Haven

Tranquilli Bloodline #1

by Celia Breslin

San Francisco nightclub owner Carina Tranquilli works hard, plays hard, and never allows the death of her parents and her twelve-year memory gap to get her down. But her life takes a left turn when a witch attacks her on her twenty-fifth birthday. Three hauntingly familiar vampires emerge to reveal she possesses a latent power. To protect her from their enemies, they admit to wiping her memories clean and abandoning her as a child, but now they need her help. As she struggles to evade her new protectors and even newer enemies, she meets Alexander, an enigmatic, undead musician. Insta-lust flares, leaving her wanting more. With evil’s minions hounding her every move, and everything she thought she knew turned on its axis, Carina must harness her burgeoning power, unravel her vampire family’s web of deceit, and fight to have a love life... without getting killed in the process.

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Vampires, Urban Fantasy, Witches, Magic, Paranormal, Fantasy

376 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2013

About the author

Writer, urban fantasy and paranormal romance. Gamer. Lover of matcha tea, dark chocolate, and exercise (no kidding). I write about the sexy and mysterious creatures of the Otherworld. Vampires, werewolves and all manner of Fae hold an extra special place in my heart.

Reviews

[Kodie Mackay · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars....

So to kick start this review I'd put this book under the PNR urban fantasy romance genre. I'm not sure what I was expecting because this author is new to me and while I read the blurb I have had no other feedback in regards to the story so it's fair to say I had zero expectations.
I'm a romance addict and I do love me some hot sex scenes and this lacked that. While there is a tone of heavy petting and a mild oral fling it's not what I'm used to so for me the romance kind of took a back seat. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it... I like the slow build and I found that when the plot is good I didn't miss the heavy romance.

There's a lot going on in this story from memory loss and long lost relatives to crazy hidden secrets and dangerous unknown enemies. I found that parts of the story sucked me in deep while others only held me by mild curiosity. The story's timeline is over a few days which is extraordinarily quick however the story itself felt drawn out. Carina is the type of heroine I enjoy reading, fiesty strong and opinionated she took no shit and wasn't afraid of standing up for herself or others she loved. There is quite the blend of personalitys in here and while some I took an instant like to... others grew on me over time.
The story is intriguing and frustrating. I found myself pissed off more than once at the lack of answers or at the fact they treated Carina like a child. i wanted her fight more and stand her ground instead of excepting the whole your not ready answer they seemed to favour giving her.

There is a lot of unanswered questions that have me intrigued and confused. I enjoyed this book but until I've read the next instalment I feel like 3.5 stars is where I'm at with this story. As much as I enjoyed a lot of it it frustrates me equally so while my opinion may change once I have the full picture I'm at a I enjoyed it but it's not finished opinion just now.

I kindly received this ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jennifer Valdez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should come with a caution notice. It should read something like this: “Warning, don’t even think about reading this book unless your body can handle non-stop heart pounding, hand sweating, completely captivated reading for the duration.”
This author is new to me, but it’s obvious she’s an old hand at writing. Ms. Breslin has perfected the balance between kick-butt action and romance. From the first page I was caught in “thrall” by her clever word choices and fast moving plot. I have read a lot of books where the author really seems to have polished the first five or six chapters. After that, the attention to detail, the ‘magic’, seems to fade. Not with this author. Ms. Breslin must have agonized over every word choice, finding just the right and fresh way to convey Carina and Alexander’s story.
I’m hoping the author is currently hunched over her keyboard, tapping out the next book in this great new series!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn this book has only just come out and I already want to read what happens next. AN interesting and very complex storyline with alpha males literally appearing out of thin air and two kick ass leads who steam up the pages. BRING ON THE NEXT BOOK.

[Eva Millien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything Carina thought she knew has been turned on its head and she must harness her burgeoning power, unravel her vampire family’s web of deceit, and fight to have a love life while evil’s minions hound her every move in this thrilling urban fantasy read with some fascinating and unique vampire elements. The characters are strong, captivating and they easily draw readers into their story, all while projecting such strong personalities that readers almost feel as if these characters are about to leap off the pages, especially the heroine of the story, Carina. She has a bit of a spunky, live life large attitude despite some troubling setbacks in her past and in the romance department she pretty much likes it to keep it friends with benefits until she meets Alexander and then the romance part of this story heat up quickly with lots of electrifying chemistry that sizzles throughout the pages between these two. The relationship however meant to be it is, still has quite a few obstacles to overcome, especially with all of the other turmoil that has descended upon Carina’s life.

