Review: Hunting Julian by Jacquelyn Frank

Ok, I have to warn that this review may sound a bit snarky at times. I just finished this book and there are a few things that are bugging me a bit.

First off, here's the blurb:

Jacquelyn Frank, New York Times bestselling author of the Shadowdwellers series, invites readers into a dazzling new world of unstoppable desire and danger..

As an Advocate for his colony, Julian Sawyer travels to Earth to bring back the Chosen—women who possess energy potent enough to help revitalize his people. The stunning, silver-clad beauty who strides into his club one night radiates a sensual magnetism unlike any he's encountered, and Julian realizes that Asia Callahan is not just Chosen, she is his kindra: his one true mate.

For months, Asia has tracked the beautiful and mysterious Julian across the country, convinced that he's behind the disappearance of her sister and a dozen other women. She's prepared to believe he's a ruthless killer, but when she presents herself as bait, she discovers that the truth is far more shocking. Taken to a strange, hazardous realm she never knew existed, Asia will face the ultimate choice—between abandoning the life she's always known, and forsaking a passion as dangerous as it is powerful.

Ok, so basically, Julian's race has the shittiest luck, like ever. They've encountered plague after plague that has decimated their female population, naturally. They are a people that feed on energy, although they do eat regular food, but that's not really touched on much in the book. So apparently, don't laugh, a woman's big O is like the bestest energy eveh. So, they send Julian to harvest it and send it back to feed their starving people and occasionally he finds a speshul girl that can really crank out the wattage so he brings her home to fornicate and frollick, thus feeding the starving children. Shit. You. Not.

So, women and their joy juice are in short supply on this plane and highly prized so even if a woman is say, a murdering bitch, she gets sent to a colony where she is sold off as basically a sex slave so she's punished but the people don't lose a precious resource. Now, that sounds bad. That sounds really bad, but in a way, I could understand it. The peeps be starving and you're a bad person so one way or another you're going to be a productive member of their society. Like it or not. Now, I'm a bitch, so I'm kinda ok with that, except that their society is kinda messed up and innocent and mentally disturbed people get sent there too and you know what? Tough shit. I kinda wasn't down with that. Plus, it didn't make sense. Julian hasn't had sex in years because it takes too much energy for him to get his jollies and he's a big ol' noble one so he won't steal from the mouths of babes to get his rocks off. So then, why the sex slave thing? It's not like the guy planning a night of fun with the woman was only gonna get her off. Didn't make sense. The thing is, a lot of it didn't make sense. I think Ms. Frank had a bit too much going on and she didn't always stay true to the rules of the world. Which confused and at times irritated me.

Also, if you're familiar with her Nightwalker series, you'll recognize a favored trope she has of the powerful female figure going all mad jealous and evol and doing horrible things that ultimately hurt her own people just cuz she can't stand the heroine or some shit. I was kinda over that in the last series, but that's just me.

Anyway, Julian was hot and sweet and mad in lurve with Asia and Asia was well....not so much. To be honest, I understood Asia's beef with the situation. Hell, I woulda fought it, too, but she bordered on pissy bitch just a bit too much for me. The romance felt a bit one sided and at times Julian expected too much too fast.

I know we were supposed to feel invested with these people and their plight and want to read more of the sexy dudes that go out and gather energy (some in baaaaad ways) and want to revisit the world, but to be honest, I don't really want to go back. There wasn't much there that gave me the warm tinglies and I'm kinda done with it now.

In the end, it's not a bad book, but it was awkward with the idea of "quick, let's have sex to feed the starving children!" I was kinda like, should I feel turned on in this scene? I don't know if that's right or wrong anymore.

I give this book a C. It was readable and entertaining and maybe one of the other in this sure to be a series will get me involved but I'm not holding my breath.