3.5 stars--HUNGER is the second installment in Jacquelyn Frank’s contemporary, adult THE ENERGY VAMPIRES paranormal, romance series. This is energy vampire and hunter Halo, and antiques dealer Felice Mendoza’s story line.

SOME BACKGROUND: Energy vampires are aliens, descended to earth years before, who soak up their nourishment from the sun, and feed off the energy (not blood) of humans who are pure in body and spirit. Those e-vampires who cross to the dark side, getting their nourishment from the energy of impure humans, become known as sycophants. The energy vampires have been pulled into a war where the ultimate target is the Queen of the vampires, and all that she rules.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Halo and Felice) HUNGER follows two strangers-one human female and one e-vampire male-who find themselves imprisoned by an unknown jailer. Not only is Felice Mendoza unaware of the existence of the supernatural but our heroine is ‘drugged’ in an effort to force a starving Halo to turn to the dark side. What ensues is the building but forbidden relationship between Halo and Felice as they struggle to break free of their captors, and the fall out when Halo walks away from the woman with whom he has fallen in love. A good portion of the story line takes place in a secure room (cell) where our couple struggle to stay one step ahead of an unknown threat to their safety and lives

HUNGER and the Energy Vampires is a different kind of vampire series in that the vampires feed off energy and not blood. Humans are considered cattle; fodder and food at an all you can eat open restaurant; and it is forbidden to allow a human to know about the vampire’s existence-memory wiping is a frequent threat against our story line heroine. Impure energy, such as that from addicts, alcoholics and the like, will eventually turn the energy vampire into a sycophant-a self serving, vampire addict who is all about the next fix or high.

Saying that, although the concept is intriguing, the series failed to pull me in due to the less than positive treatment and consideration of humans. It’s not that I believe the humans should be treated as royalty but it is the way in which the author designed the series, and has the characters justify their misconduct towards humans. In the end, the energy vampires are snobs and bigots; reverse ‘specieism’ as it pertains to their earthly hosts; supernatural supremacists who care little for the humans from whom they feed and use. I think, if the author had presented her characters with a little less vitriol and venom towards their human counterparts I would have had more empathy for the story line characters. Perhaps it was the constant and continuous reminders (memory wiping/ bigotry) that lessened my enjoyment of the story line.

There is some great back and forth banter between our leading couple. Felice is a strong heroine who has fallen for the brooding and maddening vampire-she sees something in Halo that others have failed to accept. Halo is a hunter of the sycophant-and in this his duty is to the Queen, and not to fall in love with a human female. The series premise and story line is interesting in its’ concept but lost something in its’ presentation; the characters are colorful; the romance struggles with too many preconceived notions but there is a definite spark between our leading couple.

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Alpha’s Mate by Eve Langlais
This is another good book by Eve Langlais. We first meet our Fabian as he is trying to save a damsel in distress. We don’t know who she is but she been kidnapped and they are trying to kill her. We go through the story trying to find out who she is and why they are after her. The storyline is interesting and seeing the big bad Alpha wolf interacting with his tough mate is hilarious! I hope there’s more to this series because they are really good.

Dangerous Passions by Kate Douglas
This is the first book I’ve ready by Kate Douglas but it won’t be the last. I really enjoyed reading this book. There are 2 couples coming together in this book but it wasn’t confusing at all. Darnell is on her way back to Feral Passions (so this may be the last book in a series) to meet up with Evan. She doesn’t realize the men at the lodge are werewolves but she’s going to find out in a surprising way. We have their story and we also have a story involving Traker, the Alpha of the group. These 2 stories are written where they intermingle perfectly without leaving you wondering about what’s happening. It’s a really good book.

Bound to the Wolf by A.C. Arther
We meet Marena as she leaves the firm’s anniversary celebration. She has gotten a room at the hotel to enjoy the weekend at the spa. But Davis, a partner at her law firm, has other plans for her. He attacks her and bites her. Then she shoots him until the gun is empty but there’s no body when the police get there! There are all kinds of action in this book. We have good wolves and bad wolves, Greek Gods and Goddesses all showing up at one time or another. You are definitely kept on your toes to see what happens next! I can’t wait to see what story comes next in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from Netgalley.

An advance electronic copy of Hunger was generously provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 stars

I really did enjoy the second book in the Energy Vampires series. It immediately started off right in the middle of the action and it kept my attention for the entire book. This series definitely has a completely different feel than any other series that I've read from Jacquelyn Frank, but it's growing on me now.

