Blood Jewel

The Vampire Agápe #2

by Georgia Cates

With the mystery of Chansey Leclaire and Curry Brennan’s connection solved, they are free to explore their newfound love for one another. Or so they thought...

When Marsala uses a witch and black magic to discover Curry’s whereabouts, he and Chansey are left with no choice. The newly engaged couple is forced to relocate away from their families at the new compound in Savannah, which causes some major changes in the plans for their upcoming wedding.

Relocating to Savannah might have saved Curry and Chansey from being discovered by Marsala, but it doesn’t stop her attempts to reach Curry or her efforts to harm Chansey through the use of black magic. As Marsala closes in, Curry faces the decision he never wanted to make. Will he keep Chansey human or condemn her to eternity as the thing he hates most?

As Curry waits for his hand to be forced, a newly turned vampire arrives at the Savannah compound in need of help. Not only is she a fledgeling in transition, she brings reports of escaping from a vampire cult still in possession of her sister, a human. Any attempt to save the captive human from a cult of vampires puts everyone in jeopardy. Can they risk entering a large cult to save one human being? And is so, how could they possibly do it successfully?

Love will grow. New mysteries will arise. A battle will ensue. A Blood Jewel will be found.

Genres: Vampires, Romance, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Audiobook, Fantasy, Supernatural

Nook

First published May 29, 2012

About the author

Georgia Cates is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author—and a former labor and delivery nurse who now delivers swoony love stories instead of babies. A lifelong reader and proud cat wrangler of three, she writes romance with heart, heat, and a dash of Southern charm. Originally from rural Mississippi, she’s married to her best friend and is the proud mom of two amazing daughters.

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible, riveting, completely consuming...the list goes on and on!
I was anxious to see where things picked up after Blood of Anteros, but had no idea the mind-blowing rollarcoaster I was getting on.
Blood Jewel immediately picks up where book one ends and never lags, drags or disappoints.
Curry & Chansey enjoy blissful wedding planning and celebrate her 22nd birthday. A shocking frightening encounter from his past cuts the celebration short & shift their plans for their future. They submerge themselves with their limitless love for one another & enjoy life as a new couple. Curry fights his inner demon in granting his true love her deepest wish...will he or won't he give in??
Beautifully written, fantastic storyline and characters that you can't help but fall in love with.
If you are a fan of Breaking Dawn-this is a must read... Lots of similarities yet SO very different! A unique vampire clan, a self loathing vampire madly in love with a special human- and this woman shows him that he is deserving of her and her unconditional love...I thought the 'eclipse' significance was great and liked the twin twist. A couple of hot & heavy romance moments and a few laugh out loud- 'she did NOT just do that!' moments and the package was compete. I couldn't have asked for anything more, it was truly not lacking a thing. Any complaints I had early on in the series were quickly dismissed.

Blood Jewel outshines them all!

If Blood Doll is half as good as Blood Jewel, we are all in for a very special treat.

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a brief Marsala POV, we go straight back to Curry and Chansey. From that first chapter though from Mansala, we learn more about her, and what her plans are that are no doubt going to be one of the main conflicts that occur in the story. Now, back to Curry and Chansey. With them, the story really begins where it left off from Book 1. The story was good here, and I felt there was the right amount of conflict and bliss. The love between Curry and Chansey is forever stronger, and when they finally become the same last name, they are in their own little world. There are some great and well done scenes that don't disappoint. But, when reality kicks the door open, there are some dilemmas on the table, and some include a possible change, evil doings from Mansala being transported through an evil way, a 'Blood Jewel', and then there's a surprise; one that no one saw coming! This is a great story in this series, and by the end, I immediately wanted to read more. If you have not read this novel yet, you must, and if you have not read this series, you have to start now, as it's wonderfully different; refreshing!

[Georgia Cates]

I'm so excited for you to read the 2nd installment in The Vampire Agápe Series. I feel like I really stepped it up for Blood Jewel. Curry and Chansey had a very timid and sweet romance in Blood of Anteros, but things definitely get heated for them in Blood Jewel. Questions left unanswered in BOA get answered in BJ, but I intentionally left some cliff hangers for you to think about until Blood Doll is published. I absolutely adore the beautiful love between Curry and Chansey and I hope you do, too.

[Cristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG!!! love it!!!!! but still what is a blood jewel???? you can not just say it and not tell us!!! so not cool!!! the wedding when you fine love there is no end to it.. and the baby's!!! awwwwwww... on hold in tell 1/2013!!!! so not cool... looking to reading the next book !!!!!! Blood Doll, the vampire agape book 3!!!!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! Way better then the 1st one!!

[Sapphyria · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, I must compliment the cover of "Blood Jewel." It is one of the best designs I've seen. The colors and hues are beautiful. The placement of the model in the photo in combination with the text of the title, subtitle, and author's name is asymmetrically balanced and laid out across the page very well.

"Blood Jewel" is Book 2 in Georgia Cates' Vampire Agape Series. I've reviewed Book 1, Blood of Anteros, as well.

"Blood Jewel" follows the engagement of Curry and Chansey, and their subsequent but untimely wedding planning. At Chansey's 22nd birthday party, at a club in New Orleans, Marsala uses black magic in order to assist her in locating where Curry and Chansey are residing causing Curry and Chansey to relocate to another fortress but to also wed more quickly than they had planned. Discussions of turning Chansey into a vampire, per her wish, are continuing to be negotiated (between Curry and Chansey). That plan gets put on hold when Chansey's Fylgia comes to her in dream and tells her that she will not be forced into being turned because of Marsala ~ plus there are a couple of really good, cute reasons for her to wait.

Along the way, Curry and Sol plan the rescue a female captive from another fortress. When they discover, via her sister Jenn, that Avery's being held captive because of the special qualities of her blood, will they do whatever it takes to save this "Blood Jewel?"

I am extremely impressed with Book 2 in the Vampire Agape series. I liked it so much more that Book 1 and I loved Blood of Anteros too! Georgia's writing has vastly improved (and I say that because Book 1 had some choppy, uncomfortable dialogue-as noted in the review of Blood of Anteros). There is none of that in Book 2. The second installment is still told from Curry's point of view and features all of the main and secondary characters from Book 1, including our evil matriarch, Marsala.

There are a couple pretty mild romantic scenes; one takes place on the honeymoon and one takes place later in the story. I applaud the author for marrying Curry and Chansey first before they have sex. This doesn't happen much anymore--in real life or fiction.

Curry is a very laid back vampire and this makes his character very likable. Chansey is a strong character in this installment. She, as a human and and Agape, goes through many transitions and realizations, yet she holds up well, remains strong, and handles the supernatural world with grace. The secondary characters round out this excellent novel.

The plot of "Blood Jewel" is consistent and ties back to "Blood of Anteros" well. Not every loose end was tied up in "Blood Jewel" and "Blood Jewel" was given some of its own loose ends. I anxiously await "Blood Doll," Book 3 in The Vampire Agape series.

(Book provided at no cost via virtual book tour host, in exchange for an honest review).

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

review is on www.booknerdsacrossamerica.com

WHAT?!?! How could Georgia Cates leave us on such a cliffhanger!?!?!?!

I am going to try and calm myself because I just finished this book and I am still dealing with all that has happened! Curry and Chansey's lives are in full swing. However, Marsala is hot on their heels! That chick is never going to let Curry (and I can understand why. Hot Vampires are hard to come by).

Now Curry has to deal with turning Chansey. But, can he do it? Marsala is determined to kill Chansey! On top of everything else we have 2 new characters. Avery and Jennifer are sisters. Jennifer has been turned and Avery is being called a Blood Jewel. No one has yet explained what that means.

There is a HUGE development in the middle of the book that throws everything into a whirl wind because it is something no one has dealt with before.

Now, I am going to have sit and count the days until Book 3 comes out for everything to be explained. *hangs head*

[Kimber Shook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second installment to the Vampire Agape series. Let me just say that it was a great follow-up to the first, Blood of Anteros. It still leaves me with questions as to what a Blood Jewel is but that only makes me anxiously await the third installment.

