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The Order #1
Bittersweet Blood
Tara Collins just wants to be normal. Everyone else wants her dead.
Tara’s eccentric aunt raised her to be fearful of the world and follow the rules. But after her aunt’s death, Tara is ready to take control and experience life for the first time. But she quickly discovers that everything she’s been told is a web of lies. Determined to solve the mystery of who she is truly, she hires private investigator to help her uncover the truth.
Christian Roth is more than your average PI. A vampire and ex-demon hunter, Christian lives among the humans, trying to be “normal.” But recently, things seem to be falling apart. There’s a crazed demon hell-bent on revenge hunting him down, and a fae assassin on the loose with an unknown target. And the Order he abandoned desperately needs his help.
As the secrets of Tara’s past collide with the problems in Christian’s present, she finds herself fighting her attraction to the dark and mysterious investigator. Falling in love does not fit into her plans at all, but Tara soon learns that some rules are meant to be broken.
Tara’s eccentric aunt raised her to be fearful of the world and follow the rules. But after her aunt’s death, Tara is ready to take control and experience life for the first time. But she quickly discovers that everything she’s been told is a web of lies. Determined to solve the mystery of who she is truly, she hires private investigator to help her uncover the truth.
Christian Roth is more than your average PI. A vampire and ex-demon hunter, Christian lives among the humans, trying to be “normal.” But recently, things seem to be falling apart. There’s a crazed demon hell-bent on revenge hunting him down, and a fae assassin on the loose with an unknown target. And the Order he abandoned desperately needs his help.
As the secrets of Tara’s past collide with the problems in Christian’s present, she finds herself fighting her attraction to the dark and mysterious investigator. Falling in love does not fit into her plans at all, but Tara soon learns that some rules are meant to be broken.
300 pages, ebook
First published February 17, 2013
60 people are currently reading
1133 people want to read
About the author
Nina Croft
88 books1,097 followersGrowing up in the cold, wet, north of England, Nina Croft spent a lot of time dreaming of faraway sunnier places and ponies. When she discovered both, along with a whole load of other things, could be found between the covers of a book, her life changed forever.
Later, she headed south, picked up the perfect husband along the way, and together they volunteered to work in Africa. There they discovered a love of exotic places and a dislike of 9-5 work. Afterward they spent a number of years travelling (whenever possible) intermingled with working (whenever necessary.) Eventually they stumbled upon a remote area in the mountains of southern Spain and the small almond farm they now call home.
Nina spends her days reading, writing and riding her mare, Gencianna, under the blue Spanish skies—sunshine and ponies. She reckons this is proof that dreams really can come true if you want them enough.
Nina's writing mixes romance with elements of the paranormal and science fiction
If you'd like to find out about new releases then sign up for my Newsletter at: https://app.mailerlite.com/webforms/l...
Later, she headed south, picked up the perfect husband along the way, and together they volunteered to work in Africa. There they discovered a love of exotic places and a dislike of 9-5 work. Afterward they spent a number of years travelling (whenever possible) intermingled with working (whenever necessary.) Eventually they stumbled upon a remote area in the mountains of southern Spain and the small almond farm they now call home.
Nina spends her days reading, writing and riding her mare, Gencianna, under the blue Spanish skies—sunshine and ponies. She reckons this is proof that dreams really can come true if you want them enough.
Nina's writing mixes romance with elements of the paranormal and science fiction
If you'd like to find out about new releases then sign up for my Newsletter at: https://app.mailerlite.com/webforms/l...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
May 10, 2013
Bittersweet Blood was a deliciously addictive paranormal romance/mystery complete with vampires, fae, and shapeshifters. A combination that ticked all the right boxes for me!
Tara’s childhood upbringing was far from normal. She was raised by her reclusive aunt and taught to live by strict rules. All this goes out the window when her aunt dies and Tara discovers everything was a lie. Aunt Kathy was no relation; she didn’t even exist according to records. Tara wants/needs to find out who she is and who her aunt was. Why did she lie? To get to the bottom of things, Tara breaks her first rule: “Never question the past” by hiring detective Christian Roth to find out who she is. She wants to leave the past behind and get on with life attending college, having friends and fun, just like any normal twenty-two year old. What she doesn’t realize is when the past is revealed her life will be anything but normal.
When vampire Christian Roth lays eyes and nose on Tara he knows she’s something different. She smells divine and he would love nothing more than to sink his teeth into her vein and take a good hard pull. Tara is gorgeous, but she’s also a client so he needs to keep his desires in check. On top of all this, Christian is being sucked back into the world he thought he left behind. He quit the Order to lead a somewhat “normal” life but with recent murders pointing to someone with a personal vendetta against him, he has no choice but to help investigate. Christian’s growing attraction and attachment to Tara paints a target on her back when demons are hunting anyone he cares about.
Bittersweet Blood was a fascinating story. When you read a paranormal romance novel, some of the rules that that apply to a contemporary romance are thrown out the window. Urges and behaviors that would be unacceptable in real life are okay because of the nature of these beings. So you get the urges and passions so intense and consuming, making these reads a thrill and a whole lot of fun. Marking, biting, feeding, and claiming are all part of the fantasy.
“You smell so delicious.”
Tara twitched, but his hands held her in place. His lips were on her skin and a wave of heat washed over her. Her eyes fluttered closed as his mouth opened against her throat and his tongue stroked, slow and cool against her heated flesh.
“Maybe just a little taste…,”
Part of why this was such a consuming read was getting to the bottom of Tara’s identity and the mystery of who is targeting Christian. Seeing how all this unfolds kept me furiously clicking through the pages to discover the next revelation. The mysteries are entwined and it was fun putting all the pieces together.
I guess this is a start of a series, although this story wraps up nicely and to my satisfaction. Yay, no cliffhanger! I loved the fantasy world brought to life by Nina Croft, so I’ll definitely be picking up the next installment.
A copy was provided by Entangled through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Tara’s childhood upbringing was far from normal. She was raised by her reclusive aunt and taught to live by strict rules. All this goes out the window when her aunt dies and Tara discovers everything was a lie. Aunt Kathy was no relation; she didn’t even exist according to records. Tara wants/needs to find out who she is and who her aunt was. Why did she lie? To get to the bottom of things, Tara breaks her first rule: “Never question the past” by hiring detective Christian Roth to find out who she is. She wants to leave the past behind and get on with life attending college, having friends and fun, just like any normal twenty-two year old. What she doesn’t realize is when the past is revealed her life will be anything but normal.
When vampire Christian Roth lays eyes and nose on Tara he knows she’s something different. She smells divine and he would love nothing more than to sink his teeth into her vein and take a good hard pull. Tara is gorgeous, but she’s also a client so he needs to keep his desires in check. On top of all this, Christian is being sucked back into the world he thought he left behind. He quit the Order to lead a somewhat “normal” life but with recent murders pointing to someone with a personal vendetta against him, he has no choice but to help investigate. Christian’s growing attraction and attachment to Tara paints a target on her back when demons are hunting anyone he cares about.
