It just wasn't my cuppa.
First mistake was listening to this book. I don't enjoy Paul Morey as a narrator. Second, I prefer my stories to be romance first, and mystery as a side dish to the main entree. This story was mystery with a side salad of romance. I don't enjoy mysteries so this book was just a bad fit for me.

Johnnie was adopted by Dracula after Dracula's wife murdered Johnnie's parents. Johnnie was a human so his father hired a bodyguard to protect him from the supernaturals that may seek to harm him in order to get to Dracula.
Johnnie is more Dracula in mannerisms, but at the end of the day he is mortal human. Johnnie yearned to distinguish himself as more than human and more than Dracula's son, so he became an investigator of supernatural happenings.

When Johnnie's friend asks him to investigate a pair of missing shoes, Johnnie is introduced to a mysterious supernatural. He doesn't know this person's name but they end up having a sexual encounter. Johnnie now has to also figure out whom his lover is.

I never connected with Johnnie and I had a suspicion of whom "Eros" was. So that mystery wasn't so suspenseful for me. I just didn't enjoy this story but I have decide that it must be the writing. This is my third Megan Derr book and I don't believe I've ever rated her story above a 2-star.

I actually didn't expect too much from this second book. BOY, AM I WRONG.

"Better to dance in the dark than be devoured by it."

UPDATE AFTER 2018 RE-READ - Enjoyed it more the second time, enough to bump to almost 4.5 stars instead of 4. After re-reading the first book before this one, I can still say the same - the second is much better with story fluidity and by following the natural order of events. Despite this being a m/m series, I'm all for a hetero romance book involving Ontoniel (sp?) and Phil - what cute possibilities, and she definitely needs a romance since it seems like everyone else is developing one. Johnnie and G-man are hilarious and comforting and just filled with sparks - wicked times, loved the realistic feel of their feelings, the wedding scenes, the mysteries thrown in and the ending. I do wish I could read another book through the same POV and see more of their story, but sadly....

ORIGINAL REVIEW AFTER 2016 READ BELOW

Cold, beautiful Johnnie Desrosiers has led a sheltered and pampered life since being adopted by the husband of a demented vamp wife who slaughtered his parents. Yes, really. He is in love with adopted brother (Yes, really), but they hate each other too. Feeling left out and lesser for being an ordinary human, he ventures out on his own (a little) and starts doing some investigative work. He runs into trouble, makes a few friends, but keeps getting strange visits in the middle of the night by a wanton, unknown creature in the dark.

The formatting isn't as off-putting as the first in the series, which was told through a mess of short stories out of order. That's true evil to do to a reader. Dance in the Dark has the crunch of a short story with sometimes abrupt change, but thank goodness it's IN ORDER and it follows a natural progression of storyline, interest, development and outright love/lust stuff.

Johnnie isn't perfect but he grew on me. At first he was even too cold for ME to latch on to, not just a façade, but he becomes a likable sort later. Sort of someone you have to discover and know to actually warm up to. Bergrin and the rest of the gang at the bar are top-notch 'friend' characters who add needed personality to the story. I also dug the weird bond Johnnie has with his adoptive, powerful father. Interesting dynamics at play.

“Perhaps love was worth any and all sacrifice, but that love was of no comfort to those who were sacrificed.”

The short stories are all mysteries of their own, but the tales tie into the main story eventually. Yes, we get some revisiting for the fun characters of the first book too.

The author writes well and I love her developing relationship here - it's authentic and true. She doesn't use plot gimmicks like too much sex to drown a potential plot - most of the bedroom stuff is hot but kept very brief and minimal. I will say I wish she'd stop rushing through the first experiences, because those really come across to me as the important stuff in developing relationships. Besides that though, can't complain on Johnnie's love life. Even the ending fight is sweet in a wicked way.

I enjoyed it more than the first, although the original was pretty good in itself outside a few annoyances. May continue with the series, but not sure. The stories are connected in a way but each book starts all over again with different characters too, and while Dance in the Dark chose to have it's stories in order, I'm not the biggest fan of the way the author is breaking these up for creativity sake.

I suppose I liked this book...it wasn't AMAZING, but it was good.

Basically, Johnnie's parents died when he was a kid and was adopted by the guilty husband of the murderer. He becomes more vampire like than normal vampires meaning cool, in control of himself, etc. (but is stilled called Johnnie?) and has an unnatural obsession with riddles and mysteries. Btw he's in love with his step-brother.

a few pages in he gets a night time visitor. I figured out who this was less than half way through...it was pretty obvious

there are a lot of surprises. Just one after another that you wouldn't have thought

I didn't give this book a better score because it was a typical everyday John Smith gay supernatural romance...but still something I'll hang on too

Did not realised this was the second book before I read it.

Thoughts :-

1. The first meeting with Eros was just damn wrong

1a. Apparently Eros gives the best blowjobs. He's the dom, little Johnnie is a sub

2. Johnnie and the Bremen gang

3. The case short, sweet, concise. It kept me interested

4. The budding romance between Johnnie and Bergrin even though it seems to come out of no where. Their childish banter though, A+

5. Ontoniel is best dad

6. Johnnie is best boy. He thinks no one likes him because he's not good enough and that his dad doesn't care whether he lives or dies. Protecc

7. Bergrin is Eros, except less confident and goofy. The fight and divorce of the OTP. Even though it only lasted a few pages

8. The amount of kissing after reconciliation. Cute though completely unnecessary

9. Ekaterina being extra by being evil because of some stupid ass magic mirror that doesn't even work. I still don't know why this was considered the main case when the objective doesn't even make sense

10. Bergrin's first name is Grimnir. Only Johnnie can call him Grim. Soft. Grim is 29

11. The ending scene with Ellie + Rita and Johnnie + Bergrin. So awkward.

Kinda sad that this is a companion series, because I like Johnnie as a character and would like to read more of him and Grim.

I stayed up to finish this and it was so freaking worth it! I loved the ending but I still want more! More of Johnnie! More of Bergrin! More of everyone of this wonderful world! I want to reread the first book to compare then reread this one again! <3
I freaking love this author! I love how she incorporated the fairy tales, the mysteries, the different elements of everything!
I can gush about this book all day and night and I still don't think I will do it justice.
I was blown away! All I can say is awesome!
I love this! I GIVE IT ALL THE FREAKING STARS!!!!!!!

Liked this one better than book one.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because the relationship between Johnnie and Eros was quite interesting (more than Chris and Sable LOL)