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The Youngbloods #2
Dead of Night
True love . . . and an undying obsession
Catlyn Youngblood has a secret life. Despite being a natural-born vampire hunter like her two older brothers, Cat has fallen for Jesse--an ageless boy from a centuries-old vampire clan.
Cat's job cataloguing rare, mystical texts at a bookstore allows her to meet with Jesse alone every evening. But when girls who look disturbingly similar to Cat start disappearing from town, Cat and Jesse discover frightening clues to their whereabouts within the book collection. Together, they must stop a crazed man from realizing his dark scheme-- one that would claim Cat's life.
312 pages, Paperback
First published July 8, 2012
9 people are currently reading
503 people want to read
About the author
Lynn Viehl
54 books986 followersAlso see S.L. Viehl, Gena Hale, Jessica Hall. Rebecca Kelly.
She writes mostly novels in a variety of genres and under several pseudonyms. Among them are science fiction (as S. L. Viehl), romantic fiction (as Lynn Viehl, Gena Hale, and Jessica Hall), and Christian fiction (as Rebecca Kelly). She has described herself as primarily a writer of romance: no matter what genre she is working in, an element of romance will always be present.
In what spare time remains she enjoys quilting, reading, cooking, painting, and knitting. She currently lives with her family in Florida.
She writes mostly novels in a variety of genres and under several pseudonyms. Among them are science fiction (as S. L. Viehl), romantic fiction (as Lynn Viehl, Gena Hale, and Jessica Hall), and Christian fiction (as Rebecca Kelly). She has described herself as primarily a writer of romance: no matter what genre she is working in, an element of romance will always be present.
In what spare time remains she enjoys quilting, reading, cooking, painting, and knitting. She currently lives with her family in Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
March 12, 2012
*This ARC was provided to me by the publisher. No money or gifts were exchanged for this review.
I want to make it clear that, all in all, this is not a bad book - so much as it's simply not a good book.
Dead of Night is continuation of the forbidden romance between Jesse, an almost vampire, and Catlyn, an almost Van Helsing. And the problem is that this story is almost readable - but like it's two main characters, it just can't seem to go all the way.
I'll try to give an example of what I mean.
"Jesse did even better than that; he set up a table and two chairs behind the back bookcases where we could work without being seen from the front of the shop. Then he carried out the first bin and began unloading it. I rolled up my sleeves and got started on the first tally sheet of the collection.
After he set down the first stack of books, he leaned over and gently touched the abrasion across the back of my wrist. "You hurt yourself.""
Look, you can't find too much technically wrong with the above writing. But, like the vast majority of this book, it's dry! It's bare, it's flavorless - bland. There is no flare, no spark and no passion.
Not between the characters, not in the writing, not in the plot or narrative.
There is nothing technically wrong with Viehl's novel. There's just not very much right about it either.
I want to make it clear that, all in all, this is not a bad book - so much as it's simply not a good book.
Dead of Night is continuation of the forbidden romance between Jesse, an almost vampire, and Catlyn, an almost Van Helsing. And the problem is that this story is almost readable - but like it's two main characters, it just can't seem to go all the way.
I'll try to give an example of what I mean.
"Jesse did even better than that; he set up a table and two chairs behind the back bookcases where we could work without being seen from the front of the shop. Then he carried out the first bin and began unloading it. I rolled up my sleeves and got started on the first tally sheet of the collection.
After he set down the first stack of books, he leaned over and gently touched the abrasion across the back of my wrist. "You hurt yourself.""
Look, you can't find too much technically wrong with the above writing. But, like the vast majority of this book, it's dry! It's bare, it's flavorless - bland. There is no flare, no spark and no passion.
Not between the characters, not in the writing, not in the plot or narrative.
There is nothing technically wrong with Viehl's novel. There's just not very much right about it either.
December 23, 2012
Somehow, Cat starts her first day at school again, only it is two months later. And this time, it all goes a lot better than the first time, and she can actually enjoy it. Until she sees Jesse again, and suddenly remembers everything that has happened before. She is furious with her brothers for messing with her head, again, and with the whole town this time! Everyone has forgotten two months of their lives, the good and bad things that happened. So she will have to pretend to be happy carefree Cat and meet Jesse in secret again. Getting a holiday job at the local bookstore is perfect for that. A few hours of work, and a few hours of being together with Jesse. He shows her the secret tunnels beneath the village, where he has his workroom and safe place to hide when dawn catches him.
A little bit more freedom from her overprotective brothers.
But girls are disappearing from their town, girls who look a lot like Cat. Is someone looking for her? And then she meets a girl who escaped the brainwash, and still remembers everything that happened. Kari is totally willing to help them be together, and provide some cover up. Because Cat is determined to find those missing girls, and safe them. Even though her brothers want her to keep out of it, and be safe inside the house. Locked up in her room if necessary. Cat knows she can find them, she knows what she can do and how to protect herself. But she gives them the slip, and sets out with Jesse. And in the end, her bond with Jesse is the only thing that saves her from the old lunatic.
There is also a subplot with one of their horses, a pregnant Arabian mare, but I did not really understand the ending of that. Why or how everything was suddenly solved.
I really enjoyed this second book in the series as well, and blazed through it. It did not have all the errors the first book had. I still like Cat, she has no choice but to lie to and hide from her brothers, they would just wipe her memories again if they get the chance. But they finally tell her everything that happened, and explained their actions. It made sense, but did not make it right in my mind. Jesse is also a great character, never pushing their relationship, just accepting what time they can be together, and getting to know each other, and their families past. I liked him.
But her brothers, well, lets just say I am very glad not to have brothers myself, if they all act like that.
So the book ended kind of happy, and then a postcard arrived on the very last page, and now I totally need the third book! I want to find out what will happen!
8 stars
Full review on my blog, www.boeklogboek.blogspot.com
A little bit more freedom from her overprotective brothers.
But girls are disappearing from their town, girls who look a lot like Cat. Is someone looking for her? And then she meets a girl who escaped the brainwash, and still remembers everything that happened. Kari is totally willing to help them be together, and provide some cover up. Because Cat is determined to find those missing girls, and safe them. Even though her brothers want her to keep out of it, and be safe inside the house. Locked up in her room if necessary. Cat knows she can find them, she knows what she can do and how to protect herself. But she gives them the slip, and sets out with Jesse. And in the end, her bond with Jesse is the only thing that saves her from the old lunatic.
There is also a subplot with one of their horses, a pregnant Arabian mare, but I did not really understand the ending of that. Why or how everything was suddenly solved.
I really enjoyed this second book in the series as well, and blazed through it. It did not have all the errors the first book had. I still like Cat, she has no choice but to lie to and hide from her brothers, they would just wipe her memories again if they get the chance. But they finally tell her everything that happened, and explained their actions. It made sense, but did not make it right in my mind. Jesse is also a great character, never pushing their relationship, just accepting what time they can be together, and getting to know each other, and their families past. I liked him.
But her brothers, well, lets just say I am very glad not to have brothers myself, if they all act like that.
So the book ended kind of happy, and then a postcard arrived on the very last page, and now I totally need the third book! I want to find out what will happen!
8 stars
© 2012 Reviews by Aurian
Full review on my blog, www.boeklogboek.blogspot.com
August 16, 2022
I think the ability Trick has to override memories has a big flaw if he is trying to apply it to an entire town. There are visiting football teams that aren't going to forget that Gray played football instead of Aaron. It is also pretty horrible to actually take someone's memory. To claim love for someone and betray that part of the mind is pretty despicable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2020
Well it left it open for a third book...so where is it I need it🤔🧐💯???!!!
July 9, 2012
Dead of Night by Lynn Viehl is a young adult novel set for release on July 8 2012. It is also the second book in the Youngbloods series, the first book is After Midnight, which I have not read. I somehow missed the fact that it was a part of a series until I started reading, but I was quickly up to speed. Catlyn Youngblood has vampire blood and the blood of vampire hunters, or Van Helsings, running through her veins. Her unique heritage gives her many gifts, like the ability to draw cats to her side when she needs help. Her older brothers are extremely protective and have their own secrets, concerns, and gifts. Her brothers do not think that she remembers what happened in After Midnight, mainly falling in love with Jesse and the fact that her oldest brother has the ability to alter memories. In Dead of Night Cat gets a job cataloging the inventory of the town's bookstore, and a collection of rare books left to the owner when a local recluse dies. Meanwhile, someone is kidnapping girls from town that bear a striking resemblance to Cat, and the family's new mare is still very skittish and ready to foal. Can Cat and Jesse find the missing girls and stop the kidnapper while keeping their relationship from their families?
Dead of Night does not have oodles of romance, though there is significant how huge their love is and the problems that their relationship causes. I think the majority of the love story is in After Midnight. Catlyn is a strong female character, determined to stand on her own two feet rather than waiting for others to fix her life. Although there are a few times where she puts herself in danger, it is not done in a careless fashion, she goes in eyes wide open rather than just jumping in to situations without planning. Jesse is a complex character, despite some revelations into his inner life, I do not feel like we got to see very much of him or come to understand him much more through this storyline.
