Bloodlust Blues

Charley Underwood #1

by Luanne Bennett

Welcome to Crimson, Georgia. I’m Charley—reluctant witch, and owner of the best bar in town.

Everyone’s welcome at the Stag—vampire, wolf or human. As long as they don’t make trouble. Or ask too many questions about what we’re selling out of the back room.

I keep the beers coming, and in return the town keeps my secret. But when a gang of deadly vampires shows up at the bar, it’s clear they’re not looking for a drink. They want to take my business. Or my blood.

But this is more than just a shake down. All over town, people are dropping like flies. Disappearing or attacking their neighbors. It’s like they’re possessed. And someone—or something—is pulling the strings.

As if I didn’t have enough trouble, a fancy new restaurant just opened right across the street. And a sexy vampire from out of town seems to think I need protection. I have plenty of dangerous friends already… so why can’t I stop thinking about him?

The whole town is going to hell. Perhaps literally. And it looks like it’s up to me to stop it.

Discover a thrilling new series that will leave you reading late into the night. With heart-stopping twists and a found family you’ll fall in love with, this urban fantasy is perfect for fans of Annabel Chase, Charlaine Harris, and Patricia Briggs.

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

310 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 22, 2024

About the author

Luanne Bennett is an author of fantasy and the supernatural. Born in Chicago, she lives in Georgia these days where she writes full time and doesn’t miss a thing about the cubicles and conference rooms of her old life. When she isn’t writing or dreaming up new stories, she’s usually cooking or tending a herd of felines and basset hounds. Look for book three of the Katie Bishop series coming this spring!

www.facebook.com/LuanneBennettBooks
www.twitter.com/Luanne_Bennett
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Reviews

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were definitely things to like about Bloodlust Blues by Luanne Bennett: The town felt real to me in particular. I had a real sense of place in the various settings around town. But there was also a lot to not like: the first ~25% of the book feels slow and like we are just wandering around meeting characters without anything happening. The characters were inconsistent - a character being fiercely independent and competent one moment then making a plot-convenient phone call indecisively asking for help the next; another character being concerned about someone who is missing then seemingly deciding they flaked and being mad the next and back again. Plot wise, I knew who the antagonist was as soon as they came into the story and mysteriously the MC doesn't know so it just feels like she is running around doing irrelevant stuff while people in her life are being attacked and going missing. We are told she cares a lot about the co-op and I guess she is acting in accordance with that but we weren't shown why she would value it over her best friend's life and her missing coworker's life . The book really needed a strong developmental edit focused on the characters and why they make the choices they do - it could be good but isn't IMO at least this early copy format. I shouldn't be asking "but why?" in confusion every few pages.

[Andrea]

DNF 6%

So I just read this passage and stopped myself at the random misogyny against the FL's female employee. Not crazy but just kinda made me side eye, stop, Goodreads the author, read some reviews... and then didn't feel like picking it up again. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Said passage:

“I bent down to pick up a bin of glasses, and that idiot was hanging over the bar getting an eyeful of my ass!” She tugged at her short skirt to pull it down an inch. “Then he told me he wanted to lick it!”

“Come on, Charley.” He snatched his hat back. “It’s not like I grabbed her. And she was asking for it, wearing that napkin disguised as a skirt.”

and the FL's response?

He wasn’t a bad guy, and he’d been a customer for a long time. Divorced for several years, he lived back home with his mother now and kept his nose clean.

Um...okay? No ban- just a casual shooing him away.



Why just randomly excuse this guy's blatant sexual harrasment of her employee? Why give him a short nonchalant he's harmless backstory instead of calling him out for being him disgusting .... because he's a regular?

Whatever, why did this put a bee in my bonnet? Who knows, sorry y'all. 😂

[Mei ☽︎]

I dnfed at 31%. I like Charley as a character and feel like there's potential here, but the plot is all over the place and for a book that's less than 325 pages long, I felt like I had read 200 pages in the first 30%. 🤣

I liked some of the vibes with the urban fantasy + paranormal things, but just could not get invested in what was going on.

