Embraced by Blood

Sweetblood #2

by Laurie London

The second novel in London's dark, sensual vampire paranormal Sweetblood series. Deep within the forests of the Pacific Northwest, two vampire coalitions battle for supremacy--Guardian enforcers who safeguard humanity, and Darkbloods, rogues who kill like their ancient ancestors.
Alfonso Serrano is a hunted man. For months he's managed to elude the Darkbloods, vengeful foes who won't rest until he's dead. But he still craves one dangerous temptation: Lily DeGraff, the sexy Guardian agent he'll risk anything to protect.

Lily is a wanted woman. Her talent for tracking Sweet—a rare blood type that's addictive to vampires—makes her a prime target for enemy capture. Her only hope is the stealthy vampire operative who stole into her bed…then left her in despair. Danger aside, Lily won't let Alfonso near her heart again—until an irresistible hunger threatens to draw them back together… and into an assassin's snare.

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Vampires, Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Fiction

379 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

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Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the second full-length Sweetblood novel by Laurie London, we see Lily losing her sense of smell. For a tracker, that’s like a bloodhound that can’t smell.

Lily feels her identity is so strongly attached to her title, Class A Tracker (best of the best), that she has been faking it so no one would notice. Unfortunately, while she’s pretending everything’s a-okay, her partner, and trainee gets kidnapped by Darkbloods. And Lily sees that if she’d spoken up sooner, maybe he wouldn’t have been taken. Alfonso sees that her partner was taken because the Darkbloods thought he was Lily. (her partner was driving her car,so he was mistaken for Lily)

So this book picks up about a year after Bonded by Blood ends, and there is also a novella Hidden by Blood (it released on June 1) that is right before this book- and while Lily is in the novella, it's not necessary to the storyline. But yeah, anyways, a year later, we see Alfonso is still trying to redeem his past deeds, and for some reason, he feels that if he can rebuild his parents' mansion from Spain, maybe, just maybe, his brother Dom will see that he did care about their parents too. He regrets what happened. His brother has no idea how it affected Alfonso, and never cared to learn. Dom is kind of an ass in this book, but I liked him anyways.

But with Alfonso, he has a blood assassin out to kill him, and that was a really cool concept! However, Alfonso doesn’t want Lily anywhere near him with this killer out after him. That was why he originally left and stayed out of her life.

Lily, meanwhile is losing her tracking skills that make her the Class A tracker she is. Unfortunately being a super hot woman with a daddy at the top of the agency only makes her feel like people will think she got the job because of daddy. She's worked hard to get to the top, and losing her sense of smell is like losing her identity. So if she's not a tracker, who is she?

But the Darkbloods are trying to convert Trackers to the Dark(blood) Side (he he, bad joke) and Lily is numero uno on their list. So Alfonso starts tracking Lily. You know, to keep her safe and stuff since he's a tortured hero alpha male who has to deny himself but still protect his woman ;)

A lot of those kind of situations happen that force the sexual tension to ratchet up, and I liked it a lot. What I didn’t like was the way their first sexual encounter since they’d split up happened. I can’t tell more since it would be spoilery, but I really thought that all those lovely little opportunities where the tension was crazy hot would have been a better first time.

But, the Darkbloods are trying to get more and more organized than just grabbing humans off the street and draining them. Capturing and turning a Tracker was one way. A video game was another. The video game concept as a way to draw recruits was pretty cool. And watching Alfonso try to play video games was hysterical! There’s a scene where Alfonso meets Stephen, Lily’s ex, and it is so funny. But my favorite part was at the end, where Lily’s dad finally sees her. Not looks at her, but sees who she is, and how she’s the best in her field. It was very touching and started making up for the way he’d treated her.

There’s a little twist at the end, that while I liked it, I don’t feel it was necessary. It gave the book that “too easy” type of feel to it. Lily’s daughter is also Alfonso’s daughter, and he already loved the little girl when he thought she wasn’t his. I like how it tied in his earlier power of teleporting, and I like how it got Stephen out of the picture, I liked the twist! I just didn't think it was necessary, that's all.

I really enjoyed this latest installment in the Sweetblood series and I hope you guys will too.

http://www.demonloversbooksandmore.co...

[Francesca the Fierce (Under the Covers Book Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was posted at Under The Covers

This was such a turnaround, in my opinion, of the Sweetbloods series! I'm actually so excited! The book was amazing!!! I actually think my feelings on this have a lot to do with the fact that I liked the heroine, Lily, a lot. She was one of my 2 favorite characters from the first book, and I really felt for her then and now! And, well, Alfonso helped matters a lot. The sexy Spaniard with longish blond hair and piercing Paul Newman blue eyes with sexy dimples. What can I say? I'm sucker for a hot bad boy! And this one was so in love with Lily he was willing to sacrifice everything to keep her safe.

They have a history together, they were first together 10 years ago, before Alfonso turned bad boy for Pavlos. And neither one of them has been able to forget the other. When Alfonso comes in during book 1 as a secret informer so that they can bring down Pavlos and their sweetblood operation, they rekindled their romance. And the few, very brief moments we got then left me intrigued. But then Alfonso had to "fake" his own death, and Lily found out only to believe he didn't want anything else to do with her. Which has left her in a bad state. Her abilities are diminishing, she used to be the best Tracker, and now she has to rely more on the trainees with her.

But when the DarkBloods are kidnapping Trackers in order for them to find sweetbloods, Alfonso comes in to protect and guard Lily. Which she may have a bit of a problem with.

Lily is kick ass, independent, calls it as she sees it, and doesn't take shit from anyone. Alfonso is still head over heels in love with her, but having a blood assassin on his back trying to kill him, he decides to stay away from Lily to protect her.

There was so much happening in this one! Not only the trackers are being kidnapped and Alfonso has a blood assassin after him, but the DarkBloods are using a video game to promote a sort of "vampire feeding rave".

I enjoyed all the supporting stories as well, Jackson was amazing, I can't wait to read his book. Alfonso was adorable with Lily's daughter Zoe, and there's a wonderful twist there. But... what is up Dom's butt about his brother? I understand he played a part, involuntarily, in the death's of their parents, but I think he's been punished enough, and has tried to redeem himself. Give the guy a chance! In the end, see what a difference a book without MacKenzie can make!?!?!?!

I'm anxiously waiting the next installment in this series.

[Ollie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review by Ollie for bittenbyparanormalromance

Embrace by Blood is the second book in Laurie London's Sweetblood series that debuted earlier this year to rave reviews and once again does not disappoint readers.

The second book in the series starts off a year later and Alfonso Serrano is still a broken vampire in more ways then one. Not only physically trying to overcome an injury he thinks makes him weaker but also a broken heart that craves for forgiveness and love that he knows will never be within his reach.

This time the story revolves around Darkbloods trying to secure sweetblood in a plot to kidnap Agency trackers and forcing them to work for them in tracking sweetbloods. This of course leads to Alfonso getting involved to stop the plot and to protect the Agency's best tracker and the love of his life Lily.

The hot, sexual tension between Alfonso and Lily reaches a fever pitch at times as Alfonso denies himself the love that Lily offers. Being the tormented, heroic soul that he is he tries to keep Lily at a distance. Not only to protect her from the blood assassin that is hot on his trail, but also from a life he can't give her. What results is an exciting read full of mystery, intrigue and hot romance that makes your heart race and ache.

