Night Train To Naples

Title: Night Train To Naples
Author: Carolina Valdez
Publisher: Amber Allure
Genre: Paranormal M/M, Vampire
Length: 111 pages
Rating:  3.75 stars out of 5

A Guest Review by StaceyR

Summary Review
Fangs drop and heads roll when gemologist Dante Rocco crashes a private gem showing.  Alexandros Nicolaides steps in, offering his protection to his handsome, unsuspecting human competitor. As tempers flare and passions rise, they’ll have to watch each others backs to make it out of this deal alive.

BLURB
After seven-hundred years, Alexandros Nicolaides has adjusted to life as an immortal. Employed by a New Orleans diamond courier, the gemologist travels to Italy in the hope of gaining a new customer for that business. On the night train to Naples, he confirms what he’s suspected—someone is following him.

Human Dante Rocco has his reasons for tailing the tall blond, yet unaware he follows an immortal, he’s in for a fearful shock. But when Alex rescues Dante from thugs bent on evil, a hot, urgent sexual bond flares between them.

As Alex and Dante struggle with the reality of their intense relationship, they soon discover that they’re now the ones being pursued—by an unstable, vengeful vampire…

REVIEW
Alexandros Nicolaides boards the night train to Naples and a handsome man captures his attention, a man Alex has spotted  throughout the day, confirming he’s being followed. Amused by the human’s determination and slightly suspicious about his motives, Alex sets about losing him as he departs the train. Having survived hundreds of years, a human is little more than a pest.

Dante Rocco has been sent by his boss to follow Alex, a gem courier for a rival company, to a private meeting with a potential client. Before Dante can catch up he’s attacked by thugs. His target intervenes, fending the men off with astonishing ease and stealing a kiss from Dante in the aftermath.

Alex doesn’t have time to question his sudden flash of desire for the stranger–he’s nearly late for his meeting with a vampire prince. One of my favorite scenes is Alex’s appraisal of the prince’s gems and his rather sensual gift for reading stones. When he discovers a flaw in a diamond that the prince’s personal gemologist, Giocomo, had missed, hostility begins to build between the old acquaintances. Before they can conclude the meeting the prince’s guards drag in a rival courier who’s asking for a chance to give his own presentation. When they realize Dante is armed in the presence of the prince all hell breaks loose. When the dust settles one vampire has been beheaded and fearing Dante could be next, Alex rushes to claim Dante as a human under his protection.

Dante is horrified to realize he’s in the presence of vampires. While the public in general is aware of their existence, Dante has never interacted with them. Determined to do his job, he swallows his fear, something Alex admires in the human, and urges the prince to keep his business local by using his company instead of Alex’s company, which is based in the US out of New Orleans. The prince agrees to consider both companies and demands they both stay in town until he’s made his decision.

On the drive back into town Alex convinces Dante to have a drink with him. Dante isn’t sure how he feels about keeping company with a vampire, but he can’t deny his attraction for the smooth and sexy vamp. His misgivings about vampires are no match for their mutual desire and Dante goes back to Alex’s vamp-friendly hotel. Ms. Valdez creates an interesting blend of old vampire lore with some new twists. At the hotel they run into a furious Giocomo who not only lost face with the prince due to his blunder but also lost his place on the vampire counsel. Alex assures Dante that Giocomo is a coward and wouldn’t dare retaliate against him, but the prince’s guards warn them to be wary of his wrath.

Stuck in Rome with time to kill until the prince comes to a decision, Alex decides to romance his new lover; wining, dining, a late-night trip to Pompeii where they pay some hot and heavy homage in the Temple of Apollo. Alex is a particularly charming character, poor Dante doesn’t stand a chance. Amid their outings and hotel romps the threat of Giocomo’s revenge looms over them; is he going to attack Alex or go after Dante?

This is where I had a major gripe–the “thriller/suspense” aspect of the book never really comes back into play. An anticipated confrontation with the villain never happens, the actual assault being passive aggressive. I understand that Giocomo is a cowardly vampire, but he’s also the main threat. Very anticlimactic in my opinion. Same with the romance resolution…can Dante really get over his apprehension of vampires, and how can they make it work when Alex lives in New Orleans…a big build up at the end, with a send off that left me with more of a WTH? reaction.

Overall, a rollicking start, a romantic and entertaining middle, and a meh-okay ending. Perhaps if I hadn’t expected this book to maintain a suspense/thriller thread I’d have felt differently. But still, a nice paranormal romance.