New Release Review ~ Haunted by the King of Death ~ Felicity Heaton

Haunted by the King of Death by Felicity Heaton
Eternal Mates #11
Release Date: July 30, 2016
Genre: Adult, Paranormal Romance
Source: I received an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #2016NewRelease, #COYER
Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ B&N

Synopsis
A ruthless vampire warrior, Gave Van der Garde rules the mercenary Preux Chevaliers with an iron fist, determined to retain his hard-won position as one of the most powerful men in Hell and his reputation as the heartless King of Death. But beneath the cold facade beats the heart of a vampire torn between love and hate, ripped in two directions by a single ethereally beautiful female--his fated phantom mate.

Driven by her phantom instincts, Isla used a spell to make her solid in order to deceive the vampire who killed her sister's demon mate and have revenge on him, condemning him with a single kiss to become a phantom too. But her plan took an unexpected turn when she fell in love with him, and with her new life, and the night she betrayed him shattered both of their hearts. Now, he lives to make her suffer through their connection, one that is fading with them as they begin to slop into the phantom world, and she must face the monster she created if she is to save herself and the vampire she still loves.

With a demon from Grave's past determined to destroy him and everything he holds dear, and the clock ticking down to their inevitable doom, can he and Isla overcome their past and their pride to work together to secure the future they both desire deep in their hearts? Or will death finally catch up with the vampire king and his phantom mate?

It is quite a feat to carry a series to 11 books and keep it entertaining and engaging. Heaton has certainly accomplished that feat. Not only was Haunted by the King of Death entertaining but she managed to keep me captivated with Grave and Isla's story...so captivated I didn't miss my favorite characters from previous installments. That is something I didn't think possible!

Grave has always intrigued me. He's a vampire for one thing. But he's also an enigma. I've been eager for his story for awhile...and what a story! I enjoyed getting better acquainted with him, learning his story and finding that he's not simply a cold-hearted mercenary. In Isla, I learned about phantoms in this world - their nature and particular makeup. I warmed immediately to her and understood her earlier actions as well as felt for she's suffered because of those actions.

Their story - finding their way back to one another via a threat to them both as well as their families - was... well, I was enraptured. There was so much going on and Heaton wove in her masterfully choreographed fight scenes around solving a problem and protecting family and each other. I found it all utterly exciting!

Eternal Mates is one of my favorite series as Heaton keeps me engaged and entertained. I can't wait for the next in this series and, thanks to some of the characters I met here, I'm thinking I need to immerse myself in her Vampirerotique series as well. :D