What makes this book another winner for Laurie London is her ability to create Alfonso into such a haunting character who is trying to redeem his soul even if it means in the end it might cost him everything in the process.

I loved Lily and her loving nature towards Alfonso. Her ability to look beyond the surface and to see the depth of Alfonso's compassion and devotion, even at times when he couldn't see it himself, made her a heroine that any reader could fall in love with and care.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys reading about tortured vampires and a sexy female vampire who strives to show that with acceptance and love anything is possible.

5 Stars

[Laurie Garrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://www.bittenbyparanormalromance....
Ollie's review below
Embrace by Blood is the second book in Laurie London's Sweetblood series that debuted earlier this year to rave reviews and once again does not disappoint readers.

The second book in the series starts off a year later and Alfonso Serrano is still a broken vampire in more ways then one. Not only physically trying overcome an injury he thinks makes him weaker but also a broken heart that craves for forgiveness and love that he knows will never be within his reach.

This time the story revolves around Darkbloods trying to secure sweetblood in a plot to kidnap an Agency trackers and forcing them to work for them in tracking sweetbloods. This of course leads to Alfonso getting involved to stop the plot and to protect the Agency's best tracker and the love of his life Lily.

The hot, sexual tension between Alfonso and Lily reaches a fever pitch at times as Alfonso denies himself the love that Lily offers. Being the tormented, heroic soul that he is he tries to keep Lily at a distance. Not only to protect her from blood assassin that is hot on trail, but also from a life he can't give her. What results is an exciting read full of mystery, intrigue and hot romance that makes your heart race and ache.

What makes this book another winner for Laurie London is her ability to create Alfonso into such a haunting character who is trying to redeem his soul even if it means in the end it might cost him everything in the process.

I loved Lily and her loving nature towards Alfonso. Her ability to look beyond the surface and to see the depth of Alfonso's compassion and devotion, even at times when he couldn't see it himself, made her a heroine that any reader could fall in love with and care.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys reading about tortured vampires and a sexy female vampire who strives to show that with acceptance and love anything is possible.

[Paraphrodite · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars.

Another ok listen. The change in narrator didn't distract so that's a good thing.

This is about Alfonso, the younger brother of Dom (hero from Book 1 Bonded by Blood) who was instrumental in getting their parents murdered by the "Overlord". In order to atone, he's been working undercover the last decade and helped in taking down the Overlord in the first book. However, this triggered a kill order by a Blood Assassin.

Lily is the Guardian who was Alfonso's handler while he was working undercover and they became lovers. What I had a hard time figuring was that during that time, just like his brother, Alfonso must have blown hot and cold as Lily managed to have a 8 yo daughter and been married and separated. But we saw a "close encounter" between them in the first book, which supposedly occurred just over a year or so ago. The timeline is a bit confusing. To me, Lily lets him back into her life too easily every time.

This is definitely a more romancy type of book, I didn't see much in world-building. Alfonso developed a new talent from sharing blood with Lily but apart from that, nothing much new.

[Jen Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

When we first met Alphonso in Bonded by Blood , he was introduced as the evil brother to our hero, Dom. But before the book was over, we found out that the he was really a double agent who worked inside the Darkblood organization, feeding information to the Guardians. We also discovered that's he had been having an affair with his Guardian contact Lily, who also happened to be a good friend of Dom's.

As Embraced by Blood begins, a year has passed. Alphonso has severed his relationship with Lily, although he is painfully aware that she is the love of his life. He knows that the Darkbloods will be hunting him for his betrayal and he doesn't want Lily caught in their crosshairs. Beyond that, he was badly hurt in the climax of the last book and he doesn't think he'll be able to defend her with the pervasive injury to his leg.

But now that he's learned the Darkbloods are hunting for a Guardian tracker to kidnap and convert to their cause, he puts himself back in Lily's orbit to make sure she is safe. As the book progresses, the two end up thrown together to foil the Darkbloods' latest plans to gain strength and abuse humans; while at the same time, trying to outrun the Blood Assassin that has targeted Alphonso.

It took me awhile to get into this book. Alphonso is trying to be noble and I get that. But a good deal of his misery is of his own making. He has chosen to keep the truth from her. And he isn't the only one who has suffered for it. It took a long time to get to anything that felt like progression in their relationship. Just a lot of unhappiness and regret. Of course, that does change eventually and that is where the book finds its legs. But it never really measured high on my sexual-tension-o-meter. Yes, of course, I wanted them together, but there was never a burning in my belly for it. Does that make any sense?

It was frustrating to see Dom's unwillingness to forgive his brother or believe in his goodness. And the resolution on that part of the story was a little abrupt. On the plus side, we have some well drawn secondary characters, like Jackson and Santiago; both of whom have their own books coming soon.

So the bottom line... I liked it ok. I'm pretty sure I liked the first one better, though. 3 1/2 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

[Laurielu Bona Fide Reflections · Rating 4 out of 5]

Embraced By Blood by Laurie London is a sweet vampire love story with good plot development that meshes well with the romance. Before this novel began, Alfonso Serrano was working as a double agent by joining the Darkbloods and working for the Guardians which, of course, was a highly guarded secret by the group he truly held his allegiance -- his family, friends and co-workers.

In this installment, Alfonso knows he is being pursued by a vengeful, deadly Darkblood assassin due to his past actions. He has managed to evade his enemy’s relentless pursuit and keep his love interest, Lily DeGraff, out of the assassin's cross-hairs. Lily is a smart, beautiful, sexy vampire who has the job of being the top Tracker with the Guardians.

As the plot blossoms, it becomes clear Darkbloods are seeking out Trackers to pursue special blood-typed humans known as Sweetbloods whose blood is addictive to vampires. By obtaining a tracker, it would be easier to find Sweet, potentially making the sale and disbursement of the blood more lucrative. When it is apparent Lily could be in danger, Alfonso steps back into her life to help keep her safe. Their re-union is bittersweet since both still have strong feelings for each other; but, they attempt to safeguard their true feelings from one another. However, the emotionally irresistible pull they have makes tamping down their true feeling nearly impossible.

This is the second book in the Sweetblood series; but, my first time to read this author and this series. In my honest opinion, this book read very smoothly and I did not feel like I missed out on any crucial points in the book due to not reading the first book, Bonded by Blood. I really liked the tentative friendship and love Lily and Alfonso are apparently rebuilding in this installment. The sexual tension between the two is enough to make the reader spontaneously combust. In addition, the sweetness of the love they feel for each other is truly touching.

Alfonso and Lily’s love story is a good example of how love can heal emotional wounds and make deeper in-roads into the heart once the healing starts. Their love for each other also makes it possible for Lily and Alfonso to find “home” in each others arms and hearts with a special bonus to strengthen their tie to each other. This is a wonderfully gratifying vampire love story driven by an action packed story arc that Paranormal Romance readers should not pass up.

Happy Reading from Bona Fide Reflections!!

[Edwina " I LoveBooks" "Deb" · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Embraced by Blood. It is bk2 in the Sweetblood series by Laurie London. We meet Alfonso Serrano the hero of the story in bk2 Bound by Blood. Alfonso has been a double agent for a century. He has infiltrated the Darkblood Alliance and risen to the top. All awhile passing important information to his long time lover and operative Lily DeGraff who we also, met in bk1. Lily has a daughter Zoe who was born after Alfonso left for Europe about 9yrs ago. Steven Zoe's father is irresponsible and a bit neglectful towards her. You will be wishing that Alfonso was her father as you read how wonderful he is toward Zoe. Hummm!! is all I am going to say on that matter.