Bittersweet Blood was a fascinating story. When you read a paranormal romance novel, some of the rules that that apply to a contemporary romance are thrown out the window. Urges and behaviors that would be unacceptable in real life are okay because of the nature of these beings. So you get the urges and passions so intense and consuming, making these reads a thrill and a whole lot of fun. Marking, biting, feeding, and claiming are all part of the fantasy.
“You smell so delicious.”
Tara twitched, but his hands held her in place. His lips were on her skin and a wave of heat washed over her. Her eyes fluttered closed as his mouth opened against her throat and his tongue stroked, slow and cool against her heated flesh.
“Maybe just a little taste…,”
Part of why this was such a consuming read was getting to the bottom of Tara’s identity and the mystery of who is targeting Christian. Seeing how all this unfolds kept me furiously clicking through the pages to discover the next revelation. The mysteries are entwined and it was fun putting all the pieces together.
I guess this is a start of a series, although this story wraps up nicely and to my satisfaction. Yay, no cliffhanger! I loved the fantasy world brought to life by Nina Croft, so I’ll definitely be picking up the next installment.
A copy was provided by Entangled through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 21, 2013
It felt like all the usual cliches with nothing new to hold my interest. Demon/fae war, vampires, shapeshifters, werewolves, and mix. Add a mystery involving the main character's parents and voila, a book.
It wasn't bad, it just wasn't good. I had to force myself to finish it and didn't really care what happened to anyone.
It wasn't bad, it just wasn't good. I had to force myself to finish it and didn't really care what happened to anyone.
September 14, 2017
3.5 Stars - 3 Flames
Is this a re-release? Where the heck was I when this first came out? I've read my fair share of PNR's and although I've heard of this author, I've never heard of this one, nonetheless the series. I'm so glad that this came across my lap. Thoroughly entertaining from the very first page.
Tara Collins is in search of something. She knows that she was raised differently and now that her aunt has passed away, she's looking for answers as to why. There may be a little problem with that though. She doesn't have much to go from, so she hires a private investigator to help. Meanwhile, she's also decided to break a few rules that her aunt put in to place. Rules that she has no idea are actually there to help protect her. From what, you ask? Seems like everything...
Christian Roth is a billionaire. Ok, that doesn't really matter, I just thought I'd throw that out there. Actually, he's the PI Tara hires. Ironically, he's more than a PI. He's a vampire and not just any. He's the former leader of the Order (you'll have to read to find out what they are) and loves kicking some demon arse. He loves feeding off of demons too. After smelling (yes, smelling) Tara and getting some background information, he's more determined than ever to help her. Ok, there's more to it. He likes her. Like...a lot. Hmmm, I wonder why?
This was a clever story line. Although not unusual, it had a few differences in the supernatural realm that I appreciated and enjoyed. I liked each of the characters. Between humans, shapeshifters, demons, faes, vampires and werewolves, we're fully entertained. I REALLY liked a few of the twists. But I LOVED the relationship between Christian and Tara. More so, I enjoyed watching Tara blossom, coming to terms with who/what she was and finally sticking up for herself. I like the way this ended. Even before I knew that this was an "already written" series, I was wondering who's story would be next. Why? Because the ending left us with so many different possibilities as to what's to come. And I can't wait.
*I received this book from the Jeep Diva in exchange for my honest opinion.
Is this a re-release? Where the heck was I when this first came out? I've read my fair share of PNR's and although I've heard of this author, I've never heard of this one, nonetheless the series. I'm so glad that this came across my lap. Thoroughly entertaining from the very first page.
Tara Collins is in search of something. She knows that she was raised differently and now that her aunt has passed away, she's looking for answers as to why. There may be a little problem with that though. She doesn't have much to go from, so she hires a private investigator to help. Meanwhile, she's also decided to break a few rules that her aunt put in to place. Rules that she has no idea are actually there to help protect her. From what, you ask? Seems like everything...
Christian Roth is a billionaire. Ok, that doesn't really matter, I just thought I'd throw that out there. Actually, he's the PI Tara hires. Ironically, he's more than a PI. He's a vampire and not just any. He's the former leader of the Order (you'll have to read to find out what they are) and loves kicking some demon arse. He loves feeding off of demons too. After smelling (yes, smelling) Tara and getting some background information, he's more determined than ever to help her. Ok, there's more to it. He likes her. Like...a lot. Hmmm, I wonder why?
This was a clever story line. Although not unusual, it had a few differences in the supernatural realm that I appreciated and enjoyed. I liked each of the characters. Between humans, shapeshifters, demons, faes, vampires and werewolves, we're fully entertained. I REALLY liked a few of the twists. But I LOVED the relationship between Christian and Tara. More so, I enjoyed watching Tara blossom, coming to terms with who/what she was and finally sticking up for herself. I like the way this ended. Even before I knew that this was an "already written" series, I was wondering who's story would be next. Why? Because the ending left us with so many different possibilities as to what's to come. And I can't wait.
*I received this book from the Jeep Diva in exchange for my honest opinion.
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September 18, 2017
'Bittersweet Blood' by Nina Croft is the First Book in the New series called "The Order". This is the story of Tara Collins and Christian Roth.
Tara has lived a sheltered life with her Aunt Kathy. Aunt Kathy had rules and wanted to Tara to stay at home as much as possible. Now her Aunt is Dead and Tara is finding out that her life so far may have been lies. Tara thinks to have a PI look into her past and find out who she really is. Tar's cat picks out CR International as the place to go. There she meets Christian who is the owner of the company. Christian finds Tara very tempting and a mystery. Christian starts to look into her past and the more he is with her the more irresistible she becomes.
Tara is trying to break all of her Aunt's rules in hopes of being normal along with what Christian finds out about her.
"My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read."
https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A2H...
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...
https://twitter.com/soapsrus68
https://www.facebook.com/RomanceBookR...
Tara has lived a sheltered life with her Aunt Kathy. Aunt Kathy had rules and wanted to Tara to stay at home as much as possible. Now her Aunt is Dead and Tara is finding out that her life so far may have been lies. Tara thinks to have a PI look into her past and find out who she really is. Tar's cat picks out CR International as the place to go. There she meets Christian who is the owner of the company. Christian finds Tara very tempting and a mystery. Christian starts to look into her past and the more he is with her the more irresistible she becomes.
Tara is trying to break all of her Aunt's rules in hopes of being normal along with what Christian finds out about her.
"My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read."
https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A2H...
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...
https://twitter.com/soapsrus68
https://www.facebook.com/RomanceBookR...
October 25, 2017
Brought up by her Aunt in isolation, after her Aunt’s death Tara decides to take charge of her life and break some of her aunt’s rules and her own seclusion. That results in her learning that being normal is something she’ll never achieve and that paranormal beings really do exist. Not only that, but some of them appear to be out to kill her! After being saved by Christian Roth, she hires him to find out more about her past. Christian isn’t your usual PI - he’s a vampire who used to be the leader of The Order. With demons and fae
assassins around, life is about to be totally action packed - and that’s not mentioning the added ingredient, the attraction between Tara and Christian!
