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The Deathdealer #1
Last Rites
YA Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy
What if you discover your fiancé is a werewolf, and worse, his creature-of-the-night girlfriend is trying to kill you?
Lucy Hart, eighteen-year-old queen bee and captain of the cheer squad, faces just that. She loses everything—money, social status, and even her home—when her father is arrested for tax evasion and immigrant slave trafficking. Reduced to flipping burgers, she plots to get her old life back, blackmailing her father’s slime ball lawyer, and scheming her way into a gig pretending to be a rich young man’s “fiancée.” The pay: enough money to let her write her own future. The bad news: the guy is a condescending pain in the butt.
In no time at all Lucy finds herself fighting for her life as her faux fiancé’s vampire girlfriend tries to slaughter her, and on top of that, getting royally grossed out by her own spanking new paranormal ability: necromancy. Yet somehow, while she gets back her life and kicks vampire butt, she also manages to fall in love/lust with her fake fiancé.
For an except please go to my blog.
mercy-walker.blogspot.com
What if you discover your fiancé is a werewolf, and worse, his creature-of-the-night girlfriend is trying to kill you?
Lucy Hart, eighteen-year-old queen bee and captain of the cheer squad, faces just that. She loses everything—money, social status, and even her home—when her father is arrested for tax evasion and immigrant slave trafficking. Reduced to flipping burgers, she plots to get her old life back, blackmailing her father’s slime ball lawyer, and scheming her way into a gig pretending to be a rich young man’s “fiancée.” The pay: enough money to let her write her own future. The bad news: the guy is a condescending pain in the butt.
In no time at all Lucy finds herself fighting for her life as her faux fiancé’s vampire girlfriend tries to slaughter her, and on top of that, getting royally grossed out by her own spanking new paranormal ability: necromancy. Yet somehow, while she gets back her life and kicks vampire butt, she also manages to fall in love/lust with her fake fiancé.
For an except please go to my blog.
mercy-walker.blogspot.com
214 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 17, 2012
59 people are currently reading
476 people want to read
About the author
Mercy Walker
39 books69 followersI've been reading and writing paranormal romance, urban fantasy, erotica and fantasy for years. This month I finally got tired of the agent rejection forms. So now I'm trying out Kindle's Self Publishing system. I'm thirty-nine--for another few months, and chronically single. I live alone with my jack russel, Jack.
Besides reading steamy books about werewolves and vampires, I love Italian food, Ice cream and long drives...but only when someone else is driving.
Besides reading steamy books about werewolves and vampires, I love Italian food, Ice cream and long drives...but only when someone else is driving.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
May 20, 2013
This was a freebie off Amazon, and I have to say I am a bit surprised at how good it was. Minus a few editing errors, I found this pretty entertaining. My biggest disappointment was that there wasn't a whole lot of story. Lucy does develop as a character, though, which is a plus.
June 9, 2012
[4.5/5 stars]
The basic premise for LAST RITES is that Lucy - privileged princess turned poor and unpopular after her attorney father is jailed for tax evasion and immigrant slave trafficking - lines herself up for an arranged marriage into a wealthy family, in exchange for a car and a credit card, plus a cash payout in the future.
Unfortunately, things soon take a turn for the worse. Her fake fiancee Gabriel is a werewolf and the reason that he needs Lucy to pose as his wife in the first place is because his real lover is a 600 year old vampire, and the two races are forbidden to mate. This would be the point that most girls would run away, but Lucy sees her opportunity and just asks for more money to continue with the scheme.
However; spending time with the handsome, charming and rich Gabriel, unsurprisingly leads to Lucy falling for him. But who does Gabriel want and how will his real girlfriend react when she finds out that Lucy might not be faking her feelings for her future husband?
So we now have one guy + two girls = someone is going to end up getting their heart ripped out. You know that this isn't going to end well...
***
Lets start with the main characters, as they carry the book. The star of the piece is eighteen year old Lucy Hart. Lucy is so vain, spiteful and materialistic - so I shouldn't like her, but I do. In most other romance lead books we get the same old saint-like heroines, so it was refreshing [and fun] to see someone who is looking out for number one. So if, like me, you preferred Cordelia Chase to Buffy, LAST RITES is a must read.
When you actually scratch beneath the surface you'll discover that she is actually intelligent, self-reliant and honest, she's just not afraid to admit that she's mainly interested in looking after herself. Sure she wants the money for designer clothes and a nice car, but she's also thinking about college tuition and starting her own business after that, so she isn't the airhead that she first appears to be.
Of course, her strong personality does have it's downsides; I wouldn't say that she is necessarily clueless in LAST RITES, but she is so focused on the supposed outcome of the arranged marriage, and how it will help her regain her desired lifestyle, that she doesn't stop to look around and consider the situation she's walking into. And whilst Lucy is tough and can see through other people, I think that, despite of what she thinks, she actually becomes overlooks most of Gabriel's faults and how he is perhaps manipulating her.