Cat's brothers, Patrick and Grayson (or Trick and Gray) are complex characters in their own right. They each have their own challenges and obviously love their little sister, in fact it is that love that causes them to make very painful decisions. Despite all the paranormal or mystical aspects to their lives, and the world they live in, the have a very believable and heart-felt relationship. As someone who has a big brother of her own, although none of the gifts Cat possesses, I am well versed in the love hate relationship between big brothers and little sisters. It rings true in the story. The only brother related thing that bothered me happened only because I was reading an ARC, and I expect the problem to have been fixed by final publication. There were a couple spots in the text where Gray was called Grim. At first I thought it was a joke about his attitude, but think it was an auto correct or spell check glitch instead.
I typically dislike starting a series anywhere other than with book one. However, sometimes I get a little trigger happy on NetGalley and request books that are part of a series I do not know. Thankfully, Dead of Night is written well, giving new readers the information needed to understand what is going on, without giving away everything that happened in the first book. I am interested enough if what came before to go and read the first book, knowing that although I know the final outcome there will be surprises on the way. That makes me like Dead of Night even more.
I recommend Dead of Night to readers that like new twists on vampire legend, enjoy paranormal or urban fantasy, or are coming back to the paranormal genre after burning out. Readers that enjoy mysteries as much as their paranormal plot lines will particularly enjoy this book. Although, I do suggest breaking from my example and reading the first book, After Midnight, first. I am hoping to pick up a copy and fill my knowledge gaps as soon as possible. I also plan on getting my hands on Dark of Heart, a novella about two of the secondary characters in the series which takes place in the same time frame as After Midnight.
Dead of Night does not have oodles of romance, though there is significant how huge their love is and the problems that their relationship causes. I think the majority of the love story is in After Midnight. Catlyn is a strong female character, determined to stand on her own two feet rather than waiting for others to fix her life. Although there are a few times where she puts herself in danger, it is not done in a careless fashion, she goes in eyes wide open rather than just jumping in to situations without planning. Jesse is a complex character, despite some revelations into his inner life, I do not feel like we got to see very much of him or come to understand him much more through this storyline.
Cat's brothers, Patrick and Grayson (or Trick and Gray) are complex characters in their own right. They each have their own challenges and obviously love their little sister, in fact it is that love that causes them to make very painful decisions. Despite all the paranormal or mystical aspects to their lives, and the world they live in, the have a very believable and heart-felt relationship. As someone who has a big brother of her own, although none of the gifts Cat possesses, I am well versed in the love hate relationship between big brothers and little sisters. It rings true in the story. The only brother related thing that bothered me happened only because I was reading an ARC, and I expect the problem to have been fixed by final publication. There were a couple spots in the text where Gray was called Grim. At first I thought it was a joke about his attitude, but think it was an auto correct or spell check glitch instead.
I typically dislike starting a series anywhere other than with book one. However, sometimes I get a little trigger happy on NetGalley and request books that are part of a series I do not know. Thankfully, Dead of Night is written well, giving new readers the information needed to understand what is going on, without giving away everything that happened in the first book. I am interested enough if what came before to go and read the first book, knowing that although I know the final outcome there will be surprises on the way. That makes me like Dead of Night even more.
I recommend Dead of Night to readers that like new twists on vampire legend, enjoy paranormal or urban fantasy, or are coming back to the paranormal genre after burning out. Readers that enjoy mysteries as much as their paranormal plot lines will particularly enjoy this book. Although, I do suggest breaking from my example and reading the first book, After Midnight, first. I am hoping to pick up a copy and fill my knowledge gaps as soon as possible. I also plan on getting my hands on Dark of Heart, a novella about two of the secondary characters in the series which takes place in the same time frame as After Midnight.
April 25, 2013
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.
Quick & Dirty: While I had some problems with the family and romance dynamics, all in all it’s a predictable plot with unique (if sometimes unlikable) characters.
Opening Sentence: Most people have two lives.
The Review:
Remember Van Helsing? Well, turns out dusting vampires is a family business of sorts — kind of like the Italian Mob. You don’t get to leave the family business, yet somehow that’s exactly what the Youngbloods have managed to do. Staying one step ahead of vampires and their extended family, the Youngbloods are living in secret in Lost Lake.
And Cat’s living super secret. Lying to her brothers about remembering a solid two months of her life — everything from the first day of school to that fateful Halloween in After Midnight — Cat’s spending this holiday season trying to make her relationship with Jesse work and her brothers from wiping her memories again. Jesse’s parents, the wealthy Ravens of Lost Lake, don’t want a Van Helsing and their son together any more than her brothers do, which might be the only thing they’ll ever agree on.
In this novel, the plot’s rather simple, which makes sense because it’s a rather short book. Girls who look like Cat are going missing from Lost Lake. While she and Jesse are pretty certain they know who’s behind it, they can’t figure out the why or the where. If they want any chance at finding those girls alive, they need to work fast — and they’ll probably need her still-mysterious Van Helsing skills to do it. (And the ending—ah, suspense! Yet not a cliffhanger…)
I love the Van Helsing concept, but the way Viehl introduces it only at moments of convenience is really off-putting. The Youngbloods have a family dynamic that at times is forced, most of the time is cliché, and the rest of the time is spot on. They banter, they made me laugh, but sometimes I didn’t believe them and wanted to chuck my nook at the wall. They were over-protective to such an extreme that I couldn’t believe Cat wouldn’t be mad or annoyed about it. As individual characters I loved Grayson and Patrick — but as brothers? I didn’t like them.
Cat and Jesse’s relationship is healthier than most YA relationships I’ve read recently, but it felt shallow. They love each other to the moon and back, but I couldn’t figure out why. I’m a huge romance junkie, but it’s as if once they got together, Viehl decided to stop their relationship from changing, growing, or doing anything except letting our hero and heroine say they love each other. The same is true for their character development. Cat is a strong, kick-ass heroine who’s not afraid to go after the bad guy — but we know that already from the first book in the Youngbloods series. I had hoped to see more character growth.
Let’s take a moment to judge a book by its cover: Jesse looks like one of the Greased Lightning gang and Cat looks…like a cat. The fact is, nothing about this book is stellar. If you read the first of the series, this one’s a short, easy read, but as a whole I don’t recommend the series. There are other, stronger paranormal YAs out there.
Notable Scene:
A blur rushed at me from one side, and as I saw the hands reaching for my neck something hot and angry billowed up inside me. I brought up my arm and knocked away the hands before I grabbed my attacker’s upper arms and shoved as hard as I could.
Mrs. Johnson went down on her backside and slid four feet down the sidewalk. She scrambled back up and shrieked, “Where is Sunny? Tell me!”
“I don’t know.” As she came at me again, I made a gliding movement to one side, circling around her. How I did that, I didn’t know—my body was calling the shots, not me. “Mrs. Johnson, please, stop.”
She turned around, panting now. “I’ll make you tell me.” Her hands curled into fists. “I’ll beat it out of you.”
FTC Advisory: Llewellyn provided me with a copy of Dead of Night. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: While I had some problems with the family and romance dynamics, all in all it’s a predictable plot with unique (if sometimes unlikable) characters.
Opening Sentence: Most people have two lives.
The Review:
Remember Van Helsing? Well, turns out dusting vampires is a family business of sorts — kind of like the Italian Mob. You don’t get to leave the family business, yet somehow that’s exactly what the Youngbloods have managed to do. Staying one step ahead of vampires and their extended family, the Youngbloods are living in secret in Lost Lake.
And Cat’s living super secret. Lying to her brothers about remembering a solid two months of her life — everything from the first day of school to that fateful Halloween in After Midnight — Cat’s spending this holiday season trying to make her relationship with Jesse work and her brothers from wiping her memories again. Jesse’s parents, the wealthy Ravens of Lost Lake, don’t want a Van Helsing and their son together any more than her brothers do, which might be the only thing they’ll ever agree on.
In this novel, the plot’s rather simple, which makes sense because it’s a rather short book. Girls who look like Cat are going missing from Lost Lake. While she and Jesse are pretty certain they know who’s behind it, they can’t figure out the why or the where. If they want any chance at finding those girls alive, they need to work fast — and they’ll probably need her still-mysterious Van Helsing skills to do it. (And the ending—ah, suspense! Yet not a cliffhanger…)
I love the Van Helsing concept, but the way Viehl introduces it only at moments of convenience is really off-putting. The Youngbloods have a family dynamic that at times is forced, most of the time is cliché, and the rest of the time is spot on. They banter, they made me laugh, but sometimes I didn’t believe them and wanted to chuck my nook at the wall. They were over-protective to such an extreme that I couldn’t believe Cat wouldn’t be mad or annoyed about it. As individual characters I loved Grayson and Patrick — but as brothers? I didn’t like them.