The story is steady to fast paced and full of thrills and excitement as the suspense builds throughout the story with lots of twists and turns, especially since the ‘family’ only gives a little info at a time and holds back lots of it. There is plenty of action and readers never have a chance to become bored although readers may feel that there are a couple of things that could be plotted better, they can’t help but become completely caught up in Carina’s exciting life and while readers will see the bad guys again, this first major battle between Carina and the bad guys is quite spectacular.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I like the characters and action. I am waiting for the next book in the series.

- - Received copy through NetGalley - -
L

[Amber Belldene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Treat yourself to this sexy page-turner!

I thoroughly enjoyed HAVEN. I simply had to know what happened to Carina and family. I’m more of a romance reader than urban fantasy, and the connection between Alexander and Rina captivated me, while family mysteries and great world building kept me enthralled.

Rina is a fun party girl and her sassy (not snarky) voice is strong—you experience this story powerfully through her eyes, from deep within her point of view. While I’m no longer a “new adult,” I found her combination of strength, vulnerability, and the desire just to have fun perfectly endearing and believable. I’m not sure why another reviewer made the comment about her being a virgin. Rina is definitely not one—she has a smoking hot friends-with-benefits relationship with her BF in the book, and we get a taste of it first hand right at the beginning.

Celia Breslin has a fabulous way with words, lovely prose, a vivid vampire imagination, and evokes San Francisco like only a local can. If you are looking for a sexy page turner, I highly recommend it.

[Soxie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I spotted this book on Facebook, someone added it to want to read so of course me the book addict had to check it out and i am so glad i did .. wow, Loved it and can't wait for the next book .. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone to read

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to see an early draft of this book and can't wait to read the final version!

[Kri Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this Arc at no cost to me for a honest review.

Treat yourself to this sexy page-turner with a tough heroine, snarky humorous, sensuality and family drama.

I thoroughly enjoyed HAVEN. I’m more of a romance reader than urban fantasy, and the connection between Alexander and Rina captivated me, while family mysteries and great world building kept me enthralled. I guess you could say I am in the target audience that the author was looking for!

Carina who owns a nightclub with amazing and loyal friends. The only thing odd about her is the lapse in memory from when she was younger and to make things even more weird she is attacked by a crazed witch. Uh oh!!

Rina is a fun party girl and her sassy, and not exactly snarky, voice is strong—you experience this story powerfully through her eyes, from deep within her point of view. I am hoping for a good reason that Rina never gets to see her father in this book since he is still in Italy. There was no better way to protect her than stripping her of all her memories? Especially when these are the highest level in the vampire society and they can't handle her protection?

The story kept you interested but all the characters have a history and secrets in their past. Yet when you did find out about the history your left without answers to explain or elaborate more. I felt a bit flustered from this but I was able to still highly enjoy this book. Told in the first person, this also for me, runs the risk of, "See how clever and feisty I am?" but I never got annoyed with Rina's narration.

Each turn of the page was juicy and had me rereading it to make sure nothing was missed. You should pick this one up!

[Miriam Wolfe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

I realize this is book 1 in a series but there was so much included in this book that there is almost too much but there is also not enough answers. Throughout the book, Carina keeps getting promised that they will tell her but then it doesn't happen. Once or twice you can handle but it just keeps going on and on and then you only get a few answers.

There is lots of action and an undeniable attraction for Rina and Alexander so that part of the book is fun to read. BUT, there were parts that were just maddening and wonder how smart these people really are! Rina knew that the one witch was evil and repeatedly said it but no one listened to her. AND, they knew that the witch was involved with the evil (not sure what he was) boogeyman, I mean come on, you still trust her in your house!??

There better be a really great reason that Rina never gets to see her father in this book and he is still in Italy. I guess for me, the whole concept of stripping her memories seemed overkill, there was no better way to protect her??? These are the highest level in the vampire society and they can't handle her protection?

While I have all these frustrating parts that annoy me, I did like the story. I am willing to give book 2 the opportunity to make a final decision on whether I would keep reading the series or give up. If you can handle a lot of unanswered part in the plot, then don't hesitate to read this book, that is the only part that has me on the fence about the series.