A far less likable character for me is Gabriel. Lucy, for all her faults, is a somewhat naive teenager, with no real understanding of what she's getting herself into, but Gabriel is older [I place him in his mid twenties] and a WEREWOLF, so I find it a bit creepy that he's happy to arrange a marriage with a only-just-turned-legal human girl, who is still in high school and has never had a serious relationship. Then to happily put that girl into the middle of a werewolf pack AND into the cross-hairs of a slightly psychotic vampire and her family? Marriage material, I don't think.
Maybe if I was actually in the intended age bracket I would see Gabriel in a more favourable light; as the handsome and intelligent hero, helping Lucy rise up from the depths she has sunk to. But, based on this book alone, I just see a creep who knowingly chooses a young, inexperienced girl and puts her in harms way for his own end. I also think that he knows she has developed feelings for him and using that angle to his advantage.
Darla is the third point in this love triangle and I'm still not sure what I think of her; on one hand she has to watch the man she loves play happy families and plan a marriage with another woman, who his family seem to like, so I have no problem seeing why she hurts and becomes jealous.
But, on the other hand, the whole arranged marriage scheme is actually her idea in the first place, whilst Gabriel needed a lot of convincing to take part. yet she gets all crazy jealous over the scheme when he agrees to do it and directs most of her anger towards Lucy. I'd understand Darla's view more if she was angry at her actual boyfriend, who is apparently so ashamed of her that he'd rather marry someone else then be seen with her, but she, like Lucy, almost seems blind to Gabriel's faults...
Hmm, am I reading too much into this, or is Gabriel using both women?
LAST RITES mainly focuses on Lucy and Gabriel as they meet and reach an agreement for their upcoming marriage, but we are still introduced to many secondary characters. There are too many to name here, but one of my favourites is Micah - Gabriel's brother. Darla's brother Vin is intriguing too, but we haven't really 'met' him yet, but I'm sure he'll be one to watch in future.
I can see the multiple love interest plot-line looming, but for once I'm not rolling my eyes and already dreading it, as I personally just can't see the appeal of Gabriel and so I wouldn't mind him getting shoved aside for a better 'match'.
This is the first book in a series and as such a lot of time is spent on Lucy's background and putting the fake-marriage scheme into motion, whereas other people and plot threads aren't shown in much detail. On one hand I do like the depth the author has gone to in order to give the set-up an air of realism, but it means that she has had to speed other parts of the book up, in order to fit everything and everyone else in. I don't want to spoil anything here, but there is one thing that will actually play an enormous part in the series [and is/was mentioned in the blurb] that is barely touched upon in this book.
The 'sped-up' feel to parts of the story is my only real issue. LAST RITES is self published, so there are a few grammatical and spelling errors in the edition I have, but I believe the author has now corrected these. Even if she has not yet done so, there was nothing major enough to disrupt anyone from the story.
***
LAST RITES is a very enjoyable read, but it isn't perfect yet, but the series as a whole does have a lot of potential. I'm very much looking forward to the sequel [Blood Rites], to see where the events that happened here take Lucy next.
Blood Rites will hopefully be realised around Christmas 2012.
The basic premise for LAST RITES is that Lucy - privileged princess turned poor and unpopular after her attorney father is jailed for tax evasion and immigrant slave trafficking - lines herself up for an arranged marriage into a wealthy family, in exchange for a car and a credit card, plus a cash payout in the future.
Unfortunately, things soon take a turn for the worse. Her fake fiancee Gabriel is a werewolf and the reason that he needs Lucy to pose as his wife in the first place is because his real lover is a 600 year old vampire, and the two races are forbidden to mate. This would be the point that most girls would run away, but Lucy sees her opportunity and just asks for more money to continue with the scheme.
However; spending time with the handsome, charming and rich Gabriel, unsurprisingly leads to Lucy falling for him. But who does Gabriel want and how will his real girlfriend react when she finds out that Lucy might not be faking her feelings for her future husband?
So we now have one guy + two girls = someone is going to end up getting their heart ripped out. You know that this isn't going to end well...
***
Lets start with the main characters, as they carry the book. The star of the piece is eighteen year old Lucy Hart. Lucy is so vain, spiteful and materialistic - so I shouldn't like her, but I do. In most other romance lead books we get the same old saint-like heroines, so it was refreshing [and fun] to see someone who is looking out for number one. So if, like me, you preferred Cordelia Chase to Buffy, LAST RITES is a must read.
When you actually scratch beneath the surface you'll discover that she is actually intelligent, self-reliant and honest, she's just not afraid to admit that she's mainly interested in looking after herself. Sure she wants the money for designer clothes and a nice car, but she's also thinking about college tuition and starting her own business after that, so she isn't the airhead that she first appears to be.
Of course, her strong personality does have it's downsides; I wouldn't say that she is necessarily clueless in LAST RITES, but she is so focused on the supposed outcome of the arranged marriage, and how it will help her regain her desired lifestyle, that she doesn't stop to look around and consider the situation she's walking into. And whilst Lucy is tough and can see through other people, I think that, despite of what she thinks, she actually becomes overlooks most of Gabriel's faults and how he is perhaps manipulating her.