Cat and Jesse’s relationship is healthier than most YA relationships I’ve read recently, but it felt shallow. They love each other to the moon and back, but I couldn’t figure out why. I’m a huge romance junkie, but it’s as if once they got together, Viehl decided to stop their relationship from changing, growing, or doing anything except letting our hero and heroine say they love each other. The same is true for their character development. Cat is a strong, kick-ass heroine who’s not afraid to go after the bad guy — but we know that already from the first book in the Youngbloods series. I had hoped to see more character growth.
Let’s take a moment to judge a book by its cover: Jesse looks like one of the Greased Lightning gang and Cat looks…like a cat. The fact is, nothing about this book is stellar. If you read the first of the series, this one’s a short, easy read, but as a whole I don’t recommend the series. There are other, stronger paranormal YAs out there.
Notable Scene:
A blur rushed at me from one side, and as I saw the hands reaching for my neck something hot and angry billowed up inside me. I brought up my arm and knocked away the hands before I grabbed my attacker’s upper arms and shoved as hard as I could.
Mrs. Johnson went down on her backside and slid four feet down the sidewalk. She scrambled back up and shrieked, “Where is Sunny? Tell me!”
“I don’t know.” As she came at me again, I made a gliding movement to one side, circling around her. How I did that, I didn’t know—my body was calling the shots, not me. “Mrs. Johnson, please, stop.”
She turned around, panting now. “I’ll make you tell me.” Her hands curled into fists. “I’ll beat it out of you.”
FTC Advisory: Llewellyn provided me with a copy of Dead of Night. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
April 4, 2012
Hopefully you read Book 1, After Midnight and are familiar with Catlyn Youngblood and her 2 older brothers Patrick and Grayson, as well as Jesse Raven and his parents.
Background info
Cat and her brothers are descendants of the famous vampire hunter clan Van Helsing. They are orphans, but their older brother Trick has taken responsibility for raising Cat and Gray. Cat and her brothers live and work on their ranch raising horses.
Jesse Raven, the never aging teenage boy, is few pints of blood away from becoming full fledged vampire, like his parents. They can't go into the sunlight, they have lived for a really long time. In fact, they own most of the lost lake land. The families are against Cat and Jesse because she is a natural born vampire hunter and he is a vampire. But Cat and Jesse were determined to be together and it almost them their lives.
Trick, the typical big brother, sees nothing but disaster waiting to happen. So he does all he can to separate Cat, the vampire hunter and Jesse, the almost vampire.
At the end of book 1, Trick erases Cat’s memories of her boyfriend Jesse because he feels it would be best for all involved.
This Book starts with Cat going about her daily life as though the last few months never happened. She goes out of her way to prove to her brothers that she is responsible and doesn’t need their constant supervision. She does all her chores, she goes to school and she comes home to prepare dinner.
Everything is very normal except for one thing. Cat is hiding a big secret. Trick’s memory erasure didn’t work on Cat. She didn’t forget Jesse, their love nor the dramatic events of the past few months. She is only pretending so that Trick doesn’t make them move away from Jesse. Cat is just trying to bide her time before she figures out the next move for her and Jesse, because she is unwilling to lose him.
One of the plans they come up with, is for Cat to get a job away from the ranch. So Cat gets a job at the local library and there, she secretly meets Jesse. But it isn’t safe in their town because someone has kidnapped 3 young girls. While no one knows why, the one thing that connects all the missing girls is that they resemble Cat.
One day, while working in the library, Cat and Jesse stumble on a book collection that provides clues as to kidnapper. As well as what the kidnapper wants. Cat and Jesse set out to solve this mystery in order to keep Cat safe.
This book was definitely a YA. It was lacked the real dramatic romantic pull that would make an adult anxious to see what happened. While I could see that Jesse and Cat were definitely in love, I just didn’t feel invested in their relationship. It was so Romeo and Juliet-ish, but without the emotion pull.
I have read 8 books by Lynn Viehl and I am usually so engrossed in the narrative. This one was quite bland for me. Maybe because it was YA, but it lacked the angst that make love stories so juicy. It barely kept my interest. I would recommend it as a light YA read.
**Book received from Netgalley**
Background info
Cat and her brothers are descendants of the famous vampire hunter clan Van Helsing. They are orphans, but their older brother Trick has taken responsibility for raising Cat and Gray. Cat and her brothers live and work on their ranch raising horses.
Jesse Raven, the never aging teenage boy, is few pints of blood away from becoming full fledged vampire, like his parents. They can't go into the sunlight, they have lived for a really long time. In fact, they own most of the lost lake land. The families are against Cat and Jesse because she is a natural born vampire hunter and he is a vampire. But Cat and Jesse were determined to be together and it almost them their lives.
Trick, the typical big brother, sees nothing but disaster waiting to happen. So he does all he can to separate Cat, the vampire hunter and Jesse, the almost vampire.
At the end of book 1, Trick erases Cat’s memories of her boyfriend Jesse because he feels it would be best for all involved.
This Book starts with Cat going about her daily life as though the last few months never happened. She goes out of her way to prove to her brothers that she is responsible and doesn’t need their constant supervision. She does all her chores, she goes to school and she comes home to prepare dinner.
Everything is very normal except for one thing. Cat is hiding a big secret. Trick’s memory erasure didn’t work on Cat. She didn’t forget Jesse, their love nor the dramatic events of the past few months. She is only pretending so that Trick doesn’t make them move away from Jesse. Cat is just trying to bide her time before she figures out the next move for her and Jesse, because she is unwilling to lose him.
One of the plans they come up with, is for Cat to get a job away from the ranch. So Cat gets a job at the local library and there, she secretly meets Jesse. But it isn’t safe in their town because someone has kidnapped 3 young girls. While no one knows why, the one thing that connects all the missing girls is that they resemble Cat.
One day, while working in the library, Cat and Jesse stumble on a book collection that provides clues as to kidnapper. As well as what the kidnapper wants. Cat and Jesse set out to solve this mystery in order to keep Cat safe.
This book was definitely a YA. It was lacked the real dramatic romantic pull that would make an adult anxious to see what happened. While I could see that Jesse and Cat were definitely in love, I just didn’t feel invested in their relationship. It was so Romeo and Juliet-ish, but without the emotion pull.
I have read 8 books by Lynn Viehl and I am usually so engrossed in the narrative. This one was quite bland for me. Maybe because it was YA, but it lacked the angst that make love stories so juicy. It barely kept my interest. I would recommend it as a light YA read.
**Book received from Netgalley**
October 9, 2012
Cat is a strong, independent female lead. A descendant of the Van Helsings with vampire blood in her, Cat is a natural-born vampire killer and lives with her two brothers Trick and Gray. Despite being a vampire killer, however, she lives in hiding with her brothers, as it was their parents' dying wish that they avoid the fate of their ancestors. However, Cat is in love with an almost vampire: Jesse. Cat is wild and rebellious. She hasn't had decades to get through the hot-headed teenage years. While I admire the decisiveness with which Cat makes decisions, she tends to come off as reckless. She dives into situations without considering the consequences to herself. If she does, she brushes them off and does what her moral conscience tells her to do. She also tends to get into a lot of fights with her brothers, as much as she loves them sometimes. Their biggest source of conflict is vampires, specifically one called Jesse.
I love how Cat calls Jesse "my dark boy." It's a great way to help the reader remember Jesse's general appearance; more importantly, it's a sweet, albeit possessive description that shows just how much of Cat's heart and soul belongs to Jesse. (That came off a bit creepy, but it's true!) Jesse is by far my favorite character. While he's a pretty static character and is mostly in the book as a support for Cat, that is also why I like him. He is a sweet guy, there for Cat when she needs him, and protective in a kind but not overbearing way. That's the guy you can introduce to your parents (while conveniently neglecting to mention that he's immortal and pints away from becoming a full vampire).
It took me a while to get into the story, some of it being Cat but mostly because I hadn't read book one. Nevertheless, the story is so compelling and absorbing that I found myself wrapped up in the plot about halfway through the book. I love the mystery behind the disappearing girls. It had me on the edge of a mental seat guessing at what was happening and how Cat would resolve the various problems that popped up. Cat never really loses her rebellious ways; however, she does come to terms with her Van Helsing abilities and reaches somewhat of a truce with her brothers that involved some blackmailing, which I didn't approve of. I don't know what kind of peace can be formed with blackmailing, though it may have been required to encourage Trick to reach a compromise instead of using his abilities to solve all his problems.
Just when you think peace has come, however, Viehl delivers a surprise at the end that promises a third book with more adventure. I enjoyed this book overall and am looking forward to seeing what else she has in store for us!
--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog Imaginary Reads.
I love how Cat calls Jesse "my dark boy." It's a great way to help the reader remember Jesse's general appearance; more importantly, it's a sweet, albeit possessive description that shows just how much of Cat's heart and soul belongs to Jesse. (That came off a bit creepy, but it's true!) Jesse is by far my favorite character. While he's a pretty static character and is mostly in the book as a support for Cat, that is also why I like him. He is a sweet guy, there for Cat when she needs him, and protective in a kind but not overbearing way. That's the guy you can introduce to your parents (while conveniently neglecting to mention that he's immortal and pints away from becoming a full vampire).
