If you have not read The Gardella Vampire Chronicles, I can tell you right now that you are missing one of the best paranormal romances in the bookstores at the moment. Set in 19th-century England, the heroine is Victoria Gardella Grantworth de Lacy, a modern woman in a past time. Victoria is one of my favorite heroines: strong, independent, but not perfect, which makes her easy to relate to.

In The Rest Falls Away, book one of the series, Victoria learns of her family’s history as Venators, or vampire hunters, and she embraces it. While it means a lot of complication in her life she knows she cannot turn away from it. When Victoria meets Phillip, the Marques of Rockley, she falls desperately in love. Determined to have the best of both worlds, and make it work, soon the two are married.

But while Phillip is planning their happily ever after ,Lilith Queen of the Vampires is plotting to get her undead hands on a book that will make her even stronger than she already is. With the help of dark and handsome Max, another Venator, her Aunt Eustacia, her plucky maid Verbena, and not always so helpful but always sexy Sebastian, Victoria comes away from the events alive if not completely whole-hearted.

Rises The Night picks up one year after the events of The Rest Falls Away. Victoria is once again on the prowl through the darkest of London’s streets, but Lilith has taken all of her vampires away with her and the streets are quiet. Max has been missing for several weeks and although Aunt Eustacia tells Victoria not to worry she can’t help but wonder where he is.

Victoria visits the ruins of The Silver Chalice, Sebastian’s burned out vampire/ human establishment, but she is not the only one searching the empty building. Inside Sebastian’s office is a vampire and something else, something Victoria has never come across before.