers from the north. But something more sinister lurks near the ranch at night, something that drains men of their blood and leaves them for dead.
Something that once attacked Nena nine years ago.
Believing Nena dead, Néstor has been on the run from his grief ever since, moving from ranch to ranch working as a vaquero. But no amount of drink can dispel the night terrors of sharp teeth; no woman can erase his childhood sweetheart from his mind.
When the United States attacks Mexico in 1846, the two are brought abruptly together on the road to war: Nena as a curandera, a healer striving to prove her worth to her father so that he does not marry her off to a stranger, and Néstor as a member of the auxiliary cavalry of ranchers and vaqueros. But the shock of their reunion—and Nena’s rage at Néstor for seemingly abandoning her long ago—is quickly overshadowed by the appearance of a nightmare made flesh.
And unless Nena and Néstor work through their past and face the future together, neither will survive to see the dawn.
(view spoiler)[ I love that they were referring to the guys trying to steal the land as the vampires. Interesting what this 'thing' is that is attacking them. it seems to be attacking quite a few of them, even though Nestor appeared to kill one
these 'vampire' / human bat things don't seem like they'd want a whole brood and would share. how did another move in after Nestor killed it? and how did Nena live? (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[ it's easy to see why he ran. they said she was dead. I'm so sad they wasted so many years apart - HE wasted so many years
do you think the bat thing was scared off by the dog? I find that hard to believe.
I wonder if they can bit her more than once? or if, once healed, it needs to bite others (like the cousin or little sister) Interesting that he isn't killing them either. Is he turning them and they are laying, dormant.
(view spoiler)[ hmmm. . .this one doesn't seem to be about the vampires as much as the romance and the life they are living - the haves versus the have nots. I'm glad they are working out their frustration and what not but just leaving the front and not knowing how it all turned out. it seems a bit. . .cold hearted (hide spoiler)]
sadly, I was disappointed with this one more a romance and less a book about vampires
(view spoiler)[ I wish there'd ben more historical stuff thrown in so it could have been a historical read instead, it was a bad mash of all three - the vampires were never explained. Why did one jump out of that guy's chest at the shack? Why did others get bit but not turn? Why did they kill some? Why were the guys trapping them. What on earth was all this about?
I didn't enjoy the love story. wish I'd liked it more (hide spoiler)]
As the daughter of a rancher in 1840s Mexico, Nena knows a thing or two about monsters—her home has long been threatened by tensions with Anglo settlers from the north. But something more sinister lurks near the ranch at night, something that drains men of their blood and leaves them for dead.
Something that once attacked Nena nine years ago.
Believing Nena dead, Néstor has been on the run from his grief ever since, moving from ranch to ranch working as a vaquero. But no amount of drink can dispel the night terrors of sharp teeth; no woman can erase his childhood sweetheart from his mind.
When the United States attacks Mexico in 1846, the two are brought abruptly together on the road to war: Nena as a curandera, a healer striving to prove her worth to her father so that he does not marry her off to a stranger, and Néstor as a member of the auxiliary cavalry of ranchers and vaqueros. But the shock of their reunion—and Nena’s rage at Néstor for seemingly abandoning her long ago—is quickly overshadowed by the appearance of a nightmare made flesh.
And unless Nena and Néstor work through their past and face the future together, neither will survive to see the dawn.