Chasing Daybreak (the Dark of Night #1) by Ranae Glass

Blurb: Isabel Stone wanted a normal life. But when the unexpected death of her father leaves her at the helm of the family business, things quickly go from weird to worse. Vampires are on the loose and out of the coffin, and only Isabel can walk the fine line between the world of the living and the world of the undead.

Torn between letting go of her past and embracing her future, Isabel will have to decide who she can trust, and be willing to use all the weapons at her disposal, to get to the bottom of a terrifying string of deaths that lead right to her doorstep—before she becomes the next victim. In a city where nothing is what it seems, ending up the target of a deranged killer might actually be the high point of her week. Because in this town, the things that go bump in the night… just might kill you.

4 Stars

This book was part of a read along in our blogging group, I’m a little behind. (I’m house hunting, gimme a break) This is a YA paranormal with a hint of romance. It’s perm-free, I think.  I really enjoyed Isabel’s sarcastic, snarky verbal sparing she had going on. And she didn’t discriminate, she made them to EVERYONE she met.  This author kept it consistent with her MC.

What was really cool was the chemistry she had with Shane and Xavier and how they were opposites to each other.  Shane is someone who’s been there for her, they are very close but can’t be more than friends and Xavier is a friend who wants to be more than friends but she is hesitant.  It had a really nice compare and contrast.

The back story of Shane and Isabel relationship was really heartbreaking.  They work together, he’s a vampire and she’s a human, they can’t grow old together, they can’t have kids together. So shes trying to move on but its hard when she sees him on a daily basis.  I could feel it; how do you resolve that relationship when it stares you in the face everyday, that stood out for me.

There were many parallels in the relationship between her and Shane and Shane and the conclave, it was very well written.  I kinda wanted to see what was going on with Tyger, Heather and Duke. I wanted more of those side stories. And her family? They were real. Not all hugsy wugsy, but talk shit to your face but help you bury the body when they need you real.  Moms is quite the asshole.  All judgy judgerson with her kids.  Hello pot, the kettle is calling, they want the color black back.

Read it if you like good books.

Favorite quotes:

Just walking through the chapel’s Gothic double doors gave me the creeps.  Or maybe it was the fresco on the ceiling that depicted a dozen winged angels holding down a vampire and tearing off its head that made my stomach turn.

A quick search confirmed that the counsel had ties inside the law firm, so many in fact, that I was beginning to believe the entire firm was a front for counsel activities.  I always believed that lawyers were blood sucking demons.  Now I had proof.

We stopped by the tailor first, you know, just in case Shane was staked or something and the place closed before we could get out of the hospital.  Priorities.