The Darkblood Alliance knows that Alfonso is there traitor. Resulting in the death of there overlord Pavlos in bk1. The DB have sent a ORS/Order of Red Sword a blood assassin named Rejavik to hunt torture and kill Alfonso and anyone close to him.

Even after Alfonso tells Lilly that he doesn't really love her, a year later she is still in love with him. Alfonso is trying to protect Lilly from the Blood Assassin Rejavik. Lilly herself is one of the Guardians Lead and best Blood trackers. She can scent humans and vampires and track them. But lately her scents are off causing her to take longer then usual to track. Because of her diminished skills her young blood tracker trainee Kip is kidnapped and tortured by DB before she can find him. This is when her and Alfonso hook back up after a years separation.

The author Ms. London has expanded her Sweetblood Vampire series. She is creating a fascinating world of Vampires. Embraced by Blood will have you on the edge of your seat before your finish. London stories build slow and before you know it you are enthralled in a fast paced, action packed, sensual romance full of great surprises. I loved this story and all the characters in it. Especially Alfonso, Lilly and Zoe. I Highly Recommend The SweetBlood series by Laurie London.

[Crystal _ Reading Between the Wines Book Club · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another smashing read from author Laurie London, definitely a writer to add to your auto-buy list!

Embraced by Blood begins a year following Bonded by Blood where we found out that Dom’s brother, Alfonso Serrano, was not the evil Darkblood we thought but a double agent working undercover and having a secret affair with his agent contact, Lily DeGraff, which was broken off at the end of the book. But what they didn’t realize was that they were blood bonded, and there is no turning back from that.

London continues the unique and exciting world of the Sweetbloods with this second installment. The story flowed smoothly with captivating characters and an interesting plot that dealt with many different points; Lily & Alfonso re-discovering each other, the latest plot by the Darkbloods of capturing top Trackers, the riff between Alfonso and his brother Dom, Lily and her family, including her ex Steven, and some snippets of earlier characters that we are sure to see more of in the continuation of this series.

Being a paranormal romance, the main characters relationship is the main factor of the story. Lily and Alfonso are both protective of each other which sometimes works against them, and they are both unsure in their ability to be loved and this is the crux in their relationship development. It did move slowly at times and I guessed the big twist right away so that wasn't a surprise for me, but there was a heap of action and drama with plenty of sexy scenes to keep smutty gals like me happy. For me, the side character of Jackson really stole the show and I am really looking forward to his story.

Embraced by Blood is dark & gritty with a heavy dose of romance and a dash of humor. A must read for sure!

http://paranormalromanceaddict.blogsp...

[Stephine · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars


Alfonso Serrano has earned the wrath of the Darkbloods, vampires who want to openly prey on humans, and now an assassin has been sent to kill him. Wanting to keep all those he cares for safe, Alfonso distances himself from everyone. But when the woman he loves is threatened, nothing will keep him away from her side. Lily DeGraff is a tracker for the Guardians, vampires who protect humans and only feed when necessary. The Darkbloods are after her so she can track humans with the highly addictive Sweetblood. She's reluctant to accept Alfonso's protection because the last time they spoke he broke her heart but when the enemy strikes close to home, Lily and Alfonso will need to work together before they find themselves at the end of an assassin's blade.

Alfonso Serrano was once addicted to Sweetblood and because of his actions while under its influence and his involvement with the Darkbloods, he feels he doesn't deserve happiness or love. Having fed information about the Darkbloods to the Guardians, Alfonso has made himself a target of a ruthless assassin and uses this has an excuse to abandoned those who care for him. Alfonso is a hero with a dark past and memories that haunt him still. I'm a fan of the tortured hero as long as they don't spend time just feeling sorry for themselves. Alfonso recognizes and admits his mistakes without it feeling like he's having a pity part. He's strong, fierce, resourceful and intelligent and the only big issue I had with his character his how he kept things from Lily. He doesn't tell her what's going on and makes the decision to not be in her life for her. I didn't not like his character because of this but it definitely didn't work in his favor.

Lily DeGraff is a tracker for the Guardians. She's known for her good looks, tracking ability and being a black belt in krav maga. She's a confident woman and a good mother. I wasn't sure how much I'd like her character because in the previous book, I felt her character leaned heavily on her looks but I was happy see there was actual depth. With the disappearance of a new recruit, Lily starts the book off questioning herself but after spending time with Alfonso, she regains her confidence and her ability kicks into high gear. An enjoyable heroine all around and I especially liked when she stopped allowing Alfonso make the decision on if she will be in his life for her. I love a heroine who can take an alpha down a few pegs.

Aside from Lily and Alfonso's personal struggle, an assassin is after Alfonso. Else where, a Darkblood looks to improve her standing among her kind by kidnapping and using a tracer Guardian to find humans with Sweetblood to sale. I found the assassin to be every bit as frightening as others made him out to be but the final confrontation with him and Alfonso felt lacking for all the build up to it. The side story of the Sweetbloods showed how truly callous Darkbloods are but other than that, I found myself not really interested and thought these scenes slowed the pace of the book down. The highlight of Embraced By Darkness for me was the relationship between Lily and Alfonso and Alfonso learning to forgive himself.

In Bonded By Blood, the first book in the series, the hero and heroine were only compatible in bed. In Embraced By Blood, Lily and Alfonso compliment each other and help make the other person an even better character. Compared to his brother Dom, Alfonso is the more interesting and less typical alpha male. The pace of story had its times where it was slowed due the happenings with the Darkbloods and Sweetblood, but the chilling encounters with the assassin would quicken the pace to something more satisfying to read. With a bit of bloody action, a complicated relationship and an ending that's perfect for the genre, Embraced By Blood is one paranormal romance fans should enjoy.
-Stephanie

[Lori {Romancing the Dark Side} · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romancing the Dark Side Review:

Alfonso Serrano is a wanted man in a world where vampires are torn by two different agendas, Darkbloods, bloodthirsty predators and Guardians, the protectors of humanity. Leaving everything important to him behind, Alfonso has spent his time evading the Darkbloods who seek vengeance for his betrayal. As a Guardian with a special gift, Lily DeGraff is an asset to her team and a valuable asset for the Darkbloods as well. When Lily becomes just as wanted as Alfonso by the Darkbloods, he has no choice but to go after the woman he loves and sacrificed long ago. Their reunion will ignite long lost passions that will once again be threatened by the enemy.

I initially thought I'd be lost while reading the second book in a series but Embraced by Blood gives you enough back story and details to jump right into the story without feeling overwhelmed. This book has a solid story line with amazing characters and non-stop action. If you've ever read my reviews you know I adore an Alpha hero and this book gives you that and more. Alfonso is ever the Alpha and Lily is an Alpha heroine in her own right...it's great to have two equally strong characters with some of the best sexual tension I've read come together! The main characters in this paranormal romance already share a history, so all the courting and getting to know one another has already been established, giving you a deeper look into their relationship.