Curry and Chansey further their bond as Vampire and Agape. The life they once owned separately is now shared together in marriage, not such an easy task when a Vampire named Marsala refuses to relinquish her passion of getting Curry back all to herself.

This is a very great read by an exceptionally talented author.

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

After such a great start to the series I was disappointed that this book fell flat and the climax ended abruptly. I found myself racing to read it just to finish not because I was eager to find out what happens next. Like I said, disappointing.

[Sydney Proctor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a good book. If you want to see my full review go to http://sydneysbookreviewsatyourfinger...

[N.L. Dufour · Rating 4 out of 5]

It wasn't as good as the first one but still a good read. I found it to be a little predictable but I would still recommend it. Cant wait for the third book to be released next year.

[Lexie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one soooo much!!!

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vampire Agape #2
A lot happens in this book and the world building continues. I'm still not happy with the narrator. He has a great voice but I don't feel like he is doing justice to any of the emotions being portrayed. Even the flirting feels flat to me. I think these books would have been better had I read them the old-fashioned way.

However, this entire series is free with your Audible subscription and can be found ready to be listened to in the Audible Plus catalog, or if you search for the author once you have subscription with Audible. Enjoy!

Read:
October 3-4, 2020 – Audible Plus

[Barbara Marie Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood Jewel: A Young Adult Vampire Romance (The Vampire Agape Series Book 2)

OMG😳❤️❤️❤️ f you're looking for a romantic super-couple, look no further than Curry and Chansey. When I first began the series, I assumed Chansey would be a meek, soft-spoken shadow to Curry. I'm happy to say that is so not the case. Chansey is a firecracker! Most girls would be afraid of a centuries old vampire hell bent on revenge. Not Chansey. When she learns what lengths Marsala will go to in order to get rid of her, she basically says "Bring it, b*tch." How awesome is that, right?
Definitely recommend this series !!! ❤️❤️❤️

[Minya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad story, but it did feel rushed towards the end. I was hoping for a bit more excitement with the villain. I do care about the characters which works for me best over the plot in this case. Looking forward to book three.

[M.S. Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it... now I want see if Sal found his agate

[Tami Winbush · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending chapter, for me, lacked some oomph. But all in all the book was very good. Also the narrator is fantastic and I’ll be searching for more books read by him.

[SCuervo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Predictable and cheesy

[Platte puss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not what I expected.

I usually have an indication of where a book will go within 5-7 paragraphs. This one threw me fir a loop. I have no idea where the next one will go.

[Scottie Pouliot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the excitement and happiness of them getting married. It made me remember my own wedding and all of that excitement.

[Isabell Spjotvold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh I love it so extremely much. It's honestly so different from other vampire books while still keeping the important parts of vampire lore. If you liked the Twilight series as a kid you will LOVE this trilogy as an adult. Trust me. It is essentially Twilight but done right. None of that sparkly fairy things (I say that as a Twilight fan in my youth!)

[Diayll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally Reviewed At:Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 5 out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: Blog Tour
Reviewer: JCarroll



Wow! Wow! Wow! Double Wow!



This book left me extremely thirsty for more! No pun intended. I read this one as a standalone, meaning I didn’t read book one in this series before reading this second book. I haven’t happened upon The Vampire Agape books. before reading this one. Had I began with book one; I would have met Bood Jewel with much more scaffolding and a solid cache of information concerning the characters and their history. Yet, surprisingly, even though I started the book cold, I warmed up rather immediately.



From the prologue, “Becoming Marsala Dauphine”, I was hooked! This book cast its spell right from page one. I absorbed the romantic flow of the words with ease. I couldn’t put the book down. I found that I was being drawn into the magical realm of vampires, all the while keeping one foot on solid ground of reality.



The two main characters, Curry the handsome, laid back vampire and his “agape” soul mate, Chansey (I love this name), were a likeable pair from the beginning. Their pure, romantic love for one another touched me at once. However, there was a sense of foreboding, an awareness that their love would be tested and tried throughout the book.



And tried it was.