This is a very entertaining paranormal romantic suspense with plenty of diverse characters and a roller coaster plot with so many twists and turns it makes it an enthralling read. The characters are well developed and the world building is robust making this start to the series one that I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in highly recommending. The only problem is, it may leave you wanting more but then, that isn’t a serious problems as the other books in the series are already released!
I requested and received a copy of this novel, via NetGalley. This is my honest review after choosing to read it.
assassins around, life is about to be totally action packed - and that’s not mentioning the added ingredient, the attraction between Tara and Christian!
This is a very entertaining paranormal romantic suspense with plenty of diverse characters and a roller coaster plot with so many twists and turns it makes it an enthralling read. The characters are well developed and the world building is robust making this start to the series one that I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in highly recommending. The only problem is, it may leave you wanting more but then, that isn’t a serious problems as the other books in the series are already released!
I requested and received a copy of this novel, via NetGalley. This is my honest review after choosing to read it.
March 22, 2013
My English review
Mon avis en Français
I didn’t know anything about Nina Croft before discovering this first novel. I did not know what to expect but it was ultimately a good discovery. It is a light and fast read.
We discover a girl, Tara, lost in a world she does not know anything about. She lived her entire life in a bubble away from the people of the society, raised by her aunt who never left their home. What a strange life would you say? Yet she was always happy and loved by her family. But then her aunt died and our young heroine finds herself alone with many new paths opened to her. Many rules were erected throughout her life and so far she had followed them quite strictly. Rule 1: Never question the past. Rule 2: Never drink alcohol. Rule 3: Never remove the talisman. But now that she is far from the reprimands of the last member of her family, Tara is determined to break each rule and discover what are the lies behind. And the first thing she wants to know is who she is and who her aunt really was. Indeed after discovering some papers at home, she realizes that her life is finally a big lie. To find answers, she goes to see a private detective (who seems very mysterious) so he could help her for the answers she seeks. But breaking the first rule will have some dire consequences and our young heroine who did not really know yet the world that surrounds her, now finds herself thrust into a world filled with creatures that she did not suspect the existence. And many of them seem to want to kill her at all cost without her knowing the reason.
We are very intrigued at first by Tara and her nature. We suspect that she's hiding something and we look forward for Christian to discover the truth. But he also holds many secrets himself and we will discover all that in due time. There are some very good ideas in this novel, but it is true that in the reading we understand several things before the characters. There is however something that I really did not see coming, it is the revelation about Jamie, the Tara’s friend. I was completely surprised, I did not expect that at all.
Tara and Christian are really quite cute together and it's funny to see them fighting their attraction in vain. We will follow them both throughout the story, learning the truth with them and it was a great pleasure to understand what was happening. I'm curious to see what Nina has for us for the second volume as this one has a good end.
Mon avis en Français
I didn’t know anything about Nina Croft before discovering this first novel. I did not know what to expect but it was ultimately a good discovery. It is a light and fast read.
We discover a girl, Tara, lost in a world she does not know anything about. She lived her entire life in a bubble away from the people of the society, raised by her aunt who never left their home. What a strange life would you say? Yet she was always happy and loved by her family. But then her aunt died and our young heroine finds herself alone with many new paths opened to her. Many rules were erected throughout her life and so far she had followed them quite strictly. Rule 1: Never question the past. Rule 2: Never drink alcohol. Rule 3: Never remove the talisman. But now that she is far from the reprimands of the last member of her family, Tara is determined to break each rule and discover what are the lies behind. And the first thing she wants to know is who she is and who her aunt really was. Indeed after discovering some papers at home, she realizes that her life is finally a big lie. To find answers, she goes to see a private detective (who seems very mysterious) so he could help her for the answers she seeks. But breaking the first rule will have some dire consequences and our young heroine who did not really know yet the world that surrounds her, now finds herself thrust into a world filled with creatures that she did not suspect the existence. And many of them seem to want to kill her at all cost without her knowing the reason.
We are very intrigued at first by Tara and her nature. We suspect that she's hiding something and we look forward for Christian to discover the truth. But he also holds many secrets himself and we will discover all that in due time. There are some very good ideas in this novel, but it is true that in the reading we understand several things before the characters. There is however something that I really did not see coming, it is the revelation about Jamie, the Tara’s friend. I was completely surprised, I did not expect that at all.
Tara and Christian are really quite cute together and it's funny to see them fighting their attraction in vain. We will follow them both throughout the story, learning the truth with them and it was a great pleasure to understand what was happening. I'm curious to see what Nina has for us for the second volume as this one has a good end.
March 7, 2013
Nina Croft has created a fun and fast-paced novel with Bittersweet Blood! Yes, we have vampires, we have fairy assassins, we have demons, and we have Tara Collins, who spent most of her life with her loving aunt, living in seclusion. Now Tara is on her own and wants to find out what its like to be a 'normal human'- except, guess what, she isn't and never will be 'normal' or 'human!'
After living with all of her aunt's 'rules' and having no other family, Tara hires a private investigator to find out about her past, her family, because she realizes she has been living the lie fed to her all of her life. Little does she know the investigator she hired is a vampire, one hot and alpha-type guy, Christian Roth, one of the most successful detectives in London, as well as a former demon hunter for "The Order." Did I mention that he is on a couple of 'hit/revenge' lists?
By a quirky twist of fate, her true past and his enemy problems are entwined. their attraction to each other is immense and intense, but, dangerous. Just when Tara is about to learn her true past, Christian's past catches up with him and it may cost his life to save hers. Is there a way out? Can Tara save Christian in time?
Tara is a fighter, a woman of action! She surprised me with her true grit and her ability to roll with the punches, in spite of everything! This was a fun read and a terrific job of giving a breath of fresh air to a paranormal romance!
A copy of Bittersweet Blood was provided by Entangled Publishing in exchange for my honest review!
For more great reviews visit:
After living with all of her aunt's 'rules' and having no other family, Tara hires a private investigator to find out about her past, her family, because she realizes she has been living the lie fed to her all of her life. Little does she know the investigator she hired is a vampire, one hot and alpha-type guy, Christian Roth, one of the most successful detectives in London, as well as a former demon hunter for "The Order." Did I mention that he is on a couple of 'hit/revenge' lists?
By a quirky twist of fate, her true past and his enemy problems are entwined. their attraction to each other is immense and intense, but, dangerous. Just when Tara is about to learn her true past, Christian's past catches up with him and it may cost his life to save hers. Is there a way out? Can Tara save Christian in time?
Tara is a fighter, a woman of action! She surprised me with her true grit and her ability to roll with the punches, in spite of everything! This was a fun read and a terrific job of giving a breath of fresh air to a paranormal romance!
A copy of Bittersweet Blood was provided by Entangled Publishing in exchange for my honest review!