[charlene ✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25  

★★★★☆

** I received an ARC from Second Sky in exchange for an honest review **

☞ Trigger warnings: *contains spoilers* alcohol consumption, blood & gore depiction, captivity & confinement, car accident, chronic illness & chronic pain, dead bodies & body parts, death of a parent (mentioned), electrocution, gang violence, grief & loss depiction, gun violence, hostage situation, imprisonment & incarceration, knife, sword & axe violence, loss of autonomy, medical treatment, murder & attempted murder, organised crime, paralysis, physical injuries, police harassment, possession & mind control, sexism & misogyny, sexual harassment, slut-shaming, workplace harassment

I also posted my review on my blog ✿

Bloodlust Blues has the follows the usual urban fantasy framework; a snarky young women with new, emerging magical powers that is reluctantly trying to solves a mystery in their small rural town. The thing about formula's is that they work, and Bloodlust Blues works. I think this book as the potential to be a new favourite urban fantasy series in the similar vein of Kat Daniels, Mercy Thompson, Charley Davidson and my personal favourite, Aileen Travers.

As small towns go, this one is relatively tame. Its the type of town with one local grocery shop, one bar, and one diner. What is interesting is the awareness of all things spooky, supernatural and paranormal. It seems the world knows and co-exists with the things that go bump in the night like vampires, werewolves and witches. This world is immediately captivating simply by this co-existing concept, but it's the characters that make the town loveable and engaging.

The owner of the bar is our main protagonist, Charley Underwood, who inherited The Stag after her mothers (potentially mysterious) passing. The bar serves not just alcohol and burgers to the locals, but operates a dangerous and very illegal side business out of the back alley, supplying vampire blood to those suffering illness or addiction. Small amounts of vampire blood eases pain, rejuvenates and helps ease addiction urges. The side business is like Fight Club; you don't talk about the co-op. Unfortunately, some unsavoury characters have gotten wind of this lucrative business and want in on the action, or else.

Charley has fallen into a bit of pickle. Her best-friend and side-business partner suddenly comes down with a case of slight demonic possession, the towns people are all acting weird, in a disruptive, sexual and aggressive type of way and the new business owner across the street being super suspicious.

The flow and pacing issues within the story would have benefited from the reduction of plot complications that Charley has to wade through and deal with. There was simply too many threads to deal with and has the potential to confuse or annoy some readers. At the end of the threads was the main antagonist who was quite underwhelming. The initial set up of their villainy was interesting but their development and conclusion was lacklustre and dissatisfying. They were too passive and not involved in any of the events effecting the town. It is always hilarious and sad when the villain is just a guy. Sure he's evil or whatever, but ultimately, he's just a guy who wanted to cause chaos. There is no emotional connection or turmoil for any character or the reader. An outsider who blew in and was swept away.

All pacing and villain issues aside, my biggest dislike was the handling of Walter "Mutt" Kramer, who worked as the dishwasher / sous chef at the bar. He was characterised big softie with a (likely) mental disability. He was a loveable character that was given a depressing story arc, that could be considered problematic. He became a victim of a crime and was blamed for another. I was deeply troubled with his storyline. It was certainly a questionable decision that I didn't think added anything to the story and was unresolved by the end, culminating in my increasing disappointment and dislike of the entire thing.

Not to mention the police presence in the book was felt eerily realistic, in their uselessness, dangerous vindictiveness, and disinclination against the vulnerable, like Mutt. I don't know the author's intention for how the police are depicted other than making them seem like bumbling southern fools, but there is a dark undertone that I believe was unintentional.

As this is the first book in a series, the world-building also slowed and disrupt the pacing. However, I still rate the book highly, despite my reservations on the plot and character issues. Highlights include the pet crow, and Candy, the ex-stripper turned small business owner.

One thing to note, I have seen other reviews feel Bloodlust Blues has drawn influence from True Blood (aka Sookie Stackhouse series) by Charlaine Harris. . Personally, I was too young to watch the show, or even go into the Adult section at my local library so I cannot speak on any connections or influences but I think this is worth noting for those familiar.

I am excited for the next few books in this series. The romance was merely a spark, in what I can only imagine a very going to be a quite lethargic slow-burn. I hope future books have tighter editing, streamlined plot and a more engaging villain.

Would I recommend this book??
If you like big urban fantasy series like Kat Daniels, Mercy Thompson, Charley Davidson . I also recommend reading my fav authors urban fantasy series Aileen Travers.Aileen Travers.

Will I re-read this book? 
Yes! I am excited to try and find a physical copy, and collect the rest of the series in the future.

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[Elizabeth]

DNF at 27%.

I received this as an audiobook advanced reader copy. The narrator was fine, but the story is confusing and I don't want to finish.