It took me a while to get into the story, some of it being Cat but mostly because I hadn't read book one. Nevertheless, the story is so compelling and absorbing that I found myself wrapped up in the plot about halfway through the book. I love the mystery behind the disappearing girls. It had me on the edge of a mental seat guessing at what was happening and how Cat would resolve the various problems that popped up. Cat never really loses her rebellious ways; however, she does come to terms with her Van Helsing abilities and reaches somewhat of a truce with her brothers that involved some blackmailing, which I didn't approve of. I don't know what kind of peace can be formed with blackmailing, though it may have been required to encourage Trick to reach a compromise instead of using his abilities to solve all his problems.
Just when you think peace has come, however, Viehl delivers a surprise at the end that promises a third book with more adventure. I enjoyed this book overall and am looking forward to seeing what else she has in store for us!
--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog Imaginary Reads.
August 13, 2012
NOTE: I received this title from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
When I requested Dead of Night, I had no idea that it was the second installment in a series. Then I started reading it, and was still in the dark up till page fifty something, when it finally clicked. I considered dropping the book, since I had no idea what happened in the previous one, but then decided to go on and see if it was finishable.
Turns out it was. I not only finished it with no difficulty understanding any previous events, but I also enjoyed it. The story was interesting, though a bit too slow paced to my liking, and I can say with a hand over my heart that it deserved my rating.
Sure, it had its moments that brought it down from the five stars. Like the fact that there was no action at all. None. Zero. And I don't know why that was since it was a vamp novel and all. The story evolved waaaay too slowly to reach the culmination point, and then when it did reach it, it wasn't all that captivating. And last, but not least, the romance held no passion.
Let me expand a little on that last part. Nobody expects teenagers in love to be cool and lacking passion. One or two brief kisses from time to time seem so unrealistic to me, that I can't even register the concept in my head. Seriously, there was nothing beyond "and he kissed my forehead", or "he gave me a breathless kiss". SHOW, DON'T TELL. I want to see and feel exactly how breathless that kiss was. I want to feel brainwashed by it, you know? The kisses are the sweet parts in any YA romance, and unfortunately this one lacked in this department.
Still though, I liked the story, so my rating stands.
About the characters:
Catlyn was the story teller. We were in her head, so we knew exactly what was going on inside of her. She was a likeable character, though when the grand moment came, her abilities weren't shown. I honestly expected to see some cat action, but alas!, there was none. What sort of bothered me about her was that she was constantly angry with her brothers. True, they had their reasons for being overprotective, but hey, with no parents in the picture and all the loose vamps, I think they were right to be so.
Jesse was the most dispassionate boy-in-love whom I've ever read about. I didn't witness one single loving look, didn't feel any vibe from him at all. Sure, he was nice and all, but that's as much as I can say about him.
Trick, Cat's oldest brother, was a real pain in the butt. He messed with people's minds however he saw convenient. And he was so overprotective, I honestly wanted to slap him. But he was also cute about it.
Same goes for Grayson, the other brother.
So, to sum it up, Dead of Night has great potential, but sadly it wasn't developed to reach it. The story was intriguing, but other parts were missing - like real passionate teenage love and some much-needed action.
I do recommend it, but I can't bet my head that you'd like it. Happy reading ya'll!
When I requested Dead of Night, I had no idea that it was the second installment in a series. Then I started reading it, and was still in the dark up till page fifty something, when it finally clicked. I considered dropping the book, since I had no idea what happened in the previous one, but then decided to go on and see if it was finishable.
Turns out it was. I not only finished it with no difficulty understanding any previous events, but I also enjoyed it. The story was interesting, though a bit too slow paced to my liking, and I can say with a hand over my heart that it deserved my rating.
Sure, it had its moments that brought it down from the five stars. Like the fact that there was no action at all. None. Zero. And I don't know why that was since it was a vamp novel and all. The story evolved waaaay too slowly to reach the culmination point, and then when it did reach it, it wasn't all that captivating. And last, but not least, the romance held no passion.
Let me expand a little on that last part. Nobody expects teenagers in love to be cool and lacking passion. One or two brief kisses from time to time seem so unrealistic to me, that I can't even register the concept in my head. Seriously, there was nothing beyond "and he kissed my forehead", or "he gave me a breathless kiss". SHOW, DON'T TELL. I want to see and feel exactly how breathless that kiss was. I want to feel brainwashed by it, you know? The kisses are the sweet parts in any YA romance, and unfortunately this one lacked in this department.
Still though, I liked the story, so my rating stands.
About the characters:
Catlyn was the story teller. We were in her head, so we knew exactly what was going on inside of her. She was a likeable character, though when the grand moment came, her abilities weren't shown. I honestly expected to see some cat action, but alas!, there was none. What sort of bothered me about her was that she was constantly angry with her brothers. True, they had their reasons for being overprotective, but hey, with no parents in the picture and all the loose vamps, I think they were right to be so.
Jesse was the most dispassionate boy-in-love whom I've ever read about. I didn't witness one single loving look, didn't feel any vibe from him at all. Sure, he was nice and all, but that's as much as I can say about him.
Trick, Cat's oldest brother, was a real pain in the butt. He messed with people's minds however he saw convenient. And he was so overprotective, I honestly wanted to slap him. But he was also cute about it.
Same goes for Grayson, the other brother.
So, to sum it up, Dead of Night has great potential, but sadly it wasn't developed to reach it. The story was intriguing, but other parts were missing - like real passionate teenage love and some much-needed action.
I do recommend it, but I can't bet my head that you'd like it. Happy reading ya'll!
May 23, 2012
Catlyn Youngblood only recently moved to Lost Lake with her brothers, Trick and Gray, but the last few months have been eventful. Cat found out that she is descended from Van Helsing and has special powers that allow her to hunt vampires - including some vampire blood in her family tree. But that's the last thing she wants to do after falling in love with Jesse Raven, a mysterious teenage boy who along with his parents, doesn't age. He is almost a vampire but not quite. After Trick tries to make her forget the last few months and Jesse altogether with his mind control abilities, Cat plays along so she'll be free from suspicion and able to see Jesse in secret again. To help this idea along, Cat gets a holday job cataloguing a rare, occult book collection of the town's recently deceased recluse. But then girls begin disappearing from town under mysterious circumstances - girls who look almost exactly like Cat. Is she going to be next? What does the mysterious kidnapper hope to gain and how sinister can circumstances get before someone is almost lost forever? This book was a good follow-up to the first of the series. I enjoy the idea of Van Helsing's descendants and their supernatural powers. Cat is just an average girl with a good family life and awesome brothers (even if it is sans parents) and this highly appeals to me. I loved the subplot with the out of control horse, Rika, but even I (totally horse uneducated) could get what her problem was. It took them way too long to figure that one out. The whole 'deranged and on a quest for immortality' thing wasn't exactly new, but it was still entertaining. Cat gets some more revelations about her powers and family history in this book. My main complaint would be the lackluster romance between Cat and Jesse. They verge on Edward/Bella, with the main difference being I like Cat and Jesses as individuals - they're just not that great together. Their relationship is pretty boring and vanilla, because those are the traits they bring out in each other. The rating for this book probably would have been a star lower, if not for Viehl's jaw-dropping, wall-punching cliffhanger. It's something that was present at the end of the first book too. I can't wait to see where it leads. I would recommend this to readers who were intrigued by the first book. Don't bypass it, or else you probably won't be sucked in at all to the plot and overall character shenanigans.
VERDICT: 4/5 Stars
*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is July 8th, 2012.*
VERDICT: 4/5 Stars
*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is July 8th, 2012.*
June 17, 2012
This story is a contemporary take on the Romeo and Juliet story. Catlyn Youngblood is a descendant of the Van Helsing family though her mother apparently ran away with a vampire leaving her Van Helsing family behind. Her parents are both dead now and she and her brothers have been on the move ever since. Her guardian is her older brother Patrick (Trick) who has been working with computers until he decided to come to Florida and start a horse breeding business. Her other brother Gray is nearer her age but still older. Catlyn is almost sixteen.
One day (in book 1) when Cat was riding her horse at night she met a boy. Jesse Raven was older and mysterious and they fell in love. But Jesse is almost a vampire. He and his family were killed by a vampire and given the vampire's blood. They have the advantages of vampires - long life, fast reflexes, good night vision - and some of the disadvantages too like an inability to go out in the sun but they haven't become vampires themselves. Neither family wants their child involved with the other.
This story begins after some sort of climactic episode at the Halloween dance that resulted in Trick wiping the minds of most of the town. He tried to wipe Cat's memory but it didn't work. She hates and resents her brothers for their decision to wipe her memory but she hasn't told them it didn't work. She is still seeing Jesse in secret.