A far less likable character for me is Gabriel. Lucy, for all her faults, is a somewhat naive teenager, with no real understanding of what she's getting herself into, but Gabriel is older [I place him in his mid twenties] and a WEREWOLF, so I find it a bit creepy that he's happy to arrange a marriage with a only-just-turned-legal human girl, who is still in high school and has never had a serious relationship. Then to happily put that girl into the middle of a werewolf pack AND into the cross-hairs of a slightly psychotic vampire and her family? Marriage material, I don't think.
Maybe if I was actually in the intended age bracket I would see Gabriel in a more favourable light; as the handsome and intelligent hero, helping Lucy rise up from the depths she has sunk to. But, based on this book alone, I just see a creep who knowingly chooses a young, inexperienced girl and puts her in harms way for his own end. I also think that he knows she has developed feelings for him and using that angle to his advantage.
Darla is the third point in this love triangle and I'm still not sure what I think of her; on one hand she has to watch the man she loves play happy families and plan a marriage with another woman, who his family seem to like, so I have no problem seeing why she hurts and becomes jealous.
But, on the other hand, the whole arranged marriage scheme is actually her idea in the first place, whilst Gabriel needed a lot of convincing to take part. yet she gets all crazy jealous over the scheme when he agrees to do it and directs most of her anger towards Lucy. I'd understand Darla's view more if she was angry at her actual boyfriend, who is apparently so ashamed of her that he'd rather marry someone else then be seen with her, but she, like Lucy, almost seems blind to Gabriel's faults...
Hmm, am I reading too much into this, or is Gabriel using both women?
LAST RITES mainly focuses on Lucy and Gabriel as they meet and reach an agreement for their upcoming marriage, but we are still introduced to many secondary characters. There are too many to name here, but one of my favourites is Micah - Gabriel's brother. Darla's brother Vin is intriguing too, but we haven't really 'met' him yet, but I'm sure he'll be one to watch in future.
I can see the multiple love interest plot-line looming, but for once I'm not rolling my eyes and already dreading it, as I personally just can't see the appeal of Gabriel and so I wouldn't mind him getting shoved aside for a better 'match'.
This is the first book in a series and as such a lot of time is spent on Lucy's background and putting the fake-marriage scheme into motion, whereas other people and plot threads aren't shown in much detail. On one hand I do like the depth the author has gone to in order to give the set-up an air of realism, but it means that she has had to speed other parts of the book up, in order to fit everything and everyone else in. I don't want to spoil anything here, but there is one thing that will actually play an enormous part in the series [and is/was mentioned in the blurb] that is barely touched upon in this book.
The 'sped-up' feel to parts of the story is my only real issue. LAST RITES is self published, so there are a few grammatical and spelling errors in the edition I have, but I believe the author has now corrected these. Even if she has not yet done so, there was nothing major enough to disrupt anyone from the story.
***
LAST RITES is a very enjoyable read, but it isn't perfect yet, but the series as a whole does have a lot of potential. I'm very much looking forward to the sequel [Blood Rites], to see where the events that happened here take Lucy next.
Blood Rites will hopefully be realised around Christmas 2012.
August 16, 2012
Lucy Hart used to be popular and rich until her dad got hauled off to jail for embezzlement. This leaving Lucy and her mom high and dry. They had to move back to Lucy's grandparents and Lucy had to get a job at McDonald's.
On Lucy's 18th birthday she decides things need to change. She needs money to be happy. She tries to blackmail her fathers lawyer and ends up with a deal to have a fake marriage for money.
We find out the Lucy's betrothed is actually a werewolf and he is "marrying" Lucy so he can be with his vampire girlfriend without his family finding out. This would have worked except Delia, the vampire can't stand to see Gabriel kiss Lucy. So she decides that she is going to turn Lucy into a vampire so she can't be with Gabe. Needless to say it doesn't work and the book ends.
This book was a good, quick read. The characters are awesome. Lucy is a brave girl if you minus all the shallowness. I will definitely keep on with the series.
On Lucy's 18th birthday she decides things need to change. She needs money to be happy. She tries to blackmail her fathers lawyer and ends up with a deal to have a fake marriage for money.
We find out the Lucy's betrothed is actually a werewolf and he is "marrying" Lucy so he can be with his vampire girlfriend without his family finding out. This would have worked except Delia, the vampire can't stand to see Gabriel kiss Lucy. So she decides that she is going to turn Lucy into a vampire so she can't be with Gabe. Needless to say it doesn't work and the book ends.
This book was a good, quick read. The characters are awesome. Lucy is a brave girl if you minus all the shallowness. I will definitely keep on with the series.
January 15, 2016
Me gusto la chica que aunque es superficial no se sentó a esperar a que la vinieran a buscar a la casa con una zapatilla de cristal. Este libro parece escrito por una fanática de este tipo de historia porque utilizo muchos elementos de otras historias. y un poquito de cuentos de hadas altamente cínico como simples matrimonios arreglados con un príncipe azul. los elementos un poco mas originales es la razón por la que publicaron el libro.
