Friday Memes: Midnight Serenade by Dusty Rose

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

Beginning:

I stood beside my luggage outside my stateroom on the Kamaria, one of Solace Cruise Line's most elegant cruise ships, wondering if I was dreaming.

Friday 56:

Later that evening, I decided to be brave and eat at one of the fancier restaurants on board - Polaris.

This week I am spotlighting Midnight Serenade by Dusty Rose. This one has been on my Kindle since January 11, 2025. I don't read much paranormal romance anymore, but this one caught my eye. Here's the description from Amazon:

She never thought she’d trust anyone enough to fall in love—until she meets a protective vampire who can’t imagine eternity without his mate.

I’m thirty-eight and should be in my prime. Instead, I’m dodging men who fixate on me like heat-seeking missiles and avoiding the outside world like the plague.

There’s something wrong with me. People don’t just notice me—they become obsessed. The kind of obsessed that has me hiding out at police stations until it’s safe to go home. Their blank stares, their eerie devotion… it’s like something in my DNA overrides their rational thoughts. And I’m tired of it.

I want a normal life—Saturday barbecues, toddlers causing chaos, a spouse who adores me. That’s not too much to ask, right?

Desperate for answers, I scour the internet and stumble upon Solace Cruise Line’s flagship, the Kamaria. Rumors swirl about its enigmatic owner, Sebastian Solace, and his so-called "pet," Kazi. Turns out, Kazi is a lion. And Sebastian? He’s a suave, dangerously handsome vampire.

Oh, and the ship? It’s packed with paranormals.

Now, I just have to figure out what I am, avoid the humans and creatures falling under my spell, and—most importantly—not fall for Sebastian.

Yeah… that last one isn’t happening.

Maybe life at sea isn’t such a bad idea after all.