[Fiona McGier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being unemployed since mid-March (no one needs subs when high schools are all on-line) gave me lots of time to catch up on my reading. With the library closed, I turned to the many books I'd downloaded onto my kindle, yet never read. This book was one of the first I read, because I'm a sucker for a good vampire romance. And I sure was not disappointed! This is a great read! The heroine is independent to a fault, and snarky as only the young, gorgeous and wealthy can be. Her memory was wiped clean by some of her relatives years ago, because by being born, she's the embodiment of a prophecy that has been waited on for a very long time, by the vampire world. Some of her relatives are vampires. She remembers them once her memories are reinstated after she turns 25, as loving, wonderful people to her when she was a child.

But she has to grow up very quickly. Her relatives are not very forthcoming about the paranormal politics she's in the middle of, to her peril. They try to protect her, but by not telling her what she should fear, she often stumbles into danger. Luckily she's fallen hard for a "youngling"--a new-ish vampire who is drop-dead (LOL) sexy, and who craves her as much as she craves him. They don't get to do more than have some steamy make-out sessions in this book, but the heat is definitely on when they're in the room together!

I loved this book so much I had to find the rest immediately. So will you.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really threw you into the deep end of the pool right from the start! There’s action, things blowing up, supernatural attraction, vampires, magic, and tons of mayhem. All of that is jammed into one very short span of time that changes the world of Carina Tranquilli.

Carina is a rich club kid who would just like to celebrate her birthday and relax. The supernatural world, however, seems to have it out to get her. Her missing memory growing up is suddenly the hot topic of discussion, there’s strangers who seem to know her very well, a super hottie she’s urgently drawn to, and her seemingly steady friends with benefits relationship is suddenly not so steady. Oh, and there’s a fun mix of misfits that Carina surrounds herself with who all appear to be up for anything. Roll all that together and you’ve got the insane world that Carina now finds herself in.

Her missing memory is really the key here. Turns out her family is a lot more complicated than she could have ever imagined and what could have easily been a kidnapping for money is actually something supernaturally sinister. There’s oodles of twists and turns, not nearly enough “I told you so,” and ultimately a pretty satisfying ending. You have to trudge through a lot to get there, but what a truly unique world!

[Bobbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a while since I've read a good old urban paranormal romance, and I enjoyed Haven simply for that fact. It's got sexy vampires, it's got action, it's got a snarky, very cool heroine who seems to get the best of all worlds handed to her. It's an entertaining read, though not too easy, thanks to an author who actually treats her readers like they have some level of intelligence and doesn't spell everything out right away, which made a nice change. Though I could have done with a touch less mystery - it took a long while to explain a few things which could have made it easier to follow if they'd been revealed earlier, and there were a lot of characters to keep track of, which took a a bit of time to get everyone straight in my head. Apart from that though, and a couple of vampire cliches, it's a good book from an interesting author I'd not come across before.

[Sarah Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a bit of a conundrum from start to finish.

I loved the concept of the story, I liked the characters and loved the authors writing style.

The story kept you interested but all the characters have a history and secrets in their past, but when you thought you would hear the big secrets or their history you would always be left with," we will explain tomorrow" or "tell you tomorrow" or too tired to ask the questions!!

Nothing felt as is it was explained properly which just made me more frustrated and made the story feel dragged out, I know this was a start to a series but nothing was fully explained, so left me feeling as if I had missed the answers to the questions that the book had brought up.

[Nicole M. Hewitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review and many others can be found on my blog - Feed Your Fiction Addiction

Haven is sexy, edgy, exciting and hip (one of the main settings is a hot nightclub that the main character owns and the characters are mostly all in their early twenties). I really enjoyed this book and struggled with whether to give it 3.5 or 4 stars. I finally settled on 3.5, but I think that if you're a true fan of Urban Fantasy and/or the New Adult genre (with its sexy adult situations), you'd probably LOVE this book.

The story follows Carina Tranquilli (Rina), who discovers that she is part of a vampire family that she doesn't remember (they erased her memories when she was a child in order to protect her). Meanwhile, she meets Alexander, who she feels instantly connected to (and lustful for!) - he brings out a side of her that she didn't know existed and she's not sure that she can control it once it's out. Add in some evil vampires and a prophecy and you've got yourself one heck of an adventure!