Alfonso is a great tortured hero who is willing to sacrifice his feelings to keep those he loves safe. It's very easy to connect with his character from the start and want him to ultimately have a happy ending. His loyalty and devotion are the two traits that make his character beautiful, yet haunting. What I admire most about Alfonso is his acknowledgement of his past errors and his ability to grow from them, he is a tortured soul but doesn't harp on that...he's determined to fight for what he believes in no matter the cost.

Lily is a fierce heroine who can hold a candle to any of her male Guardian trackers. Her strength and take charge attitude make her the perfect match for Alfonso. She also shows vulnerability when it comes to love and her daughter, which makes her character multi-faceted and realistic. Lily struggles with opening her heart up to Alfonso again, until she's faced with the possibility of losing him forever and decides to give into the only love she's ever known. Seeing a strong woman like her finally wear her heart on her sleeve is truly commendable if you ask me. There are scenes between Lily and Alfonso that are heartwarming and then there are scenes that are plain scorching...these two know how to heat things up!

Embraced by Blood is a fast paced paranormal romance combining mystery, suspense and romance in a fresh and creative vampire world. The supporting story lines keep the intrigue on high and the unexpected twists add some drama to the forbidden romance that encompasses this book. Your heart will be on an emotional roller coaster from chapter one and take you on an unbelievable ride you won't want to end. Laurie London has outdone herself with a new, smart and sexy vampire series. A must read for those who like their vampires dark, sweet and sexy!

{ebook courtesy of NetGalley for review}

[Megan Riverina Romantics · Rating 4 out of 5]

Embraced by Blood is the second full length novel in the Sweetblood series by the fantastic Laurie London. Embraced is a book about reunited lovers. It's about eternal love and embracing it with open arms. It's also about redemption. Though it can be read as a stand alone book I suggest that you read the first book in the series, Bonded by Blood, to fully understand the relationships and situations within the book.

Alfonso Serrano is a shell of a man. For years he had worked as a double agent for the Guardian's. A position that he had attained after he had started a relationship with the Darkbloods. A relationship that had resulted in the death of his parents, and hatred from his brother. When Alfonso finally managed to get clean of his Sweet addiction he started to work for the Guardians from deep within the Darkblood Alliance.

Lily DeGraff was a tracker for the Guardians. She was the best at what she did. She also had been assigned as Alfonso's handler when he came to work for the Guardians. They had gotten extremely close over the years and she had fallen in love with him. She was absolutely devastated when he broke it off with her but she managed to move on. When he showed up back in her life she wanted nothing to do with him. Unfortunately, she was ordered once again to work with him.

We first learn about Alfonso through his brother Dom's eyes in Bonded by Blood. Obviously that viewpoint painted a very negative picture of him. When at the end of Bonded we find out Alfonso's real role in the DB alliance, we see just how incorrect that picture was. We learn that Alfonso is truly a hero in the making.

Because Embraced is Alfonso's story we see things from his eyes. In it we see his remorse over his long ago actions as well as his more recent ones. We also find out that his addiction to Sweet was forced upon him. The reason why he broke things off with Lily becomes clear as well and let me tell you people, it was a good one.

Though Alfonso broke things off with Lily, they both clearly still longed for each other. Alfonso never stopped loving her and though she had moved on she still found herself attracted to him. Watching them both succumb to their desire to each other as well as the regrowth of trust was beautiful. It was also a treat to see the way that the DB's "recruited" their members. Learning about Alfonso's past only strengthened his bond with Lily IMO.

There was only one thing that didn't really thrill me about the book. As expected, Laurie London put a descent amount of action in the book. I had a hard time fully enjoying it though and I'm not sure why. Maybe it was my mood because the storyline was sound. The whole rave scene seemed short lived and somewhat sterile however.

The absolutely best thing about this is the HEA. It was extremely heartwarming. I loved how it wrapped up everything perfectly.

Make sure you don't miss this Sweetblood book. If you do you'll really be missing out!

[Mandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this series there are good and bad vampires. The good guys are with The Agency. The bad guys are with The Alliance. There are those who have Sweetblood running through their veins (most are unaware) that the bad Darkbloods thrive upon and the Agency is there to protect the innocents.

We are first introduced to Alfonso in Bonded by Blood, book one in the Sweetblood series. We learn that while he appears to be working with the Alliance, he was really there as a double agent. Although not everyone knows this, especially his brother Dom who has disowned him. But it is more complicated because to keep his cover, he had to take a blood oath, swearing loyalty to the Darkbloods. As part of that ritual, a little bit of his blood is held onto by a keeper, an assassin of sorts who can track him down if there is ever a need. Well, that time is now.

Alfonso fakes his death and is out of the Darkblood control, even cutting off contact with The Agency tracker, Lily. They had quite a love affair going, but once Alfonso left the Darkbloods, he fears that any contact with her will be cause for the assassin who is after him to do her harm. But now the Alliance is kidnapping trackers to use them for their own cruel methods. Although Alfonso and Lily have a huge distance between them, he can’t stand the thought of her being taken by the Alliance so he agrees to help.

I just don’t know how I feel about this book. I liked it, but it was slow and predictable. The kind of book where I read the last page and said – that was an okay book. Nothing to run to tell my friends about, but it was still a story I had an okay time reading. Alfonso has had a hard time with being inducted into the bad Alliance group, and although feeding information to the good guys, mentally he has to deal with the repercussions. He has lost loved ones because of this and is desperate to keep Lily safe, so he has stayed away from her. But he is even more desperate to be her bodyguard when he learns the Darkbloods are taking trackers. Their relationship comes pretty easy in this one. They do have a history – I think it would have been a little more fun if Alfonso had more demons, or more of a darker side that they had to work through before progressing with Lily.

Lily has troubles of her own because her tracker skills are waning. She feels it is the only way she can prove herself to others is by having excellent tracking skills and now they are not working and she doesn’t know why. I feel like this is a big set up in the book, but then nothing ever comes of it. I kept waiting for the big moment where this is addressed, but it never came.

The bad guy, is just mediocre for me too. I wanted him a little more evil. I also don’t fall for the new abilities that sprout up once there is a blood exchange between the hero and heroine. The same thing happened in the first book and it just feels like too easy of a fix when the action gets tough.

Jackson’s book is next and he has always been the more fun, silly character. I’m not sure if I will read his book. I think I will wait for other reviews before deciding whether to give it a shot.

Rating: C

[WildAboutBones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second in London's Sweetblood series. There are the good vampires (Guardians/Agency), the bad vampires (Darkbloods/Alliance), a former double agent, a Class A Tracker, a blood assassin, a planned night of bloodshed, non-stop action, a reconciliation and a love affair reunited in this sexy paranormal romance. London has made some very appealing additions/changes to the vampire mythos.

"Dangerously handsome", 6ft 4in, Alphonso, the male lead, is a former double agent and currently marked for assassination by a blood assassin. He's let pride and male ego get in the way and screw up his relationship with Lily which is why she is his ex. He still loves her and feels very protective of her even though he told her a year ago that he didn't love or want her.

Lily, the female lead and Guardian Agency Tracker, is experiencing issues with her tracking ability - her sense of smell is degrading. She tells herself she is over Alphonso but the sense of betrayal rides her hard. She thinks she was a fool to have let him make her love him. How could she have ever thought he felt something special for her?

