"Soul Mates: Bound by Blood" by Jourdan Lane

Title: Soul Mates: Bound by Blood (Bk#1)
Series: Soul Mates
Author: Jourdan Lane
Copyright: 2005
Genre: M/M Paranormal Romance
Pages: 354

Synopsis: "Houston nightclub Rave is famous for nearly-naked male dancers and beautiful bartenders. It's a club for hedonists and playboys. Like Peter, a young man with a strict rule about one-night stands. He breaks that rule for Lucien, the owner of The Den, a rival gay nightclub where there are no boundaries, no taboos. Anything goes at The Den, including vampires. When Peter finds out about Lucien's vampire nature, he figures he should have stuck to his rule. He's not a vampire fan, after all, and Lucien pulls him into a dark world of vampires, werewolves and feuding in-laws. Peter resists Lucien as long as he can, but when he gives in, he does it in a big way. Peter and Lucien begin a very dangerous dance of sensual heat and deep emotion, one that causes them nothing but trouble. No one approves of the human and vampire match, including the Council, old enemies and even older friends. Peter and Lucien have to struggle to stay together and protect those they love. Can they beat the forces that will try to tear them apart forever? And can they face what will become of Peter if they stay together?"

One word: MAGNIFICENT!

Hands down my VERY favorite gay romance ever. I could NOT put this book down and I have fallen completely in love with Peter and Lucien. Author Jourdan Lane (new to me author) has woven a phenomenal love story between a human and a vampire and she didn't make it easy. These two had all sorts of obstacles in their way including themselves! But their desire to be together could not be stifled or ignored. The book is SUPERBLY written, I can't say enough good things about the story and I know my review will not do justice to the book. It captured my attention and then the characters captured my heart.

Peter is a bartender in a sexy gay bar. He's good looking and used to getting hit on by the customers but he has a strict rule about no one night stands so he keeps all his customers at arms length. Then one night a sexy erotic man catches his eye on the dance floor and Peter decides to take his break to join the sexy man on the dance floor. They dance and the chemistry and sparks are flying between them without either of them speaking a word. Peter is extremely turned on and very interested in getting to know this sexy man. But as quickly as the music ends Peter's sexy dancing partner disappears much to Peters bewilderment and frustration.

When Peter meets his sexy dance partner again it's not as he had hoped. He finds out Lucien isn't human, he's a vampire and Peter can't stand vampires. Not too long ago, Peter went to the vampire bar The Den with some friends and witnessed a brutal scene that made him sick. Since then he has hated vampires. To find out the man of his dreams is a vampire is a huge disappointment and Peter is angry about it. What happens next totally rocks Peter's world. He has a sort of dream about Lucien biting him and sucking his blood, but the dream is all too real. Peter has the actual bite marks to prove it, only it never physically happened.

Lucien confronts an angry Peter and together they have no idea how Peter seemed to have been bitten by Lucien when Lucien had never been to Peter's apartment and because he's a vampire he can not enter any one's home without first being invited. As much as Peter hates vampires, his desire for Lucien grows. Peter is struggling with an internal war of emotions, desires, fears, dreams and his biased from what he witnessed in his past. Lucien wants to try for a relationship with Peter but doesn't know how to get Peter over his fear or revulsion for vampires.

It is Lucien who first captured my heart. Lucien understands that he sometimes IS the monster that humans see vampires as. But Lucien also has a huge heart that he wants desperately to share with Peter. Lucien doesn't want just sex, he's had that his whole life. He wants a real loving relationship - something he has never, ever had in his centuries of existing. Peter is the object of Lucien's love and affection and each time Peter pushes Lucien away in fear it deeply wounds the vampire.

This is an erotic, steamy paranormal book, but it's mostly a phenomenal love story about two gay men, one human and one vampire who fall completely and hopelessly in love with each other against all odds. The story is told from Peter's point of view, giving me a bit of the Sookie Stackhouse feeling as Peter enters the world of the supernatural for the first time. I liked that. But the world of the vampires in Lucien's coven, these hot men battling rogue vampires and werewolves also gave me a bit of the Blackdagger Brotherhood series feel.

**some spoilers**

The sex parts...off the chart. Highly erotic. During one sex scene at the moment of orgasm one of the men gets his nipples pierced. During a menage a trois scene one man takes two penises in his ass at once. There's lots of cum tasting, pierced man bits, masturbation, blow-jobs and then even more hot erotic sex among numerous characters. The sex is off the charts, but done to perfection for the story. Vampires and werewolves are highly sexual and sensual beings and when a human is with them, they too get caught up in the waves of sensuality.

5 stars - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for gay romance fans!

I can't wait to read the rest of this series! I didn't want the book to end, I enjoyed it that much.

**M/M Romance Challenge 2010**

**March Menage Month Reading Challenge**


P.S. Kris if you haven't read this one yet - GET IT! :o)