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Vlad #2
Vlad to the Bone
The saga of Alex and Gwen that started in the bestselling Vlad All Over continues . . . they can’t be together, but they won’t stay apart. Is there a happily ever after in Alex and Gwen’s future? Only the gypsies know for sure.
Alex and Gwen have set aside their animosity for the sake of their son. Joint custody requires cooperation, and they’ve mastered that—perhaps a little too well, at least according to Gwen’s new boyfriend, who’s less than pleased when Gwen agrees to spend the summer in Transylvania with Alex and the kids. Although it’s not as if Alex gives Gwen much of a choice—she only goes to Romania to avoid another bitter costly lawsuit she can’t afford. But Gwen’s visit is timely because the dispute over Dracula’s gold mine is coming to a head. And so is her and Alex’s future.
Author’s Note: Vlad to the Bone is the sequel to Vlad All Over, the world’s first gothic chick lit tale. What is gothic chick lit? You can find the answer here: http://www.kindlepost.com/2012/11/got.... While it’s possible to read Vlad to the Bone without reading Vlad All Over first, I wouldn’t recommend it. You’d be missing out on a lot of intriguing backstory.
Alex and Gwen have set aside their animosity for the sake of their son. Joint custody requires cooperation, and they’ve mastered that—perhaps a little too well, at least according to Gwen’s new boyfriend, who’s less than pleased when Gwen agrees to spend the summer in Transylvania with Alex and the kids. Although it’s not as if Alex gives Gwen much of a choice—she only goes to Romania to avoid another bitter costly lawsuit she can’t afford. But Gwen’s visit is timely because the dispute over Dracula’s gold mine is coming to a head. And so is her and Alex’s future.
Author’s Note: Vlad to the Bone is the sequel to Vlad All Over, the world’s first gothic chick lit tale. What is gothic chick lit? You can find the answer here: http://www.kindlepost.com/2012/11/got.... While it’s possible to read Vlad to the Bone without reading Vlad All Over first, I wouldn’t recommend it. You’d be missing out on a lot of intriguing backstory.
393 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 20, 2012
7 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 24, 2013
This continuing saga of Alex and Gwen picks up two years after Vlad All Over ends. Alex and Gwen seem to have found a way to put their animosity aside for the sake of their son, David. They have joint custody worked out, perhaps a little too well, according to Gwen’s new boyfriend Robert. When it becomes necessary for Gwen to return to Romania because of her claim as a legitimate heir to Vlad Tepes, old habits return and animosity takes another hold.
I was quickly drawn into this fascinating and multi-layered story line, honestly how do authors come up with this stuff? Beth Orsoff was able to capture Gwen’s and Alex’s complex personalities perfectly as well as all the supporting characters. The story never lags and gets quite racy at times, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I found the relationship between Gwen and her best friend Zoe was one of my favorites. Their conversations were realistic and humorous. Zoe was a steadfast, honest friend Gwen could always depend on.
The journey that Alex and Gwen were on was a hard one, I sympathized with both characters. Alex was the perfect alpha male who would take charge and thought he always knew the best way to handle any situation. It was difficult for me to watch when he got scared. I would not want to be the one to oppose him, he was ruthless. Gwen never hesitated to oppose him, she was as strong willed and proud as he was. As a result, she would make decisions just to spite Alex, not really taking her or her son’s best interest into consideration. Her pride was a problem for me.
The children in this story I felt were captured very well. Isabella is now a sassy ten year-old and David an adorable two year-old. The well-being of both was in the forefront of everything Gwen did concerning her and Alex’s joint custody of David. It was interesting to watch how she and Alex handled the kids and the single-parent dating scene. Since the story is mainly told through Gwen’s point of view, we mainly saw how she handled it with her boyfriend Robert (Dr. Bob) and only one of Alex’s girlfriends, Brianna, who was the latest and most serious.
The twists in the plot about Gwen’s claim to Vlad Tepe’s blood line drove the plot forward in interesting ways. I found them captivating and compelling. It is clear how Ms. Orsoff’s storytelling skills are growing as well as her understanding of the human condition. I will not hesitate to buy her future books; they are always creative and unique.