What I wasn't crazy about:

Rina's lack of curiosity.
Rina has no memory of her childhood. When she is confronted by a bunch of people from her past who can unlock her memories, she just isn't that interested. Huh? Really? It's not that she's really afraid of what she might learn or anything - she just kind of likes her life the way it is and doesn't see any point in self-discovery. Rina waffles back and forth throughout the book, alternately upset that her family won't tell her everything and insisting that she doesn't want to hear any more. When they do give her information, she almost always stops them before they can tell her too much - she insists that she's on information overload. If this had happened once, it would be okay, but it happens every time they start to tell her about her past. I was a bit torn about this - on the one hand, I hate when an author dumps an entire backstory on you in one sitting (it was great that there was some mystery), but on the other hand I felt myself getting frustrated with Rina and not really believing that her character would act this way - it just felt like a plot device to keep us (and her) from learning too much too soon.

Sex steals the show.
Okay, so I've heard that the NA genre is basically erotica for twenty-somethings and this book fit that criteria. (NOTE: This book is not technically NA, but it fits a lot of the criteria for NA - twenty-something characters, adult situations and a young, hip feel). This would actually be okay with me (because it wasn't too over-the-top descriptive and there wasn't anything horribly kinky going on), except that at some points in the book, the lust-factor took over and completely overshadowed the actual plot. There was a portion of the middle of this book that focused almost solely on how much Rina wanted to have sex with Alexander. To give Breslin credit, there was a reason given for why Rina was so overcome with lust, but I just felt like this middle portion of the book lost me somewhat. When thinking back later about what Haven was about, I found myself thinking, "It's about a girl who really, really wanted to have sex with a hot vampire guy," and then remembering the rest of the actual plot. This is the main reason that the book gets 3.5 stars from me instead of 4. Having said that, I think there might be a lot of people who really like the whole lust storyline (it's definitely sexy) and won't mind at all that it takes center stage for a while.

What I loved:
The setting.
I thought that nightclub setting fit really well with this book and added something tangible to the story. The setting was almost a character itself - it seemed to represent freedom and abandon to Rina, but also gave her a sense belonging and security. It also added a young, hip vibe to the book that will definitely resonate with twenty-something readers.

Carina and her crew.
I loved that Carina was bold and audacious without being snarky or whiny. She didn't let anyone walk all over her and didn't let a few invading vampires get her down. Yet, she wasn't perfect - she doubted herself when life didn't fit into her type-A personality mold. That's when she would call on the help and advice of her friends. I especially loved BFF (with benefits) Adrian - he knew Carina better than she knew herself and was the one who would put her on the right course when she threatened to self-destruct. Carina's friends were all completely loyal to her and wouldn't back down from protecting her, even when she wanted them to! A great group to have around when fighting off a vampire apocalypse.

The vampires.
I loved that even the "good" vampires in this book were dangerous and sometimes downright nasty. You never knew if you should be rooting for them or not. Rina didn't know whether or not to trust them and you really couldn't blame her. The only vampire who never crossed over to the dark side was Alexander (but I wouldn't doubt that he has it in him). This is one vampire family that I would not want to cross! And of course, the truly bad guys are just plain diabolical - the situation that they leave Rina in at the end of the big final confrontation is beyond cruel (but I don't want to say more and spoil anything).

Haven was definitely an exciting ride. If you are a fan of urban fantasy romance books (with an NA flair), I'm pretty sure you'll love this one too. I give the book 3.5/5 Stars.

**Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own***

[Pam · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I was terribly frustrated with this book. While I liked the way the story started out and the author's writing style, the whole thing felt like a tease. There was always going to be this big revelation, all throughout the book, and yet it never came. It took me much longer to read this than I thought it would because I was frustrated and bored by the constant, "we will tell you everything tonight, oops ran out of time, we will tell you tomorrow." I know there is a second book but don't know if I want to read it or not.

[Ashleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thrilling romance with a girl fighting off uncontrollable lust, evil vampires, and a power growing inside herself. I loved it. I barely put it down.

