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Sweetblood #4
Seduced by Blood
Deep within the forests of the Pacific Northwest, the battle for supremacy rages on between two vampire
Guardian enforcers sworn to protect humanity, and Darkbloods, rogues who kill like their ancient ancestors…
Hot-blooded and hard-edged, Tristan Santiago has an uncanny ability to see beneath the surface—a skill that serves him well as the Guardians' region commander. But when a deadly plot against his fellow vampires is uncovered, he must turn to the one woman he can't the beautiful yet mysterious Roxanne Reynolds, whose sensual presence soothes his tormented memories.
Roxy had put love before duty once before, with devastating results. But to root out a dangerous traitor in their midst, she must put her faith in Santiago, the one man skilled enough to break through her defenses. Posing as lovers, Santiago and Roxy work side by side—and discover a powerful craving that threatens to consume them both….
Guardian enforcers sworn to protect humanity, and Darkbloods, rogues who kill like their ancient ancestors…
Hot-blooded and hard-edged, Tristan Santiago has an uncanny ability to see beneath the surface—a skill that serves him well as the Guardians' region commander. But when a deadly plot against his fellow vampires is uncovered, he must turn to the one woman he can't the beautiful yet mysterious Roxanne Reynolds, whose sensual presence soothes his tormented memories.
Roxy had put love before duty once before, with devastating results. But to root out a dangerous traitor in their midst, she must put her faith in Santiago, the one man skilled enough to break through her defenses. Posing as lovers, Santiago and Roxy work side by side—and discover a powerful craving that threatens to consume them both….
379 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
10 people are currently reading
808 people want to read
About the author
Laurie London
22 books612 followersThanks for finding me on Goodreads!
Running with the Werewolf, coming November 17, kicks off my brand new Darkaway Island series. It's a destination resort for monsters!
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www.LaurieLondonBooks.com
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Running with the Werewolf, coming November 17, kicks off my brand new Darkaway Island series. It's a destination resort for monsters!
Check out my website for more book info:
www.LaurieLondonBooks.com
Sign up for my new release newsletter and I'll send you a free book.
http://eepurl.com/rNTBL
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
March 6, 2013
Setting: Sea to Sky Highway; British Columbia, Guardian stronghold; Darkblood home (decorated with human and vampire bones); Seattle field office;
Theme: overcoming the negatives of the past to feel to love of now; love; power; evil vs good;
Characters:
Roxanne Reynolds: Lily’s teacher to be a tracker; calm, calming, extreme self-control, much through meditation; ex-Guardian; dead fiancé had been addicted to Sweetblood, dying at the hands of the Darkblood supplier – she was temporarily reprimanded for not protecting her partner; close to his mother, and promised to find his killer and the special sword forged for him; she agrees to take Lily’s place at the north-western compound – as tracker and teacher, while Lily and her new husband help his family; disillusioned by Ian, but still hoping for a love union as her parents had;
Tristan Santiago: head of the north-western area; tough; man of few words; gruff; impatient with himself as well as others; when a mission to intercept delivery of Darkblood weapons fails, he takes a few days to punish himself, taking himself to the mountains, and to UV exposure; parents did not love one another, married as able to produce a child, and dad hurt mom by repeated extramarital affairs, telling Tristan that it is in the Santiago blood, for the men to sow their seed far and wide – thus leading Tristan to decide to stay out of relationships, because he does not want to hurt another as he was hurt;
Ventra Capelli: Darkblood leader in the northwest area; her sweetblood lottery / video game Darkblood recruiting scheme that had some success failed under Guardian attack, so she is on the defensive, needing to prove herself. She has a new tech guy, and they have designed an app that allows them to listen in on the phones & gps of Guardians and staff… and Ventra takes sisters, one a sweetblood that she holds with promise to the other that she must seduce who she tells to, giving them time to upload the hidden app;
Summary:
Story begins with Roxy driving to the complex, and a bloody man with torn clothes jumps out in front of her car – a sweetblood that escaped… when she smells 2 Darkbloods nearby, and a policecar shows up, she calls the complex… but by the time Tristan and crew gets there, she has put the police to sleep, she defeated the two vamps (pretended to be hurt, they got close, she used their weapons against them)… she offers to help them locate where they came from, but Tristan sees it as a criticism, and says no. She does not argue, just leaves.
For a few days, they stay out of each other’s way – Tristan believes she is part of a goddess cult (their tattoo on her arm), but she was tattooed to go undercover to retrieve a friend’s daughter; the Guardians go in intercept a Darkblood weapons drop, and instead are in a boobytrap – killing a few, injuring many (Tristan blames himself); when Dom is touch and go, and Mackenzie won’t leave the hospital, Roxy goes to Tristan to request a crib for the baby, so that Mackenzie can sleep; she catches Tristan at the tail end of a tantrum, with a destroyed office… she calls him on it; she is not intimidated by him, she calmly tells him that a crib is needed – and he makes the arrangements.
In a later meeting, his crew tells him that there must be a traitor, and that he should get Roxy to join him at the Seattle office as his girlfriend, and use her to locate the traitor – she reads people well, and no one knows her. He calls her to his office, orders her to do so… and she says no, and walks away… he tries to connect with her over the next few days, but doesn’t run into her… so he finally asks where she is, and goes to the temple – where she tells him that she has been ignoring him… : ) He starts to storm out, but then expresses his heart, that his friends have been hurt, and he needs her help to make sure no one else is hurt… and she agrees to join him.
When introducing her around at the headquarters, he bristles at ___’s interest in her, and he introduces her as his fiancé – and after she gets over the shock, she corrects him and coos, and says they should tell all that they are married. : ) As they spend time together, they start to trust one another a bit – she catches him in the closet under a UV light, he confides why, she gives him a massage, playing her calming music… they make love; she tells him about her quest for Ian’s sword and he helps her question the pawn shop where she saw it online, getting a sniff of the woman who had left it – even though Tristan interprets it as her still in love with Ian; they make love; they take each other’s blood;
Then tracking DBs, they locate the tearful sister – and get her story, and offer her protection… and Tristan, Roxy and crew, they follow her sister’s smell and locate Ventra’s hideout with 3 DBs inside… Roxy goes for the sister, that is almost drained and down a tunnel behind a hidden door in the library, while Tristan fights the DBs – who have Ian’s sword and are talking about the Guardian who sold it for sweetblood. He kills the 3, but in the fight, the curtains catch fire… he struggles to get to Roxy (who has text him), and Roxy is trying to free the sweetblood sister – but she is secured with silver chain… and then a part of the tunnel roof collapses… and Roxy finds a 2nd way out, as Tristan’s super kinetic power (new to now that he has found his mate – we know) clears the tunnel. Roxy’s empathy deepens, and when someone tells her a lie, a voice whispers ‘liar’; Roxy realizes that she is pregnant – is aware of what Tristan believes of marriage and family – and is trying to steal herself to leaving to raise the child on her own, allowing Tristan visitations if he wants.
They still do not have the traitor, but know that the sister (who’s memories were partially wiped) helped plant something – so they know that their traitor does not know he/she is leaking secrets. The honor banquet goes off as planned – with extra security; Ventra is in disguise at the party, not having had blood for a few weeks and lots of perfume; and a few Guardians figure out that one of the cell phones has a bugged app, so they break up the party early – and as Tristan is making last rounds, he comes across a dead human at the elevator and is stabbed from behind with silver, draining his energy… he is taken… within 30 minutes, they realize Tristan is gone and there’s a body… and Roxy leads them … and they are off the shore, on an island with a boat on the far side… Roxy and Sadie zip line across – Roxy heads further in shore while Sadie gets the boat back to the rest… Roxy comes across the trailer that is cloaked, when the two DBs on the roof shoot at a deer… she goes in, kills them, fights with Ventra – hears Tristan calling to her mind (he is very weak) and when it looks like Ventra is going to kill Roxy, Tristand telekinetics Ian’s sword into her hand, and she slashes Ventra instead (not killing her, unfortunately)… and Ventra runs… the Guardians show up… they are rescued.
Roxy nurses Tristan back to health… and 2 months later, he’s hiding the truth about Ian (not knowing she already knows, wanting to protect her memory of the man he thinks she still loves) – he gets drunk, she goes to him to tell him she’s pregnant and leaving (hoping he will ask her to stay)… they have words, she can tell he is lying about something, she tells him she’s leaving… and he realizes he needs her … 2 friends push him… he goes to find her,, but she has already left… she gets home to Florida and is very tired – she opens her door to her dog… and Tristan (he got the pilot to delay with a layover, so he could get there first) – and he tells her the truth of Ian, and the truth of his feelings for her – and she starts to tell him she’s pregnant, but when she admits she loves him, he sweeps her off her feet, and they make love… and then she tells him she is pregnant - the icing on the cake… ahhh
Memorable scenes:
All the field offices she’d visited had fairly tight security, but this had to be the tightest. She hummed a few bars of the Get Smart theme song.
“The completed each other, settled into each other’s cracks and crevices, making the other better and stronger than they’d been on their own.”
Theme: overcoming the negatives of the past to feel to love of now; love; power; evil vs good;
Characters:
Roxanne Reynolds: Lily’s teacher to be a tracker; calm, calming, extreme self-control, much through meditation; ex-Guardian; dead fiancé had been addicted to Sweetblood, dying at the hands of the Darkblood supplier – she was temporarily reprimanded for not protecting her partner; close to his mother, and promised to find his killer and the special sword forged for him; she agrees to take Lily’s place at the north-western compound – as tracker and teacher, while Lily and her new husband help his family; disillusioned by Ian, but still hoping for a love union as her parents had;
Tristan Santiago: head of the north-western area; tough; man of few words; gruff; impatient with himself as well as others; when a mission to intercept delivery of Darkblood weapons fails, he takes a few days to punish himself, taking himself to the mountains, and to UV exposure; parents did not love one another, married as able to produce a child, and dad hurt mom by repeated extramarital affairs, telling Tristan that it is in the Santiago blood, for the men to sow their seed far and wide – thus leading Tristan to decide to stay out of relationships, because he does not want to hurt another as he was hurt;
Ventra Capelli: Darkblood leader in the northwest area; her sweetblood lottery / video game Darkblood recruiting scheme that had some success failed under Guardian attack, so she is on the defensive, needing to prove herself. She has a new tech guy, and they have designed an app that allows them to listen in on the phones & gps of Guardians and staff… and Ventra takes sisters, one a sweetblood that she holds with promise to the other that she must seduce who she tells to, giving them time to upload the hidden app;
Summary:
Story begins with Roxy driving to the complex, and a bloody man with torn clothes jumps out in front of her car – a sweetblood that escaped… when she smells 2 Darkbloods nearby, and a policecar shows up, she calls the complex… but by the time Tristan and crew gets there, she has put the police to sleep, she defeated the two vamps (pretended to be hurt, they got close, she used their weapons against them)… she offers to help them locate where they came from, but Tristan sees it as a criticism, and says no. She does not argue, just leaves.