The book begins with the engagement in New Orleans, and a serious change of events moves them quickly to warm, endearing Savannah. The evil vampire, Marsala from Curry’s past haunted and threatened their lives and love. This made every decision they made based on safety and survival. I was pleased with the flow of events, and the author’s ability to keep me interested through characters’ actions and resulting consequences of those actions.



The camaraderie in the coven of the “good” vampires adds much to the story. The supporting characters are not very developed, but the way the plot unfolds and the attention put on the events surrounding the endangered love affair between Chancy and Curry, balances itself. The question of what is a Blood Jewel is yet to be answered. Much emphasis is put on the fact that Chansey is not only Curry’s Agape, but a “blood jewel” as well. When another human blood jewel is saved from the treacherous hands of an evil vampire in a nearby coven and brought to the heroic Coven of Landra, Curry realizes the importance of discovering the hidden meaning. However, this mission takes a backseat as the challenge to keep Chansey safe from Marsala’s evil clutches places itself front and center.



I have never read a vampire novel before…I’ve never actually had the desire. But after finishing Blood Jewel, I downloaded book one within five minutes of reading the last sentence. I absolutely must know the earlier events to which much of the plot referred. Was there a great need to read book one before devouring Blood Jewel? Evidently not! By devouring, I mean I could not put this one down. I cooked dinner with one hand while holding the Nook in the other. Folded clothes, rode in the car, watched my daughter’s softball game and sat at the pool, all with the book in my hand. To call me consumed does not do it justice. Obsessed sounds more like it. This action packed, edge of your seat, romantic novel should definitely be put on your “to read by the end of summer “ list. What’s hotter than a hunky, wealthy, romantic vampire…right?



My advice? Pick up book one before reading Blood Jewel. But if not, Jump right in!!!

[Cameron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally posted on the blog: What the Cat Read

I was hoping that I would like this book more than I did the first one in the series, but sadly, this was another “meh” book for me. Try as I might, I just couldn’t get into the story. I’m not saying I didn’t like it, but I didn’t get that “wow” feeling that comes from a great book either. Having said that, I feel that there are some elements that readers will enjoy and find interesting. And like I did with book one, I’m going to break this review down into its strengths and weaknesses, for the sake of consistency.

Strengths:

All of Cates’ characters are likable and engaging. Yes, I got a bit exasperated with a few of them at times, but I couldn’t really find a lot of fault with them. There was a lot more growth on the part of the secondary characters this time around which was nice to see, though I would have enjoyed seeing more in Curry and Chansey as well. Solomon took a bigger role, Gia and Lairah also showed up more much to my pleasure, and there were a series of new characters to be introduced to which was fun.

There are new twists and surprises in this book. Cates delves further into the vampiric world she has created and explains how the vampires in Curry’s “family” get their blood and train fledglings. It’s rather fascinating and if you want to learn more about this, I’d suggest you read the book for yourself because I don’t want to spoil part of the plot by going into detail. We also learn more about Chansey’s family, though again I’m not going to spoil things here by explaining what is learned.

This is still a sweet romance story. Even when Curry and Chansey finally consummate their relationship, it’s not in your face, heavy on the sex. I actually liked that this carried over from the previous book because I rather enjoy a subtle, easy romance story every once in a while.

Like the first book of the series, this was also a fast read.

Once again, I loved the cover for this book. Whomever it is that Cates has as a cover designer, really does spectacular work. =^.^=

Weaknesses:

I was hoping that this book would be a bit edgier, especially given the prologue by Marsala, but sadly the action and suspense just wasn’t there for me. I think I’m spoiled when it comes to fight scenes these days…either that, or I expect way too much. Sigh

Just like with the first book, I had difficulty getting into Cates’ writing style. While I didn’t get as much of the telling rather than showing vibe this time around, I still felt like her writing was stiff.

While some questions are answered in this book, I was still disappointed with how things ended because there are no satisfactory answers given to the questions brought up in this novel. Case in point, though we are introduced to the concept of a “Blood Jewel” in this story, we never actually find out what that is! So, while the concept is there lurking in the background of our minds, we are going to have to wait until book three for answers. Much like we had to wait for this book for the resolution between Curry and Marsala. Events clearly are meant to carry over in the series, and while I like books that build on top of each other, I dislike those that make it so obvious.