Halo's main goal in life is to hunt down those of his kind that have crossed the line and become sycophants or non-law abiding vampires. When he is taken captive, along with a human woman named Felice, he is forced to re-evaluate how he has been playing fast and loose with the rules himself. After spending time with Felice, it opens him up to emotions he didn't believe he'd ever have.

Felice was just trying to hide from a dangerous ex-boyfriend in an upstate NY town when she was taken captive and introduced to a world she never knew existed. She is strong enough to adapt quickly and fight for a relationship with Halo, while still showing that she is not above asking for help.

The reader is also introduced to even more of the nuances of the vampire world and how far the corruption within the ranks might be. I am hoping that this part of the story continues to be a bigger part of each book as the series progresses.

All in all, I read this book much faster than the first in the series, so I'm very much looking forward to the next book to see where the story goes.

I really enjoy this book. Great suspense still need more questions answers. I was not disappoint.

Once again Ms. Frank gives up the goodies...

Hunger is Book 2 of the Energy Vampires Series. The author has put a splendid twist to the vampire romance that is not only original and creative but truly engaging...a highly recommended read!

An ARC was generously provided in exchange for an honest review of which this is both honest and completely voluntary.

After reading the first book in Jacquelyn Frank new series The Energy Vampires, I jumped at the chance to read the second. The only thing I must say is Nooooooo!!! What happened? This book totally lost me. The writing was lopsided.
Hunger takes place in one room, and that is where the two main characters stayed until the last few chapters to try to tie the book out. Nothing really happened. Halo was nabbed along with a human Felice who was to become Halo ultimate downfall. To circumvent Roth’s plan to change Halo into a sycophant Halo and Felice must work together.
I found myself falling asleep numerous times while reading this book. This would be the first book that I’ve read and didn’t like that Jacquelyn Frank has written. The plot behind this series is still interesting, but Halo and Felice story was very disappointing.

Having done the great job of building the world in which energy vampires live in Thirst, Jacquelyn Frank is able to focus on the characters and their battles in Hunger. Two captured beings must work together to escape from enemies who have sinister motives for kidnapping them in the first place. The first part of the book deals with their confinement then it is action-pack escaped but not safe events.

The plot of the story keeps the balance between the danger and the romance between bigger than life vampire, Halo and sweet human Felice Mendoza. Neither is perfect but have baggage that they bring to the current situation., making them more complex than it seemed at first glance.

The concept and idea of the series is original, something that Jacquelyn Frank excels at creating. The execution of this is good but not the blow me away of Jacob or the wow of Cursed by Fire. Still, it is better than most keeping me one of Ms. Frank’s fans.

Some of my favorite books are by this author and that's why even though I did not care for the first book in this series, I wanted to give the second one a try. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. Much like the last, I was so bored with this book. Nothing happens. Heck, for half of the story, our two main characters are locked up in a room together. When they finally get out, sure things get quite a bit more interesting, but nothing ever gets exciting.

I did like Halo from what little we had gotten of him in the last book, and I still do after reading his story. Even though I don't believe for a single second how Felice affected him. As for Felice herself, I did not like her AT ALL. I hated the way she acted and how she kept talking and talking and talking always thinking that she knew best and was always right. She was an annoying brat.

I think this might have been better if so many things were just not so ridiculously unbelievable. Most especially Felice's reactions to Halo. Who in their right mind would constantly be thinking about having sex with a guy they literally just met, while they're both being held prisoner by an unknown enemy, and being watched??? I get it. Halo has a hot body and a cocky, flirty attitude. But he also is a complete jerk toward Felice. And this is just not the time or place for such things!

The main story of this series really doesn't go anywhere by the end. We find out why Halo was put into this position and Felice's part in it, but it was just a plan by rouge peon and not the leader.

I really don't know if I want to read more of this series. I am always a hopeful fool that it'll get better, especially when the author wrote other books I absolutely love...but this series is killing me.

The saga continues in true Jacquelyn Frank fashion. Steamy, fast paced and enthralling. Love book two ofmthis series and you will too.