This book contains adult language and sexual situations that may be offensive to some. This is a sequel to the book Vlad All Over. That book should be read first for an adequate understanding of the back-story to the events in Vlad to the Bone.
I found no errors or issues with editing or formatting.
This review was originally posted on Big Al's Books and Pals review blog on January 17, 2013
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **
Rating: ***** Five stars
I was quickly drawn into this fascinating and multi-layered story line, honestly how do authors come up with this stuff? Beth Orsoff was able to capture Gwen’s and Alex’s complex personalities perfectly as well as all the supporting characters. The story never lags and gets quite racy at times, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I found the relationship between Gwen and her best friend Zoe was one of my favorites. Their conversations were realistic and humorous. Zoe was a steadfast, honest friend Gwen could always depend on.
The journey that Alex and Gwen were on was a hard one, I sympathized with both characters. Alex was the perfect alpha male who would take charge and thought he always knew the best way to handle any situation. It was difficult for me to watch when he got scared. I would not want to be the one to oppose him, he was ruthless. Gwen never hesitated to oppose him, she was as strong willed and proud as he was. As a result, she would make decisions just to spite Alex, not really taking her or her son’s best interest into consideration. Her pride was a problem for me.
The children in this story I felt were captured very well. Isabella is now a sassy ten year-old and David an adorable two year-old. The well-being of both was in the forefront of everything Gwen did concerning her and Alex’s joint custody of David. It was interesting to watch how she and Alex handled the kids and the single-parent dating scene. Since the story is mainly told through Gwen’s point of view, we mainly saw how she handled it with her boyfriend Robert (Dr. Bob) and only one of Alex’s girlfriends, Brianna, who was the latest and most serious.
The twists in the plot about Gwen’s claim to Vlad Tepe’s blood line drove the plot forward in interesting ways. I found them captivating and compelling. It is clear how Ms. Orsoff’s storytelling skills are growing as well as her understanding of the human condition. I will not hesitate to buy her future books; they are always creative and unique.
This book contains adult language and sexual situations that may be offensive to some. This is a sequel to the book Vlad All Over. That book should be read first for an adequate understanding of the back-story to the events in Vlad to the Bone.
I found no errors or issues with editing or formatting.
This review was originally posted on Big Al's Books and Pals review blog on January 17, 2013
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **
Rating: ***** Five stars
March 28, 2015
Review to come but overall solid read!
January 14, 2013
This book wasn't wonderful but it was by no means a horrible read. And while I agree that you may want to read the first novel before this one...it really isn't necessary. Ms Orsoff does a great job of adding enough back-story so that you know what is going on at all times.
I have re-read the first book Vlad All Over and still feel it was a good book, worth the time it takes to read. I loved the concept of Gothic Chick-Lit. And even though you just want to knock these two peoples heads together, I understand the betrayal that Gwen feels. So I decided that I really wanted to read the second book to see how things ended, and how it was going to go with Gwen's lawsuit.
Unfortunately this book, while interesting at first because Gwen ends up in another relationship at the beginning - just frustrated the heck out of me as I read further. Alex is a manipulator with a passive aggressive streak, and Gwen, well she just defies explanation. She was always giving in to Alex's manipulations and ALWAYS making Alex pay for his first betrayal...ALWAYS!
The most interesting parts - the bits about Vlad Tepes and Gwen's claim to be an heir, were given short shrift in this novel.
I feel that these two books could have and should have been combined into one long novel.
I have re-read the first book Vlad All Over and still feel it was a good book, worth the time it takes to read. I loved the concept of Gothic Chick-Lit. And even though you just want to knock these two peoples heads together, I understand the betrayal that Gwen feels. So I decided that I really wanted to read the second book to see how things ended, and how it was going to go with Gwen's lawsuit.
Unfortunately this book, while interesting at first because Gwen ends up in another relationship at the beginning - just frustrated the heck out of me as I read further. Alex is a manipulator with a passive aggressive streak, and Gwen, well she just defies explanation. She was always giving in to Alex's manipulations and ALWAYS making Alex pay for his first betrayal...ALWAYS!