Fue muy divertido y saturado de muchos elementos sobrenaturales. Definitivamente una heroína muy poderosa. Pero no me gusto el protagonista porque que clase de imbécil no puede saber de quien esta enamorado y que quiere en la vida. en mi mente solo un perdedor pero eso es tal vez porque favorezco los alphas. Que por cierto eso es original porque los lobos son agresivos pero casi no demostraron la natural possessive de la mayoría de los libros.
PD Pudo haber elaborado un poco mas los personajes y el mundo de la historia.
Fue muy divertido y saturado de muchos elementos sobrenaturales. Definitivamente una heroína muy poderosa. Pero no me gusto el protagonista porque que clase de imbécil no puede saber de quien esta enamorado y que quiere en la vida. en mi mente solo un perdedor pero eso es tal vez porque favorezco los alphas. Que por cierto eso es original porque los lobos son agresivos pero casi no demostraron la natural possessive de la mayoría de los libros.
PD Pudo haber elaborado un poco mas los personajes y el mundo de la historia.
April 17, 2015
If you can get past the beginning, the rest is good. There are a couple scenes towards the beginning that are not for a young audience. Nothing major, but not something I want my young daughter reading. Other than some minor editing that's needed the rest of it was really good.
I found this in the Vampire: boxed set free download on Amazon.
I found this in the Vampire: boxed set free download on Amazon.
March 14, 2012
You begin this book thinking, "My God, Lucy is awful!" Yet, you keep reading anyway. The characters all are amazing and work wonderfully together. There is great humor that honestly makes you laugh out loud. The book is genius and leaves you dying for more! Can't wait for the next one!!!!!
February 9, 2014
This book was so much more then I thought or expected it to be. It was a pleasant surprise. To be honest I only got this book because it was an Amazon freebie. My only disappointment is that I hadn't read it sooner.
April 23, 2013
This book so badly wants to be awesome and almost is, minus a few weak points. Back with full review.
June 17, 2022
(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I completely change my mind on a series, so want to change my scoring.)
First time read the author's work?: Yes
Will you be reading more?: No
Would you recommend?: No
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
First time read the author's work?: Yes
Will you be reading more?: No
Would you recommend?: No
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
October 4, 2024
Going in I knew nothing but that this was a vampire book of some sort. While there are vampires, I would not classify this as a vampire book. While I didn't like Lucy, I am glad that I kept going. The story was definitely not what I was expecting. Once you get into the story you are hooked and cannot wait to see what happens next. While things are coming up roses for Lucy, no one seems to care about Delia. No one! Not even her love, Gabriel. Makes me sad how he just seems to forget she exists. The "ending" made me angry as I felt that it was so abrupt.
July 29, 2013
I have mixed feelings about this book. I mean, it would be very nice if not for the not so nice main characters. I haven't liked Lucy for most of the time. And Gabriel wasn't far behind. Lucy was a selfish, spoiled little brat, and even mean in the beginning and until she had her meeting with Francis. She was so self-centered and ready to d anything to achieve her goals and "gain" some easy money. I was glad she somewhat changed a little later on the story and got a little better, but I'm still not a fan of her. Gabriel wasn't that different from Lucy, after all. Maybe not spoiled, bust still a little selfish and cold and a little arrogant and judging. He decided he hated Lucy after just thirty seconds from meeting her. I mean, he wasn't completely wrong, but still... he should have looked at himself in a mirror before starting to judge her motifs for wanting the job.
What I didn't like also, was that they went from hating each other's guts to liking each other and we didn't even get to see how it all happened and why they changed their mind. And we didn't get to see their first meeting after she got the job and they had to start knowing each other. We went from seeing two strangers to seeing two people who had shared secrets and stories they kept close to the heart and in Gabriel's case, talking about the tatto, he hadn't even told the story to his true gorlfriend. Doesn't that sound weird?
I totally hated Delia's guts. She was a crazy, creepy, spoiled b@tch and I don't even know how the hell Gabriel could like her or not think she was a tiny bit out of her mind crazy as sh@t! Not to mention, pure evil, and not because of the being vampire thing. No, she probably would have been evil even as a human. Being a vampire only gave her the creepiest, most evil ideas as to how torture people and get vengeance.
I liked Gram, instead, she is a strong woman with balls and ovaries! And just a little scary sometimes, if you let me.
I liked Micah and I hope I'll get to know him better in the future book/books. I hope there will be a book all dedicated to him and his Mate.
I was also surprised at how Vin (Delia's -vampire- brother) reacted to Lucy and how he was drawn to her (in a strange, urious, creepy way). I'm curious to know what will happen in the next book with Vin and Lucy.
I'm Team Gabriel, though. (And that reminds me of the t-shirt Lucy wore at dinner one evening with Gabriel, as she was pissed at him). It's obvious that Lucy is his Mate. But I'm afraid she can't ignore Vin or their "connection".
I liked this book. The story was nice and, fortunately, the characters turned a little better towards the end of the book.
I'll be sincere here, I was hoping far better when I picked this book up. But it was still a good read and hard to put down. It was full of surprises too. And it kept me interested. That's a good thing.
