Amaury’s Hellion by Tina Folsom
For Vampire Amaury LeSang, immortality is a living hell—a curse that floods him with every human emotion, a permanent, agonizing migraine. Sex is his only escape, a momentary flicker of peace. Until Nina. This feisty human woman is different; in her presence, the cacophony in his mind vanishes, offering a silent, intoxicating promise of a true cure.
There’s just one problem: Nina wants him dead. Convinced Amaury is responsible for her brother’s demise, she hunts him with a vengeance. Yet, every attempt on his life spirals into a passionate encounter, her hormones betraying her intentions as his bad-boy charm relentlessly propels her into his embrace and his sheets. As desire ignites and trust slowly builds, a lurking danger threatens to shatter their fragile connection and the very world they inhabit.
The Bite Breakdown:
Quick Verdict
Amaury’s Hellion by Tina Folsom delivers a character driven paranormal romance that leans harder on emotional reckoning than spectacle, and that choice works in its favor.
At a Glance
- Genre: Paranormal Romance
- Subgenre: Vampire Romance, Urban Fantasy
- Trope: Second Chance Romance
- Series: Scanguards Vampires Book 2, Scanguards Book 3
- POV: Dual Third Person
- Romance Focus: Reunion romance shaped by past abandonment and earned trust
- Tone: Emotional, reflective, quietly intense
The Premise (No Spoilers)
Amaury’s Hellion by Tina Folsom centers on Amaury, a vampire whose emotional restraint reads as indifference until his past resurfaces. Nicole reenters his life carrying unfinished business, unresolved hurt, and a sense of self that no longer bends to his rules. Their reunion unfolds against supernatural threats, but the real tension lives in what neither character resolved before.
What stood out for me was how the story refuses to rush forgiveness. Nicole does not soften on arrival, and Amaury does not earn trust through grand gestures. Instead, their interactions circle old wounds, personal accountability, and the slow realization that love without presence does not survive. The paranormal elements add momentum, yet the emotional arc stays firmly in control.
As part of the larger world, this novel deepens ongoing dynamics while remaining accessible. It functions as Scanguards Vampires series book 2 and Scanguards book 3, advancing the universe without sidelining the intimate focus that defines this installment.
What Worked
The emotional pacing impressed me most. Conversations carry weight, and silence often says more than action. Amaury’s internal struggle feels grounded rather than melodramatic, while Nicole’s boundaries feel earned through experience instead of stubbornness. I appreciated that the story trusts readers to sit with discomfort instead of smoothing it away.
Worldbuilding continues to expand naturally through character involvement rather than exposition. Secondary characters contribute texture without hijacking the narrative, reinforcing a sense of community that feels lived in rather than staged.
What Didn’t Work (or Might Not)
Readers who prefer fast moving plots may find the introspective focus slower than expected. The emotional processing takes precedence over action, and some scenes linger longer than necessary for those craving momentum. That restraint worked for me, but it narrows the audience.
A few confrontations resolve with emotional clarity rather than narrative surprise. While satisfying on a character level, those moments may feel predictable to seasoned genre readers.
Romance and Relationship Dynamics
This romance thrives on imbalance correction rather than power escalation. Amaury must confront his emotional avoidance, while Nicole demands consistency instead of promises. The dynamic feels mature, shaped by history rather than attraction alone, which made the reconciliation feel earned rather than inevitable.
- Emotional abandonment
- Past relationship trauma
- Supernatural violence
- Blood consumption
Who Should Read This
This book suits readers who value emotional accountability in paranormal romance and prefer second chance stories rooted in growth. Anyone seeking a quieter, character first installment within a shared universe will likely connect with it.
Final Verdict
Amaury’s Hellion by Tina Folsom succeeds because it prioritizes emotional honesty over spectacle. The romance asks its characters to change rather than excuse their past, which gave the story a grounded resonance that lingered after the final page.
Book Rating: 4 Stars
The story balances high heat with emotional consequence, delivering a romance that stays character focused even at its most explicit.
Heroine Strength: 4 Crowns
Nicole maintains agency and self respect, shaping the relationship through choice rather than submission.
Spice Rating: 5 Flames
This is an explicitly erotic paranormal romance, with frequent, detailed sexual scenes that play a central role in the relationship arc.
When Avoidance Becomes the True Antagonist
In Amaury’s Hellion by Tina Folsom, Amaury once chose emotional distance over honesty, believing restraint would protect everyone involved. That decision instead fractured his relationship with Nicole and taught her that love without presence feels indistinguishable from abandonment. Years later, he still organizes his life around control, convinced that desire invites loss. The story makes it clear that his past choice did not fade with time, and Nicole never forgot the cost of being sidelined.
Nicole does not return as the woman Amaury remembers or expects. She comes back with clarity, self possession, and no interest in repeating an arrangement that erased her needs. Attraction still simmers, but she refuses to slide into familiarity without accountability. Her refusal reshapes every interaction, forcing Amaury to confront the fact that desire alone cannot rebuild trust. The narrative frames her return as an act of agency rather than nostalgia, and that distinction matters.
Amaury’s greatest obstacle remains his own emotional withholding. Each time reconciliation feels possible, he retreats behind discipline and duty, mistaking control for strength. Nicole recognizes the pattern immediately and refuses to chase him through it again. Their conflict escalates not because they lack chemistry, but because emotional availability demands vulnerability he has spent decades avoiding. The tension peaks when restraint stops looking noble and starts reading as cowardice, pushing the relationship toward either real change or permanent loss.
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