For more great reviews visit:
March 25, 2013
NetGalley provided me with a copy of this book for my honest review
Tara has lived a sheltered life, her aunt kept her away from the world and now that her aunt has died she wants to know what and who she is. She hires private investigator Christian Roth; she doesn't know that he is a vampire. Christian left the Order and is trying to live as normal life as he can, but demons are killing his friends the fae need his help finding something, the Order wants him back and he now he wants Tara. The two of them grow close trying to find out what she really is and Tara has to decide if having a normal life is really what she wants. Christian has to decide what he is willing to risk to keep Tara safe. Tara was an interesting heroine; she was very innocent, smart and had a backbone. I liked how the author didn't make her a weak woman; she stood up for herself and fought for her loved ones. Her innocence actually added a certain charm to the mix that softened the edges without making Tara annoyingly ignorant. Christian oh how I loved the big bad vampire with a soft heart. The plot line was not the most original, girl meets boy has no idea she is something "other," boy likes girl helps her out. The two of them fight their attraction, there is conflict and angst. However, the author does write a very entertaining story, the world building is done very well. I liked the war between the demons and fae that is being fought on earth; it added an interesting little twist to the story. The sex scenes in the book were good, not to graphic and not boring. I really liked this book it was an entertaining read and I am interested in seeing where the series will be going.
Tara has lived a sheltered life, her aunt kept her away from the world and now that her aunt has died she wants to know what and who she is. She hires private investigator Christian Roth; she doesn't know that he is a vampire. Christian left the Order and is trying to live as normal life as he can, but demons are killing his friends the fae need his help finding something, the Order wants him back and he now he wants Tara. The two of them grow close trying to find out what she really is and Tara has to decide if having a normal life is really what she wants. Christian has to decide what he is willing to risk to keep Tara safe. Tara was an interesting heroine; she was very innocent, smart and had a backbone. I liked how the author didn't make her a weak woman; she stood up for herself and fought for her loved ones. Her innocence actually added a certain charm to the mix that softened the edges without making Tara annoyingly ignorant. Christian oh how I loved the big bad vampire with a soft heart. The plot line was not the most original, girl meets boy has no idea she is something "other," boy likes girl helps her out. The two of them fight their attraction, there is conflict and angst. However, the author does write a very entertaining story, the world building is done very well. I liked the war between the demons and fae that is being fought on earth; it added an interesting little twist to the story. The sex scenes in the book were good, not to graphic and not boring. I really liked this book it was an entertaining read and I am interested in seeing where the series will be going.
September 4, 2014
Bittersweet Blood is a paranormal romance and as such it is big on romance, somewhat less rich on plot.
It's absolutely nice to read and has a good world-building. Nothing is really new but this helps the author who doesn't have to create a world from scratch and the readers who don't fight with understanding and info-dump. On the other side it may sound somewhat familiar. It's like a puzzle, you might not know exactly the final image, but you know how to "play". So we have the usual type of characters and Others but in different roles.
As I said being a romance, the plot is the usual, boy meets girl, problems ensue. Moreover there's really no mystery: you get it the moment it's presented. But as I said this is romance, so you want to know how they survive the secret, not the secret as such :)
I didn't get the heroine I was promised by ATUF, but at least she's no doormat and, in her lack of humanity, she comes out pretty human. My first nit is that when the (first) big reveal happens she doesn't really freak out. Yes, she has just learned her life was a lie, but on top of this vamps and demons...
Absolutely personal: the book is set in London. It could be any other place. Nor the city nor the country do really star this book.
It's absolutely nice to read and has a good world-building. Nothing is really new but this helps the author who doesn't have to create a world from scratch and the readers who don't fight with understanding and info-dump. On the other side it may sound somewhat familiar. It's like a puzzle, you might not know exactly the final image, but you know how to "play". So we have the usual type of characters and Others but in different roles.
As I said being a romance, the plot is the usual, boy meets girl, problems ensue. Moreover there's really no mystery: you get it the moment it's presented. But as I said this is romance, so you want to know how they survive the secret, not the secret as such :)
I didn't get the heroine I was promised by ATUF, but at least she's no doormat and, in her lack of humanity, she comes out pretty human. My first nit is that when the (first) big reveal happens she doesn't really freak out. Yes, she has just learned her life was a lie, but on top of this vamps and demons...
Absolutely personal: the book is set in London. It could be any other place. Nor the city nor the country do really star this book.
October 5, 2017
4.5 “I want a Smokey of my own” Stars
After reading Bittersweet Blood in one night, I can safely say it was awesome. Never mind the fact that I was a useless zombie the next day, it was totally worth it.
Tara had a very strange and secluded life up until the day her aunt passed. Wanting to have a “normal” experience, she starts living on her own and going to college. This is somewhat interrupted when she discovered that all the things her aunt told her about her past might not be true.That’s how she ends up as Christian Roth’s new client but unleashing the truth has consequences she could have never dreamed of. As she was completely unaware of the paranormal world and its inhabitants, Tara needs to learn fast how to cope with all the changes or she won’t make it. She was sweet and innocent but soon found she also had a temper and a backbone. I immensely enjoyed witnessing Tara blossom into herself.
Christian is one hot, badass mofo. Current PI, “retired” demon hunter and a sexy as hell vampire, he was everything I could ask for in a hero. Once he decides he wants Tara he goes into protective mode, and it was hilarious to see who was more stubborn of the two. At the same time, their chemistry was super-hot which made their time together extra steamy.
While some of the stuff that happens you kind of see coming (or at least suspect), I can honestly say some of the twists took me totally by surprise. With lots of action, intrigue, fleshed out characters, great world-building and crazy hot sextivities I absolutely loved Bittersweet Blood. I can’t wait to see what happens next in this fabulous world of the Order.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book*
After reading Bittersweet Blood in one night, I can safely say it was awesome. Never mind the fact that I was a useless zombie the next day, it was totally worth it.
Tara had a very strange and secluded life up until the day her aunt passed. Wanting to have a “normal” experience, she starts living on her own and going to college. This is somewhat interrupted when she discovered that all the things her aunt told her about her past might not be true.That’s how she ends up as Christian Roth’s new client but unleashing the truth has consequences she could have never dreamed of. As she was completely unaware of the paranormal world and its inhabitants, Tara needs to learn fast how to cope with all the changes or she won’t make it. She was sweet and innocent but soon found she also had a temper and a backbone. I immensely enjoyed witnessing Tara blossom into herself.
Christian is one hot, badass mofo. Current PI, “retired” demon hunter and a sexy as hell vampire, he was everything I could ask for in a hero. Once he decides he wants Tara he goes into protective mode, and it was hilarious to see who was more stubborn of the two. At the same time, their chemistry was super-hot which made their time together extra steamy.
While some of the stuff that happens you kind of see coming (or at least suspect), I can honestly say some of the twists took me totally by surprise. With lots of action, intrigue, fleshed out characters, great world-building and crazy hot sextivities I absolutely loved Bittersweet Blood. I can’t wait to see what happens next in this fabulous world of the Order.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book*
May 17, 2013
BOOK SYNOPSIS
Tara Collins just wants to be normal. Everyone else wants her dead.
Tara’s eccentric aunt raised her to be fearful of the world and follow the rules. But after her aunt’s death, Tara is ready to take control and experience life for the first time. But she quickly discovers that everything she’s been told is a web of lies. Determined to solve the mystery of who she is truly, she hires private investigator to help her uncover the truth.