[Llaph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karina Tranquilli is a party-girl and nightclub owner who is all about working hard and enjoying life. Her twenty-fifth birthday starts off with her being attacked by a witch. Later, she gets a mysterious sense of déjà-vu when seeing and meeting what she thinks is her first vampire. Simultaneously, she is enthralled and cultivates insta-lust for a man she sees for the first time. This is just the beginning to more surprises for her, the reasoning behind her twelve-year memory gap, locked powers and the startling truth about her whole family. There is also a prophecy involved along with a time limit.
Alexander Wallace is a vampire, relatively young in comparison to the vampires in Karina’s family. He is also her soul mate. He is possessed of a strong need to touch her and braves doing so despite the warnings he gets from older vampires not to until she is ready. The desire he feels for her is so intense he ignores some orders that he is given, which more than once puts Karina?s life in danger. He is Karina?s key, so called by the prophecy concerning her. Despite the imminent danger surrounding her, Alexander will support her no matter what, even if it might mean his death.
According to her newly remembered vampire relatives, Karina is a rare being in possession of a latent power that they have to bind along with her memories in order to keep her and her family safe. Her psychic friend tells of a prophecy outlining that she will bring an end to a centuries old evil. The prophecy calls her the chosen one and says that she has three years until her transformation, if she survives first. On top of having to deal with a restored memory, burgeoning new powers and a new lover she will have to live past her first run-in with team evil and betrayals from people she thinks she knows.
I thoroughly enjoy this beginning to a new series. Along with non-stop action, it is funny, sexy, romantic and has the right amount of scariness/seriousness to it. Reading about how Karina deals with her changing identity, growing power and the romance and lust that grows between her and Alexander are just some of the things that I love. All of the characters are exceptional. Each is well developed and colorful, adding variety and originality to the story. While the idea of vampires and witches has been around for some time, the way they are utilized in this story is really creative. It shows promise that the next books in the series will be as remarkable as this one was.

Official Review @ Coffee Time Romance & More

[Marsha · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Haven" had the majority of the elements ti make it a great read. There was a tough herione, snarky humorous, sensuality and family drama. So, why did I only give this book two stars? Well, the essential story background and direction on the plot stalled at every turn. Just as various characters promised to reveal the past, their mission, information about their enemies, conssumation between lover's it just never happened. I was so frustrated with the read I could only handle it in small bites. Additionally, even though I liked the characters I was worried I would not be able to finish the book.

Carina Tranquilli is co-owner of a nightclub in San Francisco. She is about to celebrate her 25th birthday but first she must join her estranged brother to dedicate a new art collection at a local museum. Her other two brothers are flying into for the event but she is also reluctant to see them. You see Rina has lost over twelve years of memories including the love for her family.

After the art event, Tina heads to the club where her seer and BFF, Faith informs her she is in for a surprise. What she doesn't know id that on this night her life will change forever. She will meet a man,Alexander, she is so drawn to she will be unable to breathe. She will also begin to have flashbacks of her stolen past. This is where the story gets frustrating. At every turn we are promised insight into her past and destiny but only receive miniscule amounts of information promising mire the next night, then the next.......so on and so forth. I wanted to scream, "Get on with it already!"

None to soon we discover Carina is part human and part vampire. She has a destiny that had the potential to change the world. Nothing is ever totally flushed out. In the end, I found myself mystified ad to how something so rich in potential could end up in such a frustrated mess.

Other reviewers have given this book four stars. However, for me the book just does not warrant it. So, my advice is to read this book for yourself and decide. It is currently being offered for free on amazon.com.

[✨✨ Claire✨✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

i LOVED this book! From page one to the last page.
Written so well, great characters and a great storyline.

So, Rina (Carina) is our girl who we follow. She is a club owner, youre average 25 year old with 3 big brothers that she doesnt really get on with, and fun is the name of the game...

Oh how that changes!
Begins with her being at her families museum and catching the eye of a total hunk from head to toe that she feels a complete pull towards and cant stop herself....

On her 25th Birthday, things are reveled to her....the main issue - she was stole of her memories for 12years. Today on her birthday, she starts to get them back...and WOW were there some memories to remember.

**********************************spoilers********************************************

She has a family she doesnt at first remember....her love for her brothers resurfaces as she remembers bits and pieces of the past.....

....not all good. Theres some evil after her.

Rina, apparently is a descendant of a powerful blood line and the blank memories were for her protection until she was old enough to be able to cope with them.
Of course her family are vampires.....she herself turns out to be a half vampire. complete with supernatural powers, bloodlust...all shes missing...so far...is fangs.

Such a lot for her to take in and to try and process.....she does well, does our girl, but i really dont think this is the last we will see of this series - at least i hope not, i really did love it, and spent hours at a time reading it and totally loving it.

Ms Breslin, PLEASE tell me youre releasing at least one book to follow this, as its been a long time since i enjoyed a book so much!!
totally, totally recommended for those who enjoy vamp books!