Overall, I’m rather hesitant to continue this series. While I think there are some elements that make for a fun read, I’m disappointed in how simple the series actually is. There isn’t anything that makes me want to stay away from it, but there’s nothing that really draws me either, other than the need for answers. ~shrugs~

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on the cover/description, I wasn't too sure about this series, but I'm really glad I tried it. It was great!

[L.E.Olteano · Rating 3 out of 5]

The world of this series is interesting, I enjoyed the concept of the Agápe and the whole mechanism of it was fun. As a personal note, I enjoyed more the first book, it felt tenser to me, and you guys know I'm a sucker for intensity in things. The Blood Jewel side of things was also very interesting, so the world building was cool because the author thought up interesting building blocks for it and weaved them together nicely.

The characters were fun, Chansey and Curry and the whole crew were fun to watch. I found Marsala to be quite interesting, I liked her as an antagonist. Sadly, I can say I liked Marsala more as a character then the main couple, she was more charismatic, interesting, intriguing. This might have to do with the fact that the chemistry between the main couple didn't really feel convincing to me. They had the whole love-vibe going there, but relationships I like to read about are constantly tense and more edgy then lovey-dovey so for me those two just weren't tortured enough. Sorry, I know it sounds evil, but it's how I feel. :)

The story was ok, but I can't say I was riveted. The whole marriage and etc after that didn't strike me as a new approach or twist in the relationship arc, so the main engine of such stories wasn't really putting things in motion for me. I was curious to see what would happen, but I'd honestly have to say it relied more on the dynamics of the relationship from the first book then on this one alone. I liked that the relationship evolved and became what a relationship naturally becomes, that felt like a dose of realism in the relationship arc and I very much so approved.
If you're the type of romantic who likes the HEA (happily ever after) type of relationships that just seem to magically work from a point onward, I think most of the plot will work for you better then it did for me. For me, these sorts of relationships don't strike me as very believable, so as far as the love story goes it was win some, lose some overall.

The writing was approachable and flew well, but it had a wee bit of an epic tint for me, I don't know how to properly explain that. It just read a bit like an epic story, something about the tone maybe, the way the words came together, I'm not sure. It was very...proper, as opposed to playful, you know what I mean? I'm that sort of reader that rather likes playful instead of proper, but I'm sure there are many others that like it better the other way around.

Overall, I find this was a cool sequel to book one of the series, it could have been more exciting and it could have been worse. It was a cool read, if you read the first book you should read this one as well, I think.

Butterfly-o-Meter Books

[Syreeta (Hardback Book Hotties) Elie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little late in reading book 2 of the series, and was so bummed out about it. But I have to say, great things come to those who wait.


Lets start with the cover shall we. A young lady with a tiara and a beautiful white gown looking at me. An iron gate set in the background. Where does it lead? Is it symbolic? I can tell the young lady has a story to be told, but what could it be? I am beyond ready to find out.


This time you get just a little taste of who Marsala is from her past. I wanted so much more. I have to admit, I want to see how Marsala came to be. Author Georgia Cates picks up where book 1 left off. The handsome vampire Curry Brennan and his love Chansey Leclaire are learning and loving one another and right when things were getting great, a curve ball named Marsala enters the picture.

Now Curry has to scramble to figure out how to keep his love safe and out of Marsala's nasty hands.


The story isn't complete without my two favorite characters to help Curry out, Sebastian and Solomon, Curry's two very hot vampire friends. Author Georgia Cates allows the audience to get to know these guys a little more, and by doing so, loving the characters without a doubt. I kept going from Team Sebastian to Team Solomon. Cates was able to give these gigantic monsters of the night, a sweetness and gentleness that is rarely found in vampires. You can't help but fall for these two guys. While these guys are together a question arises, What is a Blood Jewel?

When the new vampire is introduced we watch these vampires try and determine whether to be selfish and ignore the human, I mean they have their own problems going on with Marsala or selfless and do whats right, even if it meant getting hurt. The struggle of trying to figure out if is it worth loosing everything for someone they never met. Guess, what? The question is there again, What is a Blood Jewel?

