Review: Dreamveil

Dreamveil
Lynn Viehl
Paranormal Romance
Kyndred/Book 2
Onyx/June 1, 2010

From the back cover ~

Rowan Dietrich knows how hard lie can be. After running away from her abusive home life, she struggled to survive on the streets. The brutal lessons she learned while there still resonate in her mind and heart. Now she wants to start anew, find a job, and keep her identity as a Kyndred - as well as her ability to "dreamveil" herself into the object of others' desires - secret.

She isn't using her gift when world-class chef Jean-Marc Dansant helps her after a motorcycle spill. He's genuinely attracted to Rowan's own beauty and strength. But just as Rowan begins to find a life for herself, the GenHance corporation pursues her, eager to take her back to where sh ewas created. And a bounty hunter hired by a ruthless millionaire wants Rowan for his own sinister reasons...

In Viehl's second book of her Darkyn spin-off series we are reunited with Rowan Dietrich, who was a secondary character from the first book, Shadowlight. Rowan was a strong character in the first book and she continues with that in Dreamveil. Rowan is making her way to Boston and decides to make a quick stop in New York City but things don't go as planned and Rowan finds herself accepting a job offer from the alluring Jean-Marc Dansant.

The story starts out with Rowan crashing her bike and deciding to stay a while in New York and work for the handsome and mysterious chef Dansant. Rowan knows her way around the kitchen and finds herself in awe of Dansant's mastery of cooking. A man who cooks, and cooks well is a sexy thing indeed. Rowan is attracted to her new boss but she's also curious about the mysterious air that surrounds him. Add to that her grumpy but very fine looking neighbor and she's in for some serious sexual frustration. I liked the love triangle. I don't want to give away any spoilers but it was certainly different!

There is a lot going on in Dreamveil and Viehl does an admiral job working in the background of the Kyndred and GenHance's involvement. I did find myself doing a little back-tracking and slowing my reading down in order to absorb all the details. It's a complex world of genetics and supernatural abilities that Viehl has created. Rowan's ability is particularly intriguing and sad at times.

Rowan and choosing between the two men in her life is not the only drama in the story. There is a mystery girl that hangs around the alley behind the restaurant. Rowan tries to make friends with the girl. She's skittish and doesn't run as long as Rowan keeps her distance. It all comes together in a twist of fate that I thought Viehl choreographed well.

The more I read of this series the more I'm pulled into this world. Granted I'm only two books in so far but I'm liking it. Not as much as Viehl's Darkyn series with the vamps but still, I like the twists of fate and the characters are certainly unique.

Rating: B+

Books in this series ~

Shadowlight
Dreamveil
Frostfire