Nocturne is “a haunting story of forbidden love”. It says so right on the cover. The entire story takes place in just a few days, which is more than enough time for the main characters to fall madly in love with each other.
Michael is a vampire (and Nicole is not). Michael’s secret is revealed to the reader early on in the story. Nicole misses every clue until something bloody obvious finally opens her eyes.
Can a relationship between a human, and a vampire, work out? This is the question that Nicole and Michael must find an answer to.
I tend to find books that include vampire characters to be intriguing. It takes what could be a rather ordinary story and opens it up to possibilities that are unlikely to happen if all the characters are regular humans.
Nicole was driving home from a “ski-wedding”, hoping to get to the airport before the blizzard arrives. Unfortunately, the storm hit earlier than expected. She had a car accident, slid off the road, and passed out.
She probably would had frozen to death if it wasn’t for Michael. He watched the accident happen from his truck, which he was using as a snow plow to clear the road that led to his chalet. Michael rescues Nicole and takes her home with him.
This immediately causes problems. Michael, who has been alone for a very long time, is struggling to cope with the smell of Nicole’s blood. He managed to treat her wounds, and put her on the couch under a blanket. When she wakes up, Michael appears very standoffish and unwelcoming.
The two quickly become attracted to each other. It turns out that they have some things in common. Both enjoy classical music and love playing the piano. Both are big readers, and Nicole learns that Michael’s bookshelves include several books by her favorite author.
Unfortunately, Nicole learns that Michael has some… quirks… that she finds frustrating and confusing. He runs hot and cold. One moment, he would be engaging her in conversation. The next, he would become angry and shut himself in another room behind a locked door.
Nicole found that the kitchen had almost no food, except for something that Michael said his housekeeper made for him. They were snowed in, so she made do with the apples, carrots, and oats that were in the kitchen. Michael never joined her for meals, and she found this strange.
Almost instantly, Michael and Nicole become deeply attracted to each other. He starts to open up to her, and tells her a few of his secrets. There is an intense moment when Michael is teaching Nicole how to make a part of a music box – a hobby of his. The two smolder, and embrace… and then Michael stops it.
The entire story takes place within just a few days. Without giving away any “spoilers”, Nicole eventually figures out that Michael is a vampire. It takes a little while for them both to adjust to this revelation. The two become closer after that secret is out.
In general, I would be skeptical about a story where two strangers, who are essentially snowed in for a few days, fall madly in love. Is that really enough time for that to happen?
Syrie James made the evolution of Nicole and Michael’s relationship seem natural and uncontrived. There is a strong chemistry between Michael and Nicole, and this leads to some passionate sex scenes that give the reader just enough details without becoming too graphic.
By the end, Michael and Nicole have to decide what to do. The blizzard has passed by, the roads are clear, and Nicole can go home. Neither of them want to separate, but there are some good reasons to do so. I’ll leave the reader to discover what they decided to do.
Overall, I found Nocturne to be entertaining. It is a quick read that takes place in a cold and snowy environment. This is a very sweet story with a few scary moments here and there. What makes this story work so well is that Nicole and Michael are well matched for each other (despite him being a vampire.)
Book Review – Nocturne by Syrie James is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites.
If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on Ko-fi. Thank you!