Multi-task much?These vampires made it look like a piece of cake. They had me on the edge of my seat with one question answered another two arose. This book was beyond exhilarating. Cates also opened us up to see more of my Solomon. This hunk of loveable vampire is given such a softness and we watch him evolve. The beauty is that we don't know what the outcome of the evolving.

Author Cates throws out so many curve balls and surprises you are left with your mouth dropped open and saying "No she didn't!"... "wait, yes she did!"The best part about this book was no matter what, she did not overwhelm you with too much information. Too many details or too much fluff. Cates gave us a spectacular story with the right amount of ingredients to keep me hungry for more and turning those pages. Cates left me needing more and ended with such a fantastic cliff hanger I cannot wait for book 3 to be published. This book is without a doubt a HOT PAGE TURNER!!!

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood Jewel, the second installment in The Vampire Agape Series, picks up where Blood of Anteros left off. Curry and Chansey have gone to New Orleans to the compound there for Chansey's safety. Curry has proposed to Chansey and they are making wedding plans. While there, the evil Marsala uses black magic in an attempt to see through Curry's eyes and find out their location. Chansey has other plans for Marsala, and nips that in the bud in a rather entertaining way. However, due to the threat of Marsala finding them, they have to move the wedding plans up. After the wedding and the honeymoon, they go to live with Solomon at the Savannah Compound, in order to keep Chansey safe. Chansey wants Curry to change her, so they can be together for eternity, but Curry doesn't want to. Marsala continues to use black magic, and attempts to kill Chansey. This forces Curry to rethink his decision, and he is torn between keeping her human, or changing her into something he doesn't even want to be himself.

While in Savannah, a new fledgeling is taken in and she begs Solomon and Curry to save her sister, who is being held captive by another vampire cult. It is risky, but they agree to attempt to save her. What they find out is that this girl is a blood jewel. Her blood is like heroin to vampires, they just can't get enough. Solomon is forced to do something during their rescue attempt that he hasn't done in years, and he experiences intense inner turmoil afterwards because of what he has done. In the meantime, Curry and Chansey get a very unexpected surprise, one which will change things forever.

I absolutely loved this book. Georgia Cates is one of my favorite authors and she has delivered another outstanding story in Blood Jewel. The prologue to this story is so moving and just sets you up emotionally for what is to come. I fell more in love with Curry in this book. The story is told from his point of view, which I really enjoyed. He is absolutely dreamy and so hot to. I really liked Chansey also. She is just as feisty as ever. We get to know Solomon a lot better in this book to, as well as being introduced to some new characters, all of which were well written and fun to get to know. I loved the plot, and the story was fast paced and filled with romance, action, drama, and danger. Oh, did I mention that Solomon is pretty swoon-worthy himself. I really enjoyed Georgia's take on vampires. Needless to say, I am looking forward to the next book in the series, Blood Doll, and I am anxious to see where she will take the story from here. If you love vampire stories, with some romance, mystery, and drama in the mix, then Blood Jewel is one book you will want to check out.

[Yiota · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Nina.

As I said in the previous review, the first book left us with many questions about what happens next. So, I was really happy when I received the second one, and I started reading it immediately.

This book takes us not far from the first one. Chansey and Curry are still living at the compound and they try to figure out their next move and especially how they are going to explain Chansey's grandparents the news about their engagement. The book, in general, doesn't have too much action. Many things happen that leave you with the mouth open that change the couples' lives. Seeing everything from Curry's point of view means that you lose several other things about the other vampires like Solomon. But there are sex scenes, finally after Chansey's pressure and their marriage. I know that's a spoiler, but I've searched for far too long to read a book with both nice plot and a complete sex scene and I finally found it. What I liked about it was that Chansey is not some virgin and innocent teenager. In fact, she's in her early 20s and we already know -or have figured it out- that she had more intimate relationships before. Plus, due to their Agape connection, Chansey doesn't freak out at anything she hears, no matter how shocking they might be. Chansey, hence us, learns many new things that make us create a better picture over the way the vampires live. There are many mysteries as well.