They are teamed up, much to Lily's displeasure, when Kip, her Tracker trainee, is taken. Both of them are sexually frustrated to be working so closely again. Alphonso's body still wants her but he won't let himself have her out of some misplaced need to protect her. But he does have a very vivid imagination and he takes the reader along for the ride. (Whew! Is it getting hot in here or is it just me?) In reality, he has become the male equivalent of cocktease - he keeps initiating kissing and heavy petting only to back away. The only good thing for Lily is that being near him and having him touch her seems to be improving her olfactory problem.

The things Alphonso does ... if it weren't for his pride and male ego, he'd almost be the perfect guy but then we wouldn't have such a good story, would we? {grin}

This has some great lines in it. A vampire saying, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus." Priceless. And then there is this one, "Just because he had the ability to give her several mind-blowing orgasms in the length of time it took to brush her teeth, didn't mean she was going to fall for him again." Awe inspiring. {grin}

This was a great story. I haven't had a chance to read the first in this series as this is a new author for me. But it wasn't necessary to know what happened in the first book - this can be read as a stand alone. Fans of the paranormal romance, urban fantasy and vampire genres should run, not walk, to their favorite retailer to purchase and read this book.

Warning Spoiler Alert!!!!
There is a great scene where while Alphonso is still groggy from anesthesia, Lily climbs on top of him in his hospital bed for just what the doctor ordered - sex, blood and energy.
I love in this story that the gal gets to save the day.
And there is even a HEA ending.

[Shera (Book Whispers) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Posted at Book Whispers. Currently running a giveaway for one signed copy and trading cards.

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Review:
This second installment in the Sweetbloods series already had me captivated before I even picked up a copy. My two favorite characters from the first book where going to have a second chance at love! Alfonso is the true embodiment of bad boys, as he’s on the run from the Darkbloods he infiltrated and betrayed in the first book. My slutty gal pal Lily, who is a single mother, ends up on the run from Darkbloods because of her ability to sniff out Sweetbloods.

London effortlessly allows readers to find out where the good vs evil stands, and the love story, without dumping huge amounts of information all over the place. There’s good vampires (those who don’t kill humans) and bad vampires (AKA Darkblood radicals who kill-kill). Most humans are unaware of the vampires walking among them and the many battles fought over them. Sweetbloods are humans with “super” blood. It can make vampires stronger, and it’s allure is like crack.

Right up front I will say that this story was a bit more predictable then the first book—Bonded by Blood. The whole thing did feel a bit cookie cutter-ish. The romance between Lily and Alfonso getting there second chance at times had my inner cynic cringing at the ease of how things fell into place. Yet, the romantic in me couldn’t help but fall in love and enjoy the chemistry. What I did enjoy more then the first book is that both characters are vampires, so I felt like I got more dish on the creatures of the night then the first book.

This is one hot’n sexy vampire read! London takes the classic vampire into her own hands, making the world and mythology distinctly her own. Alfonso was well worth the wait, and I gladly crown him as the King of Bad Boys. Lily is a sexy and complicated leading lady who gets what she wants and can clearly take care of herself. Even if the plot was a little bit less then the first book Sweetblood fans will be very satisfied to have more of their favorite vampires. February 2012 can not come fast enough!!

Sexual Content: This book has plenty of steamy scenes and references to sex. There is a scene that takes place in a sex club.

Rating: 4/5- Great! Really enjoyed it

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in Laurie London’s Sweetblood series, and I have not yet read the first novel. However, this book easily stands on its own with just enough back story to pique my interest and whet my appetite for the first book so that I can find out the whole story of Alfonso’s older brother and enticing details of the events which caused the rift between them.

I genuinely liked Alfonso and found myself immensely sympathetic to his character. His protective instincts, especially where Lily and little Zoe are concerned, were occasionally somewhat caveman-ish, but still, caused my heart to do little flips, because he always considered their safety above his own needs and desires.

Lily and he are positively a perfect, romantic match. Each of them is made better by the love of the other…and isn’t that the way true love matches should be?

I loved the world-building that the author has crafted. I fell into her alternate reality and remained there; experiencing the same heart-ache, doubts, desires, travails and triumphs of the various, assorted characters as their stories were played out through the pages of the novel. This book was exciting and fun to read. I am looking forward to the next book, as well, which will feature Jackson, a rather jaded, lonely soul, who loves frosted brownies, and whom we caught fleeting glimpses of in this book. Laurie London’s vampires are strong and sexy, with cool powers. They inhabit a covertly dangerous world with unsuspecting humans where some blood types are particularly sweet. Are you an unsuspecting sweetblood?

Thank you, Harlequin and Netgalley for providing this book to me in return for my honest review.

Reviewed by Laurie-J

[Tofu Fairy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book via a giveaway on a blog quite a while ago and it has taken me a long time to finish it. I just could NOT get into it. I don't know why, but there was just something that kept making me put it down and read a different book. I did finally finish it last night. After I got about 2/3 thru the book, I wanted to finish it. I wanted to see how it ended. I think a lot of the issues I had stemmed from the fact that this was supposed to be a romance novel but it really focused more on action. There were very few sex scenes and the ones there were tended to be short. I prefer more sex mixed in with my action, so this book was a rather boring read at times. I don't think its the author's lack of good writing though, but rather a personal taste I have. The writing was fine and the story good. The character development was excellent. I think I will check out the first book in this series (this is #2 I believe) because references to it in this book piqued my interest. I am hoping I will like it more, but who knows. Worth a shot! I would recommend this to vampire fans and action fans but not to erotica fans, as there is just not enough sex in it to classify it as such.

[♫♥✿LovLivLife Reviews✿♥♫ (Chasity) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Bonded by Blood Alfonso is seen as the evil of the two brothers. While Dom was the swoon-worthy hero, Alfonso was painted with mistakes after mistakes. But there was something about him then and there is something about him now. His story definitely needed to be told.

L. London does a fantastic job building her characters. Alfonso is a multi-dimensional character. I enjoy characters like him because he knows what it is like on both sides of the grass. He is no where close to being a stale read, in fact, quite the opposite.

Romances brew in all sorts of ways depending on the Author. Embraced gives us a romance that has seen some of its heyday already. The main characters had dated in the past. Lily is hurt and doesn't trust Alfonso. Alfonso is trying hard to protect her by distancing himself. It's a great place to pick up from and read the rekindling of passion, love, trust and commitment. The ending does indeed have a surprise... is it good or bad? Wouldn't you like to know before hand?






http://www.lovlivlifereviews.com/2011...

[Esra · Rating 4 out of 5]

şimdi buraya duygularımı ifade eden bir gif eklemek isterdim ama iş yerimde photobucket yasaklanmış :X neyse

Serinin ilk kitabına nazaran daha ciddi duruşu olan bir kitaptı. Dom kıskançlıklarıyla bizi güldürmüştü , kardeşi alfonso'nun geçmişi gözönüne alındığında bu kadar zarar görmüş bir adamdan espirik şeyler normal olarak beklenmez. Yalnız beni bu tarz romanlarda rahatsız eden " onu korumak için ondan uzak durmalıyım" klişesinin yinelendiğini görüyoruz. Bir adamda çıksın hem severim hem korurum desin başımı taşlara vuracağım :D Bu tarz bir düşünce yapısı için sevdiceğinin kalbini kırmak bende okurken o karakterin kafasına şaplak indirme hissi doğuruyor :P
Yine ama yine diyeceğim nalinicim sen nasıl bir yazarsın ki micah gibi bir karakter yarattın. örnek alın ! :D:D

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Setting:
Bellingham Bay; Casa en las Colinas (House in the Hills);

Theme:
Love; protection; self forgiveness; enhanced powers;

Characters:

Darkblood Alliance vs Governing Council –
Darkbloods want to subjugate humans and rule the world, taking blood indiscriminately even to death of human, torture (silver, sun, sweetblood madness) vs Governing Council – to police the vampires, to eliminate the Darkbloods – with use of Guardians and Trackers.

