Reviewed by Andrea Williamson
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: January 27, 2009
4.25 stars

Night After Night marks the thrilling conclusion to Kathryn Smith’s Brotherhood of the Blood series.   The books of the series take place simultaneously in 1899 and centers around five Templar Knights who mistakenly drank from the unholy Blood Grail six hundred years before and became vampires.  They were eventually given new names – each a religious moniker: Chapel, Bishop, Saint, Reign and Temple.

In the first book of the series, Be Mine Tonight, we learned that Temple was the protector of the Blood Grail.  As its guardian, his task was to allow no one to accidentally drink from it again and have to experience the torment and burden of living the cursed life of a vampire.  Toward the end of the book, he is captured by an evil society, the Order of the Silver Palm.  Since there are five books in the series, it has been a long time coming finding out exactly what happened to Temple.

When Night After Night begins, Temple is being held prisoner.  His captors keep him drugged, chained and are attempting to use him as bait to draw his friends out of hiding.  Little do they know that the drugs they continue to administer to him are beginning to wear off and now having minimal effect.  In his now lucid state, he is able to “meet” one of the people holding him captive – a tall, beautiful, redhead whom he instantly feels a strange connection with.

Vivian has spent her entire life thinking herself a freak.  At six feet, she is taller than most women, plus she is also exceptionally stronger than most men.  And it was that unusual stature and strength that prompted her father to sell her to a traveling oddity show when she was fourteen.  While caged up, she was noticed and rescued by a man named Rupert Villiers.  In Vivian’s mind, Rupert saved her life and she owes him everything.  No longer was she kept in cages, looked at weirdly and laughed at.  With him, she had a home and was treated like a real daughter.  She trusts him explicitly, but when Temple escapes and Rupert sends Vivian after him without divulging any pertinent information, she begins to doubt Rupert’s loyalty.  And after spending time with Temple, she is soon torn between her allegiance to Rupert and her increasing affection for Temple.

Both Temple and Vivian are compelling characters with haunted pasts.  They’ve both been hurt by people who were supposed to love them and each has a valid reason for being alone.  However, their immediate attraction and the acts that follow cause them both to reconsider their solitude.  With Temple, Vivian feels desirable and like a woman for the first time in her life.  With Vivian, Temple finds the love and passion he has constantly craved yet always denied himself.

Ms. Smith had her work cut out for her with this book.  Not only did she need to provide a romance for Temple and Vivian, she also had to tie up the loose ends left at the end of each of the previous four books.  She did a great job of balancing both.  Temple and Vivian’s relationship was firmly established and growing (with lots of hot love scenes!) before the previous couples made their appearances and the final culmination began.  At no time did I feel like there was too much going on and I believe that anyone who hasn’t read the prior books could pick this one up and fit right in.  As someone who has read the other books in the series, it was wonderful to see and catch up with old friends again.  I absolutely adored the epilogue and thought it was so fitting and perfect!  I’m really sad to see this series end, but am grateful to Ms. Smith for introducing me to a whole new world of romance and for convincing me that vampires really are sexy!