Now a new problem has come to the town. Someone is kidnapping young girls and it doesn't take Cat long to realize that the girls are all similar in appearance to her. To earn some Christmas money and help out her family, Cat gets a job in a bookstore doing inventory and cataloging a collection left when an old recluse died. She and Jesse use her time in the bookstore to be together. They also discover that the old recluse knew about Jesse's family but drew the wrong conclusion from his observations. Jesse and Cat have to find the girls because they feel responsible for their kidnapping.
Cat learns more about her past in this story and more about her powers. Trick can wipe out memories; Gray can track vampires; and Cat can call felines to her. She feels that she was shorted on the cool powers front. She also learns that she can see the past when she touches blood and uses it to help find the kidnapped girls.
This was an exciting romance about two young people who won't be separated and will do anything to be together. Young romantics will really enjoy this one.
One day (in book 1) when Cat was riding her horse at night she met a boy. Jesse Raven was older and mysterious and they fell in love. But Jesse is almost a vampire. He and his family were killed by a vampire and given the vampire's blood. They have the advantages of vampires - long life, fast reflexes, good night vision - and some of the disadvantages too like an inability to go out in the sun but they haven't become vampires themselves. Neither family wants their child involved with the other.
This story begins after some sort of climactic episode at the Halloween dance that resulted in Trick wiping the minds of most of the town. He tried to wipe Cat's memory but it didn't work. She hates and resents her brothers for their decision to wipe her memory but she hasn't told them it didn't work. She is still seeing Jesse in secret.
Now a new problem has come to the town. Someone is kidnapping young girls and it doesn't take Cat long to realize that the girls are all similar in appearance to her. To earn some Christmas money and help out her family, Cat gets a job in a bookstore doing inventory and cataloging a collection left when an old recluse died. She and Jesse use her time in the bookstore to be together. They also discover that the old recluse knew about Jesse's family but drew the wrong conclusion from his observations. Jesse and Cat have to find the girls because they feel responsible for their kidnapping.
Cat learns more about her past in this story and more about her powers. Trick can wipe out memories; Gray can track vampires; and Cat can call felines to her. She feels that she was shorted on the cool powers front. She also learns that she can see the past when she touches blood and uses it to help find the kidnapped girls.
This was an exciting romance about two young people who won't be separated and will do anything to be together. Young romantics will really enjoy this one.
June 7, 2012
This review first appeared here on My Life is a Notebook. A copy of this book was received from NetGalley for review.
Now, if you don’t know this already, I can’t stand when books don’t have a lot of action. It’s just a personal preference. I need to constantly get moving or I get bored.
For the first half of this book, I was really bored.
Don’t get me wrong, the mythology that was being explored was fascinating and the potential for action was great, but it just didn’t have it. The writing didn’t hook me either, so–in the words of a Goodreads update–I was reading along going “hum-dee-dum.” I kept waiting for something to happen with all the ticking time bombs that were clearly lying around–really, ANYTHING to happen. But it took about halfway through the book for the pace to pick up.
Actually, maybe it was sooner, but I couldn’t tell. I’ll be honest, the pick up in pace kinda snuck up on me. It was very subtle, though to be honest it was action so much as things finally started to be figured out and the plot started coming together. The pace got faster and faster towards the end of the book, but action was still mostly absent. It was more suspense then anything else. Since I’m an action girl this wasn’t particularly my style, but by the end of the book I was liking it a lot more.
However, the end continued to have issues. Since it is near the end I can’t explain, but there were some logically inconsistencies that popped up that were serious plot points … but didn’t make sense. The book is told in first person, and some serious misuse of that point of view happened here. In first person, you can’t explain a scene and then go back and say, “Whoops here’s what I was ACTUALLY doing” later on. It doesn’t work like that, at least not well, but it happened multiple times towards the very end.
All in all, I liked Dead of Night. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t dislike it either. However, it lacked fast pacing for two long and was too devoid of action for me to really fall in love with it. The ending left an opening for a very action packed next book, so that ought to be interesting if that’s the road Viehl chooses to take with it. This book clearly had that potential, but it just didn’t go all the way.
Now, if you don’t know this already, I can’t stand when books don’t have a lot of action. It’s just a personal preference. I need to constantly get moving or I get bored.
For the first half of this book, I was really bored.
Don’t get me wrong, the mythology that was being explored was fascinating and the potential for action was great, but it just didn’t have it. The writing didn’t hook me either, so–in the words of a Goodreads update–I was reading along going “hum-dee-dum.” I kept waiting for something to happen with all the ticking time bombs that were clearly lying around–really, ANYTHING to happen. But it took about halfway through the book for the pace to pick up.
Actually, maybe it was sooner, but I couldn’t tell. I’ll be honest, the pick up in pace kinda snuck up on me. It was very subtle, though to be honest it was action so much as things finally started to be figured out and the plot started coming together. The pace got faster and faster towards the end of the book, but action was still mostly absent. It was more suspense then anything else. Since I’m an action girl this wasn’t particularly my style, but by the end of the book I was liking it a lot more.
However, the end continued to have issues. Since it is near the end I can’t explain, but there were some logically inconsistencies that popped up that were serious plot points … but didn’t make sense. The book is told in first person, and some serious misuse of that point of view happened here. In first person, you can’t explain a scene and then go back and say, “Whoops here’s what I was ACTUALLY doing” later on. It doesn’t work like that, at least not well, but it happened multiple times towards the very end.
All in all, I liked Dead of Night. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t dislike it either. However, it lacked fast pacing for two long and was too devoid of action for me to really fall in love with it. The ending left an opening for a very action packed next book, so that ought to be interesting if that’s the road Viehl chooses to take with it. This book clearly had that potential, but it just didn’t go all the way.
August 13, 2012
Uh it was okay. My biggest complaint in this book...is the why the heck is Jesse still being told what to do by his parents? He's over a century old! Who would want to be stuck being a teenager and having to live like one for the rest of their life. Actually being told what they can and cannot do...regardless of if you love your parents or not; I'm sure after 100 years anyone would want some independence. Uh, and be granted it. So I am baffled as to why his parents had so much influence in these books. Is it so that he didn't seem so creepy to be dating a 15 year old girl while he is older than even her grandparents? Because if that was your goal, Lynn, you failed. He was still creepy.
Cat is an idiot of a character in this book especially. Any one else would have been furious with anyone, let alone your brother who you are supposed to trust with your life--literally, tampering with your memories. And what does Cat do? She gets upset on the inside. And then tries to take it out on the poor Sheriff. She even thinks she is clever by being blatantly disrespectful and condescending while trying her hand at blackmail. But still she is like a dud of a firecracker when it comes to her brothers and the atrocious things that they have done. I was not in the least bit satisfied with how that was handled. Nor was I happy with the fact that Patrick tells her she can either be mind swiped, or she can break it off with Jesse... Really? That is the most stupid argument arrangement I have ever read, I think. There was no real reason for them to have an issue with Jesse after the first book. I thought this book was rather pointless. And the whole vampire freak out with the old man...that was thrown right in your face..like IT'S ME! IT'S ME!...Not sure why you took so long to finally let Cat understand who it was. I was hoping that maybe the old man had been hanging around the barn and that was what was causing Rika to freak out the way she was...but no, there was no real reason behind that whole thing which annoyed me greatly because it was a big part of this book. Was there supposed to be another one? Because I won't be reading it.
Cat is an idiot of a character in this book especially. Any one else would have been furious with anyone, let alone your brother who you are supposed to trust with your life--literally, tampering with your memories. And what does Cat do? She gets upset on the inside. And then tries to take it out on the poor Sheriff. She even thinks she is clever by being blatantly disrespectful and condescending while trying her hand at blackmail. But still she is like a dud of a firecracker when it comes to her brothers and the atrocious things that they have done. I was not in the least bit satisfied with how that was handled. Nor was I happy with the fact that Patrick tells her she can either be mind swiped, or she can break it off with Jesse... Really? That is the most stupid argument arrangement I have ever read, I think. There was no real reason for them to have an issue with Jesse after the first book. I thought this book was rather pointless. And the whole vampire freak out with the old man...that was thrown right in your face..like IT'S ME! IT'S ME!...Not sure why you took so long to finally let Cat understand who it was. I was hoping that maybe the old man had been hanging around the barn and that was what was causing Rika to freak out the way she was...but no, there was no real reason behind that whole thing which annoyed me greatly because it was a big part of this book. Was there supposed to be another one? Because I won't be reading it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 11, 2012
Dead of Night by Lynn Viehl
Wow. What a follow up to book 1. It didn't disappoint me in the least if anything it got better. This book again is another new take on vampires in a way. There is the descendants of the VanHelsing's the famous vampire hunters ( Cat) and then there is of course the vampire Jesse.
Some crazy stuff happened in book one that left a lot of questions unanswered and then book two answered some and left a whole lot more at the end .
The gifts these VanHelsing's have is definitely kind of scary and I would not cross Cat's brothers. Or even Cat herself, she's an control cats ironic huh?! She has to hide her relationship withJesse from her brothers, since they think she has no memory of that night.