The heroine is running an illegal vampire blood business; however, it's unclear what's going on and why she's selling blood. It sounds like it could be a money maker in one spot and then, it sounds like she's running a charity in another spot. It's supposed to be super secret, but she talks about it all the time to everyone... and there doesn't seem to be consequences for everyone learning about it.

The heroine makes a lot of stupid choices that make no sense, including feeding someone blood when they're injured (but it's okay cause blood isn't traceable).. It's bizarre. Why would you rush to feed someone blood? Why isn't she concerned about getting caught? And why would it be okay to just give someone blood without getting their consent or making sure it wouldn't have any unforeseen consequences?

She seems to be written as "bad ass" as well as a super empathetic caretaker type. It's very inconsistent.

[Sibil · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and to the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

When I started this book I was excited and hopeful, because I thought that I just found a new urban fantasy series to love! And I also discovered that this is not the first book by this author, not by far, so I was hoping to go back and read her other works too, while waiting for the next book in this series, but... but sadly I changed my mind, drastically.
In part this book is not the right fit for me, meaning that, to put it simply, I search for different things in my urban fantasy and this is not it. Banter, irony, great characters, and kick-ass heroine are my to-go, and I didn't find them here. But that would be acceptable. I mean, obviously, I won't continue the series, but I should have still tried something else by the author, why not?
But, in part, this book is also bad. There is no other way to say it. And that is what made me give this one a low star rating, and this is why I won't go near anything else this author wrote.
Not every book is for everyone, and even if a book is not the right fit for me, it could always be a great fit for someone else, this stands even for books that I think are badly done, I know this. But the main difference is that if a book is not for me (but I don't think of it as "badly done") I may try something else by the author or recommend it to people that I know have some slightly, or not so slightly, different tastes. When I think a book is badly done, I won't recommend it and I won't give the author other chances, mostly.
And, for me, this book is bad: the MC seems to suffer, from time to time, from some kind of personality transplant. And the characters, as a whole, suffer from some severe cases of blindness and stupidity. And I can't find a reason for it all. It was just annoying. I will explain a tad more under the spoiler tag, but these two things made what could have been a mediocre (for me) book into a really bad one.
Our heroine seems like a great character in the beginning, she is a sucker for misfits and people who have problems, and she tries her best to help everyone around her. And the best example of this trait is the staff of the White Stag. Aside from Dog, who is also one of my favorite characters, the others are there because Charlie wants to help them out. And this is especially true for Mutt. It really seems like she cares deeply for him since life hasn't been easy for him, and he has a lot of problems. She really seems to care and to consider her staff like family. And I bought it. But then Mutt disappears. It is out of character for him, and it is sudden. She is mildly worried but then decides to replace him, just like that. And mind me, I understand that she needs help with the pub, so she needs to find someone else to cover for him. But this sudden disinterest in Mutt is out of character since she is the paladin of the misfits, and also quite cold. I mean, until the disappearance, Mutt is considered family, then... "if he turns up with a good reason for the disappearance, I will give him the job back." That's all. She doesn't try to find him. At all!
And even before that, Patrick (who is Charlie's best friend) becomes possessed. And she helps him out, sure, she asks for help from more expert people and all, she goes through the motions. But she is not scared for him, she is not worried at all. It is just something that happens and that she has to deal with. It is just so cold!
And at the same time, she and her staff, and Patrick have an illegal thing going on, because they are selling vampire blood to people, and this is an illegal thing. Mind me, they are doing it to help people out because vampire blood is nonaddictive and it is like a panacea, it can cure a lot of diseases or function as painkillers. It is an amazing substance, but it is illegal so, usually, it costs a ton of money. But Charley and her gang have created a co-op. They sell to people who really need it, and they keep the price low. They also have only vetted donors and they are really trying to help the people out. And this is amazing. But... but something is going horribly wrong. This whole thing should have been a secret, but it seems like someone talked, and they find themselves with their donor scared to death (because relationships between humans and vampires become pretty tense)and with a vampire crime lord who wants to take a percentual from this whole operation. And he is threatening them all to some high level of physical pain, to put it mildly. The intelligent thing to do would have been to put the whole thing on pause for a bit, while they try to resolve the various issues that are arising (the crime lords and the lack of donors chief among them). But nope. Because people need it and we have to help people and she is their paladin. Their knight in shiny armor.
It is a tad strange to see her so deeply involved in the pain of semi-unknown people, but so callous and so cold toward the people that should be her family. And also it's pretty stupid.
But that's not all. Because things in the city (or town, or whatever) are becoming pretty shady. People disappear. People are starting to behave in really strange ways. And the tension between humans and not humans is skyrocketing. All this starts happening when a new character comes into tow: Atticus. He appears, and strange and shady things start happening. Just like that. And sure, there are some doubts and mistrust, but only because he is the new guy in town. No one is even remotely thinking that maybe there is something strange in him too. And the worst part is that at one point we have the vampire criminal lord and his gang in Charlie's pub, and they are threatening her and the staff, things are going to go to hell pretty soon, all are mad and irked and violence is in the air, then Atticus step in the pub and the bad vampires go away. Just like that. And nobody is asking why the hell?? I mean, seriously?? No strange at all?? The bad vampires were ready to kill the clients if they could find any, they were ready to kill some of the staff people, violence was not a matter of if but when (and a short when at that) and then... Atticus walks in and the bad guys just go away. And no one wonders about that. How is it possible?? How stupid it this thing?? How can you think it is a credible option???? Why??
And so, yeah, to me, this is a poorly done book. It is just bad.