For a few days, they stay out of each other’s way – Tristan believes she is part of a goddess cult (their tattoo on her arm), but she was tattooed to go undercover to retrieve a friend’s daughter; the Guardians go in intercept a Darkblood weapons drop, and instead are in a boobytrap – killing a few, injuring many (Tristan blames himself); when Dom is touch and go, and Mackenzie won’t leave the hospital, Roxy goes to Tristan to request a crib for the baby, so that Mackenzie can sleep; she catches Tristan at the tail end of a tantrum, with a destroyed office… she calls him on it; she is not intimidated by him, she calmly tells him that a crib is needed – and he makes the arrangements.
In a later meeting, his crew tells him that there must be a traitor, and that he should get Roxy to join him at the Seattle office as his girlfriend, and use her to locate the traitor – she reads people well, and no one knows her. He calls her to his office, orders her to do so… and she says no, and walks away… he tries to connect with her over the next few days, but doesn’t run into her… so he finally asks where she is, and goes to the temple – where she tells him that she has been ignoring him… : ) He starts to storm out, but then expresses his heart, that his friends have been hurt, and he needs her help to make sure no one else is hurt… and she agrees to join him.
When introducing her around at the headquarters, he bristles at ___’s interest in her, and he introduces her as his fiancé – and after she gets over the shock, she corrects him and coos, and says they should tell all that they are married. : ) As they spend time together, they start to trust one another a bit – she catches him in the closet under a UV light, he confides why, she gives him a massage, playing her calming music… they make love; she tells him about her quest for Ian’s sword and he helps her question the pawn shop where she saw it online, getting a sniff of the woman who had left it – even though Tristan interprets it as her still in love with Ian; they make love; they take each other’s blood;
Then tracking DBs, they locate the tearful sister – and get her story, and offer her protection… and Tristan, Roxy and crew, they follow her sister’s smell and locate Ventra’s hideout with 3 DBs inside… Roxy goes for the sister, that is almost drained and down a tunnel behind a hidden door in the library, while Tristan fights the DBs – who have Ian’s sword and are talking about the Guardian who sold it for sweetblood. He kills the 3, but in the fight, the curtains catch fire… he struggles to get to Roxy (who has text him), and Roxy is trying to free the sweetblood sister – but she is secured with silver chain… and then a part of the tunnel roof collapses… and Roxy finds a 2nd way out, as Tristan’s super kinetic power (new to now that he has found his mate – we know) clears the tunnel. Roxy’s empathy deepens, and when someone tells her a lie, a voice whispers ‘liar’; Roxy realizes that she is pregnant – is aware of what Tristan believes of marriage and family – and is trying to steal herself to leaving to raise the child on her own, allowing Tristan visitations if he wants.
They still do not have the traitor, but know that the sister (who’s memories were partially wiped) helped plant something – so they know that their traitor does not know he/she is leaking secrets. The honor banquet goes off as planned – with extra security; Ventra is in disguise at the party, not having had blood for a few weeks and lots of perfume; and a few Guardians figure out that one of the cell phones has a bugged app, so they break up the party early – and as Tristan is making last rounds, he comes across a dead human at the elevator and is stabbed from behind with silver, draining his energy… he is taken… within 30 minutes, they realize Tristan is gone and there’s a body… and Roxy leads them … and they are off the shore, on an island with a boat on the far side… Roxy and Sadie zip line across – Roxy heads further in shore while Sadie gets the boat back to the rest… Roxy comes across the trailer that is cloaked, when the two DBs on the roof shoot at a deer… she goes in, kills them, fights with Ventra – hears Tristan calling to her mind (he is very weak) and when it looks like Ventra is going to kill Roxy, Tristand telekinetics Ian’s sword into her hand, and she slashes Ventra instead (not killing her, unfortunately)… and Ventra runs… the Guardians show up… they are rescued.
Roxy nurses Tristan back to health… and 2 months later, he’s hiding the truth about Ian (not knowing she already knows, wanting to protect her memory of the man he thinks she still loves) – he gets drunk, she goes to him to tell him she’s pregnant and leaving (hoping he will ask her to stay)… they have words, she can tell he is lying about something, she tells him she’s leaving… and he realizes he needs her … 2 friends push him… he goes to find her,, but she has already left… she gets home to Florida and is very tired – she opens her door to her dog… and Tristan (he got the pilot to delay with a layover, so he could get there first) – and he tells her the truth of Ian, and the truth of his feelings for her – and she starts to tell him she’s pregnant, but when she admits she loves him, he sweeps her off her feet, and they make love… and then she tells him she is pregnant - the icing on the cake… ahhh
Memorable scenes:
All the field offices she’d visited had fairly tight security, but this had to be the tightest. She hummed a few bars of the Get Smart theme song.
“The completed each other, settled into each other’s cracks and crevices, making the other better and stronger than they’d been on their own.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2018
3.5 stars.
Santiago is the Guardians' boss and when an operation went wrong and Dom and a number of Guardians were seriously hurt, he asks Roxy, Lily's teacher, to go undercover as his girlfriend to find if there's a traitor within the Guardians.
I'm not sure I like Santiago, he has a tendency to throw tantrums and seems to lead by fear and bullying... not something I associate with a strong hero. Roxy, on the other hand, makes a strong and sympathetic heroine and is able to get along with most people. I guess it's the author's aim to highlight the differences in character traits between the two and how Roxy is able to calm Santiago.
I'm disappointed though that . Hope we get a better outcome soon!
Santiago is the Guardians' boss and when an operation went wrong and Dom and a number of Guardians were seriously hurt, he asks Roxy, Lily's teacher, to go undercover as his girlfriend to find if there's a traitor within the Guardians.
I'm not sure I like Santiago, he has a tendency to throw tantrums and seems to lead by fear and bullying... not something I associate with a strong hero. Roxy, on the other hand, makes a strong and sympathetic heroine and is able to get along with most people. I guess it's the author's aim to highlight the differences in character traits between the two and how Roxy is able to calm Santiago.
I'm disappointed though that . Hope we get a better outcome soon!
January 1, 2021
I really enjoyed this series, and the heroines in Laurie London's books are always some of my favorites.
Roxy was a great heroine, flawed, but aren't we all?
Her vampire heroes are always sexy and protective.
This book was fun, sexy, and exciting...totally my type of catnip!
Roxy was a great heroine, flawed, but aren't we all?
Her vampire heroes are always sexy and protective.
This book was fun, sexy, and exciting...totally my type of catnip!
July 24, 2012
Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: 3.5/5
There’s a potential traitor within the Guardian’s ranks and after an op gets sabotaged and an explosion injures the team of Guardians, including (one of my favorite characters!) Dom, Santiago has to step up the search to figure out how the Darkbloods are getting past all their security measures. In the Northwest filling in for a honeymooning Lily is Roxy, one of the best tracker’s in the country and she’s tasked with teaming up with Santiago to play the part of a couple during a highly attended awards gala in Seattle where many Guardians and top members will be attending. With so many members in attendance, Roxy will be able to use her skills to try and find the traitor and they also suspect this might be the next event that the Darkbloods hit. Unfortunately, Santiago and Roxy didn’t get off to the best start when they first met and now they have to play the happy couple, making Roxy’s appearance at an event she wouldn’t normally be attending, make sense. Playing at being a couple turns into them being engaged followed quickly by them pretending to be married and the sparks start flying between these two.
I enjoyed the way Roxy and Santiago played off each other. Santiago is the leader in the Northwest area and people usually don’t dare argue or stand up to him. Roxy doesn’t hesitate in this and it leads to some frustrating exchanges on Santiago’s end when he’s constantly arguing (and loving it) with her. Roxy sees past the persona Santiago puts out there and helps him deal with the stress and anger in his life. When he would normally intentionally drain his own energies by hurting himself via UV light, she finds other ways to calm him down and starts to see another side to this man. Growing up with a father who wasn’t the best influence when it came to a stable, loving home, Santiago tells Roxy straight out that marriage and a family isn’t for him, but he gets blindsided by how much he starts caring for her.
One frustrating part of their relationship was how they assumed things about each other and kept things from the other person. It’s a pet peeve of mine, really, in any story when the leads don’t communicate or wait until the last minute, or page, to finally be truthful with each other. I wished they would have talked a little more, or at least sooner in the story about certain things, especially one big whopper from Roxy that she keeps from Santiago until the very end. Yes, it’s a great source of angst for the characters, but it’s a frustrating angst to read about it.
On aspect to this series that I always enjoy is finding out about the enhanced abilities the hero and heroine get once they’re together and sharing blood. When characters find their “one”, the person that just fits them, abilities start to become enhanced, as a sort of side effect bonus. Roxy’s tracking ability is taken to a new level and Santiago finds out about his new ability when he and Roxy, need it most. It’s a fun detail in the books that I find myself always looking forward to, finding out what it is and how it comes into play.
The series storyline with the Alliance and the Darkbloods is still ongoing. The fight with Ventra, an enemy in the Alliance, has no conclusion and ends in a “to be continued” way. She uses a Guardian, Mitch, who unknowingly puts those around him in danger and the man is not handling it well. I hope this book serves as his story set up and we see him lead in the next book because I want to know more about him and how he’s dealing with the events and his decision at the end of this story.
I always look forward to getting back to into the world of the Sweet series and I liked this latest installment. Santiago and Roxy are a fun couple, and even though they had a few moments that had me wanting to shake the secrets right out of them, their banter and personalities were well matched and they were a couple that fit.
Blog rating: 3.5/5
There’s a potential traitor within the Guardian’s ranks and after an op gets sabotaged and an explosion injures the team of Guardians, including (one of my favorite characters!) Dom, Santiago has to step up the search to figure out how the Darkbloods are getting past all their security measures. In the Northwest filling in for a honeymooning Lily is Roxy, one of the best tracker’s in the country and she’s tasked with teaming up with Santiago to play the part of a couple during a highly attended awards gala in Seattle where many Guardians and top members will be attending. With so many members in attendance, Roxy will be able to use her skills to try and find the traitor and they also suspect this might be the next event that the Darkbloods hit. Unfortunately, Santiago and Roxy didn’t get off to the best start when they first met and now they have to play the happy couple, making Roxy’s appearance at an event she wouldn’t normally be attending, make sense. Playing at being a couple turns into them being engaged followed quickly by them pretending to be married and the sparks start flying between these two.
I enjoyed the way Roxy and Santiago played off each other. Santiago is the leader in the Northwest area and people usually don’t dare argue or stand up to him. Roxy doesn’t hesitate in this and it leads to some frustrating exchanges on Santiago’s end when he’s constantly arguing (and loving it) with her. Roxy sees past the persona Santiago puts out there and helps him deal with the stress and anger in his life. When he would normally intentionally drain his own energies by hurting himself via UV light, she finds other ways to calm him down and starts to see another side to this man. Growing up with a father who wasn’t the best influence when it came to a stable, loving home, Santiago tells Roxy straight out that marriage and a family isn’t for him, but he gets blindsided by how much he starts caring for her.