Read on behalf of bewitching Book Tours for an honest review

[Ashley Martinez (ilovebooksandstuffblog) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from the author and from Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock.
Haven is a standalone paranormal/fantasy novel.
Carina is a twenty five year old club owner who has a twelve year memory gap. On her birthday three powerful vampires come calling from her past. She discovers there is more to her and her past then she's ever known. Thrown into a new world she must learn how to navigate the deadly waters of the vampire world. The only one of her kind, she is part of a prophecy that foretells of darkness coming. Carina must discover her power and also come to terms with her role in the vampire world including a super hot young vampire named Alexander, who is her soul mate.
It was an interesting beginning. Right away you were thrown into the story. The premise was good, I love paranormal novels so I was excited about this. Vampires and witches occupied the novel along with seers and warriors. Sadly I was disappointed. I really wanted to love this story but I only liked it. There was a lot of lost potential. The main character was immature and naive, she had her moments where she was strong and sassy but not enough to counteract her childlikeness. Her "family" was always trying to baby her and protect her instead of telling her what she need to know and how to protect herself. I wanted to see more of Alexander and I wanted to see their relationship develop. Alexander was a sexy vampire who I was eager to see more of but didn't really see much of him. I was hoping he would be more badass then he was. The ending left way to a potential second book that I hope the author pursues but has the characters grow up.
I recommend this for fans of vampires and paranormal novels. There was some romance in there but not enough to really call it paranormal romance. It might even be considered YA.
I rate this book 3.5 fangs.

[L.T. Getty · Rating 3 out of 5]

On her 25th birthday, club-owner Carina 'Rina' Tranquilli discovers the truth about her heritage and that her family isn't completely what it seems. Spoiler alert: She's a dhampyre, and the chosen one with a power to change the hidden world she's a part of - so needless to say, her world's baddies want her.

I'm not the target audience for this novel by any means - I prefer action-adventure aspect in paranormal stories and Haven leans more towards romance novel then other urban fantasies I'm prone to pick up. That being said, I was drawn into this novel by one snarky heroine.

Don't get me wrong - Rina easily could have come across as obnoxious - she's rich, beautiful, and doted upon by her family - I have a hard time relating to such characters, but she strikes me as Spoiled-Sweet, do anything for anybody while not putting up with anyone's crap.

Told in the first person, this also for me, runs the risk of, "See how clever and feisty I am?" but I never got annoyed with Rina's narration.

So the narration is great and the story potential is there - for me, there was too much, "We must tell you why your memories were locked away... but soonish, not now." I totally get the idea of not giving a moody teenager the power to obliterate her first unreciprocated crush into a greasy pulp. I'd just rather move the story along.

That being said, Haven leans much more towards the romance - Rina finds her soulmate and bonds to him, and a good chunk of the novel is dedicated to their copulation/feeding. I don't normally read much erotica, so I couldn't honestly give you a hot tamale rating, but it was decent enough for me to enjoy. I think this was a great introduction to Rina's world, and I'm eager for the next novel.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carina if a fun party girl, who owns a nightclub with amazing and loyal friends. The only thing odd about her is the lapse in memory from when she was younger. Then on her 25 birthday a crazed witch attacked her. That was only the start of the craziness that will follow, her family starts to reveal past secrets, secrets of vampires and powers. Now she has to watch every turn and trust her instincts because there are vamps out to get her.

Wow, a book like this deserve 5 stars. It was great in every way, it was easy to follow, loads of action, great steamy scenes, awesome kick butt main character. When I had gotten ahold of this book I just couldn't put it down, this book just kept me until the end. I loved that the Carina was stubborn, spunky, says what's on her mind, and even in the face of danger she still manages to cracks a joke. I couldn't help but feel bad for her at times, trouble always seemed to find her. I just loved the connection and passion between Alexander. So even if I liked Alexander, I couldn't help but like

The only thing I didn't like was that I felt the chapters were too long but I'm picky that way and its not really a bother. It only bothered me last night when I was exhausted but didn't want to put the book down and I had to know what happens next. I was nearly falling asleep and figured one more chapter would be ok and its turns out that one chapter was like maybe 25-30 pages long. >_<

Another problem is that I am impatient to get hold of the next book. I just realized that this is book one :-)

Overall I loved this action packed thriller. Get this book and read it if you haven't get to it! :-)