I'm now starting Book 2 and we'll see what comes up next.
What I didn't like also, was that they went from hating each other's guts to liking each other and we didn't even get to see how it all happened and why they changed their mind. And we didn't get to see their first meeting after she got the job and they had to start knowing each other. We went from seeing two strangers to seeing two people who had shared secrets and stories they kept close to the heart and in Gabriel's case, talking about the tatto, he hadn't even told the story to his true gorlfriend. Doesn't that sound weird?
I totally hated Delia's guts. She was a crazy, creepy, spoiled b@tch and I don't even know how the hell Gabriel could like her or not think she was a tiny bit out of her mind crazy as sh@t! Not to mention, pure evil, and not because of the being vampire thing. No, she probably would have been evil even as a human. Being a vampire only gave her the creepiest, most evil ideas as to how torture people and get vengeance.
I liked Gram, instead, she is a strong woman with balls and ovaries! And just a little scary sometimes, if you let me.
I liked Micah and I hope I'll get to know him better in the future book/books. I hope there will be a book all dedicated to him and his Mate.
I was also surprised at how Vin (Delia's -vampire- brother) reacted to Lucy and how he was drawn to her (in a strange, urious, creepy way). I'm curious to know what will happen in the next book with Vin and Lucy.
I'm Team Gabriel, though. (And that reminds me of the t-shirt Lucy wore at dinner one evening with Gabriel, as she was pissed at him). It's obvious that Lucy is his Mate. But I'm afraid she can't ignore Vin or their "connection".
I liked this book. The story was nice and, fortunately, the characters turned a little better towards the end of the book.
I'll be sincere here, I was hoping far better when I picked this book up. But it was still a good read and hard to put down. It was full of surprises too. And it kept me interested. That's a good thing.
I'm now starting Book 2 and we'll see what comes up next.
October 6, 2015
This is another one of those indie books that has potential but still needs work. There was a lot I liked, I even finished the book, so there was something there calling me back to keep reading. I actually liked Lucy. She was a bitch and knew she was a bitch. She had some growth and that was nice to see. The more I read, the more I grew to like her. I liked not knowing who/what Gabe was, but knowing there was something going on with him. I liked their gradual growth of feels through actual interaction and time spent together. They grew to like each other. It was still an absurdly short time frame in real life, but a relief after years of reading about couples falling madly in love over hours or scant days. A month is a good middle ground between real life and fantasy. I feel the characters are the shining successes in this book. The characters are all interesting, they have fun dialogue and I enjoy seeing them.
I like the world as well, it's something familiar but different. A new twist on what is becoming an old set of tropes. I love that Lucy and the reader, was in the dark about what was going on for so long. I don't see that much anymore and I love it as long as the balance between hints and flat out exposition is done well, which was in this one.
Now to the bad. I hate cliffhanger endings. Hate them with a passion. If you write a decent story, we will buy the next book you write, we don't need this stupid gimmick to make us buy books. Insulting.
There is a lot of head hopping in this book. The POV will change randomly with no rhyme or reason. There is no warning when a POV change is coming and it shifted to characters that are minor for no more than a few paragraphs. This is a classic mistake and I don't care how many authors do it, it's jarring to the reader. And learning to write without the crutch of these minor character POV scenes can only make one a better a writer over all.
Lastly, and the classic issue I have with the romance genre as a whole, too much exposition about stuff the reader doesn't need to know. Character information, backstory and motivations should come from the character's actions, their natural and reasonable conversations with each other and a few internal thoughts. Almost everything else one is tempted to add in is stuff the author needs to know but the reader doesn't need to know.
I hope to continue this series and finish Lucy's story, but I want to wait for the series to be done, becasue cliffhangers.
I like the world as well, it's something familiar but different. A new twist on what is becoming an old set of tropes. I love that Lucy and the reader, was in the dark about what was going on for so long. I don't see that much anymore and I love it as long as the balance between hints and flat out exposition is done well, which was in this one.
Now to the bad. I hate cliffhanger endings. Hate them with a passion. If you write a decent story, we will buy the next book you write, we don't need this stupid gimmick to make us buy books. Insulting.
There is a lot of head hopping in this book. The POV will change randomly with no rhyme or reason. There is no warning when a POV change is coming and it shifted to characters that are minor for no more than a few paragraphs. This is a classic mistake and I don't care how many authors do it, it's jarring to the reader. And learning to write without the crutch of these minor character POV scenes can only make one a better a writer over all.
Lastly, and the classic issue I have with the romance genre as a whole, too much exposition about stuff the reader doesn't need to know. Character information, backstory and motivations should come from the character's actions, their natural and reasonable conversations with each other and a few internal thoughts. Almost everything else one is tempted to add in is stuff the author needs to know but the reader doesn't need to know.
I hope to continue this series and finish Lucy's story, but I want to wait for the series to be done, becasue cliffhangers.
March 10, 2012
Great book and hopefully great start to a new series.