[Marion Over · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Bloodlust Blues, Luanne Bennett. Urban fantasy at its finest.

Phenomenal characters; a witch with crazy untrained powers, overly protective shifters, Vampires both good and bad, an ex-stripper Witch with super creepy friends, and heinous villains. Luanne Bennett creates some of the most colorful characters I have ever seen. As normally flawed as the rest of us, loveable and outlandish. And a small town that's as unique as them.
Humans and paranormals living together and only a match strike away from a powderkeg explosion when people turn up brutally murdered. A bar owner personally tasks herself to save the day, her bar and the people she loves from an unknown evil stalking her town.
I loved this book. It is lively and fast-paced. Filled with all the brilliant creativity you can expect from this author.
I'd like to thank Luanne Bennett for the book, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
#BloodlustBlues #SecondSkyBooks #LuanneBennettBooks #UrbanFantasy #SciFi&Fantasy #WitchBooks #VampireBooks #ShifterBooks #UrbanFantasyBooks #bookstagram

[Tabitha Tomala · Rating 1 out of 5]

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: Bloodlust Blues

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book! I voluntarily leave this review!

Bloodlust Blues has many plot points, leading to a complex web of activities. While a complex plot can be engaging, the different strands have to hint at one another or start to come together sooner. Many characters come and go, sparking new conflicts and mysteries before resolving the previous ones. But the atmosphere was well developed, showing the town of Crimson as a smaller town, yet large enough for fresh faces to pop in and out of the narrative.

Charlie as a character is a determined woman, willing to put herself on the line for the betterment of others. She has a good heart and a group of friends willing to follow her lead and assist where needed. But she is trying to run a covert business on the side selling vampire blood and doesn’t seem to be the best at keeping a secret. Though the choices she makes lead to conflicts surrounding the business and creates some well deserved action sequences.

However, there is also a moment where a female is nearly assaulted and the writing downplays what happened. Even going so far as to have a male character snickering at the mention of it occurring, yet the female is obviously distraught. This felt wrong to read and while that may have been the intention to churn up emotion in readers, Charlie also brushes it off which seems against the character that was so carefully created. She removes the offender from her bar but has little emotional response or offer of help for the woman who was involved.

Bloodlust Blues hits the mark on urban fantasy and supernatural elements, but the emotional side of the story is lacking. Two many plots and too little character development. And to not address the full wrongness of what occurred during the assault was shocking.

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bloodlust Blues is the first in a new urban fantasy series from author Luanne Bennett featuring bar owner and reluctant witch Charley Underwood.

The White Stag in Crimson, Georgia, welcomes everyone - vampire, wolf or human-as long as they don’t cause trouble, but trouble is coming for owner Charley Underwood, ready or not. It begins when an armed stranger holds up the bar, then a vampire gang demands a cut of the illegal cooperative she runs providing therapeutic doses of donated vampire blood to locals, her best friend is possessed by a demonic spirit, one of her staff disappears, and to top it all off there is a new restaurant across the street from the Stag stealing her regulars, who are all acting a little weird.

I thought Bloodlust Blues started strongly but unfortunately I began to lose interest about half way through, even though there were some elements I quite liked.

