Kindle Edition Download to your Nook (eBook) Download from Apple iTunes (eBook) Download from Smashwords (eBook) Amazon Universal Reader Link Category:  Romance Publisher: Indie Published Type: Fiction Pages: 331 Copyright: December 14, 2020 ISBN-13: 9798592336416 Price: $3.25 (eBook) Can this unique human tame the beast in Alec? She never expects it… Desiree Edwards has a problem. She’s been attacked, kidnapped and forced to get along with a vampire of all things. It’s something right out of the story books she reads…or her worst nightmare. But sometimes he’s not the monster at first glance. She can’t help it when her emotions betray her…or when her body betrays her. What is this Other World she’s encountered? It makes matters worse when she discovers more about herself than she ever wanted to know. She is unlike any other… Alec’s dilemma, too, has a name. The animal in him wants Desiree, but so does the man. The more he learns about this unique human, the harder it is to deny what he wants. Then, an old enemy surfaces and Alec is forced to make a choice…his life or hers. Excerpt Desiree had just shut off the faucet when the lights suddenly went out, shrouding the room in darkness. “Shit!” she muttered. She fumbled for the light switch, but nothing happened. Now, where were the candles? Her hands groped the surface of the counter, catching things that spun to the floor. She tried to remember what direction she must walk. Right. She walked slowly along, and cursed when she stubbed her toe on a table leg. Her hands found the hard wood surface and then there was nothing, just air. She kept walking little by little, her arms outstretched until her palms met cold glass. The sliding glass doors to the patio. She was startled by the light for a moment, a hazy purple glow. It dawned on her then. Her solar-powered lamps had come on. She froze suddenly as a thought dawned on her. Oh, God! They were motion-activated! Her mind raced with the implications of the invasion. Had someone been in the yard? Cut the power to the house? A claw danced up her spine at the thought. Goosebumps pricked at her arms. Peering into the semi-darkness, she sucked in a breath as she saw a pale face on the other side of the glass. She screamed, stumbling back. With the dim light shining, she was able to locate the butcher knife off the block and raise it in the air. Her senses strained, she crept back towards the glass, but there was nothing there now. She frowned. Had she imagined it, the ghostly figure from before? She wanted it to be just coincidence that her power was also out, but realistically she knew that she couldn’t be that lucky. Was this somehow related to the incident upstairs last week? With her knife poised, the muscles in her arm now shaking with tension, she scanned the patio. Still nothing, but someone was there. She felt it. Hairs rose on the back of her neck. Time ticked by, too slowly for comfort. She felt a weird tingle in her skin, but she ignored it. Her eyes burned now from the effort of peering. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught movement. She swung, her heart pounding in her chest, and sought the source of the motion. Still nothing. She could hardly tell what the danger was over her loud heartbeat. But she still sensed it, like a deer that knew a predator was close by. She thought she would go mad with the waiting. Then she saw the dark figure at the end of the hall. On impulse, she turned, ran to the glass doors, slid one open and raced across the patio. She gripped the knife until her fingers felt numb.

Well written vampire fiction with lots of action and emotions
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of “Second Nature” by Marie Lavender. Having enjoyed her novel “Magick & Moonlight” a lot, and being a huge fan of vampires, I dove in eagerly – and I loved the book!
It was great to see things through both protagonists’ eyes and really understand what motives them and what characterizes them. The heroine and the hero were both very well fleshed out, acted credibly and had me hooked from the start. I loved it that the author didn’t just make Desiree a weakling who blindly falls for an oh so droolworthy vampire, but that she gave her strength, will power, an intriguing family background and life – and a little something I don’t want to mention for fear of spoilers. I also found it awesome that Alec was a troubled soul hiding behind all that brain and brawn and vampire appeal. The two of them made a perfect match, and I was rooting for their happy end throughout the book. Their names are perfect, by the way.
The plot was tight, keeping me on edge with all the action, emotions and steamy scenes. As happens with good books, I wanted to know the end of the story, but at the same time didn’t want it to be over.
If you enjoy vampire fiction that is on the one hand typical for the genre but on the other hand bears the author’s smooth style and flowing language, then you’ll enjoy “Second Nature” as much as I did.

-Devika Fernando, Amazon

Can Opposites Attract?
Marie Lavender’s first venture into the paranormal is a success.

Alec and Desiree are in love. The complicating factor is that he is a vampire and she is human. Alec exists on human blood, other food makes him ill, he must avoid sunlight, and he will live forever. Desiree is human. She loves wine and food, she sleeps at night, and she is mortal.
Can a human love a vampire?

I suppose all who have seen Twilight feel they know the answer to this question, but Lavender raises it anew in Second Nature. Can two very different creatures find happiness? Or is their relationship doomed to exist solely on a physical level.

On one level, this a straight romance, and, as a romance, it succeeds. It is fast moving, interesting, and very romantic. The reader comes to like the characters and roots for them to work things out so that they can be together. The fact that one of characters is a vampire, simply introduces new complications to the developing relationship

On another level, the book explores the nature of relationships. Can opposites attract? Can two very different people (or creatures) be happy together, or is eHarmony on the right track, claiming that we are most happy with those who are similar to us? Seldom do we find a romance that deals with weightier issues, but Lavender does this, and she does it in a light-hearted, unobtrusive manner.
A racy story and food for thought. Quite a combination.

David Burnett for the Kindle Book Review
I received a copy of the book in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Human/Vampire Romance
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The rating for this book was 3.5 stars. It had vampires, oodles of sexy times, and heartbreaking romance.

This book is primarily a romance. It starts a little… strangely, but heads right into the kind of romance that makes each partner want to sacrifice themselves for the other. Alec finds Des at a festival by tracking her yummy blood. He’s instantly attracted and probably experiences love at first sight. Des, being completely oblivious to Alec’s discovery, goes about her daily life as an editor, still trying to get over her ex-husband’s betrayal. Alec proceeds to essentially stalk Des, which ends in him mostly attacking her. After his bite, they both tumble into each other’s arms and have some surprising sex. In the aftermath, there is a lot of use of the word “rape.” If this offends you, you should be warned that it gets used quite a bit. While their first encounter isn’t actually rape, there’s a lot of roughness that could make a frightened woman associate the two.

Once Des gets over her traumatic first meeting with Alec, the two get along wonderfully. Sure, the vampire/human thing is a bit of a challenge, but they seem willing to take that chance. They go through some pretty big challenges, but in the end we get the HEA we want from them. While there are some action elements, this is definitely a romantic read from start to finish.

-Carrie Williams, Amazon