First off there is Lucy, sure your first impression of her is well “what a bitch” (for a lack of a better description) – but you can also tell there is more dept to her then meets the eye and see seems to be a product of her father’s doing. I enjoyed her “golden arches” stint and where I never feel sorry for her – I can relate to her desire for wanting more for herself – sure she tells herself it’s all about the money, but in my opinion it never was, you don’t fall for a family after one night if it was, she’s looking for security and belonging and I think she has found it with Gabe’s family – but perhaps after reading so many books (42 series and growing) I am reading too much into her character. Right out of the box, putting aside Gabe’s girlfriend, he is a good paring for her, and you can’t help but like Frances, no matter what his “tendencies” are I can see him protecting Lucy and being there for her. Grandma Rocks!
So many good characters to name them all. I liked all the character and felt they worked well together, not loving the vampire brother and sister act, but hey someone has to be a villain.
I recommend this book (series, fingers crossed) and have already done so to several of my book reading “sisters”. It’s a good read and you don’t want to put it down and when you get to the end your response will be “when’s the next one coming out” and immediately find yourself surfing the web for any review, blog or quote of when that next one is coming out.
Thanks Mercy! Looking forward to more.
First off there is Lucy, sure your first impression of her is well “what a bitch” (for a lack of a better description) – but you can also tell there is more dept to her then meets the eye and see seems to be a product of her father’s doing. I enjoyed her “golden arches” stint and where I never feel sorry for her – I can relate to her desire for wanting more for herself – sure she tells herself it’s all about the money, but in my opinion it never was, you don’t fall for a family after one night if it was, she’s looking for security and belonging and I think she has found it with Gabe’s family – but perhaps after reading so many books (42 series and growing) I am reading too much into her character. Right out of the box, putting aside Gabe’s girlfriend, he is a good paring for her, and you can’t help but like Frances, no matter what his “tendencies” are I can see him protecting Lucy and being there for her. Grandma Rocks!
So many good characters to name them all. I liked all the character and felt they worked well together, not loving the vampire brother and sister act, but hey someone has to be a villain.
I recommend this book (series, fingers crossed) and have already done so to several of my book reading “sisters”. It’s a good read and you don’t want to put it down and when you get to the end your response will be “when’s the next one coming out” and immediately find yourself surfing the web for any review, blog or quote of when that next one is coming out.
Thanks Mercy! Looking forward to more.
September 11, 2016
I liked this book. At least once Lucy got past her Heathers phase. Lucy was quite annoying in the first chapters. She has the whole I am a cheerleader and I run the school thing in the first chapter. Then her father is arrested and jailed for money laundering and slave trading. Her family loses everything - including her clothes? - and they end up living with her maternal grandmother. We skip 6 months and Lucy is working at McDs. The skip was a bit much. We do not see any of the trial. Lucy and her father have some serious unresolved issues. Lucy supposedly has not talked to her father at all during the trial process, but she knows enough about his sleazy lawyer to try to blackmail him.
Gabe is our romantic lead. He is a werewolf in love with his traditional enemy - a vampire. And of course both of them are children of the respective leaders. Delia (Gabe's vamp girlfriend) comes up with a plan for Gabe to have a fake fiance so neither family will suspect the truth. Lucy needs cash for her lifestyle and eventually college. (She has good grades - might she consider applying for scholarships and grants?)
Gabe and Lucy begin to fall for each other. Delia realizes this and tries to kill Lucy, which awakens in her ... Necromancy. And Lucy is more powerful than most necromancers. She is even able - totally untrained - to stop Delia in her tracks. For a really short time.
This book did not end. There is a nice cliffhanger / hook for book 2 at the end.
Gabe is our romantic lead. He is a werewolf in love with his traditional enemy - a vampire. And of course both of them are children of the respective leaders. Delia (Gabe's vamp girlfriend) comes up with a plan for Gabe to have a fake fiance so neither family will suspect the truth. Lucy needs cash for her lifestyle and eventually college. (She has good grades - might she consider applying for scholarships and grants?)
Gabe and Lucy begin to fall for each other. Delia realizes this and tries to kill Lucy, which awakens in her ... Necromancy. And Lucy is more powerful than most necromancers. She is even able - totally untrained - to stop Delia in her tracks. For a really short time.
This book did not end. There is a nice cliffhanger / hook for book 2 at the end.
August 25, 2014
This book is a bit confusing. At first I wasn't sure what was going on... i guess the way the plot lines were introduced wasn't very clear.
Gabriel is a werewolf who is in love with a vampire. So you can imagine that will end up badly. So he and his girlfriend come up with a plan: he will fake a marriege to some human girl to get his family off his back
Lucy was your tipical cheer leader bitch, until her father is arrested and her family is ruined. So her best plan? Marry for money.
Thing get out of control when Delia, the vampire gets jelous and tries to kill her. To top it off, lucy discovers she's a necromancer.
The two main characters aren't very likeable... I mean Gabriel is "in love" with both women! And he can't or won't decide.
And then Lucy doesn't seem so guilty over stealing Dalia's man... So a part of me was happy with Dalia's plan....
