Hunter’s Hope

Bestseller Day’s lackluster second Vampire Motorcycle Club paranormal romance (after Bane’s Choice) brings together a newly turned vampire and a woman with special abilities of her own. Hunter Evans has only been a vampire for three weeks and is still learning to control his powers. When he meets quirky whirlwind Alice Darlington, who can talk to ghosts and communicate psychically with animals, he feels drawn to her in a way he can’t explain, leading to possessive, borderline stalker-ish behavior that will turn off some readers. Alice’s abilities make her a target for the Chamber, the organization that governs the warlocks and hopes to subjugate all other supernatural beings. It sends a dragon to spy on Alice by posing as a rescue dog—but as Alice cares for the adorable dragon, the pair become friends and she wins him to her side. When Hunter and his new vampire family learn of threat, they’ll do whatever it takes to keep Alice safe. The supernatural politics have promise, but the rushed romance hits every cliché in the book, lending the love story a phoned-in quality. Still, the side characters are strong and there’s plenty of setup for things to come. Readers will hope for a return to form in the next installment. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary. (Dec.)