Review/Giveaway/Guest Post: Omega by Susannah Sandlin

Today I am super excited to share my review of Omega the third book in the Penton Legacy as well as a guest post from author Susannah Sandlin. Afterwards be sure and enter the fabulous giveaway she has for you!

Omega
by Susannah Sandlin
Series: Penton Legacy #3
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Publication date: February 5, 2013
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Purchase*: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository


My review of Redemption and Absolution 

The bloody war between the Vampire Tribunal and the defiant scathe of Penton, Alabama, rages on, forcing its residents and their bonded humans to retreat into the underground fortress of last resort: Omega. There, Will Ludlam is charged with the care of Penton’s humans, though he longs to fight alongside his vampire brethren. He knows the risks: as the renegade son of the Tribunal’s vicious leader, Will’s capture could doom the resistance. Yet he is determined to prove his worth to his adopted scathe, to his vengeful father—and to former US Army officer Randa Thomas, his beautiful, reluctant partner. Randa has little faith that a former member of the vampire elite has what it takes to fight a war. But as their enemies descend upon Omega, Will’s polished charm—and Randa’s guarded heart—finally give way to the warrior within. Fans of Susannah Sandlin’s Penton Legacy are sure to devour this long-awaited third installment of the steamy paranormal series.

I was very excited to step back into the world Sandlin has created with the Penton Legacy series and to finally get Will's story. She has created a unique world in which vampires and humans live together in a community. When we last left them they were forced to go underground. Omega drew me in from page one and held me captive to the last page with its intense storyline and lovable characters.

The war between the members of the Penton scathe and the Vampire Tribunal rages on. The community and its bonded humans have been forced to go underground to Omega a fortress built to keep them safe from enemy attack. Will Ludlam is the son of the vicious vampire responsible for the attack on Penton. He and the others are trying to protect their way of life and the humans who trust them. Will and his partner Randa Thomas must help their leader Aiden and the others end this war. Randa and Will often butt-heads but this time they have to work together as a team. The tale that unfolded was intense, kick-ass and at times utterly romantic.

I have so many feelings for Will. He is bright, oh so smexy and damaged. The direction Sandlin took him in had me jumping for joy. He keeps things close to his chest and has some serious emotional scarring. He fully supports Aiden and his new scathe and I loved how he looks out for everyone. Randa is a former US Army Officer and has not quite accepted life as a vampire. She desperately wants to prove herself, and often thinks Will is a spoiled brat turned vamp. I have loved the chemistry between them since book one and was delighted to finally get their story. They bicker, misunderstand each other and make the perfect team. Sandlin did a wonderful job of fleshing them out and both characters experienced growth in this installment. Watching them open up and learn about the other was endearing. Of course all of the characters from the first two books were present along with the villains I love to hate. I have fallen hard for all of the unique characters in this series and enjoyed immersing myself in their world.

I love the overall ARC of the Penton Legacy as it has both a unique twist and a gripping pace that kept me enthralled. I was worried that this might be the last book in the series, but a new development has made additional books possible and I haven’t quite stopped dancing. While there is an overall tale  threaded throughout each of the books, they brings us up close and personal with one couple. Will and Randa were one of my personal favorites, since they both had a lot of baggage and I am a sucker for happy ending. The pacing was perfect, with ebbs and flows that never quite allowed me to put the book down. I love when an author gets me so caught up in the tale and characters that reality slips away and Sandlin manages this every time. I cannot wait to see where she takes this series next!

I highly recommend Omega and the entire Penton Legacy series to fans of paranormal romance, vampires and action packed suspense. Susannah Sandlin is a pseudonym for author Suzanne Johnson author of the Sentinels of New Orleans series. She writes captivating tales with fleshed out characters I have come to adore.

I want to thank the author for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review. 

Four and half Omega coffees out of five

Guest Post by author Susannah Sandlin

 Hot Vampires, Cold Nights, and the Women Who Tame the Fangs

What is it that makes vampires so sexy? Yeah, yeah, I know. A lot of you are tired of vampires. There was the whole Twilight-Vampire-Bill-Backlash thing and for a while it seemed as if a person couldn’t make a lefthand turn without tripping over a pair of fangs.

Yet here I am, writing vampires because I can’t resist them. Think about it. We love tortured heroes and who is more tortured than a vampire? They have lived long enough to make some truly horrendous decisions, and then continue to live long enough to be haunted by them. They need us (well, okay, they need our blood, but we’re splitting corpuscles).

Of course, the missing piece of that story is The Woman. You know, the one we want to be. The one who tames the hot vampire and brings him to his knees or saves him or teaches him to love again or…. You get the idea.

