MEANT TO BE IMMORTAL is the thirty-second book in the “Argeneau” paranormal romance series by Lynsay Sands. This story has a small town, imminent danger, and an unlikely love story. Macon “Mac” Argeneau is a scientist whose house somebody sets on fire. CJ Cummings is an investigator looking into possible wrongdoing by a local cop. CJ is technically a civilian but with a cop background. Instead of the classic damsel in distress trope, this story has a brainy vampire hero with a human heroine looking to save him from danger.

Since Mac is an immortal and CJ is not, he’s able to see she’s a potential life mate way before CJ sees any relationship potential. For Mac, CJ is a tough nut to crack. As a cop, she’s had to develop some toughness, but over the course of the book, the other characters realize become aware of things in her past that put her on the defense as well. There isn’t any supernatural supervillain in MEANT TO BE IMMORTAL, but there are some heavy themes. Lynsay Sands manages to inject enough romance and fun supporting characters in the book to balance the more serious topics. I like how Mac tries a subtle yet sweet way of wooing CJ. He’s not too over-the-top, and he thinks of ways he can alter his habits or lifestyle to accommodate her life and career. Sigh. He’s a hottie with a sensitive side – my favorite type of hero. The chemistry between this hero and heroine evolves and gets better as they get to know each other better.

In the first few chapters that have CJ trying to figure out what might be going on in such a small town, there is an almost Twilight Zone-like quality to things. Lynsay Sands introduces a few elements that knock CJ and the reader off balance. Although Bricker and Decker are used to dealing with danger on a daily basis, and Mac is loads stronger than CJ, I like that they all show her respect for her position as an investigator. It would be easy, and almost somewhat expected, for the immortals to take over, but they let CJ handle things mostly in her own way. The immortals simply offer some backup when needed rather than be an imposing and overpowering presence.

MEANT TO BE IMMORTAL has a brainy vamp hero, a tough heroine, and a few curveballs. The familiar fan favorite supporting characters like Bricker that pop up in this story, add a little levity to break the tension without cluttering things up. I look forward to the next “Argeneau” book.