One frustrating part of their relationship was how they assumed things about each other and kept things from the other person. It’s a pet peeve of mine, really, in any story when the leads don’t communicate or wait until the last minute, or page, to finally be truthful with each other. I wished they would have talked a little more, or at least sooner in the story about certain things, especially one big whopper from Roxy that she keeps from Santiago until the very end. Yes, it’s a great source of angst for the characters, but it’s a frustrating angst to read about it.
On aspect to this series that I always enjoy is finding out about the enhanced abilities the hero and heroine get once they’re together and sharing blood. When characters find their “one”, the person that just fits them, abilities start to become enhanced, as a sort of side effect bonus. Roxy’s tracking ability is taken to a new level and Santiago finds out about his new ability when he and Roxy, need it most. It’s a fun detail in the books that I find myself always looking forward to, finding out what it is and how it comes into play.
The series storyline with the Alliance and the Darkbloods is still ongoing. The fight with Ventra, an enemy in the Alliance, has no conclusion and ends in a “to be continued” way. She uses a Guardian, Mitch, who unknowingly puts those around him in danger and the man is not handling it well. I hope this book serves as his story set up and we see him lead in the next book because I want to know more about him and how he’s dealing with the events and his decision at the end of this story.
I always look forward to getting back to into the world of the Sweet series and I liked this latest installment. Santiago and Roxy are a fun couple, and even though they had a few moments that had me wanting to shake the secrets right out of them, their banter and personalities were well matched and they were a couple that fit.
July 24, 2012
Laurie London's vampires are beyond seductive!
The Sweetblood series continues with Guardian commander Tristan Santiago. When a team of Guardians are attacked while raiding a Darkblood warehouse in Seattle, their commander realizes there must be a traitor in their midst. To uncover the truth and find the traitor, Santiago enlists the help of Roxanne Reynolds, an ex-Guardian turned teacher who now works at the Tracker Academy in Florida and temporarily filling in for her friend Lily. Roxy's skills as a tracker are legendary and while she might be a just a teacher now, she's come to Seattle with a purpose, to find her fiance's killer. Tristan's close friends come up with a seamless plot to find the vampire who endangered their lives by having Roxy and him pose as lovers. An undercover mission soon turns very real for these two as they find themselves in a tangled web of passion and desire.
This is by far the best book in the series! Tristan is a stubborn, powerful Alpha who is inclined to get his way no matter what, until he meets Roxy who knocks him off his feet with her undeniable charm. As the two go "undercover" we learn more about them and how looks can be quite deceiving, sure they're both gorgeous, but there are many facets to these two characters that makes their romance real. To see Tristan go from an arrogant Guardian to a confused and lovesick puppy is heartwarming and truly entertaining. The author does a great job of easing into the romance despite the obvious attraction between Roxy and Tristan.
Roxy is my favorite heroine in this series so far, the woman really holds her own in a series where the heroes are big, strong, protective warriors. I praise Ms. London for giving us a heroine who knows how to defend herself and kicks major butt on her own! This is not to say that the other heroines in the Sweetblood series are dainty flowers, there's just something extra special about Roxy. She's just as strong as Tristan but never shows off about it...I love a heroine who turns the tables by saving her hero and Roxy proves she's more than just a pretty face in yoga pants!
Aside from the great romance throughout the book there's a suspenseful plot that keeps you engaged with plenty of twists and turns. We get to see some familiar faces that add a sense of comfort to the story and give us an update of the previous characters and couples of the series. Seduced by Blood is the shining star of the series with it's constant action, sexy chemistry and a touching love story between two unlikely soul mates. The writing is so stellar in this series that each book can definitely be read as a stand alone but I'd highly recommend reading them in order (says the reader who started on book #2 and still has yet to read the first!) It's hard to think Ms. London can top Tristan and Roxy's book but something tells me I might be eating my words in the near future!
{ebook courtesy of NetGalley for review.}
Original Romancing the Darkside Review:
http://romancingthedarkside.blogspot....
The Sweetblood series continues with Guardian commander Tristan Santiago. When a team of Guardians are attacked while raiding a Darkblood warehouse in Seattle, their commander realizes there must be a traitor in their midst. To uncover the truth and find the traitor, Santiago enlists the help of Roxanne Reynolds, an ex-Guardian turned teacher who now works at the Tracker Academy in Florida and temporarily filling in for her friend Lily. Roxy's skills as a tracker are legendary and while she might be a just a teacher now, she's come to Seattle with a purpose, to find her fiance's killer. Tristan's close friends come up with a seamless plot to find the vampire who endangered their lives by having Roxy and him pose as lovers. An undercover mission soon turns very real for these two as they find themselves in a tangled web of passion and desire.
This is by far the best book in the series! Tristan is a stubborn, powerful Alpha who is inclined to get his way no matter what, until he meets Roxy who knocks him off his feet with her undeniable charm. As the two go "undercover" we learn more about them and how looks can be quite deceiving, sure they're both gorgeous, but there are many facets to these two characters that makes their romance real. To see Tristan go from an arrogant Guardian to a confused and lovesick puppy is heartwarming and truly entertaining. The author does a great job of easing into the romance despite the obvious attraction between Roxy and Tristan.
Roxy is my favorite heroine in this series so far, the woman really holds her own in a series where the heroes are big, strong, protective warriors. I praise Ms. London for giving us a heroine who knows how to defend herself and kicks major butt on her own! This is not to say that the other heroines in the Sweetblood series are dainty flowers, there's just something extra special about Roxy. She's just as strong as Tristan but never shows off about it...I love a heroine who turns the tables by saving her hero and Roxy proves she's more than just a pretty face in yoga pants!
Aside from the great romance throughout the book there's a suspenseful plot that keeps you engaged with plenty of twists and turns. We get to see some familiar faces that add a sense of comfort to the story and give us an update of the previous characters and couples of the series. Seduced by Blood is the shining star of the series with it's constant action, sexy chemistry and a touching love story between two unlikely soul mates. The writing is so stellar in this series that each book can definitely be read as a stand alone but I'd highly recommend reading them in order (says the reader who started on book #2 and still has yet to read the first!) It's hard to think Ms. London can top Tristan and Roxy's book but something tells me I might be eating my words in the near future!
{ebook courtesy of NetGalley for review.}
Original Romancing the Darkside Review:
http://romancingthedarkside.blogspot....
July 19, 2012
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
I really liked the structure of this book. London starts off slowly by first concentrating on building up the characters and their romance. This was one of the shortcomings of Tempted by Blood in my opinion, I had a hard time buying into the relationship because it was too much, too soon, too fast. I'm happy to report that Laurie London is back on track with this installment. Seduced by Blood is passionate, lively and well put together. This is my favourite book so far in the Sweetblood series!
The common theme throughout this novel was that things aren't always as they appear. Roxy seems to be a hippy teacher who's still in mourning over her dead husband and Santiago gives off a real tough guy, I don't care about anything or anyone vibe. As the story progresses, Laurie slowly reveals that there's more to these characters than meets the eye. Roxy and Santiago start off at complete odds; their attraction brings them together at first but as the facts start piling up they realize that what they have is more than just a passing fling. I really appreciated that London focuses just on them at the beginning of the book. The story won me over early on and I was even able to like Santiago who, as you know, comes across as a huge ass in the previous installments.
Another aspect that I enjoyed was how Roxy is the main butt kicker in this tale. Anyone who's read a Sweetblood book knows that the men in this series can hold their own in a fight so there was never a doubt in my mind over Santiago's alpha status. Roxanne was a different story. That was, up until the first few chapters when she single-handedly defeats a couple of Darkbloods, unarmed. Yeah. I was in awe of her from that point on. You know the saying: "those who can't do, teach?" It definitely doesn't apply to my girl Roxy! Not only that but London skillfully works this story in such a way that the strong female doesn't take away from Santiago's masculinity. I like that she was able to achieve a nice balance between her two main characters.
On top of telling a phenomenal love story, Seduced by Blood delivers a top notch plot as well. The story just keeps on giving; there's a mole in the Guardians, a kidnapped Sweetblood, a cold case murder investigation and a beloved character fighting for his life. You won't be able to put this one down until the end. It's one of those "I'll just read one more chapter before bed", then something crazy happens and you can't let go quite yet. Then one thing leads to another and before you know it you're on the last page!
Seduced by Blood has all of the key elements that I look for in a good Paranormal Romance book: off the charts chemistry, bone crunching action and a captivating story. You can't go wrong with this series; every installment seems to be better than the last.
I really liked the structure of this book. London starts off slowly by first concentrating on building up the characters and their romance. This was one of the shortcomings of Tempted by Blood in my opinion, I had a hard time buying into the relationship because it was too much, too soon, too fast. I'm happy to report that Laurie London is back on track with this installment. Seduced by Blood is passionate, lively and well put together. This is my favourite book so far in the Sweetblood series!
The common theme throughout this novel was that things aren't always as they appear. Roxy seems to be a hippy teacher who's still in mourning over her dead husband and Santiago gives off a real tough guy, I don't care about anything or anyone vibe. As the story progresses, Laurie slowly reveals that there's more to these characters than meets the eye. Roxy and Santiago start off at complete odds; their attraction brings them together at first but as the facts start piling up they realize that what they have is more than just a passing fling. I really appreciated that London focuses just on them at the beginning of the book. The story won me over early on and I was even able to like Santiago who, as you know, comes across as a huge ass in the previous installments.
Another aspect that I enjoyed was how Roxy is the main butt kicker in this tale. Anyone who's read a Sweetblood book knows that the men in this series can hold their own in a fight so there was never a doubt in my mind over Santiago's alpha status. Roxanne was a different story. That was, up until the first few chapters when she single-handedly defeats a couple of Darkbloods, unarmed. Yeah. I was in awe of her from that point on. You know the saying: "those who can't do, teach?" It definitely doesn't apply to my girl Roxy! Not only that but London skillfully works this story in such a way that the strong female doesn't take away from Santiago's masculinity. I like that she was able to achieve a nice balance between her two main characters.
On top of telling a phenomenal love story, Seduced by Blood delivers a top notch plot as well. The story just keeps on giving; there's a mole in the Guardians, a kidnapped Sweetblood, a cold case murder investigation and a beloved character fighting for his life. You won't be able to put this one down until the end. It's one of those "I'll just read one more chapter before bed", then something crazy happens and you can't let go quite yet. Then one thing leads to another and before you know it you're on the last page!
Seduced by Blood has all of the key elements that I look for in a good Paranormal Romance book: off the charts chemistry, bone crunching action and a captivating story. You can't go wrong with this series; every installment seems to be better than the last.
July 24, 2012
Not every book in this series has been created equal, but I think this is definitely one of the strongest installments.
The story features Santiago, regional commander of the vampire Guardians. (And for those of you following along from the previous books, the boss of Dominic, Lily and Jackson.) He's gruff and impatient. He's domineering and prone to outbursts. But there is much more to him than that. He's also a man full of angst and self-loathing for his own failings. He tortures himself (literally) over his perceived shortcomings. And he believes himself to be incapable of treating a woman any better than his adulterous father treated his mother.
