The Crimson Bond

The Crimson Bond #1

by Erika Trevathan

When twenty two year old, Brooke Ashcroft, moves from her small town to the city after landing a job at a successful marketing agency, the last thing she expects is to unknowingly meet her boss- gorgeous mogul vampire, Alex Chase, in a bar on her very first night. The immediate intensity between them goes beyond anything she’s experienced and she soon finds out that there is a reason she can’t seem to think straight when he’s around- a fiercely powerful bond that is both extremely rare and deeply feared in the vampire world. With their bond complete, Brooke and Alex would threaten the stability of the Regency, a group of the most ancient vampires in existence, and one headed up by none other than her own deadbeat vampire father. When the Regency kidnaps her in an attempt to prevent the bond from taking place, Brooke must trust Alex with not only her eternal existence, but her already battered heart.

THIS BOOK WAS UPDATED WITH A PROFESSIONALLY EDITED VERSION ON AUGUST 11, 2014

Genres: Paranormal, Vampires, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Contemporary, Ebooks

171 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 15, 2012

Reviews

[Shana · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book was terribly rushed and somewhat juvenile. I liked the premise and could see it being really great if it was waaay more developed. the story goes as such - move, meet, start bond, get kidnapped, finish bond, married, end. wont be reading the next books.

[Andrea Heltsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! I was addicted from page 1 and couldn't put it down. I read it in one sitting. I can't wait to read the sequel! great job Erika!

[Claire Milbrandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say that I was a little iffy at first concerning the book. But it had me captivated within the first chapter! I had a hard time putting it down long enough to go to work. And I stayed up well into the evening to finish reading it. The characters were captivating! The author was very good about giving the reader enough information so that you were in the same boat as the main character (Brooke). I have fallen in love with each character and the plot line! As I kept reading I saw how few pages were left and freaked out demanding more! Thankfully there is - 2 more books in fact! The writing is witty and fun, the characters are interesting (and sexy as hell), and the story makes you wish that you were in Brooke's shoes!

Granted if you don't like Vampire Romances, this is probably not the story for you... However if you enjoy Vampire romances, adventure, and a bit of mystery... This is a must read!!

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was entertaining enough to keep me reading, but that is about all I can say for it. The writing was so underdeveloped and the entire thing was just lacking. The plot was SO rushed it was insane, none of the characters were flushed out enough to really like or care about them much, insta love (ridiculously BIG time), and a lot of errors. I am not an error or grammar Nazi either so if I notice it it's kind of a big deal. The way the heroine felt for the hero was described the SAME way over and over again. Every time he touched her it was like an electrical charge zapping her skin. It's really too bad because it had an interesting premise and the story could have been great if it was written by someone who knew how to delve much deeper into character and plot development. I won't be reading any further into this series.

[Tanya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Brooke has just moved to Charlotte . She has landed a new job as a marketing assistant, she has a new room mate , and has left a previous relationship. She is feeling hopeful and full of promises for a new future filled with exciting possibilities. On her first night in town she attends a vampire bar with her roommate Anna. Alex.... is her destined eternal companion, after debate she agrees to be turned and live happily after after . With a small run in with the regency ( vampire counsel))

I had high hopes for this book,,, but I felt the plot was rushed . I really did not identify with the characters , nor did I feel any great emotion coming from them. With this being said , I will read the next book in the series it was a free download and see if anything changes

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book!! The characters were great as was the story! I liked the idea of the bond, but the relationship moved just a bit too quickly for me. Not that it ended up feeling rushed or anything, but it's just my personal tastes that it be a tad more drawn out.
Brooke is strong willed and stubborn and surprised me at times with things she said and did since she is said to be extremely innocent.
Alex is handsome, successful, and I love that he is a smartass!
Ethan was a fun one for me too! He is the bad boy but he's also good and has his friends back! He is the epitome of smooth and a back talker for sure :P
All In all I loved is book!

