Review - The Knight of the Rose by A.M. Hudson

I finished The Knight of the Rose by A.M. Hudson last night. It's book two in The Dark Secret Series. It was an awesome book.

Love was only the beginning of her nightmares.
...
When Ara discovered the existence of vampires, she was given the choice between a life as one of them, or a life without her true love.

But fate has a funny way of making choices for you.

After breaking the heart of the boy she loves with a truth he cannot bear, Ara will find herself in the arms of a predator who will steal her innocence and force the hand of fate.

Will David Knight become her rescuer once again, or will he be too late.

Yes, there is another cover. And when you read the book you'll understand what it represents.

This book was an up and down roller coaster. First, there's David and Ara. With a romance akin to Edward and Bella these two are totally and completely in love and it seems nothing can separate them. Unfortunately, it only seems that way. David is all but begging Ara to let him change her, but Ara doesn't want to lose her human life... her chance to see her mother and brother - who died in a brutal car accident - again.

Thing is, if Ara won't let David change her, David has to leave. And he has to leave her behind. It's a thought that she doesn't want to even begin to comprehend but decision time is coming. As soon as the last leaf falls to the ground signalling the coming of cold weather, she has to make up her mind. Will she choose an eternity with her one true love... her soul mate. Or will she choose life and the man she loved before David ever came along?

My heart broke several times over in this book. I know I don't speak for everyone, but I think the majority of people can relate to having someone leave them. Someone you don't want to go. And being completely and utterly devestated at their absence. To wishing they would just magically appear and tell you everything is going to be ok again. Knowing it's not going to happen, but hoping just the same.

Ara suffered a horrible tragedy in the death of her mom and her brother. Coming to the US to live with her father afterward seemed to help put her back together again. Because she met David. He seemed to fill a hole in her heart that she didn't think anyone else could. She was no longer just a shell of a person. She had love again. She'd left behind all the painful memories. The car accident. The boy she loved before who tore her heart to pieces when he rejected her. She had new friends. Emily, Alana... David.

But she experienced a brand new heart ache when she learned that she either had to change, give up her normal, human life in exchange for David's... or she'd lose him forever. At first the answer seems obvious to her, and all the while I'm thinking "You can't just give him up!" She is prepared to do just that. Until the time comes that she may actually have to. And then losing him is unthinkable.

She's a strong but conflicted character. Prone to zoning out and irrational internal debates. I like her. I feel for her. And while I don't have a drop dead gorgeous, hundred year old vampire boyfriend, I sort of understand where she's coming from. Losing someone you love, having to move on with someone you love but in a different way, and not as much (am I even making sense anymore?).

I love David. He's kind of pushy in an Edward-esque way (i.e. Ara wants to pay for her own gown for the high school ball, and does just that, but David buys her another one and puts it in her closet after she specifically told him not to do that) but he's very gentle and kind to her. And understanding. I also love it when he speaks in French to her. ::sigh::

Mike. Her rock. The guy that rejected her and is now trying to redeem himself. He loves her, probably just as much as David does... but like poor Jacob (I love Jacob) ... loving her with all he has may never be enough. He's promised to take care of her and be there for her. He even wants to take her back to Perth, the home she left after the accident. He's completely right for her and she knows it. And he knows it. He's sweet and kind and just incredible.

Emily I always picture as Patty Simcox from Grease for some reason. A modernized version of her anyway. So no poodle skirt. :-P She's peppy and happy and high spirited and a great best friend to Ara. She's always there for her and isn't afraid to tell her when she think she's making a mistake. She may be my favorite character.

This book, like the first, is beautifully written. AM Hudson is incredible in her descriptions of the most mundane things. It makes it so easy to picture everything I'm reading. Her writing is relatable (hence my anxiety over the entire end of the book) and enjoyable. And the characters complement each other well. I also learned something I never knew about the Wizard of Oz, too. :-P

I definitely recommend this book as a read to fans of Twilight, Afterlight, The Vampire Diaries... but it's a great read for just anyone in general. Again, it is book two in the series so I would definitely recommend reading book one, Tears of the Broken, before picking up this one. Mark your calendars for April because that's when book two will be released. And you won't be disappointed if you grab it!