It could be better. At the most is an light read for the weekend.
Gabriel is a werewolf who is in love with a vampire. So you can imagine that will end up badly. So he and his girlfriend come up with a plan: he will fake a marriege to some human girl to get his family off his back
Lucy was your tipical cheer leader bitch, until her father is arrested and her family is ruined. So her best plan? Marry for money.
Thing get out of control when Delia, the vampire gets jelous and tries to kill her. To top it off, lucy discovers she's a necromancer.
The two main characters aren't very likeable... I mean Gabriel is "in love" with both women! And he can't or won't decide.
And then Lucy doesn't seem so guilty over stealing Dalia's man... So a part of me was happy with Dalia's plan....
It could be better. At the most is an light read for the weekend.
March 10, 2012
I was expecting a book that languished in the romance that most young adult novels bath in...but instead I got a good, fun, rather prickly read. I hated Lucy at first, but by the time the special sauce hit the fan I was hooked. I wanted her to succeed, even if she was spoiled and a little evil at first...well, I guess that part really didn't go away.
Then came the werewolves, the vampires, and her little talent for raising the dead...yuck!
I really loved Abbey--the goth witch neighbor. And the gay werewolf-warrior brother, Micah, was hot. So not the typical gay character. Lucy's Grandma was a hoot. The dead puppy made me shoot Dr Pepper out my nose--so I should deduct a star for that, shouldn't I?
Oh well, I'll let it go as long as she writes a sequel. Maybe with some fight scenes...and some sex.
Then came the werewolves, the vampires, and her little talent for raising the dead...yuck!
I really loved Abbey--the goth witch neighbor. And the gay werewolf-warrior brother, Micah, was hot. So not the typical gay character. Lucy's Grandma was a hoot. The dead puppy made me shoot Dr Pepper out my nose--so I should deduct a star for that, shouldn't I?
Oh well, I'll let it go as long as she writes a sequel. Maybe with some fight scenes...and some sex.
April 21, 2012
One word: Wow!
Lucy Hart is a heartless, spoiled, bitch. Well, before she loses it all, her money, her so-called friends, her figure, and her way of life. Amazing how loss can put things in perspective. Despite all she's lost, Lucy maintains her tenacity, gains some humility, and enters into an agreement that leads her down a path she never saw coming.
Mercy Walker has created characters you love, love to hate, and downright hate. Their world is painted with her words so vividly it feels as if you just need to squint a bit and you can see the scenes play out on the screen in front of you. Add this to the sophisticated vernacular and caustic wit of the characters and you will literally find yourself whipping through the pages to see what happens next. Just beware of the scream that will scare the animals at the ending. I can only hope there will be another.
Lucy Hart is a heartless, spoiled, bitch. Well, before she loses it all, her money, her so-called friends, her figure, and her way of life. Amazing how loss can put things in perspective. Despite all she's lost, Lucy maintains her tenacity, gains some humility, and enters into an agreement that leads her down a path she never saw coming.
Mercy Walker has created characters you love, love to hate, and downright hate. Their world is painted with her words so vividly it feels as if you just need to squint a bit and you can see the scenes play out on the screen in front of you. Add this to the sophisticated vernacular and caustic wit of the characters and you will literally find yourself whipping through the pages to see what happens next. Just beware of the scream that will scare the animals at the ending. I can only hope there will be another.
August 22, 2012
Jarang jarang tokoh utama buku tuh -bitches-. Biasanya kan cewek baek baek yang polos,naif, terlalu percaya sama orang. Tapi, di buku ini, tokoh utamanya bener bener mean girl. Luci Hart adalah tokoh mean girl yang suka memanipulasi orang orang. oh oh... dari awal aja dia udah nyebelin banget. Agak seneng pas dia jatuh dan terpuruk. Tapi tetep aja masih ngelanjutin bacanya.
Ceritanya menarik. Tapi, hahaha, selalu ada tapi, aku kurang suka sama si tokoh utama cowoknya. Ngerti sih sama si Vampir cewek kenapa dia cemburu dan sebagainya. Tapi si werewolf ini nyebelin, plin plan, pokoknya gak suka. Endingnya juga gantung banget. Keliatannya sih bakal jadi cerita cinta segitiga Vampir-Manusia-Werewolf deh. Soalnya, si kakaknya pacar Werewolf tertarik sama si Lucy. Huyuh, mau baca lanjutannya, tapi gak mau menyiksa diri sama tokoh yg menyebalkan. Tapi penasaran. dilemaa....
Ceritanya menarik. Tapi, hahaha, selalu ada tapi, aku kurang suka sama si tokoh utama cowoknya. Ngerti sih sama si Vampir cewek kenapa dia cemburu dan sebagainya. Tapi si werewolf ini nyebelin, plin plan, pokoknya gak suka. Endingnya juga gantung banget. Keliatannya sih bakal jadi cerita cinta segitiga Vampir-Manusia-Werewolf deh. Soalnya, si kakaknya pacar Werewolf tertarik sama si Lucy. Huyuh, mau baca lanjutannya, tapi gak mau menyiksa diri sama tokoh yg menyebalkan. Tapi penasaran. dilemaa....