Santiago's life gets turned on its ear when Roxy enters the picture. She is a woman who knows her own mind and heart. He's not her boss, so she doesn't have to take his crap... and he barely knows what to do with himself when his tantrums and orders fall on deaf ears.
Roxy was a Guardian long ago, but now she is a teacher to those who need to learn to scent-track. She agrees to teach a course for her old student and friend, Lily, which is what puts her in Santiago's orbit. But once he realizes there may be a traitor in his organization, he realizes he can use her special gifts to sniff them out. The two end up posing as lovers as a cover for her internal investigation. From there, it's only a hop, skip, and a jump until their ruse turns into reality.
I liked Roxy a lot. She has issues, sure, but for the most part, she really has her act together. For all of his swagger and bluster, Santiago is really kind of a basket case. I enjoyed watching him come to terms with his problems and accept the gifts Roxy is giving.
We didn't have to wait terribly long for the sex, which was gratifying ('cause the sex was good.) But I really appreciated the fact that the tender feelings between Roxy and Santiago grew over the course of the book. It felt like their relationship was an evolution and that helped me invest more. --I also thought the Darkblood plot was well-done. The pacing was good and I liked that the resolution was neither obvious, nor tied in a perfectly neat bow.
The internal conflict was a little heavy on assumptions and misunderstandings, but I've seen worse.
This is book four in the Sweetblood series and I think it would work as a standalone, though longtime readers will no doubt enjoy seeing the couples featured in previous books. I loved seeing how far Dominic and Mackenzie have come!
*ARC Provided by NetGalley
The story features Santiago, regional commander of the vampire Guardians. (And for those of you following along from the previous books, the boss of Dominic, Lily and Jackson.) He's gruff and impatient. He's domineering and prone to outbursts. But there is much more to him than that. He's also a man full of angst and self-loathing for his own failings. He tortures himself (literally) over his perceived shortcomings. And he believes himself to be incapable of treating a woman any better than his adulterous father treated his mother.
Santiago's life gets turned on its ear when Roxy enters the picture. She is a woman who knows her own mind and heart. He's not her boss, so she doesn't have to take his crap... and he barely knows what to do with himself when his tantrums and orders fall on deaf ears.
Roxy was a Guardian long ago, but now she is a teacher to those who need to learn to scent-track. She agrees to teach a course for her old student and friend, Lily, which is what puts her in Santiago's orbit. But once he realizes there may be a traitor in his organization, he realizes he can use her special gifts to sniff them out. The two end up posing as lovers as a cover for her internal investigation. From there, it's only a hop, skip, and a jump until their ruse turns into reality.
I liked Roxy a lot. She has issues, sure, but for the most part, she really has her act together. For all of his swagger and bluster, Santiago is really kind of a basket case. I enjoyed watching him come to terms with his problems and accept the gifts Roxy is giving.
We didn't have to wait terribly long for the sex, which was gratifying ('cause the sex was good.) But I really appreciated the fact that the tender feelings between Roxy and Santiago grew over the course of the book. It felt like their relationship was an evolution and that helped me invest more. --I also thought the Darkblood plot was well-done. The pacing was good and I liked that the resolution was neither obvious, nor tied in a perfectly neat bow.
The internal conflict was a little heavy on assumptions and misunderstandings, but I've seen worse.
This is book four in the Sweetblood series and I think it would work as a standalone, though longtime readers will no doubt enjoy seeing the couples featured in previous books. I loved seeing how far Dominic and Mackenzie have come!
*ARC Provided by NetGalley
June 17, 2012
LOVED LOVED LOVED Santiago's book...
OMG!!! Roxy takes him on a run for his money. They are just to perfect for each other.
Full Review:
AAAhhh, it is good to be back in the world of the Sweetbloods.
Seduced by Blood is Laurie London’s fourth book in the Sweetbloods series. We finally get to look deeper into the fearless leader Tristan Santiago. *drool*
Santiago, as everyone calls him, is the tough as nails, no feeling, will rip your head off if you don’t do what he says leader of the Pacific Northwest Guardian team. But Santiago hides a very disturbing side of him, something that no one knows, something that if his team finds out they will lose all faith in him.
Roxanne Reynolds, is only in Seattle as a favor to her dear friend Lily. Why else would she be in this god awful cold and rainy place. But what Roxanne doesn’t know is just how very, very, very important she is about to become to the Pacific Northwest Guardians and the very cold, very temperamental, and all around pain in her ass leader of this group.
The Darkbloods are getting too brave, getting too comfortable, and Santiago doesn’t like it one bit. But they always seem to be one step ahead of them. When Santiago sends his team on a mission that almost gets them killed, he has to start to wonder if there is a mole in his group. But how do you find a mole when everyone is afraid of you? Well you go undercover with your new girlfriend right?
Oh how I love the Sweetblood world. I have really enjoyed every one of Laurie’s books. It is hard for me to pick who has been my favorite, all four heroes are yummy. But I really think I like Santiago the best. He is just so darn hard headed. It was great fun to watch him fall. And boy does he fall hard. Roxanne is just, well sweet is not the right word. Roxanne is just kick ass. She can kick your ass without thinking about it. But that is not always her way. She is very gentle and kind, which is exactly what Santiago needs. Oh and someone to push his buttons..
If you have not read any Sweetblood books you really need too. Laurie does a wonderful job of setting up this world. I have truly loved each book. I am looking forward to the next book in this series and can’t wait to see where Laurie takes us next *cough* Mitch *cough*
OMG!!! Roxy takes him on a run for his money. They are just to perfect for each other.
Full Review:
AAAhhh, it is good to be back in the world of the Sweetbloods.
Seduced by Blood is Laurie London’s fourth book in the Sweetbloods series. We finally get to look deeper into the fearless leader Tristan Santiago. *drool*
Santiago, as everyone calls him, is the tough as nails, no feeling, will rip your head off if you don’t do what he says leader of the Pacific Northwest Guardian team. But Santiago hides a very disturbing side of him, something that no one knows, something that if his team finds out they will lose all faith in him.
Roxanne Reynolds, is only in Seattle as a favor to her dear friend Lily. Why else would she be in this god awful cold and rainy place. But what Roxanne doesn’t know is just how very, very, very important she is about to become to the Pacific Northwest Guardians and the very cold, very temperamental, and all around pain in her ass leader of this group.
The Darkbloods are getting too brave, getting too comfortable, and Santiago doesn’t like it one bit. But they always seem to be one step ahead of them. When Santiago sends his team on a mission that almost gets them killed, he has to start to wonder if there is a mole in his group. But how do you find a mole when everyone is afraid of you? Well you go undercover with your new girlfriend right?
Oh how I love the Sweetblood world. I have really enjoyed every one of Laurie’s books. It is hard for me to pick who has been my favorite, all four heroes are yummy. But I really think I like Santiago the best. He is just so darn hard headed. It was great fun to watch him fall. And boy does he fall hard. Roxanne is just, well sweet is not the right word. Roxanne is just kick ass. She can kick your ass without thinking about it. But that is not always her way. She is very gentle and kind, which is exactly what Santiago needs. Oh and someone to push his buttons..
If you have not read any Sweetblood books you really need too. Laurie does a wonderful job of setting up this world. I have truly loved each book. I am looking forward to the next book in this series and can’t wait to see where Laurie takes us next *cough* Mitch *cough*
September 16, 2012
santiago'nun hikayesiydi. Kitap başlarda sıkmıştı ama sevdiğimiz birbaşka karakterin başına gelen feci olayla merakla okutmaya başladı. Örgütün içinde bir gammazcı olduğunu düşünen ekip onu bulmak için insanları ve yalanı okuyabilme yeteneği olan takipçi kızımız roxy'e güveniyor ama roxy'nin içlerine şüphe çekmeden sızması için santiago'nun kız arkadaşı rolüne girmesi gerekiyor. kıza karşı kıskançlığı tutatn santi onu arkadaşlarına nişanlısı olarak taktim ediyor , buna sinirlenen kızımız ise karşı saldırı olarak biz evlendik açıklamasını yapıyor hahah buralar çok komikti.
darkblood'lar oldukça akıllı hareket etmeye başlıyor artık. bundan sonra tehlike oldukça büyük. Spoiler etmemek için adını vermeyeceğim kişide sağlığına kavuştuda içime su serpildi bu arada :D
darkblood'lar oldukça akıllı hareket etmeye başlıyor artık. bundan sonra tehlike oldukça büyük. Spoiler etmemek için adını vermeyeceğim kişide sağlığına kavuştuda içime su serpildi bu arada :D
July 20, 2012
I really enjoyed this book! This was my first look into the Sweetblood series and even though it is book 4 I didn't find myself confused as this was easily read as a stand alone novel.
For me it was really the characters that really made this story for me as they really drew me in and by the end I was cheering them on. When Roxy fills in for her friend Lily she doesn't realize it will lead to her working with Tristan Santiago on uncovering a traitor in the guardians team.
I really enjoyed the premise and the story kept me up late because I couldn't put it down! I will be buying the rest in this series and I highly recommend it.
For me it was really the characters that really made this story for me as they really drew me in and by the end I was cheering them on. When Roxy fills in for her friend Lily she doesn't realize it will lead to her working with Tristan Santiago on uncovering a traitor in the guardians team.
I really enjoyed the premise and the story kept me up late because I couldn't put it down! I will be buying the rest in this series and I highly recommend it.
January 29, 2013
I love Laurie!!! She doesn't play. Her books are fast paced & just get you in & you can't stop until the last page!!
How perfect. Oil & water. They do mix!
How perfect. Oil & water. They do mix!
May 30, 2020
I could not put this book down, read it in a day. i love the banter between the pair, Roxy matches me in everyway on how i would react in situations when faced with a dominate presence. Dangerously dark in places. Also sad in others, i love Mitchie" as a charactor and am i upset he has not got his own story to tell. Or maybe he has and i have not read it as of yet? Also in the books it mentions that they all find their soul mate, making them extra powerful as their loves bonds them to each other in ways they never realised it would do... Where is this leading? These books in the series are not finished....will we see the big ending? I certainly hope so..
May 15, 2025
A good 1 to 2 day read!
This is the final book in the Sweetblood series. It focuses on the region Guardian commander Santiago, who has popped up in the other books, as well as Roxy Reynolds, the Tracker trainer.
It's a good book, even though it has the same setup as the other 3. I think it's one of my favorites out of them, though I do wish some things were wrapped up (unless she plans to expand the series?).
This is the final book in the Sweetblood series. It focuses on the region Guardian commander Santiago, who has popped up in the other books, as well as Roxy Reynolds, the Tracker trainer.
It's a good book, even though it has the same setup as the other 3. I think it's one of my favorites out of them, though I do wish some things were wrapped up (unless she plans to expand the series?).