[Faye · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love the fast- paced romance of this story and I began to worry if their story would have a sequel to it and I'm glad it didn't. This is one of those stories where I got to say has a satisfying HEA ending. I can't wait if there ever will be a story between Anna and Ethan. If there is I'm looking forward to it!

[Tia · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a vampire love story, I liked it. There has been so many trial and errors in writing since the Twilight Saga came about that I've avoided most of these type of novels. However something caught my eye about this one and I had to read it. I thought it was pretty good. The emotions were real, I wished they were a bit more intense though. I hope that this is a series, that continues.

[Littlered331 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author did a great job at keeping my attention! Most books hit a lull at some point but not this one. The story moves fast without confusion. I connected to the characters quickly and found myself in the author's world. Read it in a day; unable to let it be. Happy that book two is already on the shelf!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good read. I look forward to reading book 2, and then finishing up the series in December when book 3 is released.

I liked that the author didn't drag out the whole "what!? You're a vampire!" Like most books do. She got straight to the point.

[Shaundra Woodmore · Rating 1 out of 5]

A futile attempt at a Twilight wanna be story. My biggest regret is I bought book 1 & 2 at the same time, I should have read more than the blurb before wasting money on a 2nd horribly written unoriginal story.

[Rochelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! There were aspects of the story I wasn't too keen on but liked the overall story! I'm looking forward to reading book 2!

[Liliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect

This book just kept me on my toes I couldn't stop reading it I really can't wait to read the next book.

[anjuli · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book ended up on my DNF list after being on my currently read for so long. I couldn't get into the book. Way too much Insta....

[Tiffanie Roth · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like a shade of vampire series...you'll like this one too!

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story line, although it seems a bit vampire 'campy' it was in the end sweet. The writing feels a bit underdeveloped but could be turned into a fantastic in depth character story with a little more time and pages. The twists with families was great and I'm looking forward to reading more.

[Debra Barstad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute little vampire story. I liked how the story flowed and was very easy to read. I would recommend

[Kelly Fountain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Somewhat fast-paced in the relationship aspect cause it’s just bam! there it is but it still worked. A good story line for a paranormal book and a great start to the series.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow... what did I just read? The writing is soooooooo bad. She says "Use to" waaaaaaay to much. "He use to do this. She use to feel that. She wasn't use to that". For one... that's such an awkward expression to read. Second... isn't it "used" to unless in the negative form? And then, I caught so many grammatical errors... "There" instead of "their". And phrases where I don't even think she knows the meaning of the word (ex: He was tall, albeit handsome). Um... isn't tall associated with being handsome? I mean, maybe I could understand if she phrased it... "He was freakishly tall, albeit handsome". The bad writing was very distracting. I started to feel bad for the author thinking that maybe it was a teenage girl who wrote them. Then I read that the author was an educated adult (nurse) with kids. Alrighty then... enough beating up the author. In her defense...the plot is actually not that bad... so I kept reading. I even bought the second one out of curiosity. Although, now partway through I'm kicking myself, saying "why, why,why did I subject myself to this?" Anyways, to be fair...I'm going to finish the second book. However right now, it is not looking good. But one can always hope for redemption.

[Rachel Beamin' · Rating 1 out of 5]

First 10% of the book:
Brad.
Brad.
Brad.
Alex.
Brad and Alex.
Alex.

Good God WOMEN make up your mind. Do you continue to pine over your ex-boyfriend who you left in a different state or over this new guy Alex who was "....making my relationship with Brad look like a middle school romance."

And from the looks of it, this new relationship with Alex is a middle school relationship too!

"Relax Brooke. I don't bite." he paused. "Unless you want me to."
"I might not mind if you bite me," I teased back. Gosh, I'm brave tonight. Must be the new environment.

That's all you got? That's the most flirt you can squeeze out? I am pretty sure my 2 year old could come up with a better response than that. Probably something around the lines of "My cat will eat you." And yes Brooke, it "MUST BE THE NEW ENVIRONMENT". Those crazy ass environments, changing peoples personalities on a daily, GAH, gotta hate it. Maybe that crazy ass environment can give her a whole NEW personality? One could only wish.