[Lucy Pireel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel had me puzzled a few times. Is the main character a young adult or is she fully mature and just out of character youthful? Especially one remark made me think that no adult would react like that.
"They'd even taken me to Disneyland. That rocked!"
I doubt an adult, or even a young adult would still think being taken to Disneyland would 'rock' more than seeing the world and discovering things about your life that are of greater importance than a trip to Mickey land.
Apart from that the writing is solid, scenes are masterfully set and even with the occasional out of character remark or action all players are fully developed.
I am a great fan of vampire novels and have read many of them, most are run of the mill and nothing special, but this one has some interesting twists.
I love how the action is laced with romance and interracial (human-vampire relations could be seen as interracial so just let's call it that) struggles and how it all seems believable. How ever unbelievable that may seem.
There's good vs. evil, a love interest and twists that will keep you glued to the book.
Long story short, it grabbed me, maybe not from the start but soon enough I was well into the book and had to finish it.

[C.J. Burright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haven is the first kick-ass book in a trilogy featuring Carina Tranquilli, a half-vampire half-human whose powers and memories have been locked away until her 25th birthday. Not only does she have a meet and greet with her dubious Italian vampire family she didn’t know existed, she gets a glimpse of a mysterious guy who affects her in ways she’s never experienced before…as in almost killing her with a touch. On top of all these B-day bombs, a dark force is out to get Carina, and the only way to survive is to unlock the puzzle of her past. I loved everything about this book—the action, Carina’s procession in growing with her newfound powers and identity, the romance and relationships. The cast of characters was phenomenal, Faith the seer, Adrian the gay BFF, uber-powerful Warden Thomas, Jonas the dark and brooding vampire (who I particularly adored), the sidekick vampires and bodyguards. Five huge stars. And Celia—hurry up with the sequel already. :)

[CoffeeTimeRomance andMore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoy this beginning to a new series. Along with non-stop action, it is funny, sexy, romantic and has the right amount of scariness/seriousness to it. Reading about how Karina deals with her changing identity, growing power and the romance and lust that grows between her and Alexander are just some of the things that I love. All of the characters are exceptional. Each is well developed and colorful, adding variety and originality to the story. While the idea of vampires and witches has been around for some time, the way they are utilized in this story is really creative. It shows promise that the next books in the series will be as remarkable as this one was.
Llaph
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More

Official Review @ Coffee Time Romance & More

[Runningrabbit · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I started this book I had to push myself a bit, hoping it would get better. I felt the first couple of chapters were a bit stilted and awkward, it just didn't seem to keep up a smooth enough written flow. The writing exponentially improved. I shall definitely go on too see the end.

The character annoyed me a fair bit, and I had to keep reminding myself that she is young aka annoying and fairly stupid. I'm also seriously annoyed about these 20-something yo virgins. What is it with writers and these stories of the aged virgin? I don't get it, this is the 21st century. Is there a plethora of virgins out there that are just waiting to be discovered? I don't think so - not anywhere in the Sydney area anyway.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what an awesome book.
Couldn't put it down. Someone in an email review suggested this series. Can't remember who but I am so glad I listened and bought the series so far.
The story line is brilliant, the characters and world building are awesome.
I was worried it was going to be a love fest all the way through and that Carina would be an airhead. So glad I was mistaken. I'm not into all the shopping and expensive stores or label name dropping but it wasn't in that much of an abundance that I couldn't skim passed it and continue on with the story.
I'm going to go straight to reading the novella Vampire Code. I realize I should have done so before this but I didn't realize till now that it was the Haven Prequel.
Oh well when I do I will know all the cast already and enjoy it more.

[Samantha Macdouglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! The book is full of nonstop action and engaging characters. The novel starts off with a bang and doesn't slow down for a minute. I couldn't put it down. Carina was an awesome heroine. Even though she's a party girl, she takes care of her friends and is a very successful business owner. She's smart, sexy, and fierce. Strong, vivid characters fill a dark and mysterious world full of danger. There's tons of great action and steamy hot scenes, deadly vampires, deep mysteries, panic inducing prophecies, and great fun. I can't wait for the next book!

In the meantime, I'm going to check out her new novella, Vampire Code, staring Jonas.

[Dalene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank the author Celia Breslin for giving me this book for review. I loved the story line, that family relationships, the strong love connection between Carina and Alexander. He defies his elders by doing things he was told not to, taking chances with Carina's life, she is just as guilty. I found Carina to be an annoyingly spoiled brat a lot of the time, she definitely loves her family and friends and is very protective of them. Her family loves her to distraction to the point of being way over protective. But in some instances they really need to to be. I find different things in the book intriguing and look forward to finding what happens next.