April 24, 2019
Strange read
Well did I like this book or not? It was a strange storyline and the lead characters were good in their own way but together felt no chemistry. More a paranormal story than a romance.
Well did I like this book or not? It was a strange storyline and the lead characters were good in their own way but together felt no chemistry. More a paranormal story than a romance.
February 18, 2021
Bit of a slow burner. It did eventually get going. I am interested to see how this series ends. I have read the others.
April 15, 2024
Good vampire world
I enjoyed all the twists
I enjoyed all the twists
August 26, 2012
The “Sweetblood Series” returns with a bang. The Sweetblood/ Darkblood battle rages on. In this book, Roxanne Reynolds fills in for one of her previous students and good friend, Lily, so that Lily and Alfonso can go on vacation to celebrate their engagement. On her way up, she encounters a Sweetblood and helps him by taking out the Darkbloods after him, with no weapons none the less. Santiago is impressed with her abilities and feels stirrings of desire, but pushes them out of his head. Santiago is hardcore, hot headed, and a mystery to most, but respected by those he leads. When he says do something, he expects it done no questions asked. Roxy doesn't play by those rules, after all he isn’t her boss, and she has no problem standing up to him.
After a botched mission and some of his people getting injured, they suspect a mole in the Guardians. To suss out the mole, Santiago tells Roxy she is to pose as his girlfriend to help solve this mystery. He doesn’t want to believe a Guardian could really be the mole, but has no other theory as to why the mission went south. At first Roxy said no, but changes her mind because she saw something in Santiago, plus it is a way to further her side investigation, (her past relationship and hopefully closure). What occurs is the pretend relationship winds up being a battle of wits, not to mention sexual tension turning up from so much closeness. You get some deep feelings with some hot sexual encounters as they both strive to battle the demons of their pasts, to heal, and finally move on.
This is the fourth book and in this book we get Santiago's story. I would say it could be read as a stand alone, but it would be enriched more if you read the books leading up to "Seduced by Blood". That way you can get a feel for Santiago in previous books and a deeper understanding of him as a character. I really enjoyed London's newest installment into the Sweetblood world. You have all the things you love such as alpha male, strong heroine, villains you love to hate, mystery and action. Santiago and Roxy give a whole new meaning to "opposites attract". Roxy is a bit of a loner at first. Sweet, tender, and caring, she takes no BS and stands up for what she believes in. Santiago is hotheaded, prone to temper tantrums when things don't go according to plan and tortures himself for what he sees as “failings“.
I loved reading the banter between the two. It was a true battle of wits when they are pretending to be together. The sex scenes are steamy and the tender feelings between the two wrapped this story up with a nice bow, even if they fought them for a while. You also get to see a bit of the villain, Ventra. Now that is one evil, hussy of a vampire with some real sick tendencies. I rooted on the things the Guardians were doing, yet Ventra is written just right that even I going back and forth. Thinking one minute what a sick sucker she is to “Geeze I feel sorry for her past”, then I would remember why I love to hate her and those feelings of empathy would vanish.
London did not disappoint with this installment at all. She gives us sexy males we love to swoon over and want make our own, as well as ladies who are strong with traits we can see in ourselves or aspire to be, except for Ventra not sure anyone would want to be her. The Sweetblood series is never dull or boring. There is always action and you will find yourself cheering until the end. This book leaves us with a promise as to what is next and I can’t wait to see what London has in store for us. As for now, I was definitely “Seduced by Blood” into loving this couple’s installment and will be counting the days until I can get my next Sweetblood fix.... not with fangs or anything... oh you know what I mean.
After a botched mission and some of his people getting injured, they suspect a mole in the Guardians. To suss out the mole, Santiago tells Roxy she is to pose as his girlfriend to help solve this mystery. He doesn’t want to believe a Guardian could really be the mole, but has no other theory as to why the mission went south. At first Roxy said no, but changes her mind because she saw something in Santiago, plus it is a way to further her side investigation, (her past relationship and hopefully closure). What occurs is the pretend relationship winds up being a battle of wits, not to mention sexual tension turning up from so much closeness. You get some deep feelings with some hot sexual encounters as they both strive to battle the demons of their pasts, to heal, and finally move on.
This is the fourth book and in this book we get Santiago's story. I would say it could be read as a stand alone, but it would be enriched more if you read the books leading up to "Seduced by Blood". That way you can get a feel for Santiago in previous books and a deeper understanding of him as a character. I really enjoyed London's newest installment into the Sweetblood world. You have all the things you love such as alpha male, strong heroine, villains you love to hate, mystery and action. Santiago and Roxy give a whole new meaning to "opposites attract". Roxy is a bit of a loner at first. Sweet, tender, and caring, she takes no BS and stands up for what she believes in. Santiago is hotheaded, prone to temper tantrums when things don't go according to plan and tortures himself for what he sees as “failings“.
I loved reading the banter between the two. It was a true battle of wits when they are pretending to be together. The sex scenes are steamy and the tender feelings between the two wrapped this story up with a nice bow, even if they fought them for a while. You also get to see a bit of the villain, Ventra. Now that is one evil, hussy of a vampire with some real sick tendencies. I rooted on the things the Guardians were doing, yet Ventra is written just right that even I going back and forth. Thinking one minute what a sick sucker she is to “Geeze I feel sorry for her past”, then I would remember why I love to hate her and those feelings of empathy would vanish.
London did not disappoint with this installment at all. She gives us sexy males we love to swoon over and want make our own, as well as ladies who are strong with traits we can see in ourselves or aspire to be, except for Ventra not sure anyone would want to be her. The Sweetblood series is never dull or boring. There is always action and you will find yourself cheering until the end. This book leaves us with a promise as to what is next and I can’t wait to see what London has in store for us. As for now, I was definitely “Seduced by Blood” into loving this couple’s installment and will be counting the days until I can get my next Sweetblood fix.... not with fangs or anything... oh you know what I mean.
June 24, 2012
Seduced by Blood is the fourth book in Laurie London’s Sweetblood series. Each of these books can be read as a standalone and focuses on one member of an elite team of vampires who protect humankind from the Darkbloods. This novel brings us Tristan Santiago and Roxanne Reynolds romance. As they search for a spy among his team, this undercover couple finds more than they bargained for. I consumed this in one evening as London quickly took me back to the Pacific Northwest and the headquarters on the Guardians.
The battle over humans continues as the Guardian’s fight to protect humanity and keep secret the existence of vampires. The Darkbloods continue their fight to rule and hunt mankind. Santiago and his team have a problem; every attack or mission seems to be compromised. To add insult to injury, Roxanne Reynolds a tracker instructor, uncovers a Darkblood nest within miles of the region’s command center on her way into town. She is in town to cover classes for her former student while she spends some much needed R&R with new boyfriend. Constantly trying to market Sweetblood (a particularly delicious and rare type of human blood) the Darkbloods are becoming bolder and someone within Santiago’s trusted team is giving them insider information. The team decides that Roxanne should go undercover as his girlfriend and use her talents to determine who the mole is. The tale that unfolds is smoking hot, intense, action packed and gave me one heck of a ride.
Santiago is the Guardian regional commander. He takes his job seriously and will do anything to protect his team. He can be hard, crass and down right intimidating. He isn’t looking for any long term commitments with the ladies. His father was a womanizer and he believes it’s in his DNA. He never wants a woman to be hurt like his mother, so he keeps things light. He totally tries to avoid Roxy and her hippie ways. Despite this he cannot help noticing her tone athletic body. Roxy is headstrong, centered and one heck of a tracker. She was once a guardian, but after her partner died at the hands of DarkBloods she moved to teaching the Guardian’s elite. Roxy isn’t sure she likes Santiago who seems to have an attitude problem, but she can appreciate his fine sculptured body and long eyelashes. When he smiles, he knees turn to jelly. The interaction between these two was hilarious. He wants to step away and she is all in his face. Of course that is exactly what he needs. I quickly became caught up in their tale.
I love the world London has created and enjoy visiting. It’s a saga of good verse evil and each installment has fresh storylines that draw you in. There is substance to these mysteries that I enjoy. I like putting the pieces together and I love getting to know each character. While we get updates about other characters, I like how each book focuses on one character, a new problem and their love interest. London captures your attention on page one as you are immediately drawn into a confrontation with Darkbloods. The romance she spins is hot, believable and exciting. All of the men are complicated and completely swoon worthy. She keeps you engaged as she takes you from one action packed or steamy scene to another. Forget catching your breath, once you enter this world you are there till the last page, the last sentence..only to find you want more.
I want to thank Harlequin and netGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.
The battle over humans continues as the Guardian’s fight to protect humanity and keep secret the existence of vampires. The Darkbloods continue their fight to rule and hunt mankind. Santiago and his team have a problem; every attack or mission seems to be compromised. To add insult to injury, Roxanne Reynolds a tracker instructor, uncovers a Darkblood nest within miles of the region’s command center on her way into town. She is in town to cover classes for her former student while she spends some much needed R&R with new boyfriend. Constantly trying to market Sweetblood (a particularly delicious and rare type of human blood) the Darkbloods are becoming bolder and someone within Santiago’s trusted team is giving them insider information. The team decides that Roxanne should go undercover as his girlfriend and use her talents to determine who the mole is. The tale that unfolds is smoking hot, intense, action packed and gave me one heck of a ride.
Santiago is the Guardian regional commander. He takes his job seriously and will do anything to protect his team. He can be hard, crass and down right intimidating. He isn’t looking for any long term commitments with the ladies. His father was a womanizer and he believes it’s in his DNA. He never wants a woman to be hurt like his mother, so he keeps things light. He totally tries to avoid Roxy and her hippie ways. Despite this he cannot help noticing her tone athletic body. Roxy is headstrong, centered and one heck of a tracker. She was once a guardian, but after her partner died at the hands of DarkBloods she moved to teaching the Guardian’s elite. Roxy isn’t sure she likes Santiago who seems to have an attitude problem, but she can appreciate his fine sculptured body and long eyelashes. When he smiles, he knees turn to jelly. The interaction between these two was hilarious. He wants to step away and she is all in his face. Of course that is exactly what he needs. I quickly became caught up in their tale.
I love the world London has created and enjoy visiting. It’s a saga of good verse evil and each installment has fresh storylines that draw you in. There is substance to these mysteries that I enjoy. I like putting the pieces together and I love getting to know each character. While we get updates about other characters, I like how each book focuses on one character, a new problem and their love interest. London captures your attention on page one as you are immediately drawn into a confrontation with Darkbloods. The romance she spins is hot, believable and exciting. All of the men are complicated and completely swoon worthy. She keeps you engaged as she takes you from one action packed or steamy scene to another. Forget catching your breath, once you enter this world you are there till the last page, the last sentence..only to find you want more.
I want to thank Harlequin and netGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.
June 7, 2012
In the Sweetblood world of vampires, Guardians are vampire warriors. They are sworn to protect humanity from Darkbloods. Darkbloods kill humans for blood and deal in "Sweet," which is a rare type of blood that comes from Sweetblood humans. It's very addictive and sold on the vampire black market.