It takes a strong woman to tame the fangs. She has to be one-third Marine Corps drill instructor, one-third psychiatrist, and one-third Mother Theresa (because she’ll have a lot to forgive—the vampire males usually have a few setbacks on the way to being tamed).

A few cases in point: the women who’ve tamed—or at least have restrained (one of them literally)—the Big Bad Vampires of Penton, Alabama.

The Vampire #1: Aidan Murphy is a 430-year-old Irishman, a master vampire who in his human life was a farmer. Of course, as Aidan’s lieutenants often tease him, he’s also the epitome of the brooding vampire. He is serious and driven, has a past that haunts him, and is so damned sincere you just want to slap him upside the head sometimes. Or stab him with a fork, perhaps (which The Woman does).

The Woman: Krystal Harris. A human physician who’s just completed her residency, Krys comes to Penton for what she thinks is a job interview heading a rural clinic. And there she meets up with Penton’s “mayor-slash-hospital-administrator-slash-king” Aidan Murphy. Krys has grown up with a controlling, abusive father and the last thing she wants is a controlling man in her life—or a vampire who kidnaps her, enthralls her, and locks her in the basement.

The Couple (from Redemption): After a rocky beginning, Krys and Aidan work. Once she gets past the circumstances, she discovers a man who values her opinions and respects her. With Krys’s help, Aidan finds someone who is smart and strong enough to stand beside him and help him be the leader his people need.

The Vampire #2: Mirren Kincaid, aka the Slayer, is 6-8 inches of black-clad, badass vampire. A 400-year-old Scottish gallowglass warrior, he punishes himself (think acid pens) for his past as the Vampire Tribunal’s most lethal executioner. His specialty: thwacking off heads with one clean sweep of his battle sword, Faolain. Mirren is short-tempered, prone to turning monosyllabic, and even his friends know when to keep their distance. In other words, he’s ripe for a fall.

The Woman: Gloriana Cummings, aka Glory, is a convenience store clerk with a GED and dreams of one day going to culinary school and owning her own restaurant. She talks too much when nervous, is headstrong, and unflinchingly honest in her assessment of herself and others.

The Couple (from Absolution). Mirren and Glory seem like the most unlikely couple ever. She’s a chatterbox who likes to cook, and he has a foul mouth, few words, and no interest in food or relationships. But her determined optimism and refusal to cast judgment helps Glory finally pry off the lid of Mirren’s pain and reveal a guy who’s not only got a tender side, but can be pretty darn funny.

The Vampire #3: Will Ludlam To everyone in Penton, Will Ludlam is a ridiculously handsome playboy who doesn’t take anything seriously. Turned vampire in the late 1960s at age 22, Will has hidden some very personal, very brutal secrets from everyone. Even Aidan, his best friend, doesn’t know everything. He plays the “for a good time call Will” card very, very well, and the wall he’s built around himself is a foot thick.

The Woman: Randalynn Thomas, aka Randa, was in the Army when she was tracked into a Kabul alleyway and turned vampire five years ago. She’s the daughter of an Army colonel, the only sister growing up with three brothers (all military) and no mom. She’s always thought she had to be smarter, tougher, and more capable in order to earn the respect of her father and brothers—and her fellow vampires. She has a wall around her a foot thick (sound familiar?).

The Couple (from Omega): Will and Randa are opposites on the surface, but underneath are very much alike. They both use a hard exterior to hide inner insecurities, and it takes something explosive (literally) to crack their shells enough for the other to see inside. Their romance isn’t a sudden flash and burn—their circumstances and their personalities wouldn’t allow it—but they’re learning, reluctantly, to trust each other with their hearts.

So there you have it—three hot vampires and the women who have caught their hearts (or are in the process of it).

Which type would you like to tame—the serious, quiet leader who’s haunted by a painful past; the big, alpha male who’s convinced he isn’t worthy of love; or the funny and smart (but damaged) man who’s hiding behind a carefully constructed wall?  One commenter will be chosen to win your choice of any of the three Penton Legacy books in print, audiobook, or Kindle format. 

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Today's Stops on the Fiery Hot Reads for Ice Cold Nights Hop

Check out these awesome posts and giveaways! Each day different blogs will be participating so be sure to check in daily for your chance to win and discover new Fiery hot reads!

Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Samantha Young: On Dublin Street

Diana@Book of Secrets:Victoria Roberts: X Marks the Scot

Ali@My Guilty Obsession: Cambria Hebert: Recalled

Christy@Love of Books:Ron C. Nieto: Silent Song

Andrea@The Bookish Babe: Laura Kaye: Hearts in Darkness