Throughout this book, Cat resents her brothers more and more. They don't even care they erased her mind along with everyone in towns. The secrets they keep from her and everything else they hide. It grows more and more each day, and she doesn't know how to stop. She can't talk to them since, they might just take her memory again and she can't let that happen but she can't keep resenting and getting more and more mad each day that passes by.
As girls start disappearing around town, that look suspiciously like her she starts together worried. As she and Jesse start unraveling some clues, she is getting freaked out, when she is caught with Jesse by the Sheriff, she doesn't know if she will have to come clean but it will need to be soon. Her brothers need to know someone is looking for her and taking the wrong girls, soloing with her story she comes clean. They are not happy but there is nothing they can do anymore.
In the end, well i won't go there right now, but let's say there is some much much needed answers for book 3 and I don't thinker or her brothers will like what is coming since it is what they have been running from all along.
Wow. What a follow up to book 1. It didn't disappoint me in the least if anything it got better. This book again is another new take on vampires in a way. There is the descendants of the VanHelsing's the famous vampire hunters ( Cat) and then there is of course the vampire Jesse.
Some crazy stuff happened in book one that left a lot of questions unanswered and then book two answered some and left a whole lot more at the end .
The gifts these VanHelsing's have is definitely kind of scary and I would not cross Cat's brothers. Or even Cat herself, she's an control cats ironic huh?! She has to hide her relationship withJesse from her brothers, since they think she has no memory of that night.
Throughout this book, Cat resents her brothers more and more. They don't even care they erased her mind along with everyone in towns. The secrets they keep from her and everything else they hide. It grows more and more each day, and she doesn't know how to stop. She can't talk to them since, they might just take her memory again and she can't let that happen but she can't keep resenting and getting more and more mad each day that passes by.
As girls start disappearing around town, that look suspiciously like her she starts together worried. As she and Jesse start unraveling some clues, she is getting freaked out, when she is caught with Jesse by the Sheriff, she doesn't know if she will have to come clean but it will need to be soon. Her brothers need to know someone is looking for her and taking the wrong girls, soloing with her story she comes clean. They are not happy but there is nothing they can do anymore.
In the end, well i won't go there right now, but let's say there is some much much needed answers for book 3 and I don't thinker or her brothers will like what is coming since it is what they have been running from all along.
August 12, 2016
It is, at times, frustrating to receive books for review that are in the middle of a series. I haven't read the first book in this series, still, it isn't totally necessary since you know what's going on. Plus - and this is a huge plus for me where series books are concerned - this is a complete story. Yes, there are still threads to be explored, but it has a beginning, a middle, and, thank the stars, an end.
Not having read the first one, I miss some of the buildup to the main characters' relationship. By the time this book starts, they already have one and there's not a lot of on-stage interaction for them.Cat is busy helping her brothers out with the farm and working part-time at a bookstore in town while Jesse is off doing what Jesse does.
This was a decent story with an interesting premise. The characters are well-developed and the plot keeps you moving. Though there were several "huh?" moments, they would probably have been cleared up with reading the first book in the series. Do I recommend the book? Yes, for teens who haven't had enough vampire stories, this is a good book, but I suggest you start with the first one so you know what's going on.
Not having read the first one, I miss some of the buildup to the main characters' relationship. By the time this book starts, they already have one and there's not a lot of on-stage interaction for them.Cat is busy helping her brothers out with the farm and working part-time at a bookstore in town while Jesse is off doing what Jesse does.
This was a decent story with an interesting premise. The characters are well-developed and the plot keeps you moving. Though there were several "huh?" moments, they would probably have been cleared up with reading the first book in the series. Do I recommend the book? Yes, for teens who haven't had enough vampire stories, this is a good book, but I suggest you start with the first one so you know what's going on.
February 22, 2012
I seriously love this series. It is so cute and fun and just a really different take on vampires and vampires hunters. It is one of those series that just grows on you with each new book and one that you have a great time while you are reading it.
I LOVE the fact that we got some Seek and Kari time! I was so disappointed in the first book that they both didn't have a bigger role in the book so it was so much fun to see them in this book and that they had more than just a couple of scenes. I really hope we will see more of them in future books. I just feel in love with them after reading Dark of Heart.
Catalyn and Jesse were as great as ever and I loved the whole mystery aspect of this one too. Even though I was pretty sure what was going on, there were still twists and turns I didn't see coming. Especially with her family. I love her brothers but man! Sometimes I think they both could use some sense knocked into them! I know they were trying to protect Cat but there was so much they were keeping from her over the years that I just felt awful for her and furious at them for keeping it all from her and for all that they had done to her to keep it secret.
We learn a lot about all of Cat's family in this book and some very interesting things about Jesse and his family as well and of course the town. The mystery of Lost Lake and its members just keeps getting better and better.
I can't even believe how the book ended! While it wasn't a huge horrible cliffhanger it was definitely one that makes you want to read the next book in the series to see what happens next, which I will definitely be doing when it comes out.
I LOVE the fact that we got some Seek and Kari time! I was so disappointed in the first book that they both didn't have a bigger role in the book so it was so much fun to see them in this book and that they had more than just a couple of scenes. I really hope we will see more of them in future books. I just feel in love with them after reading Dark of Heart.
Catalyn and Jesse were as great as ever and I loved the whole mystery aspect of this one too. Even though I was pretty sure what was going on, there were still twists and turns I didn't see coming. Especially with her family. I love her brothers but man! Sometimes I think they both could use some sense knocked into them! I know they were trying to protect Cat but there was so much they were keeping from her over the years that I just felt awful for her and furious at them for keeping it all from her and for all that they had done to her to keep it secret.
We learn a lot about all of Cat's family in this book and some very interesting things about Jesse and his family as well and of course the town. The mystery of Lost Lake and its members just keeps getting better and better.
I can't even believe how the book ended! While it wasn't a huge horrible cliffhanger it was definitely one that makes you want to read the next book in the series to see what happens next, which I will definitely be doing when it comes out.
November 4, 2012
Review based on ARC:
2.5 Stars
When I requested this book I didn't know that it was the second book in the series, but after reading this book....I have no idea what the first book could possibly be about.
Vampire Hunter Cat has a secret. She is dating a vampire. With her supernatural BF, they discover a mystery in hopes of stopping girls from disappearing.
As you can see from my rating, this book was just not my cup of tea. I did not find the plot engaging, nor did I understand what was going on for stretches of text. To be honest, I found myself glancing over pages because it seemed unnecessary. Nothing felt connected. We jump from Cat sneaking around with her boyfriend, to working at an old bookstore and to tending to horses with her family. There was no aspect of this story that I cared about.
In regards to the characters, they all fell flat. The most interesting characters, in my opinion, were Cat's brothers who struggle to give her a "normal" life. Cat was all over the place and Jesse had the whole "Edward" thing going it. He seemed to only live for Cat and that just does not make for an interesting love interest (if I'm correct...he lives in a cabin in the woods?).
The writing could have used some polishing, but I think my lack of interest stems from Cat's point of view. There was nothing interesting about her and I grew bored listening to her prattle on about her struggle between making her family happy and loving Jesse.
In short, this book was not for me.
2.5 Stars
When I requested this book I didn't know that it was the second book in the series, but after reading this book....I have no idea what the first book could possibly be about.
Vampire Hunter Cat has a secret. She is dating a vampire. With her supernatural BF, they discover a mystery in hopes of stopping girls from disappearing.
As you can see from my rating, this book was just not my cup of tea. I did not find the plot engaging, nor did I understand what was going on for stretches of text. To be honest, I found myself glancing over pages because it seemed unnecessary. Nothing felt connected. We jump from Cat sneaking around with her boyfriend, to working at an old bookstore and to tending to horses with her family. There was no aspect of this story that I cared about.
In regards to the characters, they all fell flat. The most interesting characters, in my opinion, were Cat's brothers who struggle to give her a "normal" life. Cat was all over the place and Jesse had the whole "Edward" thing going it. He seemed to only live for Cat and that just does not make for an interesting love interest (if I'm correct...he lives in a cabin in the woods?).
The writing could have used some polishing, but I think my lack of interest stems from Cat's point of view. There was nothing interesting about her and I grew bored listening to her prattle on about her struggle between making her family happy and loving Jesse.
In short, this book was not for me.
November 1, 2012
I was a huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan (the TV series, not the movie), so when I saw this book, I had to read it. Cat is a vampire hunter, only she doesn't want to be one--mostly because the guy she's in love with is one step away from being a full-fledged vampire. What I really liked about this book is that Cat pretends she doesn't remember her past with Jesse after her brother wiped her memory (a little Van Helsing trick that he has.) But she does remember Jesse. She remembers everything, or at least she thinks she does. No spoilers, but there's a great twist in this story that I didn't see coming, and I absolutely loved it.
Cat thinks her relationship with Jesse and her distrust for her brothers are the worst of her problems, but when a local man dies and sells his rare book collection to the bookstore where Cat gets a job, Cat discovers her secrets aren't secrets anymore. Now she has to try to save what she's been protecting, and it only digs up more secrets she's not prepared for.