December 1, 2013
Skip it. Thought it was going to be a good vampire story, but it was not so. Didn't mention vampires until later in the story. And because it was a Kindle edition the typos were so very annoying and numerous.
Story is that queen of cheerleaders gets taken down a peg when Daddy caught by IRS. She now has to (heaven forbid) work. She gets the brainy idea to blackmail Daddy's shady lawyer. When that doesn't work, she decides a marriage for money is the best option. Shady lawyer can help with that. She gets herself into an engagement with a man who has a lover on the side. (he can't introduce her to his family) So well into the book we get the werewolves and vampires. Too little, too late.
Story is that queen of cheerleaders gets taken down a peg when Daddy caught by IRS. She now has to (heaven forbid) work. She gets the brainy idea to blackmail Daddy's shady lawyer. When that doesn't work, she decides a marriage for money is the best option. Shady lawyer can help with that. She gets herself into an engagement with a man who has a lover on the side. (he can't introduce her to his family) So well into the book we get the werewolves and vampires. Too little, too late.
June 24, 2014
No tengo mucho para decir de este libro, la verdad es que me costo mucho leerlo, esperaba mas de la historia y tengo que confesar que a principio de libro odie a la protagonista por ser demasiado mimada, del chico protagonista puedo decir que es muy interesante aunque a la vez un poco extraño, el si me agrado mucho.
La trama la siento muy vaga y no muy bien explicada, yo me quede con algunas dudas y la verdad no pasan muchas cosas interesantes en el libro, practicamente la protagonista se pasa quejando de lo injusto que es la vida porque perdio todo su dinero, en mas de la mitad del libro... Y a pesar de eso el final me dejo un poco con curiosidad por el nuevo personaje que entra en la mezcla de la historia.
Tengo que pensar si vale la pena leer el segundo
La trama la siento muy vaga y no muy bien explicada, yo me quede con algunas dudas y la verdad no pasan muchas cosas interesantes en el libro, practicamente la protagonista se pasa quejando de lo injusto que es la vida porque perdio todo su dinero, en mas de la mitad del libro... Y a pesar de eso el final me dejo un poco con curiosidad por el nuevo personaje que entra en la mezcla de la historia.
Tengo que pensar si vale la pena leer el segundo
April 24, 2014
Found it delightful actually, which surprised me. I don't really go for formula supernatural teen love stories, but since it was free, figured it was worth a shot. So, not only was it was enjoyable, it was surprisingly so!
Having a spoiled, vapid teen have her world wrecked in the blink of an eye and how she chose to fight back was fun and funny. She just keeps rolling with the punches while everyone around her thinks she's just a brat, when actually, she's a clever young woman with a good heart and some admirable goals.
Highly recommend this one for easy, good vampire fun!
Having a spoiled, vapid teen have her world wrecked in the blink of an eye and how she chose to fight back was fun and funny. She just keeps rolling with the punches while everyone around her thinks she's just a brat, when actually, she's a clever young woman with a good heart and some admirable goals.
Highly recommend this one for easy, good vampire fun!
April 27, 2016
Not very likable characters
I almost put this book down only a few pages in. It got better, but not enough to save it. Every character except the grandmother is terribly shallow and selfish. They never quite achieved 3 dimensionality. Fell flat and too self centered to even care about. The story line itself was good and could be a good book, if it wasn't filled with spoiled rotten brats.
I almost put this book down only a few pages in. It got better, but not enough to save it. Every character except the grandmother is terribly shallow and selfish. They never quite achieved 3 dimensionality. Fell flat and too self centered to even care about. The story line itself was good and could be a good book, if it wasn't filled with spoiled rotten brats.
February 10, 2013
a lol slow at the start but really picked up a few chapters end & only getting more intense through the ending. I have picked up book 2 which I will start reading tomorrow.
would I recommend it... absolutely, if your into romance that involves witches, werewolves, vampires & such than you will probably enjoy this as well.
would I recommend it... absolutely, if your into romance that involves witches, werewolves, vampires & such than you will probably enjoy this as well.
August 13, 2016
Rushed
This story started out feeling a but disconnected, then after a couple chapters it blended together. The plot of this book was good and I enjoyed it but felt it was a bit rushed once the story came together
This story started out feeling a but disconnected, then after a couple chapters it blended together. The plot of this book was good and I enjoyed it but felt it was a bit rushed once the story came together
September 25, 2012
I hope there's a second!
June 11, 2014
Fab story, cant wait for book 2 !
kindle-i-own-to-read
January 11, 2013Amazon Freebie 01/11/2013
June 3, 2013
Main character is a bitch. Turned me off right away. The story, once it gets going, is good. But then just stops. Doesn't tie up lose ends or anything.
August 22, 2013
It was a bit short and had 2 typo's that I found, but I still fount it a great read and bought book 2.
October 6, 2013
3.5 stars. The only thing I would change is the beginning. The author could have started the book from when her family lives with the grandmother.
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