If there is something I didn't like was that things were coming somehow easily for everyone and, as I said before, we miss many things that are happening to others because we are reading Curry's point of view.

Bottom line, I loved this one more than the first. I liked that it's more complete. It still leaves you with many questions and despite the title, we never learn what a Blood Jewel is, which makes me really curious as to what happens next. I can't wait. If you liked the first one, you're going to like this one too.

P.S.: At the end of the book, the author presents you with a list of songs accompanied with the scene each one fits. I don't know if they are the songs that inspired the author while writing or they reminded her of her scenes later, but I found each one of them and started re-reading or remembering some of the scenes in the book, and that really makes a whole new experience. I always love to know what things inspire an author to write and what exactly.

[Shaheen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the first book in The Vampire Agápe series, and I looked forward to reading the continuing adventures of Curry and Chansey. I didn’t enjoy Blood Jewel as much as Blood of Anteros: I feel like there could have been a little more character development but liked the extension of the world and the introduction of some cool new characters.

It would be almost impossible for me to review this book without mentioning the Twilight saga – because it disturbingly follows the plot line of the first half of Breaking Dawn, to the point where I can’t ignore it. The newly engaged couple are planning their wedding and enjoying some well needed stability in their relationship, when the planning aspect is commandeered by Curry’s vampire sisters. Curry refuses to deflower his beloved until after marriage, which causes Chansey to use intimacy as a bargaining chip. Even the wedding and honeymoon destination echo Breaking Dawn. There are quite a few more similarities, but I won’t recite them here for fear of spoiling the story, but it suffices to note that Chansey and Curry’s personal lives almost mirror that of Edward and Bella’s after marriage.

What the book lacks in originality it makes up in characters: I think the story arc with Solomon and the apparent re-emergence of his humanity is interesting and I spent the better part of the book trying to figure out what was going on with him. The introduction of a fledgling vampire and her human sister intrigued me, because I am interested in the process of turning a human into a vampire in this world. I would have enjoyed some more exploration of Marsala’s motivations – it’s still quite murky. This book also sheds light on the past – not only Curry’s but Chansey’s family as well, which is nice. The only characters who don’t show a lot of growth are Chansey and Curry: they’re fairly two-dimensional as cute newly weds.

Despite my slight disappointment in this book, I am still looking forward to the third book in the series, Blood Doll, in hopes of finding the answers to all the questions that burn inside me. This series is not be missed by those fans of vampire novels!

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.
You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic .

[Multimemo · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 out 5
Hoping that the story would take a different turn and happy to say to that it did and I enjoyed it. With the simple writing style as well as the good plot, Georgia Cates was able to take us on this vampire-coloured story wrapped within it a sweet love story and an adventure.

Written from the point of view of Curry which is something that I ultimately enjoyed and a brief look from Marasla's point of view, Curry Benran's maker ( To see my review of book 1, click HERE ) we get a look at her past which was interesting because she did have a gloomy background. But then we go straight to Curry and Chansey from we left them in book 1 and as there relationship started to grow stronger and unbreakable by the day. Happily married now but as it seems that with vampires comes trouble and some would include the obsessed Marasla and other exciting dilemmas.

However, at some point the intimacy between Curry and Chansey was just too much, like it took a good chunk of this book but it was still sweet and full of passion. And Chansey has developed a lot and I liked her in this book much more. Also, Curry he was just this sweet laid back gentleman and together they make a really cute couple.

For the most part though, this book was happy and I liked the intensity in it, it wasn't expected, like every moment I was expecting it to turn bad but it never did, about to but never and I didn't say I didn't like that, in the matter fact I did, it became rare to see a peaceful story, they all tend to end bad so who doesn't love happy stories and happy/cliffhanger endings. Also, I must say that I love the cover art of this one ;)

Overall, I can say that I liked Blood Jewel much more than Blood of Anteros in reference to the story itself. And also as a sequel, a good one, the characters developed more as well as the world in which the story takes place which I really like the world setting and as a result, I'm looking forward to reading the next book. I do recommend this for all the fantasy/vampires lovers out there, I'm sure you're gonna enjoy it!