Book Review: Family and Reflection by Anne Barwell

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Family and Reflection
Author: Anne Barwell
Series: The Sleepless City #3
Heroes: Lucas & Declan
Genre: M/M Paranormal
Length: 226 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: June 6, 2015
Available at: Dreamspinner Press & Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: For as long as Lucas Coate can remember, werewolves have been taught to mistrust vampires. Lucas is an exception—he has close friends who are vampires. The werewolf pack in Flint—and their leader, Jacob Coate—have made it clear that Lucas’s association with vampires is barely tolerated, and another transgression will be his last. When Lucas finds out about the plague of werewolf deaths in the area, he wants to help even though his own life may already be in danger.

Declan has been away from Flint for ten years, but he isn’t surprised to learn that the internal politics of the Supernatural Council haven’t changed for the better. When a series of burglaries hit close to home soon after he arrives, Declan—a vampire and professional thief—is their prime suspect, although for once, he isn’t responsible. With the council keeping secrets, no one is safe. Time is running out, and for Lucas and Declan, everything is about to change.

Review:

Lucas has been friends with his vampire roommates for about a decade and since then, he’s been an outcast to his pack. When Declan, Forge’s ex-lover, arrives in Flint, he can’t help the attraction he feels towards the man but knows vampires and werewolves don’t mix. But when Declan gets accused of a crime against the Supernatural Council, Lucas’ protective instinct kicks in and he’s determined to prove Declan’s innocence. Add to that, there’s a plague affecting werewolves that no one can find a cure for. When it comes down to life and death, will Lucas and Declan be able to save each other or will their time run out before it even begins?

I’ve been a fan of this series since I started it last year. It’s a very intriguing world so with each new story that comes out, I get even more excited. So far, this has been my favorite of the series and not just because it has the vampire/werwolf combo but because Lucas and Declan together are so amazing! I absolutely adored the fact they had such a great friendship before they became something else. I also loved the chemistry between them.

But it wasn’t just that, I really enjoyed the storyline in this one. I loved following along on the werewolf plague journey and getting to understand more of the paranormal world. I was drawn into this story right from the start and found it really hard to put down! However, the characters (both primary and secondary) made this story such a great one. Lucas was so endearing and Declan was so… amusing. I actually didn’t expect him to be so playful and modern… if that makes any sense LOL.

I absolutely loved, loved, loved this book but my biggest issue is that I felt like there was a lot of questions unanswered. Not with the mystery or anything because I know that’s an overall arc but with Lucas and Declan. I wanted to explore more of their relationship, how their connection transformed and what it ultimately transformed into. I wanted to see MORE of them when they’re bonded and to truly understand how their soul bond is different than the others… and to find out why Lucas couldn’t feel Declan. Aside from that, I wished there was a little more effort into seeing Declan trying to undercover the true thief because there wasn’t much of that besides the accusations and then the discovery of the person… who I couldn’t really understand how they were able to steal things.

In the end, though, this was a FABULOUS story. Definitely my favorite out of the series so far and I’m so glad Lucas finally got his story! I’m having so much fun with this series so I cannot wait until the next book and to see what happens next. I sincerely hope we get another book where Lucas and Declan are the main characters but at this point, I just want more of the world! If you’ve liked the series so far, definitely make this your next read!

Overall Impression: I loved it!

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for a fair and honest review.*