Since I only seemed to get 10% into the gem, I refuse to give it a rating. Maybe I will put this on the back burner for when I am over being a cynical bitch, or maybe I wont finish reading it at all.

[Deborah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a simplistic vampire romance which really needed proof reading as it was littered with mistakes. It was a nice enough book apart from the fact that Brooke was an idiot why can't authors write a good strong female character.

#####SPOILERS#####

She knows vampires after her and she's been told to never risk being out after dark alone...it's ok Brooke wants food she's just nipping to the shops she won't be long, does it really matter if it's dark?
Brooke's in a castle full of vampires and has been warned not to wander around since they'll sink their teeth into her neck... So Brooke puts on a sexy nightgown ties up her hair exposing her neck and wanders around.
Her ex sounds really different and is mentioning vampires he should have no idea about but she'll go meet him anyway.
The love of her life tells her to trust him.. she doesn't and try's to seduce someone else...... it just goes on and on I know she has to get captured but does she have to look like an idiot while doing it?

[Tanya Shafer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't believe this book was compared to twilight! It reads like it's been written by a 5th grader, plot was to rushed to be believable or even interesting... Example: she gets kidnapped by a clan of killer vamps that hold the fate of her future and very existence in their hands and when getting dressed she actually takes the time to think about what designer outfit she's gonna where and even takes the time to accessorize with bangle bracelets! WHO CARES!!!! I'm putting on sweat pants and jumping out the friggin window! I'm not even going to finish the first book, Iv suffered through 75% of it waiting for something good to happen that maybe would redeem itself but I can't read another word of this crap.....do not buy this one, don't even bother if it's free, it's a time waisted that could have been used reading something good...

[Jennifer Garner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book free on Amazon. I love vampire stories and this one caught my eye. The beginning was great, but then I felt like I was rushing through the story. There was no character development, although I did enjoy the characters quick witty and funny dialogue. At the end, I decided to read the next one. Through the series the books do get better and I am all for one helping self-publishing authors.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was interesting and a quick read. However it was pretty average when it comes to vampire books, there was nothing really standing out that set it apart. I thought the world and character building were lacking a little bit and it could be predictable in some spots.

However, I did enjoy the story and getting to know the characters a little. The ending was probably the best part . I enjoyed it enough to continue the trilogy.

[Aubrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a decent short story. There isn't a lot of detail, but that's alright. I was looking for a vampire read and this did the trick. The heroine was sort of ditz, but they almost always are. I have come to the conclusion that is the only type that hot vampire men are attracted to. Don't expect too much, and this should be a pleasant 2 hour escape read.

[Radiant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brooke and Alex form a bond as soon as they meet - yes INSTA love ..people!Then Brooke life is out turned in an overnight and she is fallen into paranormal world!
The book would have been good if it wasn't rushed..though its twilight-ish and predictable.
I really like Ethan though...so i will be looking for his part of story..n next in series!

[Amanda Nash · Rating 2 out of 5]

Waste of time. Was hoping for Twilight meets Black Dagger Brotherhood. Writing was terrible, plot moved way too fast to even be plausible. It was just an overall letdown. I'm always looking for the next great series and this wasn't it. Stick to Larrisa Ione, Christine Warren, Lara Adria and Alexandra Ivy if you are looking for a Black Dagger-esque type series.

[April Hesler · Rating 2 out of 5]

This won't be the first time I say this about a book by this author - phenomenal potential - but the writing is terrible. The plot is fantastic, and I'd love to continue on with the series, but I just can't. The writing really throws it off for me.

[Alora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot. I was so excited to read the second one. Erika's theory of vampires living among humans seems the most realistic compared to others. The description of the bond and how much they needed each other was well expressed.

[Ziomara Ayala · Rating 4 out of 5]

super fun read. i wish there was more time for character development. i believe she's going through it again with an editor and maybe she'll add some more stuff to it.