Initially, I was a little bothered by the fact that I felt like there was a story from Cat's past that wasn't told, but as I kept reading I understood why it wasn't revealed to the reader until later. It totally made sense for the story.
I'm not a big horse person, but I should also mention that this book has a lot for horse lovers since Cat lives on a ranch. So if you like horses, you'll appreciate that subplot.
Overall, this was a quick read with some exciting twists at the end.
Cat thinks her relationship with Jesse and her distrust for her brothers are the worst of her problems, but when a local man dies and sells his rare book collection to the bookstore where Cat gets a job, Cat discovers her secrets aren't secrets anymore. Now she has to try to save what she's been protecting, and it only digs up more secrets she's not prepared for.
Initially, I was a little bothered by the fact that I felt like there was a story from Cat's past that wasn't told, but as I kept reading I understood why it wasn't revealed to the reader until later. It totally made sense for the story.
I'm not a big horse person, but I should also mention that this book has a lot for horse lovers since Cat lives on a ranch. So if you like horses, you'll appreciate that subplot.
Overall, this was a quick read with some exciting twists at the end.
May 14, 2012
I received this book from www.netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
I will say up front that I didn't read the first book in this series. However, it didn't really seem necessary, there was enough explanation to help me along and until I got into it, I didn't even realize that this wasn't the first book!
So to catch us all up: Cat and her brothers, Gray and Trick, are Van Helsings, but they want to lead normal lives. Or at least her brothers do. Cat is in love with Jesse - he's not exactly a vampire, but almost.
Powers:
Jesse and his parents don't age, but they can't stand sunlight.
Cat - can command felines, of all sorts.
Gray and Trick - I can't keep them straight for some reason. One has the power to track anything and one has the power to cover up your memories.
Cat and Jesse didn't make me believe they're in love. The couple-ness just didn't touch my heart and the whole star-crossed lovers thing just didn't fly for me. I was saddened, but I know that not all couples can be like Ethan Wate and Lena Duchannes. :)
Trick and Gray, even though I can't keep them separate in my head, came across as more real than anyone in the story, I liked them. I did feel like Cat came across as a bit of a spoiled brat - her brother, while trying to protect her and control her - still spoiled her to pieces.
While not my bag of chips, you might like it if you enjoy the vampire/vampire hunter romance.
I will say up front that I didn't read the first book in this series. However, it didn't really seem necessary, there was enough explanation to help me along and until I got into it, I didn't even realize that this wasn't the first book!
So to catch us all up: Cat and her brothers, Gray and Trick, are Van Helsings, but they want to lead normal lives. Or at least her brothers do. Cat is in love with Jesse - he's not exactly a vampire, but almost.
Powers:
Jesse and his parents don't age, but they can't stand sunlight.
Cat - can command felines, of all sorts.
Gray and Trick - I can't keep them straight for some reason. One has the power to track anything and one has the power to cover up your memories.
Cat and Jesse didn't make me believe they're in love. The couple-ness just didn't touch my heart and the whole star-crossed lovers thing just didn't fly for me. I was saddened, but I know that not all couples can be like Ethan Wate and Lena Duchannes. :)
Trick and Gray, even though I can't keep them separate in my head, came across as more real than anyone in the story, I liked them. I did feel like Cat came across as a bit of a spoiled brat - her brother, while trying to protect her and control her - still spoiled her to pieces.
While not my bag of chips, you might like it if you enjoy the vampire/vampire hunter romance.
June 25, 2012
*received netgalley
originally posted: http://newborrowedused.blogspot.com/2...
My Thoughts: I love the premise of a young Van Helsing descendant who is in love with an almost vampire. I also liked the overall story of this book. Young girls who look a lot like Cat are going missing (for some reason Cat is the first one to realize this, and why are there so many in such a small town?). They've been taken by some crazy old man who thinks Catlyn is some Egyptian Queen of the Cats who can give him immortality.
These are the problems I had. It never quite went far enough to cause any real drama. I never felt that Cat was in any sort of danger from this guy. Also, this is the second book and I still feel like I'm missing a lot of background. We found out some more about why they moved so often but I'm more interested in their individual powers. Where they come from, what their purposes are, etc. I don't really get the cats. Other than they show up en mass whenever Catlyn seems to be troubled we don't know how or why they do so.
Overall, I like both Cat and Jesse. I even kinda like her brothers. But... I'm just not sure. The last page of this book which leads us to book three makes it seem like the story is going to go into the area that I am most interested in. Since I don't hate the books I will definitely be reading on.
originally posted: http://newborrowedused.blogspot.com/2...
My Thoughts: I love the premise of a young Van Helsing descendant who is in love with an almost vampire. I also liked the overall story of this book. Young girls who look a lot like Cat are going missing (for some reason Cat is the first one to realize this, and why are there so many in such a small town?). They've been taken by some crazy old man who thinks Catlyn is some Egyptian Queen of the Cats who can give him immortality.
These are the problems I had. It never quite went far enough to cause any real drama. I never felt that Cat was in any sort of danger from this guy. Also, this is the second book and I still feel like I'm missing a lot of background. We found out some more about why they moved so often but I'm more interested in their individual powers. Where they come from, what their purposes are, etc. I don't really get the cats. Other than they show up en mass whenever Catlyn seems to be troubled we don't know how or why they do so.
Overall, I like both Cat and Jesse. I even kinda like her brothers. But... I'm just not sure. The last page of this book which leads us to book three makes it seem like the story is going to go into the area that I am most interested in. Since I don't hate the books I will definitely be reading on.
February 25, 2012
Overall Rating: 3.5
I've got a confession to make, I haven't read the first book yet. Having said that, I can't really give my opinion on Jesse and Cat's relationship because by the time Dead of Night begins, it's an established relationship and at that, they don't exactly get a ton of alone time. Cat is mainly busy helping her brothers out with the horses and working part-time at the bookstore in town--although they do manage to steal a little time away for themselves.
In Dead of Night, Cat will balance chores at home, a part-time job, and finding the girls that have been going missing. Oh, and the girls? They all bear some resemblance to Cat. Meanwhile she's also trying to convince her brothers (Gray and Trick) that she's just a 'normal' girl--despite the fact that she often takes off at night to spend time with Jesse. Did I mention that she's a Van Helsing? Yes, Cat's from a family of vampire hunters and Jesse happens to be from a family of vampires.
I didn't expect to like Dead of Night quite as much as I did and although there really wasn't much romance in Dead of Night, it still kept my interest. However, I wish that vampires had had more of a presence in Dead of Night. Would I recommend it to you? I think it depends on what you enjoy and if you decide to read Dead of Night, don't forget to read After Midnight first!
I've got a confession to make, I haven't read the first book yet. Having said that, I can't really give my opinion on Jesse and Cat's relationship because by the time Dead of Night begins, it's an established relationship and at that, they don't exactly get a ton of alone time. Cat is mainly busy helping her brothers out with the horses and working part-time at the bookstore in town--although they do manage to steal a little time away for themselves.
In Dead of Night, Cat will balance chores at home, a part-time job, and finding the girls that have been going missing. Oh, and the girls? They all bear some resemblance to Cat. Meanwhile she's also trying to convince her brothers (Gray and Trick) that she's just a 'normal' girl--despite the fact that she often takes off at night to spend time with Jesse. Did I mention that she's a Van Helsing? Yes, Cat's from a family of vampire hunters and Jesse happens to be from a family of vampires.
I didn't expect to like Dead of Night quite as much as I did and although there really wasn't much romance in Dead of Night, it still kept my interest. However, I wish that vampires had had more of a presence in Dead of Night. Would I recommend it to you? I think it depends on what you enjoy and if you decide to read Dead of Night, don't forget to read After Midnight first!
February 4, 2012
I wasn't crazy about the first book, but the last quarter really redeemed it enough for me to give it three stars. So I was hoping since it was still fresh in my mind, this one would be better and the reading experience would be more enjoyable. I was wrong.
I really wanted to like this one, but I thought it was mediocre at best. I really struggled to get through the book because I was kind of bored and couldn't focus on the story. The storyline wasn't particularly unique, and a lot of it was really cliche and cheesy. Aside from Viehl's love for horses as I discovered in her bio, I didn't really see what the horses really have to do with anything in this book. I thought it kind of bogged the whole story down because they had no significance. And I felt the relationship between Jesse and Cat was kind of flat, and I didn't feel their chemistry at all.
Because i wasn't particularly fond of Jess and Cat's relationship because it was so unintriguing, I wonder if Viehl may have written a more effective book if this one had been a spin off or one with a new set of characters.
I hope my review doesn't deter others from reading it, and I really tried to give it a chance, but I just wasn't feeling it.
I really wanted to like this one, but I thought it was mediocre at best. I really struggled to get through the book because I was kind of bored and couldn't focus on the story. The storyline wasn't particularly unique, and a lot of it was really cliche and cheesy. Aside from Viehl's love for horses as I discovered in her bio, I didn't really see what the horses really have to do with anything in this book. I thought it kind of bogged the whole story down because they had no significance. And I felt the relationship between Jesse and Cat was kind of flat, and I didn't feel their chemistry at all.
