Review: Sylvain Reynard's "The Shadow (The Florentine #2)."

Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/1WNSTa7

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1HvwF2Y

Synopsis

Raven Wood’s vampyre prince has returned, pledging his love and promising justice for every wrong done to her. In the wake of their reunion, Raven is faced with a terrible decision—allow the Prince to wreak vengeance against the demons of her past, or persuade him to stay his hand. But there is far more at stake than Raven’s heart... 

A shadow has fallen over the city of Florence. Ispettor Batelli will not rest until he uncovers Raven’s connection to the theft of the priceless art from the Uffizi Gallery. And while the Prince hunts a traitor who sabotages him at every turn, he finds himself the target of the vampyres’ mortal enemy. 

As he wages a war on two fronts, he will need to keep his love for Raven secret, or risk exposing his greatest weakness...

Review-Jo 

"I never left you. I was the shadow on your wall. And even if you'd sent me away, 

I would have remained your shadow." 

No one else writes like Sylvain Reynard. His writing is both beautiful and romantic and is also utterly unique. Sylvain is an author that, in my opinion stands out in the same way that CD Reiss and Pepper Winters do. They possess a style of writing that captivates me from the very first page. I never fail to become swept away in Sylvain Reynard's literary magic. "The Shadow" was another stunningly elegant read that I fell in love with. This series is becoming a favourite of mine and without a doubt is my most favourite paranormal story that I have read so far. 

"They were the most improbable of lovers. 

Yet it was a manifest to both they were a perfect match." 

In this second instalment from Florence, I saw things become even more intense and dangerous for Raven and the Prince. The Prince was under a huge amount of pressure as he fought to protect Raven and at the same time, deal with the impending war within the underworld. It was a nail biting read every step of the way as I constantly feared what was looming around each corner for Raven and the Prince. 

"I love you a great deal. I'm sure it's cruel of me to love you at all 

since we can't have a normal life. Yet, I can't bring myself to stop." 

I find Raven and the Prince's relationship to be absolutely enchanting. I adored seeing the progression of their relationship. The Prince had awakened a different side to Raven, a more passionate and sexually confident woman had emerged and it was a delight to see Raven so truly happy. The scenes between Raven and the Prince were so spellbinding and tender that I could easily read them again and again and they would forever make me swoon. This story does not disappoint one bit in the romance department. 

"You're a dream. A dream of love I never thought I'd have." 

I also enjoyed discovering more about Raven and the Prince's back story as they started to open up and trust each other with their past. It was becoming clear that the couple's history was threatening to play a part in their future and I began to realise there was more to this story than what I had first thought. Raven and the Prince had so many difficulties surrounding them that I knew a happy ending was still so far away. 

If you enjoy a novel that involves a charming vampyre and a gripping plot, I highly recommend reading this series. Whether you are new to Sylvain Reynard or not, I'm certain that you will become hooked! Make sure you read it in series order though, it is a must. 

"The Shadow" gets 5 hearts from me.