Tristan Santiago is the Northwest region commander of the Guardians. He is commanding, demanding, and has anger management issues. Roxy Reynolds was the Guardians' best tracker. She can also sense when people are being deceitful. But she's now retired as a Guardian and these days she teaches other trackers. She is on temporary assignment to the Northwest region when a raid goes bad and Guardians are seriously injured. Santiago suspects that a traitor in the Seattle field office has passed along information to the Darkbloods. In order to catch the traitor, Santiago decides that he and Roxy will pose as lovers at the field office and she will ferret out the person responsible. After some anger management of her own, Roxy reluctantly agrees.
Posing as lovers quickly leads the couple to fall for each other, but they both have relationship issues from their pasts that get in the way. Danger, new and old, catches up to them. Soon they are fighting for each other's lives. And an ultimate trial of their relationship could tear them apart.
*****
Right out of the gate, Roxy is introduced as a kick-butt heroine with a compassionate side. And she doesn't take guff from anyone, especially tall, strong, sexy Santiago. This confounds Santiago. When he says "Jump," his people say "Off what bridge?" But not Roxy. She refuses to take orders from him. Instead, he has to use interpersonal skills with her. That's a new concept for him.
Santiago is introduced as a hot-head who can barely keep it together after his men are attacked. Then along comes Roxy, who knows exactly how to get under his skin. He just about goes ballistic. He fights against her ways, but Roxy is actually his personal feng shui. She calms him like no one else ever has. Once he lets her in, he starts to fall for her. Unfortunately, he believes his father's poison that he isn't meant to be faithful in a relationship.
The plot includes a kidnapped Sweetblood girl and her sister, the mysterious information leak at the field office, and the century-old murder of Roxy's fiancé. A favorite character from previous books is in critical condition from the botched raid. Life-threatening danger will keep you turning the pages. Santiago faces Roxy's final test of their relationship. Will he fail?
I don't think it's a spoiler to say that I loved the last line of the book. You'll just have to read the whole book to see if you agree.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
Please see more of my reviews at Paranormal Romance with Lisa Annesley. Subscribe by e-mail, and you'll be informed of giveaways as soon as they're posted!
Tristan Santiago is the Northwest region commander of the Guardians. He is commanding, demanding, and has anger management issues. Roxy Reynolds was the Guardians' best tracker. She can also sense when people are being deceitful. But she's now retired as a Guardian and these days she teaches other trackers. She is on temporary assignment to the Northwest region when a raid goes bad and Guardians are seriously injured. Santiago suspects that a traitor in the Seattle field office has passed along information to the Darkbloods. In order to catch the traitor, Santiago decides that he and Roxy will pose as lovers at the field office and she will ferret out the person responsible. After some anger management of her own, Roxy reluctantly agrees.
Posing as lovers quickly leads the couple to fall for each other, but they both have relationship issues from their pasts that get in the way. Danger, new and old, catches up to them. Soon they are fighting for each other's lives. And an ultimate trial of their relationship could tear them apart.
*****
Right out of the gate, Roxy is introduced as a kick-butt heroine with a compassionate side. And she doesn't take guff from anyone, especially tall, strong, sexy Santiago. This confounds Santiago. When he says "Jump," his people say "Off what bridge?" But not Roxy. She refuses to take orders from him. Instead, he has to use interpersonal skills with her. That's a new concept for him.
Santiago is introduced as a hot-head who can barely keep it together after his men are attacked. Then along comes Roxy, who knows exactly how to get under his skin. He just about goes ballistic. He fights against her ways, but Roxy is actually his personal feng shui. She calms him like no one else ever has. Once he lets her in, he starts to fall for her. Unfortunately, he believes his father's poison that he isn't meant to be faithful in a relationship.
The plot includes a kidnapped Sweetblood girl and her sister, the mysterious information leak at the field office, and the century-old murder of Roxy's fiancé. A favorite character from previous books is in critical condition from the botched raid. Life-threatening danger will keep you turning the pages. Santiago faces Roxy's final test of their relationship. Will he fail?
I don't think it's a spoiler to say that I loved the last line of the book. You'll just have to read the whole book to see if you agree.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
Please see more of my reviews at Paranormal Romance with Lisa Annesley. Subscribe by e-mail, and you'll be informed of giveaways as soon as they're posted!
July 24, 2012
Review also posted at Under The Covers Book Blog
Seduced by Blood is the 4th installment of the SweetBlood series and Ms. London did not disappoint. She continues to create this world with swoon-worthy heroes you cannot avoid but to wish they were your own and heroines who have traits you wish you had.
The war between the Guardians and the Dark Bloods continues. Innocents with sweet blood kidnapped, tormented and used to feed blood addictions. However, there are pressing issues of the recent attacks on the headquarters and failed missions leading the guardians to think there is a traitor amongst them. Solving this problem will be top priority as they cannot afford lose anyone or have anymore injured colleagues. I like the idea that none of them are perfect and the possibility of conspiracy or a spy amongst them makes it more realistic and believable (Not that they are not real, because they are). J
I have waited a long time to hear Tristan Santiago’s story and is every bit of what I expected. Region Commander of the Guardians, Santiago is handsome but a hard-ass, temperamental, grumpy, used to getting his way and way over-bearing. However, what I did not expect was a sweet and tender side, and that is exactly what he was when he was with Roxy. Call it fate but her arrival to the facility was perfect timing. As a retired Guardian and now a professor, Roxanne Reynolds is supposed to cover for Lily DeGraff teaching/training new trackers. Instead, she will go under cover with Santiago to find the traitor posing as lovers. And wow, pretending to be a couple can bring on just the right amount of jealousy, possessiveness and sexual tension that will bring them to their knees, and maybe even love one another.
Santiago is ever the domineering male and Roxy definitely is not a push over leading woman. I knew I loved Santiago from the start but I did not expect is to like Roxy. She was a snob in the start but she ended up easy to like. She wasn’t whiney, didn’t play games and she is a kick ass heroine for sure. Oh, their coming together was awesome and I may say, pretty damn hot. The banter between them was funny as heck and they fit perfectly as a couple. Ms. London did a wonderful job pairing them up as she did with the previous books from the series.
* ARC provided by Netgalley
August 26, 2016
Great story. One of my favorites in the series. Waiting for the nexr one is going to be hard. I like the way the characters from the previous books are worked in instead of just thrown in as an afterthought. And the way the Roxy and Santiago are complete opposites works.
I LOVE Roxy! The way she frustrates Santiago is hilarious. She’s the perfect mate for him. She won’t back down or take any of his blustering nonsense. He’s self-centered, egotistical and a bully. She’s just what he needs to give him some compassion and humanity. She’s got a lot of down-to-earth (un)common sense.
The methods she uses to teach him how to handle the stress is something we all can use. They’re a lot better than they extreme way he tried to handle it. And the phone app problem was fascinating and though a bit complicated, definitely something that is a problem today.
And he can give her the strength and support she needs to get over her past lover. Plus the physical help she needs to find out what happened to Ian. But I don’t get just what Santiago’s tattoo was supposed to indicate. It was described and mentioned a lot for something that never really meant anything.
And why does she keep calling him Santiago after they are ‘in a relationship’? That’s his last name. I know that’s what all his friends call him, but as his wife she should be calling him, if not his first name Tristan, at least a pet name. It’s more intimate.
Ventra takes things to a whole new high. Her depraved ideas to get ahead and the inhumane methods she uses to accomplish them are mind-boggling. She’s definitely sociopath.
The enhanced abilities that Roxy and Santiago gain with their blood bond are perfect. I like waiting to see what special abilities each couple gets. And her comment at the end ‘She’d always known that you can tell a lot about people on how they treat animals’ is something I always say myself. I just add children to it.
I’m slightly offended at the indication that you’re not Ok if you’re from Florida. I was born and raised there and I’m just fine. Thank you. LOL.
Of the two personal problems at the end that keeps them apart, I liked Roxy’s the best. Santiago’s seemed like it was overdone just to balance out hers.
Fave scenes: Roxy and Santiago’s first meeting, Santiago’s reaction to Roxy’s announcement that they’re married, ring shopping and the bookshelf lever.
I LOVE Roxy! The way she frustrates Santiago is hilarious. She’s the perfect mate for him. She won’t back down or take any of his blustering nonsense. He’s self-centered, egotistical and a bully. She’s just what he needs to give him some compassion and humanity. She’s got a lot of down-to-earth (un)common sense.
The methods she uses to teach him how to handle the stress is something we all can use. They’re a lot better than they extreme way he tried to handle it. And the phone app problem was fascinating and though a bit complicated, definitely something that is a problem today.
And he can give her the strength and support she needs to get over her past lover. Plus the physical help she needs to find out what happened to Ian. But I don’t get just what Santiago’s tattoo was supposed to indicate. It was described and mentioned a lot for something that never really meant anything.
And why does she keep calling him Santiago after they are ‘in a relationship’? That’s his last name. I know that’s what all his friends call him, but as his wife she should be calling him, if not his first name Tristan, at least a pet name. It’s more intimate.
Ventra takes things to a whole new high. Her depraved ideas to get ahead and the inhumane methods she uses to accomplish them are mind-boggling. She’s definitely sociopath.
The enhanced abilities that Roxy and Santiago gain with their blood bond are perfect. I like waiting to see what special abilities each couple gets. And her comment at the end ‘She’d always known that you can tell a lot about people on how they treat animals’ is something I always say myself. I just add children to it.
I’m slightly offended at the indication that you’re not Ok if you’re from Florida. I was born and raised there and I’m just fine. Thank you. LOL.
Of the two personal problems at the end that keeps them apart, I liked Roxy’s the best. Santiago’s seemed like it was overdone just to balance out hers.
Fave scenes: Roxy and Santiago’s first meeting, Santiago’s reaction to Roxy’s announcement that they’re married, ring shopping and the bookshelf lever.
August 6, 2012
As an experienced tracker and teacher, Roxanne Reynolds is on loan to the Northwest region when her friend and fellow tracker, Lily goes on vacation with her new fiancé. She thought it would be a quick and easy assignment. Just helping out her friend.
When several Darkblood operations start going bad and his agents are getting hurt, Tristan Santiago fears that he has a traitor in his organization feeding information to the Darkbloods. He will do anything to uncover the traitor and save his agents, including pretending to be lovers with Roxy Reynolds so that he can bring her to the Regional Conference. Roxy has an ability to know if someone is lying and her laid back personality makes people want to talk to her.
Although her laid back attitude makes her the polar opposite of the overbearing and overstressed Santiago, the attraction between the two can’t be ignored and soon there is no longer any need to pretend to be lovers. But when the mission is over, will Santiago be able to convince Roxy to stay with him, or will her heart forever be lost to her dead fiancé?
