Devour - Melina Morel

Devour
Melina Morel
Signet Eclipse

Paranormal Romance

There’s a werewolf loose in present-day New York City. His name is Pierre de Montfort, and his lupine nature was passed down to him through his family line. When he was a boy, his grandfather, who also had the gene, taught him about it. Now, he’s alone; the last of his line. He makes a nice living as a high-end jewelry designer, and is not ruled by the phases of the moon. His changes take place during times of emotional stress.

Paul DuJardin has written a book about the history of the Montfort family. His book has become a best seller in France, where the legend of the beautiful young Countess, cruelly savaged by her werewolf husband, is well known. The book has sold so well in France, that it’s going to be translated into English for sale in the States. When Paul meets Julie Buchanan, a descendant of the sister of that ill-fated Countess, he knows she’s the one to do his translation justice.

By the time everything is in place in New York, Julie and Paul have embarked on a romantic relationship. Julie has also met Paul’s friend, Catherine, the daughter of French aristocrats. Unknown to Julie, Paul and Catherine spend their time together hunting and killing werewolves. They’ve tracked the last of the Montfort werewolves to New York, and have a plan to smoke him out of hiding. In the meantime, Paul is worried about Catherine’s increasingly close relationship with a centuries-old vampire.

All the elements are in place here for a great paranormal story; but, somehow, it just doesn’t quite hang together the way it should. For me, the main problem was that the characters tend to be mostly surface. Aside from an obvious common interest in his book and the Montfort family, it’s hard to see what really draws Paul and Julie together as a couple. The author simply tells us they’re in love, but doesn’t show us why. The paranormal aspects are nicely done, with an interesting twist on the usual werewolf tale. The action sequences are fast-paced and realistically violent. Overall, the novel shows promise, and it will be interesting to see where the author goes from here.

Rating: 6
October 2007
ISBN# 978-0-451-22251-0 (paperback)