I've been a fan of this authors work since I picked up Jacob about five years ago and her lyrical prose simply enchanted me. The world building, the creativity and imagination to craft an overall plot that would connect numerous books and more than one series still if I think about it blows my mind. Yet I'm like many who have occasionally been dissatisfied with certain books as they haven't lived up to the glorious offerings of previous work. I read the first in this series Thirst and much as I liked the idea the authors execution didn't wow me. However as it introduced Halo ( my favourite character from that book ) I knew I'd want to read this to see if the author had got into her stride.
Halo is the quintessential bad boy of his world, hard, fast living and deadly. Always bucking the norm and definitely a male who loves women even human ones! Halo is a hunter who never misses as he never gives up but this time he took his eye off the ball and now he will pay the price.
Felice wakes up alone, locked in a room and naked with no recollection of how she got there. Then she's drugged and taken to a room containing an equally naked male who starts pushing all her buttons! He's rude, happily obnoxious and clearly a horn dog but as he's her only ally Felice has no choice but to trust him.
Hmm well the good news is I preferred this to the first book as it didn't continually drag out the clean living concept which incidentally I do think works well here as it taps into recent ideologies. I actually wanted to bang both leads over the head at times as Felice clearly has bad taste in men and honestly hasn't learned. Halo if he told Felice once about his wild lifestyle he did it what felt like a thousand times. Yes we get it Halo believes he is a total stud who doesn't deserve or perhaps even want to settle down. Yet I enjoyed their verbal standoffs, I really quite liked the dialogue that kept this couple going round in circles. I wanted things to move along as they are alone for a lot of the story which made for some cringe worthy moments but no spoilers. Of course they survive but not without getting hurt and that's when Halo gets so possessive and downright horny ! I understand that Halo saves Felice but after everything she's gone through, all that she's learned in the past she's still desperate to feed him? Sheesh woman want him by all means, love him too because yes I understand the deep connection you've forged but please understand that being bitten hurts!
There's a little explanation about the origins of these vampires which ok I can go with. Yes I've read the previous book but honestly even if I hadn't I would be able to follow this story easily so yes it I think could work as a standalone. My biggest gripe is the endless time they spent locked up together it just needed perhaps a different pace. I did overall enjoy this story and I like that it's a series that still has legs. Although perhaps I should point out that Halo is quite fond of the F word but as we are hopefully all adults perhaps no one will object.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

Thank you to Netgalley for the honor of reading this book early. I am a huge fan of Jacquelyn Frank's and so far I am loving this new series about energy vampires! Such a different and interesting take on vamps. This was a very creative storyline with two very different and interesting main characters in Halo and Felice. A very unlikely couple; they are drawn to each other by the circumstances they find themselves in as the story opens. They have some great conversation/banter while they are being held and there is definite chemistry there despite their differences. I love how our hero appears to be such an ass and nothing but and then becomes a loving protective one when it comes to Felice. She is a lot stronger than she even gives herself credit for. She knows what she wants and she goes for it at the risk of a broken heart.
I wanted to kick Halo a few times but was able to get past that and really enjoy this story.
Looking forward to the next book as I am interested to get the stories of some of the others, like Danton.

Really liked it! Halo is a great character! The story was interesting and kept me wanting more. Different spin on vampires, which I loved. This was the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it immensely. Definitely looking forward to more of her books! I love me some great paranormal romance. Lots of action, suspense and vampire sexy times. Couldn't ask for more.

It was just ok. My first love will always be vampires. I really liked the idea behind these vampires and well more like aliens than vampires but still considered vampires. The term used for them was eye roll worthy to me tho (e-vamp) I did like the energy vampires idea just not the kinda silly name.
Something else that did not work for me at all was the characters, neither Halo nor Felice were likable to me. Halo was too much of a jerk to be book boyfriend material and Felice was weak and clingy. Something else that bothered me throughout the whole story was the dialogue. They barely knew each other and he was already saying FU sister and just bad awful language and dialogue. There is one steamy scene and that's like the only redeemable part of this whole story. The second scene all the way at the end did nothing, I would have preferred less talking (dialogue during sex scene) and more details and describing. It wasn't awful and I'm sure others will like the story, unfortunately this one did not work for me.

Wow… this was a mess. I’m sorry to have to say that. I really am but… wow. I had to FORCE myself to finish this one. I probably should have just called it and relegated this to the DNF list but I rallied and kept going to the bitter end. I think perhaps there were some cool concepts that could have been shaped into something good. However, Hunger just never comes together into anything interesting.

On the other hand, Hunger would make for wonderful source material for a drinking game.
Here are the rules:
1. Drink every time Halo says he’s a “hedonist”.
2. Drink every time Halo says he doesn’t need anyone.
3. Drink every time Felice disregards all evidence and acts like an idiot…

Wait… never mind. If these were the rules for the drinking game then everyone would be shitfaced by approximately 30% through the book. It’s that damn repetitive.

Here’s the gist of the plot: Halo (an energy vampire) and Felice (a human with lousy taste in men) are being held prisoner - naked - in a warehouse by the bad guy, Roth. I guess energy vampires can only feed on “clean” sources or they turn evil. So the plan is to force heroin into Felice’s veins and starve Halo long enough to make him feed on her and turn him evil. Once he’s evil Roth and the other evil vampires will set him loose to kill the vampire Queen. However, Halo is all extra strong and escapes along with Felice. The bad guys get defeated and Halo and Felice are in love for a HEA.

I could go on and on about all the problems with Hunger but instead I think I’ll just give a list of all the notes I made while reading because I think they’re pretty entertaining. THERE WILL BE OUT OF CONTEXT SPOILERS BELOW :
1. Felice! Seriously? You’ve been taken prisoner, drugged, and left naked and alone with a strange man and you’re worried about whether or not you look fat? SERIOUSLY!?

2. Halo’s “hedonistic” lifestyle has been mentioned at least 20 times and it’s only chapter 2. We freaking get it already…

3. So far I’ve just been told about how these characters are instead of actually seeing the characters be that way. Also, their personalities are just all over the place. Holy mood swings Batman! One minute Halo is calling Felice sweetheart and the next he’s being a complete asshole.

4. Is this whole book a commercial against GMOs disguised as a paranormal romance?

5. O my goodness we get it! Halo likes human women! Most vampires just think of humans as food so I suppose Halo likes to “play with his food.” Ha! That was clever… too bad the author didn’t think of it.

6. Felice… you are so naïve it’s unbelievable.

7. Seriously… you guys are going to bang in room you’re being held captive in? I don’t see how the situation is at all sexy…?

8.“Good. Because I am ready to fuck you. And you are primed for the fucking.”
That’s actually pretty funny… I’m not sure if it was on purpose or not.

9. Really Halo! You’re trying to bang her while Felice is shot and bleeding? Put your boner away! Now is not the fucking time! She’s also been bleeding for a couple hours now and hasn’t lost consciousness or anything… how is that even possible?

10. Felice… Halo has been the biggest jerk in the world to you for weeks now. I know you “love” him for some reason but it doesn’t excuse his behavior in the least. This naïve bullshit is obnoxious.

So ya… Hunger was such a mess. I just couldn’t make myself like it. I feel terrible being so negative in this review. I think it’s stemming from the book being pretty poor in quality and me having to force myself to read it. It’s just leaving a bad taste in my mouth and causing a lot of resentment. I’m going to try to end this review on one positive note… The cover art is pretty good. So there’s that at least…

This is the 2nd book in the series. Felice finds herself locked away with a vampire. How do these things happen to her? They have to work together to get out and it will have to take courage on Felice's part and control on Halo's part. I enjoyed the characters and the storyline kept me engaged. I would suggest this book for everyone.

Jacquelyn Frank has written an intriguing story with a different sort of vampire, of two people - one human, one vampire held in captivity, with nothing to depend upon but each other and their wits.
I have to admit I had misgivings when I started reading Hunger. I was wondering how Ms Frank was going to keep the story interesting and the pace of the story engaging while Halo and Felice were essentially locked in a room together for the better part of the book while trying to figure a way out. Ms Frank surprised me by keeping the pacing tight, the dialogue snappy and the action engaging. It's quite a feat considering for more than 50% of the book Halo and Felice were trapped together in a room, naked and vulnerable. I could not turn the pages fast enough to see what was going to happen next.
Let's face it. Halo is a jerk. He's the best hunter the vampire nation has and he's capable and resourceful, but he's a class A jerk. He has built up so many defenses around his heart that he maintains a hedonistic lifestyle in order to keep everyone at arm's length. To protect himself, to protect others, and then comes Felice. It takes Felice to ding underneath his fascade to reveal that beneath his blunt, rather crude exterior is a man who cares deeply, who doesn't want the chance of getting hurt and who is protecting his heart at all costs. In spite of how much a jerk he is, I liked Halo a lot. He's honest with those around him and he's honest with Felice. Of course, he's so direct and straight-talking that he almost comes across as being crass, but one needs to look beneath the surface with Halo to see the man.
"Halo was very up front about being a jerk. He didn’t try to hide it. He didn’t try to excuse his behavior. He was honest..."
"Halo reached across the seat and cupped her bare knee in his huge hand. He rubbed it soothingly. Giving her comfort. It seemed so out of character for him. And yet she had always suspected there was a softer side to him hidden somewhere deep beneath all the bluster and crudeness. She wouldn’t have given herself to him if she hadn’t thought that he was completely irredeemable."
When I first met Felice, I thought she was weak. Granted she was trapped naked in a room against her will. But then I got to know her. She's got a strength to her that is amazing. She's been through some difficult times in her past and has come out stronger, more confident and self-aware than before. I like that she stood up to Halo, didn't let his bullshit bother her and challenged him. Gotta admit though, the was she was psychoanalyzing him and picking at him did come across a bit shrewish. But mostly, I admired her resilience and strength in the face of difficult odds. She could have easily caved under the stress and pressure of her situation but she didn't.
"“You can be very practical.” “I’m a realist. I’m facing the truth. I’d rather face the truth than candy-coat it so I’ll feel better for a moment.”"
I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this story given the premise. I think I enjoyed this one much more than the first book in the series and I'm liking seeing the story arc develop in the war between the vampires and the sycophants. A core theme within the story is drug abuse and living a clean life. It's a big deal for clean, law abiding vampires that they have clean food sources. The whole concept behind a clean food source and how it affects the vampires is a very interesting aspect of this series. I look forward to the next book in the series and seeing what happens next.
One final note, even though this is the second book in the series, you can easily jump in and read it without having read the first book. Ms Frank provides some of the world building and back story here and skillfully weaves it into the main storyline. For the first time reader, you get a glimpse of the world these energy vampires live in and for the person who's already read the first book, it's a good refresher.

I really enjoyed this book! (It is my favorite in the series so far). Halo and Felice are thrown into a horrible situation together. I teared up near the end but smiled when Felice got tough. I hate to give parts of the story during a review but you will love this. Halo is strong, tough and in the end so sweet inside. I cannot wait for more of these books.

Review goes live on Butterfly-o-Meter Books onn Aug 10 2017 at 00.00 am gmt+2 and will show up on Goodreads sometime later.

In a Flutter: Hot & interesting
Fluttering Thoughts:
Worldbuilding: The vampire world divided in vampires and sycophants based on how clean the “food” is was interesting and original. The setting of the story is a room for like half of it, which also makes it an interesting psychological experiment.
Characters: Felicia was exactly the right kind of temptation: smart, sexy, sincere, passionate, a bit insecure – in short, alpha bate, hehe. I really enjoyed her curious nature, her observations of Halo and her resilience in getting through to him.
Halo was tough, hot, bad boy, and a bit of a rebel though not to the point of reckless – still thoughtful and protective of her. I liked following him as he dealt with lust, protectiveness, his moral compass and definition of self.
I enjoyed their chemistry and they made for a hot naked experiment, lol.
Plot: The kidnapped victims and forced proximity (and naked!) scenario was tense and thrilling, but via the same circumstances a lot of the story is tense but not overly rich in action. From the escape moment (come on, you knew there was one!) the action picks up and things get even more fun.
Writing: Third person, past tense narrative, his/her POV. I really enjoyed his voice and sense of humor, and actually lol-ed at bits like “sucked big hairy moose balls”.
Curb Appeal: Cool cover, hooking blurb, bonus points for author name – impulsive buy material for my vampire PNR moods.

I recommend Hunger to fans of original vamp worlds and captivity scenarios that involve the couple and not just one of them.

**3 Stars**

I have read from Jacquelyn Frank before, her NightWalkers Series is personally one of my favorites! But Hunger fell a bit flat for me personally. Their was no connection between Halo and Felice, which was sadly disappointing, because the storyline was brilliant.

Halo is a Vampire Hunter, best in the business until the HUNTER becomes the HUNTED. He is trapped and must find a way out before its too late. But meets a female along the way that is his undoing.... Felice. This human female has no idea of what lurks in the shadows. These two form a unique bond that makes Halo very protective of this young girl and will stop at nothing to keep her safe. Together they must find a way to escape this hell hole.

Other than the lack of connection between Halo and Felice, I did enjoy this story.
Very unique from the other PNR novels out there, lot's of action, steam, and of course a love story.
Really excited to see what is in store for the next book.

2.5 stars. This one took me a long time for to read as I didn't like Halo, at all. I really liked Felice and wished she would have had a better partner. Even though I didn't care for this book it won't stop me from continuing on with the series.