This series just keeps getting better and better. I enjoyed the first few books, getting into the intricacies of this series, and meeting all of the main characters, but I truly enjoyed the dynamics of Tristan Santiago, the Region Chief of the Northwest, a man used to having his every decision obeyed, and Roxanne Reynolds, experienced tracker and teacher, on loan from the Florida office, who didn’t feel the obligated to follow every order from Santiago. He didn’t know how to handle it or her for that matter, and of course, the off-the-chart attraction between the two was incredible.
These stories so far involved a vampire/guardian and a human who had to be introduced to the fact that vampires did in fact exist, etc., etc. In this story, both Santiago and Roxy were vampires so we could jump right into things with no setting up the background and then working past the fact my new boyfriend was a vampire drama.
The Darkblood leader is cold-hearted and very cunning and the only reason she has not done more damage in the Seattle area is the fact that thankfully her henchmen are idiots. She makes a great Black Queen to Santiago’s White King.
See more at
When several Darkblood operations start going bad and his agents are getting hurt, Tristan Santiago fears that he has a traitor in his organization feeding information to the Darkbloods. He will do anything to uncover the traitor and save his agents, including pretending to be lovers with Roxy Reynolds so that he can bring her to the Regional Conference. Roxy has an ability to know if someone is lying and her laid back personality makes people want to talk to her.
Although her laid back attitude makes her the polar opposite of the overbearing and overstressed Santiago, the attraction between the two can’t be ignored and soon there is no longer any need to pretend to be lovers. But when the mission is over, will Santiago be able to convince Roxy to stay with him, or will her heart forever be lost to her dead fiancé?
This series just keeps getting better and better. I enjoyed the first few books, getting into the intricacies of this series, and meeting all of the main characters, but I truly enjoyed the dynamics of Tristan Santiago, the Region Chief of the Northwest, a man used to having his every decision obeyed, and Roxanne Reynolds, experienced tracker and teacher, on loan from the Florida office, who didn’t feel the obligated to follow every order from Santiago. He didn’t know how to handle it or her for that matter, and of course, the off-the-chart attraction between the two was incredible.
These stories so far involved a vampire/guardian and a human who had to be introduced to the fact that vampires did in fact exist, etc., etc. In this story, both Santiago and Roxy were vampires so we could jump right into things with no setting up the background and then working past the fact my new boyfriend was a vampire drama.
The Darkblood leader is cold-hearted and very cunning and the only reason she has not done more damage in the Seattle area is the fact that thankfully her henchmen are idiots. She makes a great Black Queen to Santiago’s White King.
See more at
May 16, 2016
WOW Seduced by Blood is bk4 in the Sweetblood series and it is a another faced paced, hot sensual romance. Its full of suspense and action packed. Sexy Love making scenes. This is Tristan Santiago's Regional Commander of the Guardian Vampire in the North Pacific U.S. and Canada. Santiago as he is called has been a prominent character in the Sweetblood series from bk 1 Bonded by Blood. He is an overbearing Alpha male always barking out orders and demands. The kind of Alpha male we love to hate. At times he is downright funny in his old world ways. He meets Agency Tracker teacher Roxanne Reynolds commonly know as Roxy. Roxy has been sent on assignment to the Pacific Northwest to help her friend Lily from bk3 "Tempted by Blood" do some special tracking. Roxy taught Lily centuries ago when she was at the Tracker Academy. Roxanne and Santiago spark flames as soon as they meet. The two have to work together to trace and find the Darkblood Villain Ventra Capelli. Ventra has outsmarted the Guardians and gotten away from them one two many times. Now she has caused an almost fatal attack on several of the Guardian causing almost fatal injuries. One of those Guardians is our hero Dom from bk one. The Agency of Guardians knows now that they have a traitor in there mist. A Guardian must be telling the DB of there plans. Roxy agrees to help sniff out the traitor and to help track Ventura. Let me just say that Ventura is one of the best written villains I have read in a long time. She is the type of female villain who is smart but very much deranged mentally. She is diabolic and meticulous in her planning of obtaining Sweetbloods and bringing down the Guardians. I love to hate her. The author Laurie London has a great knack for writing strong women characters weather they are the heroin's of the story or in this case the villain. As the story proceeds its not long before Santiago and Roxy find themselves in denial of there love for one another. They have been pretending to be married, which has lead them into very hot erotic and sensual loving making. Which leads to a wonderful relationship of trust and unconditional love!! I Love The Sweetblood series and I can't wait for bk 5 which I think will be Mitch's story. I Highly Recommend the entire series. All of the books have been 5 stars. I will miss reading it!!
July 16, 2012
I felt kind of let down by this book. It was okay, don't get me wrong but unlike the first three books this really struggled. It's only an average entry to London's Sweetblood series.
Roxy's characterisation was inconsistent, she was a very competent Guardian and an excellent Tracker and then she'd go and yoga out. Not that yoga and excellent fight skills are mutually exclusive but when Roxy was being more "out there" she seemed much less competent a person.
Santiago is a great region leader, but he threw tantrums and destroyed his office. Which made him look like a jerk because it doesn't say he cleaned up or that he usually cleaned up because it seemed like he must have done it before. He had a random self-harm habit of exposing himself to UV rays, which wasn't really dealt with.
Roxy and Santiago worked well most of the time but there were moments that made no sense. For example after Roxy gains the ability to tell truth from lie thanks to the Enlazado por la Sangre and Santiago lies to Roxy with the intention of hiding a harmful truth about her fiance. Roxy freaks out and despite her "love" for him she assumes the worst and runs away without even trying to find out what he was lying about. I dislike that Roxy's character was derailed to force a separation so that Santiago would chase her and confess his feelings.
Tiny nitpicks:
There's a sequel hook for Mitch and Sadie. I will definitely look forward to that and hope that this awkward entry isn't repeated.
**I received this book as an ARC from HQN via NetGalley**
Roxy's characterisation was inconsistent, she was a very competent Guardian and an excellent Tracker and then she'd go and yoga out. Not that yoga and excellent fight skills are mutually exclusive but when Roxy was being more "out there" she seemed much less competent a person.
Santiago is a great region leader, but he threw tantrums and destroyed his office. Which made him look like a jerk because it doesn't say he cleaned up or that he usually cleaned up because it seemed like he must have done it before. He had a random self-harm habit of exposing himself to UV rays, which wasn't really dealt with.
Roxy and Santiago worked well most of the time but there were moments that made no sense. For example after Roxy gains the ability to tell truth from lie thanks to the Enlazado por la Sangre and Santiago lies to Roxy with the intention of hiding a harmful truth about her fiance. Roxy freaks out and despite her "love" for him she assumes the worst and runs away without even trying to find out what he was lying about. I dislike that Roxy's character was derailed to force a separation so that Santiago would chase her and confess his feelings.
Tiny nitpicks:
There's a sequel hook for Mitch and Sadie. I will definitely look forward to that and hope that this awkward entry isn't repeated.
**I received this book as an ARC from HQN via NetGalley**
May 27, 2012
Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick
Wow. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this book going in. I've always felt a little disconnected from Santiago and I wasn't sure if I would be able to connect enough with him in his story to care enough about him getting his HEA. I was so wrong. I LOVED him and I thought that he was a great hero. I loved the dynamic between him and Roxy. There were so many sparks between them and the chemistry was instant. I rather enjoyed watching them both fall of each other. I like that neither really wanted anything serious with anyone and what started out as a ruse soon turned into so much more.
I loved that we were finally able to learn more about Santiago. He's always been a big mystery to me and I liked that we were finally able to get to know him and see what makes him the overpowering hothead I remembered from the previous books. He really isn't as hard as he comes across. He truly cares about the welfare and well being of the guardians he's in charge of. When some of his guardians are hurt in a raid, he is racked with guilt and blames himself for the accident. This is a completely different side of him and not at all what I had expected. I respected him and felt the pain he was experiencing. It was just so deep and heart wrenching at times.
As for Roxy, I loved her and I thought she was the perfect match for Santiago. She is able to get through to him like no one else can but she also doesn't take his shit. She continuously stands up for herself and what she believes in. She's strong, caring and a truly generous person. She cares about others feelings and is willing to help no matter what.
As always I really enjoyed this book. It seems like Laurie London can do no wrong with this series and I love the way it is progressing. A lot of interesting twists and turns occurred in this book and as always it left me yearning for the next installment in the Sweetblood series. I definitely can't wait to see what's in store.
**ARC copy provided by NetGalley**
Wow. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this book going in. I've always felt a little disconnected from Santiago and I wasn't sure if I would be able to connect enough with him in his story to care enough about him getting his HEA. I was so wrong. I LOVED him and I thought that he was a great hero. I loved the dynamic between him and Roxy. There were so many sparks between them and the chemistry was instant. I rather enjoyed watching them both fall of each other. I like that neither really wanted anything serious with anyone and what started out as a ruse soon turned into so much more.
I loved that we were finally able to learn more about Santiago. He's always been a big mystery to me and I liked that we were finally able to get to know him and see what makes him the overpowering hothead I remembered from the previous books. He really isn't as hard as he comes across. He truly cares about the welfare and well being of the guardians he's in charge of. When some of his guardians are hurt in a raid, he is racked with guilt and blames himself for the accident. This is a completely different side of him and not at all what I had expected. I respected him and felt the pain he was experiencing. It was just so deep and heart wrenching at times.
As for Roxy, I loved her and I thought she was the perfect match for Santiago. She is able to get through to him like no one else can but she also doesn't take his shit. She continuously stands up for herself and what she believes in. She's strong, caring and a truly generous person. She cares about others feelings and is willing to help no matter what.
As always I really enjoyed this book. It seems like Laurie London can do no wrong with this series and I love the way it is progressing. A lot of interesting twists and turns occurred in this book and as always it left me yearning for the next installment in the Sweetblood series. I definitely can't wait to see what's in store.
**ARC copy provided by NetGalley**
July 7, 2012
Seduced by Blood is the fourth book in The Sweetblood Series. It follows the stories of Roxy Reynolds who is a teacher for the Tracker Academy in Florida. A close friend of hers and former student, Lilly DeGraff, calls for a favor and she travels to Seattle, Washington to teach for her while she goes on a pre-wedding trip with her fiancé and daughter. Once she arrives at the Guardian Regional Office, a serious attack on Guardian Enforcers brings to light the possibility that there is a traitor in their ranks. Roxy is talked into pretending to be the lover of the extremely handsome, but overbearing Regional Commander, Tristan Santiago. She instantly finds him attractive and can’t seem to keep her distance from him not matter how hard she tries.
Tristan Santiago’s reaction to Roxy leaves him breathless. He is hard core, autocratic style of leader who expects those around him to follow and obey his every word. Roxy is just not that kind of lady and stands up to be at every turn. He both loves it and hates it. He is instantly drawn to her finding her attractive and heroic.
They work together to solve the mystery of who the traitor is. Their pretend relationship soon turns hot and the sexual tension remains high throughout this book. They both have demons to exorcize from their pasts so that they can heal and move forward.