Alfonso Serrano – old vampire; wild and rebellious in youth; fell in with the Darkbloods for the freedom of it, not the politics, but pushed into taking the Oath (which comes with a Blood promise – his blood to saturate a cloth, put in a box, and given to a trained tracker/assassin so that if one betrays the Alliance, they and their loved ones will be executed). He did not like what the Alliance was doing, tried to get out… and was tortured, and a sweetblood human he cared for was brought to him when the hunger was high and he drained her… and his family rejected him as they saw him addicted to sweetblood. Then he began to work as a double agent, providing information to the Council – with Lily as his handler the last dozen years. And passion flared between them hot and high. He participated in the death of the Overlord, and took advantage of it looking like he died in the same fire… but when he realized the Blood Assassin was after him, he told Lily (by phone) that he could not be with her (leading her to believe he wasn’t in love with her). He has been hiding, laying false tracks, and is building a recreation of his home from the old world – perhaps to gain his brother’s belief that those things did have meaning for him. He hurt his knee and is not at 100%.

Dom and MacKenzie –
His brother will not talk with him, even after learning of his double agent status, but he always inquired after him to others … and his lifemate MacKenzie has a relationship with Alfonso, and is trying to encourage her husband to take another look. Because of their enhanced power, now that MacKenzie is changed and his lifemate, Dom can become smoke and move around.

Lily DeGraff – The best Tracker – she can catch a hint of a smell and track it down. She is also a champion martial arts performer and teacher. Her parents married for expediency and pushing her into the same (with Steven – especially when she came up pregnant by him)… but when he cheats on her, and his lifestyle is too loose for her she leaves… tries it a 2nd time with him after Alfonso breaks it off… but realizes she can’t do that. Her daughter stays with her parents on the protected reservation when she is working. She is training other Trackers in the field, but her own senses are fuzzy, kinda hit and miss.

Zoe –
her daughter, strong willed and stubborn as her mother… learning to play piano, and has a recital coming up. Alfonso came to her before he broke up with her in the middle of the night (he teleported, but was too drunk to remember)… then she started in with Steve, and thought that Zoe was Steven’s daughter… but in fact, she is Alfonso’s daughter.

Kip Castile –
Lily’s trainee… after they successfully locate a sweetblood and save her, she decides to walk back and he takes her car… and is kidnapped (they were looking to take Lily). It takes Lily and Alfonso 2 nights to find him, and he almost had taken the life of a sweetblood, but she stops him in time. Alfonso is able to give him the moral support he needs to recover – and at least he wasn’t with them long enough to form an addiction.

Jackson –
A guardian – edgy – seems to be close to blood lust – but sublimates with sex… he is there to help them, and I suspect he is the next book.

Steven Hastings –
Lily’s lover & thought to be her daughter’s father… he is an accountant, bored with his job, envious of the excitement of the Guardian’s life (as he tells Alfonso in the steam room), but he isn’t really brave enough to really do that… a spoiled boy.

Christoph Rejavik – Blood assassin, Order of the Red Sword. Came after Alfonso once… and is after him again…. And figures out that Lily is important to him.

Ventra Capelli – Trying to prove herself to the Alliance by developing new recruitment & sweetblood extraction protocols. She is recruiting through a bloody vampire online game… and inviting prospectives to an island off Oregan for a festival (along with humans for them to feed from) and to auction off sweetbloods for a fee, and winner claims the sweetblood in a glass room for all to see, and she wants to snag Lily – a Guardian tracker, make her dependent on sweetblood and to do their will, and locate more sweetbloods for them to exploit.

Region Commander Tristan Santiago – has full faith in Alfonso, knowing his full story and his role as double agent, and wants him as a Guardian, in spite of resistance from his brother.

Summary:

On a college campus, where Alfonso has gone for his monthly mouthful of blood, he comes across 2 Darkbloods – and before killing them finds out that a big recruiting bonanza is in coming via the video game and that they are looking to take a Tracker. Alfonso reports it to Santiago, and decides he needs to keep an eye on Lily. When her partner is taken, he partners up with her to locate him – not trusting her safety to anyone else. They dance the dance of ‘you hurt me’, ‘I can’t go another minute without touching you’, ‘what does he/she really feel?’, ‘I can’t keep my hands (and lips) off of her’ game… he eases her, and her abilities strengthen… he can’t imagine being without her, though with the assassin, he won’t risk her. He finally tells her the truth (afraid it will scare her away forever, hopeful that she can still love him – guess which one she takes).
They rescue Kip, take him to his house for the day, then to the complex for her mother’s treatment… her mother regenerates Alfonso’s knee… he agrees to go after the Darkblood’s party… They get there… Christof is there… he leaves in a helicopter but leaves a picture of Lily and Zoe – he makes sure Zoe is safe (teleports), goes back to Lily to tell her to go somewhere safe while he deals with Christof , he teleports out, Lily gets a team together – and Dom joins her with MacKenzie pushing him – she tracks Christof, he has captured and is torturing Alfonso… Dom is the first one in (with his smoke/transport ability)… and rescue Alfonso – and killing Cristof.

It ends with Dom & Mac’s baby’s christening, and Lily, Alfonso, and Zoe invited up to be the godparents – his brother embraces him. ahhhh

Memorable scenes:
Alfonso and Zoe – she is practicing piano while waiting for mom, and Alfonso overhears her, and she is making the same mistake over and over… he goes to her and gently instructs her, builds her confidence, and gives her the pendant Lily had given him to give her luck. When he realizes the Blood Assassin knows about Zoe, his body simply teleports to her (something he couldn’t do before – but due to bond with Lily)… in the middle of her recital – so he is there to compliment her – and then insure her and her grandparent’s go into hiding.

[Sharon Ryder Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wish some covers to books also come showing the charactors, i know some do try but the cover i thought is way off.. That sometimes puts me off reading the book. This one had me wondering about things that did not seem to make sense after reading a couple of the other books in the series, i wish some times that books were clearly labeled number one in a series of five....as what i read in another book makes me question things... so i go over and read it again to make sure i understand it and not think i am going completely mad. (does that make sense?). Probably not.. Well i read it as Mackenzie and Dominic were both in Australia? But only Dominic was i found out later in the book...(one of my moments of confusion)..
Any way i would of loved a better start, maybe how they met each other? might be in the other books i have not read as of yet? Any how, slow start to much tracking information that dragged on, then it starts to get to a dark plot that does not last long enough for me, i wanted more! And Ventra, where did she go?
Not much of a fight at the end but Lily kicked ass when she killed the blood assassin... Go girl!

[Emmanuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Forget sparkly vampires, Laurie London’s Sweetblood series serves them dark, dangerous, and impossible to resist. Embraced By Blood is the kind of romance that grabs you by the fangs (pun intended) and refuses to let go.

