Guest Review: Rare Vigilance (Whitethorn Agency #1) by M.A. Grant

Everything has a price. Especially the truth.

From the author of Prince of Air and Darkness comes the first in a thrilling new paranormal series.

Former marine Atlas Kinkaid knows not to ask questions about the clients he protects at the behest of the elite Whitethorn security agency. Just like he doesn’t like anyone asking about his scars—scars left by a mysterious attack that haunts his every waking moment.

Consumed by the need to find out what happened to him, Atlas takes a job providing security to Cristian Slava, the indolent—and gorgeous—son of a notorious businessman. Cristian seems to be just another entitled client, but when nights at the club turn into secret meetings and people start going missing, Atlas realizes there’s more to Cristian—and to protecting him—than meets the eye.

But the same people who are after Cristian have something Atlas desperately craves: they know exactly what happened the fateful night he was attacked—and are willing to tell him everything…

For a price.

Reviewer: Free Dreamer

Now, neither the blurb, nor the cover give any hint that "Rare Vigilance" actually has vampires in it. I read a few reviews before starting the book, so I was prepared. We also have a traumatized MC suffering from PTSD and there's some violence going on, so beware.

I really enjoyed this book. The romance is very slow, just how I like it. For the most part there's just a vibe between the two, but nothing happens. They don't even talk about it for the most part. But still, you can feel the tension rising and when they eventually do act on it, it was totally worth the wait.

With the romance being so slow, there's plenty of other plot left. And that sure isn't slow. It's fast-paced action with some mystery elements. Like I said above, it does get violent, but it fit the story and wasn't over the top.

Cristian at first comes off as a typical rich brat, shallow and carefree and a bit of a jerk. But as the story progresses, his true character is slowly revealed and he becomes quite likeable.

Atlas was a bit stereotypical. Ex-military left with PTSD and scars hiding under a prickly exterior. But he does have his unique quirks and I liked him from the beginning.

The vampire part took a while to develop, just not as long as the romance. It could have done with a bit more worldbuilding, but seeing how much Atlas hates vampires at first, it makes sense he doesn't care all that much about their history and origins. And this is only part one of a new series, so I'm hoping for more details in the future books.

So, overall, "Rare Vigilance" was a really enjoyable, fast-paced paranormal action with a dash of romance. It's on the darker side and a bit violent and I'm very much looking forward to part two.

I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.