Because i wasn't particularly fond of Jess and Cat's relationship because it was so unintriguing, I wonder if Viehl may have written a more effective book if this one had been a spin off or one with a new set of characters.
I hope my review doesn't deter others from reading it, and I really tried to give it a chance, but I just wasn't feeling it.
February 26, 2012
Dead Of Night
By
Lynn Viehl
My thoughts...
I wasn't sure how I felt about this book as I read the first few pages.
I wasn't sure if it would grab me.
I wasn't sure if I could connect with the characters and the story.
Hmmm...
But by the time I had finished the first twenty pages I was in...loved the characters...loved Cat and Gray and Trick...the vampire hunters. Loved the horses...Sali and Rika. Loved Jesse...human? Not human? A few pints of blood away from being human?
Anyway...
Cat's life with her brothers on their ranch without parents is difficult. Her brothers are protective. Cat has a strong connection to Jesse even though they are forbidden to be together.
Cat gets a part time job in town...so she can meet Jesse...and gets involved trying to find three missing girls.
The being who took the girls wants Cat, too...and he is sort of not human and terribly evil and has to be destroyed.
Cat's brother Trick is all about keeping Cat safe and erasing everyone's memories so that not too many people know about the vampire hunting thing with Cat.
Excitement, romance, family angst, and a great plot make this book a fun reading experience.
By
Lynn Viehl
My thoughts...
I wasn't sure how I felt about this book as I read the first few pages.
I wasn't sure if it would grab me.
I wasn't sure if I could connect with the characters and the story.
Hmmm...
But by the time I had finished the first twenty pages I was in...loved the characters...loved Cat and Gray and Trick...the vampire hunters. Loved the horses...Sali and Rika. Loved Jesse...human? Not human? A few pints of blood away from being human?
Anyway...
Cat's life with her brothers on their ranch without parents is difficult. Her brothers are protective. Cat has a strong connection to Jesse even though they are forbidden to be together.
Cat gets a part time job in town...so she can meet Jesse...and gets involved trying to find three missing girls.
The being who took the girls wants Cat, too...and he is sort of not human and terribly evil and has to be destroyed.
Cat's brother Trick is all about keeping Cat safe and erasing everyone's memories so that not too many people know about the vampire hunting thing with Cat.
Excitement, romance, family angst, and a great plot make this book a fun reading experience.
September 10, 2012
I love Lynn Viehl's Darkyn series so did not hesitate when I saw this book by her. I did not know it was part of a YA series and not the first book. It can be read as a stand-alone and I enjoyed it. I liked the storyline and the complex relationship of the characters. It is a YA fiction, but without the teenage angst of some better known works. I would have liked more depth of the characters, but realize it was written for a younger audience who might want a quick read since it does not have the publicity of some longer YA works. That said it still had Viehl's unique outlook on the paranormal world. It was well written and engaging. I was intriqued by the characters and their stories and enjoyed the trip.
One thing I did not like was the cover of the book. I know that is superficial but I do like a good cover. The girl (artist's rendetion)on the cover had way more makeup then Cat would have worn. The male on the cover was not good looking enough for Jesse. The artist tried to make him look sexy and smoldering, but he just looked constipated. Change the cover.
A quick interesting read. A good YA series that still can give some enjoyment to an adult.
One thing I did not like was the cover of the book. I know that is superficial but I do like a good cover. The girl (artist's rendetion)on the cover had way more makeup then Cat would have worn. The male on the cover was not good looking enough for Jesse. The artist tried to make him look sexy and smoldering, but he just looked constipated. Change the cover.
A quick interesting read. A good YA series that still can give some enjoyment to an adult.
February 17, 2012
Book Description:
Catlyn Youngblood has a secret life. Despite being a natural-born vampire hunter like her two older brothers, Cat has fallen for Jesse--an ageless boy from a centuries-old vampire clan.
Cat's job cataloging rare, mystical texts at a bookstore allows her to meet with Jesse alone every evening. But when girls who look disturbingly similar to Cat start disappearing from town, Cat and Jesse discover frightening clues to their whereabouts within the book collection. Together, they must stop a crazed man from realizing his dark scheme-- one that would claim Cat's life.
My Thoughts:
Unfortunately, I didn't care for this book and part of that dislike could be coming from the fact that I did not read the first one in the series. Regardless, I found Jesse and Cat to be rather lackluster and dull. Their relationship was uninspired and uninteresting. The story was rather mundane which is surprising for Lynn Viehl.
ARC review provided for NetGalley
Catlyn Youngblood has a secret life. Despite being a natural-born vampire hunter like her two older brothers, Cat has fallen for Jesse--an ageless boy from a centuries-old vampire clan.
Cat's job cataloging rare, mystical texts at a bookstore allows her to meet with Jesse alone every evening. But when girls who look disturbingly similar to Cat start disappearing from town, Cat and Jesse discover frightening clues to their whereabouts within the book collection. Together, they must stop a crazed man from realizing his dark scheme-- one that would claim Cat's life.
My Thoughts:
Unfortunately, I didn't care for this book and part of that dislike could be coming from the fact that I did not read the first one in the series. Regardless, I found Jesse and Cat to be rather lackluster and dull. Their relationship was uninspired and uninteresting. The story was rather mundane which is surprising for Lynn Viehl.
ARC review provided for NetGalley
May 17, 2013
One thing I really liked more about this second book in the series than the first one was the improvement in typographical errors. The first book had a TON of mistakes in it, while this one had very few. However, I'd have to say in every other respect, I enjoyed the first novel better.
The plot of this book was somewhat engaging, but it reminded me of an episode of Scooby-Doo. I hope that doesn't sound insulting, plenty of people enjoy a good Scooby-Doo story after all. It just felt a bit formulaic.
I was also hoping for more romance and vampire stuff. Jesse is supposed to be a vampire who hasn't turned all the way into a full vampire, but he doesn't really do anything vampire-like. He bent a piece of metal with his super strength and he avoided the sun, but that was about it.
Overall I enjoyed this light and fairly innocent YA adventure and I will absolutely continue reading the series if it continues.
The plot of this book was somewhat engaging, but it reminded me of an episode of Scooby-Doo. I hope that doesn't sound insulting, plenty of people enjoy a good Scooby-Doo story after all. It just felt a bit formulaic.
I was also hoping for more romance and vampire stuff. Jesse is supposed to be a vampire who hasn't turned all the way into a full vampire, but he doesn't really do anything vampire-like. He bent a piece of metal with his super strength and he avoided the sun, but that was about it.
Overall I enjoyed this light and fairly innocent YA adventure and I will absolutely continue reading the series if it continues.
February 19, 2012
Cat is the descendent of Van Helsing the vampire hunter made famous by Bram Stoker. Jesse is an almost turned vampire. The two are in love and must find a way to be together while trying to solve the mystery of several missing teen girls.
A neat idea for a book but for some reason it just didn’t work. The characters were average and the story was too simple. There just wasn’t anything to connect with. This book can find an audience with fans of YA vampire books but I don’t think the readers will be satisfied or eager for the already announced sequel.
A neat idea for a book but for some reason it just didn’t work. The characters were average and the story was too simple. There just wasn’t anything to connect with. This book can find an audience with fans of YA vampire books but I don’t think the readers will be satisfied or eager for the already announced sequel.
April 21, 2013
Aside from being one of the most unfortunate covers, ever, I really hated the family dynamics of the Youngbloods. On one hand, they're all good characters, but put together all I get is cliche over-protective and Cat's stuck in the kitchen.
Jesse was cute, as long as I didn't associate him with Greased Lightning on the cover, but he and Cat's relationship reeked of Desperate. While it's healthier than a lot of relationships we read in YA, I couldn't buy into it.
And the plot. Talk about predictable. If you read the cover copy, you've got the whole novel in a nutshell.
Jesse was cute, as long as I didn't associate him with Greased Lightning on the cover, but he and Cat's relationship reeked of Desperate. While it's healthier than a lot of relationships we read in YA, I couldn't buy into it.
And the plot. Talk about predictable. If you read the cover copy, you've got the whole novel in a nutshell.
July 18, 2012
I kept seeing the book cover for Dead of Night by bestselling author Lynn Viehl in industry publications and it made me curious. When I read the publisher’s brief description, it sounded like a very different take on contemporary vampire stories so I snagged a copy. Everyone who’s read classic vampire stories knows the story of the Van Helsings and vampires but they don’t know this story. Read the rest of my review at http://popcornreads.com/?p=4276.
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June 4, 2012I am DNFing this book. Not a bad book, just a boring book. The author spends an indescribable amount of time shadowing our heroine and describing what she is doing. The PNR is weak and the romance is even low key by YA standards. The main conflict doesn't really develop till halfway through though the clues leading up to it are glaringly obvious. I found by the halfway mark, I just didn't care.
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