The most interesting parts - the bits about Vlad Tepes and Gwen's claim to be an heir, were given short shrift in this novel.
I feel that these two books could have and should have been combined into one long novel.
May 24, 2015
It had been so long since I read the first book, that for a while in the beginning, I was kinda lost regarding what had happened previously. It didn't take me long to remember though, and I flew through this book probably just as quickly as the first. Gwen's pride could get kind of irritating at times, but I understand where it came from. I'm not sure I would've been any different in the same situation. And to be honest, I'm glad she got the nightmares pretty much under control, some of that stuff from the first book was beyond gruesome. But I suppose it has to be to help the reader understand why Gwen is not proud of her heritage. Gruesome as it may be, it does offer up a bit of a history lesson.
April 22, 2013
The prequel to this book left me frustrated and disappointed. So, when Amazon alerted me to this one I immediately downloaded it to my Kindle Fire. It's a fast and easy read and even though it's a sequel, it's a great stand alone book as well. The author does a good job of putting in details from the previous book so that you don't feel lost. I love how she continued the story of Gwen and Alex and this time I was completely satisfied.
August 23, 2013
In a way, I almost liked this better than Book 1. I was glad to see a happy ending and closure. Alex is a typical Alpha male, but he's met his match in Gwen and can't forget her. I loved Zoe and her family (who are also Gwen's family since she lost hers in a car crash) in the first book, and loved them even more in this book. One of my favorite scenes is when Zoe's mother has a heart-to-heart talk with Gwen. Robert was a jerk, but I liked Breanna.
Good job!
Good job!
December 5, 2014
The plot of this book is obvious from before page one. You finally get the HEA missing from book one but it takes FOREVER to get there. Unlike the first book there are no side stories or plot twists to fill in the time so it is just the same issues dragged out and repeated through the entire book. The book should have been 200 pages TOPS. There just wasn't enough story to fill the pages. It was excruciatingly tedious.
April 7, 2015
Review posted first on my blog.
I am completely enamored with Vlad to the Bone and its prequel. Halfway through the book, I joked with myself that I might have to read the series all over again when I'm done because I can't imagine reading about anything else other than Gwen and Alex. It will definitely be a while before I stop thinking about this story.
Highly addictive and and highly recommended!!
I am completely enamored with Vlad to the Bone and its prequel. Halfway through the book, I joked with myself that I might have to read the series all over again when I'm done because I can't imagine reading about anything else other than Gwen and Alex. It will definitely be a while before I stop thinking about this story.
Highly addictive and and highly recommended!!
April 21, 2013
I was really angry that the first book ended in fighting and I saw so many reviews on Goodreads suggesting that the sequel "finished" the story. I kept reading, and I liked it better than the first one, but there were elements that got shoved to the back. I wonder if the author rethought the premise, but it was already too late to change anything.
May 2, 2013
I had to read this one after reading the first for review and wanting to see how things ended. I did put it under vampire-paranormal due to the whole dreams of Vlad the Impaler but it really isn't. I just don't have a gothic-chicklit category going. I liked this better than the first but didn't love it.
January 21, 2013
I liked this one even better than the first. I like the idea of two flawed people who make each other crazy and kind of deserve each other. I thought this book had more fine details....they made the story interesting and believable. I'd really like to see Gwen and Alex's story continue.
February 3, 2013
I enjoyed reading this book and thought is was a great compliment to the first Vlad good.
February 5, 2013
I liked it. It actually wasn't about vampires - I think that made me like it more.
May 22, 2013
A good read. Loved the characters.
December 6, 2015
Brilliant
Highly recommend!
Such an enjoyable book, hope to read more in future from this author. Well written and easily enjoyable
Highly recommend!
Such an enjoyable book, hope to read more in future from this author. Well written and easily enjoyable
July 4, 2016
Such a great read. Loved how the author helped us find redeemable qualities to Alex again. Enjoyed this book immensely.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews