A Mate for York by Charlene Hartnady

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Standalone Vampire Romance Novel

Have you ever wanted to date a vampire?
Human women required. Must be enthusiastic about interactions with vampires. Must be willing to undergo a stringent medical exam. Must be prepared to sign a contractual agreement which would include a non-disclosure clause. Limited positions available…

York has always wanted a female of his very own. One to love and care for. One who will love him in return. More than anything he wants a family… he longs to hear the sound of children’s laughter filling his home. It is his deepest desire. 

Since most vampire females are not able to birth young, a program is started to ensure the continuation of the vampire species. The vampire elite must fight, fist and fang, for a much sought after place in the program and a chance to date human women. 

There are a multitude of beautiful human females in attendance. They have been handpicked to ensure that they are irresistible to vampire males. Why is it then that York wants the one female he can’t have?

When Cassidy is selected for the trial phase of the program, she is ecstatic. This is the break she’s been waiting for. Her job is to root out any vampires with bloodlust. She’s quaking in her boots because she could end up dead. This position certainly isn’t for sissies. Thing is, it’s only three days of her life. All she needs to do is to allow a few of them to drink from her and survive long enough to get paid. Then she’s home free. Besides, she quit her job in order to be here so she so doesn’t have any other options available to her. Three days… pity one big, badass vampire is determined to get in the way of her plans.

A Mate for York

A Risky Romance with a Vampire

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: ❤️💙💚💜
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 😋😉😎🤯
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration

Characters and Plot Summary

A Mate for York puts a fun spin on the vampire romance setup by making human women part of a program designed to help preserve the vampire species. York is an elite vampire who desperately wants a mate, a family, and eventually children of his own. Cassidy, meanwhile, has very different reasons for entering the program. She is struggling financially and agrees to participate in a three-day trial where she allows vampires to feed from her while secretly helping determine whether they are susceptible to bloodlust. The danger is very real, but the money is enough to make the risk worthwhile.

What I liked about their setup is that York and Cassidy aren’t actually supposed to become a couple. Cassidy is part of the testing phase rather than the breeding program, which immediately puts them on opposite sides of the rules. Their first blood-feeding encounter quickly turns into something neither of them expected, and York becomes increasingly unable to stay away from her. I especially enjoyed the scenes where York’s desire for a family clashes with the reality that Cassidy seems to be completely unavailable to him. Their situation becomes even more complicated when Cassidy reveals her concerns about being unable to have children, something she believes makes a future with York impossible.

Highlights and Limitations

The strongest part of the story for me was the chemistry between York and Cassidy. Their attraction develops quickly, but the author gives York more emotional depth than simply making him an overprotective alpha vampire. His longing for a family is established early and becomes important when Cassidy believes she cannot give him that future. I also liked Cassidy’s willingness to stand up for herself. When the authorities confront her and York about breaking the rules, she doesn’t simply sit quietly and accept the blame. She argues her position and makes it clear that she isn’t going to be bullied.

The blood-feeding scenes were also a particularly interesting part of the romance because they make the vampire mythology feel directly connected to the sexual tension. One scene that stood out was when York allows another vampire to feed from Cassidy and then realizes just how strongly he reacts to seeing another male with her. That moment really brought home how possessive his feelings had become.

I did have mixed feelings about the writing, it wasn’t the best and the plot could have been a bit more captivating. There were certain things that really bothered me like how he was so fond of her breasts yet called them mammary glands, like twelve times. That was not sexy at all. Though I liked the fact that the vampires are actually vampires, in so many paranormal books, the supernatural creature is just treated like a normal human with a few peculiarities.

Narration

Lance Greenfield and Amber Black made a good pairing for this audiobook. Greenfield gives York the deep, commanding presence I expected from an elite vampire, but he also captures the character’s softer side when York is talking about wanting a family or struggling with his feelings for Cassidy. Amber Black brings a nice combination of vulnerability and determination to Cassidy. I particularly enjoyed how her delivery changes when Cassidy goes from being nervous about the vampires to standing her ground during confrontations.

At nearly seven hours, the audiobook moves along at a comfortable pace, and the dual narration works well for a romance where both characters have so much internal conflict. The narrators also handle the more intimate scenes without making them feel awkward or overly theatrical.

Final Thoughts

I went into A Mate for York expecting a fairly straightforward vampire romance, but I ended up enjoying the unusual premise more than I expected. The combination of a vampire breeding program, a dangerous bloodlust test, and two people who aren’t supposed to be together gives the romance plenty of obstacles.

York frustrated me at times, particularly when he kept trying to balance Cassidy with the expectations of the program, but that frustration ultimately made his emotional journey more rewarding. Cassidy was probably my favorite of the two because she consistently felt like someone capable of making her own decisions even when the vampires around her were considerably more powerful.

The ending brings the central conflict to a satisfying resolution and gives York the family future he has wanted from the beginning. For me, this was an enjoyable paranormal romance with plenty of heat, some genuine emotional moments, and an entertaining twist on the usual human-meets-vampire setup. I would definitely continue with the series, especially after seeing how the Program itself works and meeting some of the other vampires.

Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Pinterest|BookBub



View all my reviews