I absolutely loved this book. The romance is so tender between Roxy and Santiago. The love pours out into you as you read this book. There is plenty of action between the Guardians and the Darkbloods. There is loving and humorous banter between the two of them so is so funny I laughed out loud. I love the fact that their weapons have names. Santiago’s blade is called Misery. I couldn’t stop until I had finished it. I just had to know what was going to happen to them. I highly recommend this book and the three others in the series.
Laurie London is an extremely talented writer. She is very expressive and it makes reading her books like watching a movie. The story flows so well. I hadn’t even realized it was 1:30 in the morning when I finished it. Do yourself a favor and pick this book up. You’ll be enormously pleased that you did.
Tristan Santiago’s reaction to Roxy leaves him breathless. He is hard core, autocratic style of leader who expects those around him to follow and obey his every word. Roxy is just not that kind of lady and stands up to be at every turn. He both loves it and hates it. He is instantly drawn to her finding her attractive and heroic.
They work together to solve the mystery of who the traitor is. Their pretend relationship soon turns hot and the sexual tension remains high throughout this book. They both have demons to exorcize from their pasts so that they can heal and move forward.
I absolutely loved this book. The romance is so tender between Roxy and Santiago. The love pours out into you as you read this book. There is plenty of action between the Guardians and the Darkbloods. There is loving and humorous banter between the two of them so is so funny I laughed out loud. I love the fact that their weapons have names. Santiago’s blade is called Misery. I couldn’t stop until I had finished it. I just had to know what was going to happen to them. I highly recommend this book and the three others in the series.
Laurie London is an extremely talented writer. She is very expressive and it makes reading her books like watching a movie. The story flows so well. I hadn’t even realized it was 1:30 in the morning when I finished it. Do yourself a favor and pick this book up. You’ll be enormously pleased that you did.
July 30, 2012
** Originally posted @ ReadingDiva's Blog - Rating 4 of 5
**Contains minor spoilers**
Review: I have fallen in love all over again with Laurie London’s Sweetblood series. I also admit to have a crush on Santiago. He is the perfect character for me and one I wish I could get to read more and more. Seduced by Blood is an action pack, never a dull moment type of read and one you wish you can read over and over.
London’s ability to write sexy and fascinating characters is what has me hooked. I totally enjoy how brutal these characters can be and though they have an aggressive nature their love and desires turns them into loving puppies. The action is non-stop; the fight against the Darkbloods has grown to another level. The fight is now personal and bloody. I totally enjoyed Santiago and Roxy. They work great together and are perfect for each other.
Perhaps I am weird but I love me some evil too. Ventra is everything I like in a villain. She is calculating, she is patient and she is focused. I can’t help but enjoy the bad guys in the series. This is a series you want to add to your reading list, because it has all the ingredients that make a series awesome.
Seduced by Blood has an entertaining plot, smart and sexy characters, women who can kick major ass, men who fall crazy in love with their women and villains who will not stop until they have exhausted everything to get what they want. In my opinion that’s what makes Seduced by Blood a great read!
**Contains minor spoilers**
Review: I have fallen in love all over again with Laurie London’s Sweetblood series. I also admit to have a crush on Santiago. He is the perfect character for me and one I wish I could get to read more and more. Seduced by Blood is an action pack, never a dull moment type of read and one you wish you can read over and over.
London’s ability to write sexy and fascinating characters is what has me hooked. I totally enjoy how brutal these characters can be and though they have an aggressive nature their love and desires turns them into loving puppies. The action is non-stop; the fight against the Darkbloods has grown to another level. The fight is now personal and bloody. I totally enjoyed Santiago and Roxy. They work great together and are perfect for each other.
Perhaps I am weird but I love me some evil too. Ventra is everything I like in a villain. She is calculating, she is patient and she is focused. I can’t help but enjoy the bad guys in the series. This is a series you want to add to your reading list, because it has all the ingredients that make a series awesome.
Seduced by Blood has an entertaining plot, smart and sexy characters, women who can kick major ass, men who fall crazy in love with their women and villains who will not stop until they have exhausted everything to get what they want. In my opinion that’s what makes Seduced by Blood a great read!
July 20, 2012
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
SEDUCED BY BLOOD, the fourth book in Laurie London’s Sweetblood paranormal romance series, employs one of my favorite classic romance scenarios for it’s primary plot: pretend lovers. Tristan and Roxy, two damaged and cautious vampires (she’s a former Tracker turned teacher, he’s a Regional Commander with serious self loathing issues) get thrown together and sent off to identify a traitor within the Guardian Enforcers. Right away, Tristan starts taking advantage of the situation, and Roxy fights back and completely turns the tables on him.
There’s plenty of romantic tension, the Sweetblood world continues to provide that dark yet sexy feel, and it was fun to see a few previous characters pop in for updates on their lives. But in this series, I tend to prefer the couples where one is a human. Tristan and Roxy both totally know the score as far as vampires are concerned, so there really wasn’t an element of danger to their relationship. The only obstacle was wrong assumptions on both their parts (which the reader knew about from the start). Plus Roxy had the somewhat annoying tendency to say ‘whaaaat’ whenever Tristan did something that surprised her.
Overall, the first two Sweetblood books are still my favorite, but it’s always fun returning to this series. No real surprises this time, but the classic story formula brought a smile to my face. There are no details yet on the next book, but more Sweetblood stories are coming soon.
Sexual Content:
Sex scenes
SEDUCED BY BLOOD, the fourth book in Laurie London’s Sweetblood paranormal romance series, employs one of my favorite classic romance scenarios for it’s primary plot: pretend lovers. Tristan and Roxy, two damaged and cautious vampires (she’s a former Tracker turned teacher, he’s a Regional Commander with serious self loathing issues) get thrown together and sent off to identify a traitor within the Guardian Enforcers. Right away, Tristan starts taking advantage of the situation, and Roxy fights back and completely turns the tables on him.
There’s plenty of romantic tension, the Sweetblood world continues to provide that dark yet sexy feel, and it was fun to see a few previous characters pop in for updates on their lives. But in this series, I tend to prefer the couples where one is a human. Tristan and Roxy both totally know the score as far as vampires are concerned, so there really wasn’t an element of danger to their relationship. The only obstacle was wrong assumptions on both their parts (which the reader knew about from the start). Plus Roxy had the somewhat annoying tendency to say ‘whaaaat’ whenever Tristan did something that surprised her.
Overall, the first two Sweetblood books are still my favorite, but it’s always fun returning to this series. No real surprises this time, but the classic story formula brought a smile to my face. There are no details yet on the next book, but more Sweetblood stories are coming soon.
Sexual Content:
Sex scenes
July 2, 2012
Seduced by Blood by Laurie London
Sweetblood Series Book 4
Tristan Santiago is the region commander of the Guardians in the Pacific Northwest. He is the tough guy that expects to be obeyed the minute he speaks, or maybe even sooner. When things are going wrong in his area it looks like they may have a traitor in the midst. On top of that Roxanne Reynolds just arrived from Florida and something about her has disrupted his line of thought. His guys think he needs to use this Tracker to go undercover with him….as lovers….to find the culprit.
Roxy is helping her friend Lily out by filling in for her. Her ulterior motive is to search for the person who killed Ian O’Grady. She don’t like Santiago and isn’t going to put up with him telling her what to do. When he tells her about the undercover operation she sees it as a door to help with her search for the killer. What neither of them expected was that the act could become reality.
This is the fourth book in the Sweetbloods series and they are written as stand alone. Being the characters from the previous books are in this one as well it seems it would be best to read them all for the whole picture. There are three books and also Enchanted by the Blood which is book 2.5 and in Vampire for Christmas Anthology. The book is full of action and adventure and it includes glimpses of the other characters along with the main ones. Sweetbloods are humans with a blood so sweet it becomes addictive and the Darkbloods are the vampires who live on human blood alone.
*Sexual situations
**Received through NetGalley for review
http://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com/...
Sweetblood Series Book 4
Tristan Santiago is the region commander of the Guardians in the Pacific Northwest. He is the tough guy that expects to be obeyed the minute he speaks, or maybe even sooner. When things are going wrong in his area it looks like they may have a traitor in the midst. On top of that Roxanne Reynolds just arrived from Florida and something about her has disrupted his line of thought. His guys think he needs to use this Tracker to go undercover with him….as lovers….to find the culprit.
Roxy is helping her friend Lily out by filling in for her. Her ulterior motive is to search for the person who killed Ian O’Grady. She don’t like Santiago and isn’t going to put up with him telling her what to do. When he tells her about the undercover operation she sees it as a door to help with her search for the killer. What neither of them expected was that the act could become reality.
This is the fourth book in the Sweetbloods series and they are written as stand alone. Being the characters from the previous books are in this one as well it seems it would be best to read them all for the whole picture. There are three books and also Enchanted by the Blood which is book 2.5 and in Vampire for Christmas Anthology. The book is full of action and adventure and it includes glimpses of the other characters along with the main ones. Sweetbloods are humans with a blood so sweet it becomes addictive and the Darkbloods are the vampires who live on human blood alone.
*Sexual situations
**Received through NetGalley for review
http://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com/...
July 16, 2012
I have thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed this entire series. The books are fun, the idea rocks my socks off and the covers are pretty darn sexy. This book absolutely doesn't disappoint on any of those counts. Well, except the socks thing. I don't really wear socks in the summer. But if I did... they'd be totally rocked off. Just sayin'.
Santiago has some *serious* control issues going on. He's keyed in to his people and when one of them is injured or a band of Darkbloods slip through their net, he blames himself. I'm all for accountability but he takes it to the extreme. It was only poetic that the woman who floats his boat is all about being centered and calm and who finds peace through meditation. They couldn't be more opposite if they tried and yet they work beautifully. Roxy's soothing presence helps smooth out Santiago's rough edges. She teaches him to let go of some of his fierce need for control. The fact that she isn't afraid of him and will stand up to him when she needs to keeps the sparks flying and the temperature hot hot hot.
I love that each couple in this series is so different. I also love that we get to see previous couples again and that we get a feeling for how their relationships have continued to grow (Dom and Mackenzie! Love those two!). I'm looking forward to many more books set in this world as the Guardians continue to thwart the evil plans of the Darkbloods and save all the Sweetbloods that they can.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
Santiago has some *serious* control issues going on. He's keyed in to his people and when one of them is injured or a band of Darkbloods slip through their net, he blames himself. I'm all for accountability but he takes it to the extreme. It was only poetic that the woman who floats his boat is all about being centered and calm and who finds peace through meditation. They couldn't be more opposite if they tried and yet they work beautifully. Roxy's soothing presence helps smooth out Santiago's rough edges. She teaches him to let go of some of his fierce need for control. The fact that she isn't afraid of him and will stand up to him when she needs to keeps the sparks flying and the temperature hot hot hot.
I love that each couple in this series is so different. I also love that we get to see previous couples again and that we get a feeling for how their relationships have continued to grow (Dom and Mackenzie! Love those two!). I'm looking forward to many more books set in this world as the Guardians continue to thwart the evil plans of the Darkbloods and save all the Sweetbloods that they can.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
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