Christian Roth is more than your average PI. A vampire and ex-demon hunter, Christian lives among the humans, trying to be “normal.” But recently, things seem to be falling apart. There’s a crazed demon hell-bent on revenge hunting him down, and a fae assassin on the loose with an unknown target. And the Order he abandoned desperately needs his help.
As the secrets of Tara’s past collide with the problems in Christian’s present, she finds herself fighting her attraction to the dark and mysterious investigator. Falling in love does not fit into her plans at all, but Tara soon learns that some rules are meant to be broken.
My Thoughts
Having read a copy of Break Out , Blood Hunter series #1 , back in July 2011 was really hoping to fall in love with Bittersweet Blood as well. Although liked the first book in the new series by the author did not love it as to be quite honest found myself thinking quite bit that it would be nice if the "truth" revealed about Tara was just a little bit more unique rather than a repeat of a tried and true formula used by so many authors nowadays that it makes the books that I enjoy reading start to become hard to differentiate from one another.
I admit to not minding the feeling of deja-vu that came with reading the story, the characters were unique unto themselves even though they were pretty much run-of-the-mill familiar in tone and type;the story line and plot though also familiar was given it's own flavor by the author's writing style and the easy pace made it comfortable to keep up with both the characters and the action as it happened.
Tara is a young woman whose very existence is called into question after the death of her aunt and her own foray into the life that she has always wanted for herself but never got to experience in her 20 odd years living with a woman who made sure she stayed close and as much as possible did not drawn attention to herself. The secrets revealed showing Tara's true parental origins are also not unique ones but they are given a good spin to make them work for the character that the author has created as the focal point of the story.
While it is a straight forward tale that in no way breaks new ground in the paranormal genre you will still enjoy the story that the author has crafted and even if like me you find it a little too much like so many other books you have read before it will still entertain you and keep you company as you while away the hours it takes to finish the book.
To say that you will also be a little taken with Christian Roth's character is a given as he is totally a vampire whose masculine appeal is very genuine and his ability to be both seductive and deadly is without doubt a huge check mark in his favor.
The struggles that are faced by both Tara and Christian are what makes this story work on it's own merits, for anyone who loves to read the paranormal romance genre that would be enough to lure you in and keep your attention till the end.
Hopefully as the series continues it will break new ground with the way in which the story and plot are crafted, if not than for myself there will be no real reason to continue it no matter how much my curiosity is aroused as to what happens to Tara next. Not a reread for me but all told not a bad story either.
[EArc from Netgalley in exchange for honest review]
March 9, 2013
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
I liked BITTERSWEET BLOOD way more than I was anticipating. It featured a sexy vampire and a woman with a secret so hidden even she doesn’t know it, with enough action and mystery to keep me hooked the entire time. There were so many things to like- strong leads, great sexual tension, and even laugh out loud funny parts amongst it all.
BITTERSWEET BLOOD takes place in a London where all kinds of supernatural creatures, including vampires, werewolves, demons and fae exist. Croft does some good world building, going into enough detail for the story to make sense, but not overwhelming the reader with excessive details. There were some aspects that weren’t fully explained, but I hope they will be touched on in future books, like magic users and types of demons.
While the world building was good, the characters were great. At the beginning of the book, when Tara meets Christian, I got a bit of a “my what big teeth you have” vibe and I was concerned she was going to be a wimpy protagonist. Luckily, she proved me wrong. It is reasonable for her to be a bit skittish to start, since she was raised cut off from any human contact except her aunt, and throughout the book, she manages to grow up quite a bit. One thing I like was as she learned more about herself and the danger she was in, she was appropriately scared, but at the same time, she didn’t bury her head in the sand. She even asked to be taught how to shoot a gun!
On the male side of the equation, we have Christian. The vampires in this book were definitely portrayed as sexy, but they weren’t nice by any stretch of the imagination. Christian is a signature alpha hero, easily taking charge, but at the same time, I didn’t see him as overbearing. Piers, the head of The Order (the supernatural organization the series is named after) is the ultimate bad boy. And when the two of them got together, they had no problem calmly discussing taking something or somebody down if they needed to.
One thing this book had going for it was that it was familiar without being cliche. I’m pretty sure at least some of the conflict could have been resolved by some good old conversation between Tara and Christian, but point me in the direction of a romance novel that doesn’t have some form of miscommunication. At the same time, sometimes when I was absolutely certain of an outcome, it went in the opposite direction!
This book was a wonderful surprise. There was a lot of fun, a lot of action, and some unexpected twists that kept me on the edge of my seat. It will be interesting to see where Croft takes us next in this world, because I can see so many possibilities. My only complaint is that I have to wait for the next book!
Sexual Content:
Sensuality, graphic sex scenes, references to rape
I liked BITTERSWEET BLOOD way more than I was anticipating. It featured a sexy vampire and a woman with a secret so hidden even she doesn’t know it, with enough action and mystery to keep me hooked the entire time. There were so many things to like- strong leads, great sexual tension, and even laugh out loud funny parts amongst it all.
BITTERSWEET BLOOD takes place in a London where all kinds of supernatural creatures, including vampires, werewolves, demons and fae exist. Croft does some good world building, going into enough detail for the story to make sense, but not overwhelming the reader with excessive details. There were some aspects that weren’t fully explained, but I hope they will be touched on in future books, like magic users and types of demons.
While the world building was good, the characters were great. At the beginning of the book, when Tara meets Christian, I got a bit of a “my what big teeth you have” vibe and I was concerned she was going to be a wimpy protagonist. Luckily, she proved me wrong. It is reasonable for her to be a bit skittish to start, since she was raised cut off from any human contact except her aunt, and throughout the book, she manages to grow up quite a bit. One thing I like was as she learned more about herself and the danger she was in, she was appropriately scared, but at the same time, she didn’t bury her head in the sand. She even asked to be taught how to shoot a gun!
On the male side of the equation, we have Christian. The vampires in this book were definitely portrayed as sexy, but they weren’t nice by any stretch of the imagination. Christian is a signature alpha hero, easily taking charge, but at the same time, I didn’t see him as overbearing. Piers, the head of The Order (the supernatural organization the series is named after) is the ultimate bad boy. And when the two of them got together, they had no problem calmly discussing taking something or somebody down if they needed to.
One thing this book had going for it was that it was familiar without being cliche. I’m pretty sure at least some of the conflict could have been resolved by some good old conversation between Tara and Christian, but point me in the direction of a romance novel that doesn’t have some form of miscommunication. At the same time, sometimes when I was absolutely certain of an outcome, it went in the opposite direction!
This book was a wonderful surprise. There was a lot of fun, a lot of action, and some unexpected twists that kept me on the edge of my seat. It will be interesting to see where Croft takes us next in this world, because I can see so many possibilities. My only complaint is that I have to wait for the next book!
Sexual Content:
Sensuality, graphic sex scenes, references to rape
June 22, 2013
Post Title: O! What A Tangled Web: Bittersweet Blood by Nina Croft
Original Post: http://fangswandsandfairydust.blogspo...