Alfonso? Equal parts swoon-worthy and trouble. Lily? Strong, fierce, and not afraid to throw shade at a vampire when necessary. Their chemistry? Let’s just say if tension could power the Pacific Northwest, Seattle would never see a blackout.

It’s sexy, suspenseful, and has just the right amount of danger to make you wonder if you should be reading it alone at night.

10/10 would recommend, Laurie London knows how to bite into a story and make it unforgettable."

[Jennifer Florax · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish it was longer.

[Lizbeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

An underrated title. If you like The Black Dagger Brotherhood series by JR Ward, you may want to check this one out. It has action, adventure and romance. A little something for everyone

[Sami Zboray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series just keeps getting better! Love lily and Alfonso’s story! So much detail! Glad he’s finally free and who doesn’t love a family that’s able to reconnect!
2.5-3 🌶️

[Kati · Rating 4 out of 5]

***This review can be originally found at Romancing Rakes***


Shhh...don't tell Vicky Dreiling that I might be dropping Hawk for Alfonso as my new book boyfriend. There's so much I want to say but I can't be giving you guys spoilers! For everyone who has read BONDED BY BLOOD, you know that Alfonso had turned to the Dark Side centuries ago and this upset his brother, Dominic. For a long time, he did horrible, unspeakable things. He even caused the death of his parents, of which his brother wouldn't forgive him. Only spoiler I'll give you (for those who haven't read the first book) is: Alfonso was a double agent. He helped take down the Overlord and everyone believed he died in the fight.

This book picks up a year later. He has decided to atone for his mistakes, starting with recreating the villa in which his family lived in Spain. He still has a thing for Lily and surprise! Lily feels the same.

Top 5 Things I Liked About This Book:

1. Alfonso Serrano- He's been on the run since helping the Guardians take down the Overlord Pavlos. After taking the Blood Oath centuries ago, this allowed him into the inner circle and along with the Oath, came the blood assassin. Should he betray the Alliance, his blood assassin would be activated, and activated he was. Alfonso is broken physically and mentally. He's had to live with the knowledge that his past actions have hurt many people including Lily. He thought he could just silently look after Lily and not get involved. Again. Boy was he wrong!

2. Lily DeGraff- Lily is a Tracker and recently she's been having issues with her ability. Once one of the best Trackers in the Agency, she's unable to latch on to scent trails quickly and is disgusted with herself. She is scared to let anyone know because she feels everyone will think less of her. Her father is an elite member of the Council and so many in the Agency thought she got the job through familial connections. She has a little girl whom she loves very much. Zoe is her world. Her ex, Stephen, is a jerk and doesn't seem to care much for Zoe. She still has feelings for Alfonso and is determined to keep them at bay. Because of the lessening of her ability, her trainee is abducted and tortured.

3. Second Chances- I am a sucker for second chance stories. They say third times that charm, but second chances are worth the wait and the road to HEA is paved with redemption and forgiveness.

4. San Diego and Seattle- I may have fan girled out a little when San Diego was mentioned. There's quite a few familiar places in this book which sort of makes it feel realistic. I mean, could the guy living next door to me be a Guardian? Or the cute guy that comes into Starbucks every morning, could he be a Tracker? Could the smelly place near the beach be a Darkblood hideout? Maybe Kurt, the guy from the MMA Gym is as funny as Jackson? Oh, only a girl can imagine.

5. Jackson and Santiago- Two for the price of one. I'm so glad Jackson gets his own book next. He's a funny, if slightly blockheaded guy, and seems to steal the scenes he's in with a bawdy joke or a quick remark that would put a smile on anyone's face. He's a wall of solid muscle and loves his food. Get in his way and you might loose a finger or two. He's harboring a secret though and I can't wait to find out what it is. Santiago is the Region Commander and he's the guy to avoid. He's got a temper as hot as the fireworks on the Fourth of July, cusses like a sailor (perhaps a curse jar is in order-someone would make a lot of money off of him) and he knows everything about everyone. Even when Alfonso divulged his deepest, darkest secret, Santiago didn't flinch. He's the one to look out for. There's got to be an interesting backstory to this guy.

Favorite Quote: "We hang out now, have fun. You tell me about the women you date, and I try to keep them all straight. I'm afraid you've become more like the little brother I never had. A little brother with giant muscles. Jeez, what are you feeding these things?" (***quote subject to change in finished copy of book***)

Overall: I really enjoyed this second book in the Sweetblood's series. I cannot wait to see what Ms. London has in store for us readers. I'm looking forward to how Jackson gets his HEA and if Santiago finally finds someone who can reign in his temper and potty mouth. This is a laugh out loud, heart tugging, unputdownable read. For the past 2 days, it became my Sangre Dulce. It called to me, wanting me to dive in and see if old friends from BONDED BY BLOOD surfaced, and if Alfonso receives his much deserved road to redemption with a HEA. Ms. London did NOT disappoint. Oh, and be on the lookout for the gasp worthy moment or two at the end of the book. Got your attention, haven't I? Seriously. You need to get your copy today.


***I requested this book from NetGalley***

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can also see this review at Reflections on Reading Romance


I’m always looking for new authors who write about vampires, and it was exciting to receive a copy of Ms. London’s Embraced by Blood for review from the publisher via NetGalley. I’ve since seen the book on sale at Barnes & Noble and Walmart, and I’ve got to say the cover is a bit off-putting, which is a shame, because this is an enjoyable read. I’d hate for anyone to pass over the book because of aesthetics. Embraced by Blood is the second novel in Laurie London’s Sweetblood series, although there is also a novella, “Hidden by Blood,” between the two, and it’s currently available for free for the Kindle. Embraced by Blood features a spurned lover and a former double agent, and is a romance about redemption, one of my favorite tropes. However, while I enjoyed the characters and the story, overall it felt a little flat to me.

Alfonso Serrano was a double agent for centuries, secretly working for the vampire Guardians who protect humans while he pretended to be one of the vicious DarkBloods. In his youth Alfonso rebelled against his straight-laced Guardian Council father and ended up addicted to Sweetblood, the most addictive and prized human blood type. After overcoming his addiction, he pretended to maintain his DarkBlood inclinations in order to provide the Guardians with vital inside information. His Guardian handler was Tracker Lily DeGraff, with whom he maintained an on-again, off-again affair. At the beginning of the novel we learn that he staged his own death to escape the DarkBloods and then rejected Lily, since he knows that his Blood Assassin will be hunting him and endangering everyone he cares for. When Alfonso learns that the DarkBloods are organizing through an online role-playing game called Hollow Grave and that they are targeting Guardian Trackers, he re-enters Lily’s life to protect her and her daughter, Zoe. The heroine Lily is one of the Guardians’ most talented Trackers, able to follow individual blood scents like no other, but her abilities have been failing her lately. Lily’s been training a new Tracker and blames herself for her trainee’s abduction because her waning abilities didn’t warn her of the danger following them. Losing her tracking abilities is akin to losing her identity, and this couldn’t be a worse time for her former lover Alfonso to return. The two have to work together to find her trainee and stop the DarkBloods’ attacks on humans, all while avoiding Alfonso’s DarkBlood Assassin.

The characters of this vampire romance are what sell this book for me. I’m a sucker for a redemption story, and this one appeals on two fronts. Alfonso has labored for years in secret, trying to redeem himself for his misspent youth. Also, his rejection of Lily was an attempt to protect her from his past. His work with the Guardians against the DarkBloods more than make up for his past, and it’s clear that Lily and Alfonso’s love affair has only grown deeper through adversity.

I enjoyed the action, liked the characters, and thought the romance was at times touching and at others sizzling. So why did this fall flat for me? After I read the book the first time, my reaction was, “Meh.” So I read it a second time, because I couldn’t put my finger on why I didn’t like the book more. It wasn’t until I picked up a favorite of mine after re-reading Embraced by Blood that I figured it out. The problem is definitely the pace of the narrative. There were times when the novel just seemed to drag, especially at the beginning, when Alfonso was pondering his past and his relationship with Lily. The same happened with Lily, when she would think about her past. Whenever the characters would engage in interior monologues, the tempo of the narrative would get bogged down, which led to my mind wandering.

The book was an enjoyable read, just not an outstanding one. Despite the problems in pacing, I felt that the other aspects of the novel did work for me, so I’ll definitely give Ms. London’s other work a chance.

[Jody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alfonso Serrano has done many bad things in his life, but has been trying to put all that behind him and make amends for past deeds. One action he took, under the guise of protecting someone he loved, was to break-up with Lily DeGraff. With a blood assassin on his tail, he wanted Lily as far away as possible. He's lived his life in isolation until the day he re-enters Lily's life when the assassin gets too close. Lily was heartbroken when Alfonso left her. She tried to find happiness elsewhere, but the only good thing that came of it was her daughter. The kidnapping of her new trainee brings her and Alfonso back together and the passion that never went away. Will both of them put past hurts and misunderstandings behind them to form a new life or will outside forces end their lives before they can even begin?

In this second installment in the Sweetblood series, Alfonso is back and still trying to make amends for his time as a double agent and the hurt that caused those around him. He's isolated and trying to stay one step ahead of the assassin sent after him for his betrayal of the Darkbloods who are now using modern technology to find their prey and increase their numbers. It was disheartening seeing even his own brother still harbor anger towards him over his duplicity and other Guardian's uncertainty around him. After the tortures he went through you'd think that would be enough for redemption. He's lonely though and scared that the assassin chasing him will go after his former love Lily. He misses her desperately and the peace she brought him but getting too close will endanger her. He's left no choice but to go to her when her trainee is taken instead of her for her scent-tracking abilities. He's desperate to take care of her but very much respects her abilities and strength in defending herself. He treats her as an equal which makes him very likable and what I look for in my heroes. He's a strong character even with the limp left to him after a previous fight. He hates his own weakness, but never complains. Over and over, and in subtle ways, he shows what it is to be a hero.

Lily has always been referred to by her looks and her important lineage but wants to let her scent-tracking be what she's known for. She's a strong woman who can easily take care of herself and interacts realistically with her co-workers. She's extremely likable and seeing her struggles make her very relatable. Just when she's made a name for herself her abilities unexpectedly weaken which is a blow to her self-esteem. It's the same thing Alfonso's experiencing with his knee injury and forms a connection between them. Seeing them lean on each other and draw strength from one another is very romantic and attests to the power of their relationship.

There are quite a few villains in the story and each of them are very unique and add an interesting dimension to the story. Some get what they deserve and one's story is still not resolved after turning the last page. I'm sure we'll see more from this character and he'll be causing even bigger problems. Along with the distinctive villains comes an intriguing set of heroic secondary characters who have me excited for future installments of the series. The one that stands out for me is Jackson, the surfer-boy sex machine with an abundance of humor that seems to be losing control by needing more blood and energy to stay sane. I'm worried for him at the same time as drooling over him. His story can't come soon enough!

Having not read the previous book in this series I worried that I'd feel lost. That wasn't the case at all because of a seamless introduction to the world of the Guardians and their villains and the history of these particular characters. The world Ms. London created is an exciting one with lots of action and a group of entertaining characters whose stories I look forward to reading. Fans of the vampire genre as well as those looking for heart pounding action and heart-wrenching romance will want to jump on board this exciting roller coaster of a series.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review posted at: Happily Ever After - Reads

3.5/5 - Who doesn’t love a tortured hero!? Alfonso Serrano is convinced that his past won’t allow him to dream about a future. He was living a double life as a spy, feeding information to the good guys, the Governing Council, while having to pledge his allegiance to the bad guys, the Darkbloods, which included a blood oath. The oath bound him to the Darkbloods in such a way that if he was ever caught betraying them or their cause the blood oath would be activated and an assassin would track him until he’s eliminated. And no one gets in their way. This double life and all its implications estranged him from his family, including his brother Dominic (BONDED BY BLOOD) and the woman he’s loved for 10 years, Lily DeGraff.

Lily, a mother to her young daughter Zoe, is a top tracker for the Council, though when we first meet her, that tracking ability is going downhill fast. As a tracker, she’s able to pick out scents to find pretty much anyone she needs to for the case she’s working on. The story opens up with Lily and her trainee partner, Kip, working a case. It’s been getting harder and harder for Lily to track, her ability not at all as sharp as it used to be. But since she’s kept this knowledge to herself, she’s still on the most wanted list of a band of vampires who are gathering people with Sweet blood types (an addictive form of blood to vampires) – they need a tracker to use to find the Sweet – and they want Lily. Alfonso gets intel about this and heads to Lily’s side to protect her, whether she wants him there or not.

Alfonso and Lily’s relationship started 10 years ago, and in an effort to keep her safe when his double life was uncovered, Alfonso ended their relationship, breaking Lily’s heart and leaving her wondering what went wrong. Lily had often wondered if their relationship held a deeper connection for them, and with sharing blood, certain new abilities show themselves (check out Dom’s book for examples of that!) and when Lily and Alfonso start spending more time together, the impact on her tracking ability alters as well. I loved seeing them come back together, especially for Alfonso’s sake. He fights it, wanting only to keep Lily safe, but she’s a tough one, both in her job and with Alfonso, and wears him down. Alfonso comes to realize what he could have, once the threats around him and his loved ones are taken care of.

Being with Lily defined who he was. She made him want to strip away the shield, the hard exterior he’d lived with for so long, and discover who he was inside. He wasn’t a killer, a traitor or an Agent. He was simply a man looking for a home, and he knew he could find it with her.


The two supporting characters that stood out most to me were Jackson and Zoe. Jackson’s book is up next, and we had a nice hint about what issues he’s dealing with.He comes across as almost an energy/sex/blood addict, but there’s obviously a lot more to him and I can’t wait to learn more. Lily’s daughter Zoe plays a very small role in the book and I would have liked to have had a few more scenes with her, especially between Lily and Zoe. Taking up page time to fill out Zoe’s role wasn’t necessary to the overall story, but things are revealed and it would have been nice to have a little more with her prior to the final quarter of the book.

But this is Lily and Alfonso’s story, and while everything around them gives them reasons to stay apart, including a final showdown with the enemies and Alfonso's assassin, they don’t let it stop them from trying to fight for a future together.

I give EMBRACED BY BLOOD 3.5 stars, it’s a solid story with characters that I enjoyed getting to know and it’s a book I had no intention of reading in one sitting, but that’s exactly what happened. The pacing was great and kept me fully in the story from start to finish.

[ellen klebart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the story it had action romance adventure it kept you interested and compelled you to see what was going to happen next