Hawkesmoor

A vampire finds an unexpected happy ending in Merino’s suspenseful but uneven debut romantic fantasy, the first in a trilogy. Vampire Robin Dashwood, the former Earl of Hawkesmoor, has lived quietly in New York City for the past 300 years, ever since his transformation into a supernatural creature on the eve of his betrothal ball in Yorkshire, England, forced him to flee his ancestral estate. Then a chance encounter with Lady Caroline DeBarry offers him a new lease on life and a second chance at love. The DeBarry family took over the Hawkesmoor estate after Robin quit it, and, through Caroline, Robin learns that his beloved home is in dire straits. He returns to England to repair the house and atone for his past. In the process he uncovers a long-forgotten murder and the secrets of his own lineage while learning to embrace his supernatural powers. Multiple shifts in timeline and point of view create confusion on the way to a too-tidy ending and the love-at-first-sight between Caroline and Robin may disappoint readers hoping for a more realistic romantic progression, but the paranormal features are refreshingly unconventional and well handled. Despite the few rough patches, fans of romantic fantasy will be interested to see where the series goes. (May)