Provided by publisher for review purposes. No remuneration was exchanged. All opinions presented herein are my own except as noted.
I loved this book from the first page. I was immediately drawn to the two main characters and felt a particular empathy for Tara who starts off like a little lost lamb. I also liked the film noir setting of a young innocent going in to a strange corporation to hire a private detective.
Croft excels at allowing a glimpse; just a tiny foreshadow, so you can anticipate what might be coming but you aren't sure and that starts on the first page of the book. It kept me turning the pages as I got an inkling of the next twist a moment before it happened. as does the amazing chemistry between Christian and Tara.
The story is unpredictable in many ways which I love. In other ways, and this is not a flaw, it holds true to a predictable form in the way of paranormal romances. Some predictability is vital so the reader isn't set adrift with no anchor. This is an important finesse and takes the work from trite to exciting.
I felt the influence in the book of, of fairy tales and Shakespeare -- not in a boring way -- but we get a little Puckish influence, some star crossed lovers and a little Sleeping Beauty.
Nina does amazing sex scenes that propel this from what could be "new adult" to steamy hot adult like a rocket. Tara and Christian sizzle!
And there are surprises for us, and for Tara and Christian too from page one. Not all of them are pleasant, although Tara does show remarkable powers of emotional recovery fro one who has been so sheltered. The characters are well developed, somewhat typical but with nuance. Tara is all innocence from the beginning but once she gets turned on watch out!
One concept and theme that starts of the book, aa set of rules with which Tara was impressed and raised, tend to get a little lost by the middle of the book. I can see where they would have started as an idea that reapidly lost relevance in the narrative. Occasionally she tries to blend them back in but they don't hold through the entirety of the volume.
As I clicked the last page, I realized I was ready for the next entry in the series. At least I have to read sometihng else by Nina fairly soon. The passion and excitement in her storytelling make me want more! Right Now!
If you like super steamy romance of the paranormal variety this is a MUST READ!
Original Post: http://fangswandsandfairydust.blogspo...
Provided by publisher for review purposes. No remuneration was exchanged. All opinions presented herein are my own except as noted.
I loved this book from the first page. I was immediately drawn to the two main characters and felt a particular empathy for Tara who starts off like a little lost lamb. I also liked the film noir setting of a young innocent going in to a strange corporation to hire a private detective.
Croft excels at allowing a glimpse; just a tiny foreshadow, so you can anticipate what might be coming but you aren't sure and that starts on the first page of the book. It kept me turning the pages as I got an inkling of the next twist a moment before it happened. as does the amazing chemistry between Christian and Tara.
The story is unpredictable in many ways which I love. In other ways, and this is not a flaw, it holds true to a predictable form in the way of paranormal romances. Some predictability is vital so the reader isn't set adrift with no anchor. This is an important finesse and takes the work from trite to exciting.
I felt the influence in the book of, of fairy tales and Shakespeare -- not in a boring way -- but we get a little Puckish influence, some star crossed lovers and a little Sleeping Beauty.
Nina does amazing sex scenes that propel this from what could be "new adult" to steamy hot adult like a rocket. Tara and Christian sizzle!
And there are surprises for us, and for Tara and Christian too from page one. Not all of them are pleasant, although Tara does show remarkable powers of emotional recovery fro one who has been so sheltered. The characters are well developed, somewhat typical but with nuance. Tara is all innocence from the beginning but once she gets turned on watch out!
One concept and theme that starts of the book, aa set of rules with which Tara was impressed and raised, tend to get a little lost by the middle of the book. I can see where they would have started as an idea that reapidly lost relevance in the narrative. Occasionally she tries to blend them back in but they don't hold through the entirety of the volume.
As I clicked the last page, I realized I was ready for the next entry in the series. At least I have to read sometihng else by Nina fairly soon. The passion and excitement in her storytelling make me want more! Right Now!
If you like super steamy romance of the paranormal variety this is a MUST READ!
March 10, 2013
Paranormal Romantic Redux...
Since the overview does a great job of outlining the story line, I'll focus on my thoughts about the book. Our heroine just wants normality after having grown up in an isolated part of England with almost no interaction with other people. She is now in her twenties her guardian is dead and she wants to know more about herself - where she came from so she hires a PI - Christian Roth who just happens to be a paranormal PI (She doesn't know this when she picks him). He senses she is more than she seems and off the story line goes...
Christian is immediately drawn to Tara who is anything but normal. He is worldly and she isn't but something about her draws him to her...almost too quickly for my taste which is the whole problem for me. What about Tara except for the scent of her blood attracted such a alpha male like Christian who within weeks of meeting her he is willing to die for her? Really?
The Tara that emerges from her shell is definitely Christian worthy but HE doesn't know this until after he makes his decisions. Her awakening that she must take control of her own destiny is awesome and I found myself more interested in that than the love story that is central to the novel. The whole pacing of this is off and too easy to figure out. Once I found out what she was, I already knew what was going to happen...who her 'family' was, etc.
So what did I like - Piers, Jamie, and even Asmodai. The world creation is solid - everything fit within the context of what Nina Croft created but I wish there had been more time before Christian and Tara were 'soul' mates. This could have been so much more and I encourage the author to build out her plot more vs. just creating a paranormal love story redux. I look forward to learning more about The Order. Will I read Book 2? Probably.
This was an ARC thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing...I appreciate the opportunity to provide honest feedback!
Since the overview does a great job of outlining the story line, I'll focus on my thoughts about the book. Our heroine just wants normality after having grown up in an isolated part of England with almost no interaction with other people. She is now in her twenties her guardian is dead and she wants to know more about herself - where she came from so she hires a PI - Christian Roth who just happens to be a paranormal PI (She doesn't know this when she picks him). He senses she is more than she seems and off the story line goes...
Christian is immediately drawn to Tara who is anything but normal. He is worldly and she isn't but something about her draws him to her...almost too quickly for my taste which is the whole problem for me. What about Tara except for the scent of her blood attracted such a alpha male like Christian who within weeks of meeting her he is willing to die for her? Really?
The Tara that emerges from her shell is definitely Christian worthy but HE doesn't know this until after he makes his decisions. Her awakening that she must take control of her own destiny is awesome and I found myself more interested in that than the love story that is central to the novel. The whole pacing of this is off and too easy to figure out. Once I found out what she was, I already knew what was going to happen...who her 'family' was, etc.
So what did I like - Piers, Jamie, and even Asmodai. The world creation is solid - everything fit within the context of what Nina Croft created but I wish there had been more time before Christian and Tara were 'soul' mates. This could have been so much more and I encourage the author to build out her plot more vs. just creating a paranormal love story redux. I look forward to learning more about The Order. Will I read Book 2? Probably.
This was an ARC thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing...I appreciate the opportunity to provide honest feedback!
August 5, 2016
Many aspects of the world in this book reminded me of various movies and images from those movies popped up in my head while I was reading. If you're a fan of such movies like the Underworld trilogy or the two Hellboy movies, then this book may have some appeal to you. It takes some aspects from those movies such as gun-wielding supernatural beings and said being are involved in a organization that seeks to keep the peace between several groups of supernatural creatures.
I liked this book well enough. It was nicely written with a nice love story. I was intrigued with the story of Tara and trying to find out exactly who/what she is. However, I wasn't as enthralled with it as I have been with other books of this nature. I just felt the tone was a little flat. It didn't pop for me. I felt it could of gone deeper into the storytelling and of the fleshing out of the characters. Christian Roth and Piers were two of the high points of the book. Christian embodied the prototype of what the modern vampire is: handsome, sexy, alluring, and strong. He is very charismatic and he's one of the main reasons why I did like the book. I really wanted more time focused on Piers. There was real potential there for him to be a standout character. But, like the rest of the book, it just skimmed the surface.
One aspect I didn't really like was that, in my opinion, the romance felt a little rushed. I just felt that Tara fell in love with Christian a little too soon. I would've liked the connection between them to have developed more deeply with more substance to it since I did think that there was genuine chemistry between them.
While I didn't entirely embrace the book, I didn't hate it either. I think the book is one that you can pick up to read while relaxing at home or by the pool. It's a great way to pass the time.
I liked this book well enough. It was nicely written with a nice love story. I was intrigued with the story of Tara and trying to find out exactly who/what she is. However, I wasn't as enthralled with it as I have been with other books of this nature. I just felt the tone was a little flat. It didn't pop for me. I felt it could of gone deeper into the storytelling and of the fleshing out of the characters. Christian Roth and Piers were two of the high points of the book. Christian embodied the prototype of what the modern vampire is: handsome, sexy, alluring, and strong. He is very charismatic and he's one of the main reasons why I did like the book. I really wanted more time focused on Piers. There was real potential there for him to be a standout character. But, like the rest of the book, it just skimmed the surface.
One aspect I didn't really like was that, in my opinion, the romance felt a little rushed. I just felt that Tara fell in love with Christian a little too soon. I would've liked the connection between them to have developed more deeply with more substance to it since I did think that there was genuine chemistry between them.
While I didn't entirely embrace the book, I didn't hate it either. I think the book is one that you can pick up to read while relaxing at home or by the pool. It's a great way to pass the time.
March 14, 2013
Tara has led a very sheltered life, unknown to her there was a very good reason for that and a good part of the book’s plot is figuring out the “why” that goes with that story.
Christian is the ex-Order hunter that crosses paths with Tara and he ends up with the job of keeping her alive when Fae and demons are both hunting her and seem to wish her very dead.
The story is very good, the vampire rich guy and the girl with hidden secrets is a well worn plot device but that does not mean it is not entertaining (hence the “well worn”) and this is no exception.
The author gives us a very good Urban Fantasy world in which to plot this paranormal vampire romance but with several twists that make the book much more enjoyable.
This book has all the requisite things you need to make this a good story, the mystery of “who is she” the hidden plot of why so many entities seem to want her dead and least we forget, the hunky vampire.
Throw in some really good secondary characters and some past misdeeds combined with the old ‘MINE” love story and it is paranormal entertainment we all have enjoyed and keep asking for more.
I give this 4.5 Stars and highly recommend it for it’s entertainment value mostly, you will like the story and you will be glad you read it. What more do you want?
Christian is the ex-Order hunter that crosses paths with Tara and he ends up with the job of keeping her alive when Fae and demons are both hunting her and seem to wish her very dead.
The story is very good, the vampire rich guy and the girl with hidden secrets is a well worn plot device but that does not mean it is not entertaining (hence the “well worn”) and this is no exception.
The author gives us a very good Urban Fantasy world in which to plot this paranormal vampire romance but with several twists that make the book much more enjoyable.
This book has all the requisite things you need to make this a good story, the mystery of “who is she” the hidden plot of why so many entities seem to want her dead and least we forget, the hunky vampire.
Throw in some really good secondary characters and some past misdeeds combined with the old ‘MINE” love story and it is paranormal entertainment we all have enjoyed and keep asking for more.
I give this 4.5 Stars and highly recommend it for it’s entertainment value mostly, you will like the story and you will be glad you read it. What more do you want?
September 25, 2016
This book started off okay and I was definitely intrigued with the plot at first. There was potential. Then it started to fizzle out for me around the half way mark. I trudged on but around 78% I stopped and read another book. When I was done and came back to this I just could not get past Christian's predictable plan to save Tara at the cost of never seeing her again. I didn't even read his plan. Once his inner dialogue was all 'this will save her but it's likely I'll never see her again'.... I was done. This is such a predictable plot tool and with the whole book sort of sitting on that line for me I decided to move on to another book in my TBR pile.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 20, 2017
Hoooooo boy. My eyes hurt from all the rolling.
Heroine:TSTL
Hero: wears black leather pants and a black leather duster (is this 1999 and are we still obsessed with Angel?)
Society: literally nothing original or creative (vampires, fae, werewolves, blah blah Order)
Writing: worse than twilight
Sex: soooooooo vanilla except for all the blood but it kinda had the feeling of period sex?
Redeeming qualities: I liked piers.
I am really sad I wasted $1.98 on the other two in the trilogy before reading this one.
Heroine:TSTL
Hero: wears black leather pants and a black leather duster (is this 1999 and are we still obsessed with Angel?)
Society: literally nothing original or creative (vampires, fae, werewolves, blah blah Order)
Writing: worse than twilight
Sex: soooooooo vanilla except for all the blood but it kinda had the feeling of period sex?
Redeeming qualities: I liked piers.
I am really sad I wasted $1.98 on the other two in the trilogy before reading this one.
September 11, 2017
I didn't like how quickly things became sexual between the H/H. he randomly kisses her when he first sees her and wham! She's considering falling in love. The only thing intriguing about this novel was the mystery surrounding what she is and why someone went to great lengths to hide it. not impressed.
August 18, 2013
Another fabulous read by Nina!
January 4, 2025
After reading author Nina Croft's delightful book of short holiday tales, Mistletoe and Moonlight : A Paranormal Romance Christmas Anthology, I checked out her other books. Still in the holiday spirit, I found Bittersweet Christmas and was all set to read it until I noticed it was book four in "The Order" series.
Book one from the series, Bittersweet Blood, hit all the marks for a sexy, mysterious vampire/demon hunter (Christian Roth—who is an altogether different "paranormal" being before he becomes a vamp). His backstory is appealing. The intertwined worlds the author created between this one (human realm), hell, the land of Faerie, etc., fed into the intrigue dipping in and out of the overarching plot. Characters from all spaces were crafted well enough to get a taste of their worlds. As a reader, you find yourself wanting to "see" those places, too.
For me, the main character, Tara Collins, wasn't one I could easily connect with throughout the book. While intrigue clearly surrounds her past—which is revealed toward the end—I just found myself liking and caring about other characters more. One of the side characters, Carl Hanson, definitely piqued my interest. I'd be curious to read a tale in which he was the protagonist—or maybe even the antagonist. :-) Even though he wasn't on-page in this book a lot, this reader wanted more when he was.
There is a surprisingly descriptive "after the violence" scene following the brutal murder of one of Tara's friends. While not a bad choice to include it, it did stand out as particularly vivid, so I'm noting that here.
The author successfully brought the book's final surprises together as she wrapped up the storyline. Overall, threads were sewn up nicely, but a couple of them gave me pause. There's an end scene in which Tara gives up someone she loves far too easily (in my opinion). It didn't ring true to me, and none of the other characters seemed to be overly troubled by it, either.
Will I go on to read book two in "The Order" series? I might at some point. It features another prominent side character from this book: the vampire Piers Lamont. He seemed to be the most edgy, morally gray guy in this book, and that's right up my alley. We shall see...
If you like alpha (possibly alpha-hole?) male vamps, a sprinkling of other paranormal beings, and different magical worlds crashing together in various shapes of battle and truce, this might be the book for you.
Book one from the series, Bittersweet Blood, hit all the marks for a sexy, mysterious vampire/demon hunter (Christian Roth—who is an altogether different "paranormal" being before he becomes a vamp). His backstory is appealing. The intertwined worlds the author created between this one (human realm), hell, the land of Faerie, etc., fed into the intrigue dipping in and out of the overarching plot. Characters from all spaces were crafted well enough to get a taste of their worlds. As a reader, you find yourself wanting to "see" those places, too.
For me, the main character, Tara Collins, wasn't one I could easily connect with throughout the book. While intrigue clearly surrounds her past—which is revealed toward the end—I just found myself liking and caring about other characters more. One of the side characters, Carl Hanson, definitely piqued my interest. I'd be curious to read a tale in which he was the protagonist—or maybe even the antagonist. :-) Even though he wasn't on-page in this book a lot, this reader wanted more when he was.
There is a surprisingly descriptive "after the violence" scene following the brutal murder of one of Tara's friends. While not a bad choice to include it, it did stand out as particularly vivid, so I'm noting that here.
The author successfully brought the book's final surprises together as she wrapped up the storyline. Overall, threads were sewn up nicely, but a couple of them gave me pause. There's an end scene in which Tara gives up someone she loves far too easily (in my opinion). It didn't ring true to me, and none of the other characters seemed to be overly troubled by it, either.
Will I go on to read book two in "The Order" series? I might at some point. It features another prominent side character from this book: the vampire Piers Lamont. He seemed to be the most edgy, morally gray guy in this book, and that's right up my alley. We shall see...
If you like alpha (possibly alpha-hole?) male vamps, a sprinkling of other paranormal beings, and different magical worlds crashing together in various shapes of battle and truce, this might be the book for you.
October 24, 2017
While this is the first of a series, it certainly throws you into a well-established world of vampires, demons, and fae assassins.
Tara is out on her own in a world that she has always been taught to be afraid of in one way or another. She was raised knowing very little of the world, so now that she’s on her own, she’s more determined than ever to figure out her shady past. She’s hired a PI who just happens to be a vampire (and ex-demon hunter) and that’s just where the weirdness starts. Christian, said vampire, is immediately intrigued. After saving his new client in the alley outside his building, he’s determined to take the risk and look into her past. It doesn’t hurt that her blood calls to him, either.
From there, things just keep getting stranger and stranger. Turns out, Tara has a very important mom and dad and somehow she’s about to bring about some big war. Oh, and she’s also got to navigate her growing feelings for Christian and her surprise in the form of a pet/friend. Throw all this in the blender, combine with paranormal madness and you’ve got one engaging start to this new series. I was pleasantly surprised with Tara and how she embraces her new life.
Tara is out on her own in a world that she has always been taught to be afraid of in one way or another. She was raised knowing very little of the world, so now that she’s on her own, she’s more determined than ever to figure out her shady past. She’s hired a PI who just happens to be a vampire (and ex-demon hunter) and that’s just where the weirdness starts. Christian, said vampire, is immediately intrigued. After saving his new client in the alley outside his building, he’s determined to take the risk and look into her past. It doesn’t hurt that her blood calls to him, either.
From there, things just keep getting stranger and stranger. Turns out, Tara has a very important mom and dad and somehow she’s about to bring about some big war. Oh, and she’s also got to navigate her growing feelings for Christian and her surprise in the form of a pet/friend. Throw all this in the blender, combine with paranormal madness and you’ve got one engaging start to this new series. I was pleasantly surprised with Tara and how she embraces her new life.
September 5, 2023
Christian Roth, briefly reminded me of Christian Grey, as he is a rich business man but he is also a 500 year old vampire.
Tara has moved to London after a secluded life in Yorkshire. She has a lot to learn about herself.
I liked the characters, there's a good mixture of goodies and baddies, theres also twists and surprises.
There's a connection between Christian and Tara, my favourite sexy time was when they had to be locked in.
Piers the leader of the Order was an unpleasant character at the beginning but he grew on me through the book.
I'd happily read more of this series as I found it entertaining.
Tara has moved to London after a secluded life in Yorkshire. She has a lot to learn about herself.
I liked the characters, there's a good mixture of goodies and baddies, theres also twists and surprises.
There's a connection between Christian and Tara, my favourite sexy time was when they had to be locked in.
Piers the leader of the Order was an unpleasant character at the beginning but he grew on me through the book.
I'd happily read more of this series as I found it entertaining.
September 5, 2017
WOW!! The sexy magical world of the paranormal. Enter sexy as sin Christian the PI that isn't as he seems, and Tara a young lady that has lost a lot but was about to find more than she bargained for. The chemistry and mystery that is between Tara and Christian is sexy, amazing, and magical. Loved it.
October 19, 2023
Good for teens
Sexy and steamy .. the main character is a hapless, mysterious, 22 year old with the life experience of a 12 year old. She acts at about 16.
Being an old cranky woman, my headcanon doesn't wrap to hundreds of years old vampires being attracted to the young and inexperienced, so this went into my DNF pile.
Sexy and steamy .. the main character is a hapless, mysterious, 22 year old with the life experience of a 12 year old. She acts at about 16.
Being an old cranky woman, my headcanon doesn't wrap to hundreds of years old vampires being attracted to the young and inexperienced, so this went into my DNF pile.
June 20, 2017
Entertaining & easy to read urban fantasy with vampires, fairies and werewolves, if a bit generic. Tara and Dominic made an interesting couple, and I would read more if they were downloadable from my city's library.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2017
Bittersweet Blood...
Vampires, Faes, Demons, and Werewolves oh my! Fantastic read. Delightful characters that will make you blush and laugh at the same time. Lots of action, hello shifter alert. Drama and sexuality a plenty.
Vampires, Faes, Demons, and Werewolves oh my! Fantastic read. Delightful characters that will make you blush and laugh at the same time. Lots of action, hello shifter alert. Drama and sexuality a plenty.
November 8, 2017
Loved it. What a way to kick off a series. I'm off to devour more.
November 25, 2017
Good
I read the third book before I read this one. I didn't realize I was reading them out of order. This story was good, but not as good as the third book.
I read the third book before I read this one. I didn't realize I was reading them out of order. This story was good, but not as good as the third book.
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