In terms of plot there is just too much going on, as if in introducing the series Bennett wanted to set up every possible arc for later instalments, or perhaps couldn’t decide which one to start with. It results in uneven pacing and tension, and the potential involving one of what is really two main antagonists suffers as a result.

The bigger problem for me however was the inconsistency in characterisation with regard to Charley. What we are told about who she is and how she actually acts doesn’t quite line up, for example she’s presented as a saviour in the blurb yet there are several instances where she treats people, even close friends, rather carelessly. I never really warmed to her and I found some of the supporting cast more appealing.

Book two in the series, Bloodlust Bites, is already available, but based on my experience with this one, I’m just not feeling compelled to pick it up.

[Blood Rose Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 rounded down to 2

In the first new a new series, Luanne Bennett shows what happens when a new creature sets it's site on a small town:

Crimson, Georgia is just like any other small town, one where people keep to themselves but are also up in everyone else's business. When a new restaurant opens up across from Charley's bar, The White Stag, she is curious about who the owners would be and it seemed a bit too fancy for their small town. The members of the community start to act strangely and some are starting to go missing Charley can't help but think it is due to this new restuarant, but how could a new restaurant be the cause of all the extra havoc in town, Charley doesn’t know but she is going to find out.

I am pretty well versed in the urban fantasy genre but I can honestly say I have not heard of Bennett before so I was really eager to check her out. I am always on the search for new urban fantasy author as that genre is one of my favourites and my favourite authors in it do not write fast enough.

This book was okay, did it add anything new and different to the urban fantasy genre, not really other than the power that Atticus had and what he was doing. I think that this was the most interesting aspect of the book, but there really wasn't any suspense or intrigue to get there. I think that right from the beginning it is pretty obvious who the Big Bad is in this book and Bennett does not do anything to dissuade this fact.

Charley (why did she have to be named Charley I swear there are too many women named Charley in Urban Fantasy) was not a very memorable character other than the fact that she has some underdeveloped powers that she knows nothing about or how to control them. I mean Charlie started off strong with her love of helping out Misfits, I was just expecting more out of her and she just felt flat at times, or completely different people. Most of the story seems like Charlie is just going about her day at the White Stag. The only real interesting character in the book is Candy, an ex-stripper who is a powerful witch.

I really appreciated that there is no obvious love interest for most part of the book, which gave very early 2000 urban fantasy feel to it and i am here for. There is one that is hinted in the latter part of the book and I hope that Bennett lets it progress slowly and more naturally.

I do wish there was a bit more world building, though it did feel like a regular small town set in our world, just with paranormal creatures here and there. There is the typical people do not like vampires and they are on the other side of town type of thing, but there are exceptions to this rule. So world building was pretty typical as well and you can tell why Atticus chose this town to set up his restaurant.

This book was good but not great I think is the best way to sum up this book. I finished the book but I kept waiting for Bennett to push the envelope a little bit more and throw something really exciting and interesting in. I would continue on in the series to see where Bennett takes it but I cant really recommend anyone rush out and buy it.

Cheers!!!!!

[Chanel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried very hard to be optimistic about this one and really hoped I would be an outlier and end up reviewing this well. The premise was a good one. You have Charley who is the owner of a bar called The Stag in a little town called Crimson. There are supernaturals who live here, mainly vampires, witches and werewolves and the humans that know all about them. The Stag is supernatural friendly or supernatural neutral and everyone generally gets along. Charley also runs a side hustle in the back alley that's a vampire blood co-op. She had willing vampire donors and she sells the blood to those in need at a fraction of the market value. Vampire blood is an alternative to opioids because there was a huge epidemic a while ago and this way ppl don't become addicted and can still lead normal lives without paying outrageous pharmacy prices.

Doesn't this sound like such a good setup for an urban fantasy with a side of romance???

Well the execution just wasn't there, like at all. Even though the story is told from Charley's POV, there is a great deal of focus on everyone under the sun except Charley herself. You see, she's the daughter of a very well known and powerful witch and she's also in a bit of denial about whether or not she actually has powers of her own. When a donor pulls out and vampires start being targeted and harmed, her focus seemed to ping pong around about what to do to solve this problem. I mean Samuel is right there?!? And he's supposed to be the love interest but there was not even a spark on the page between these two.

As much as I liked a lot of the side characters and the story itself was very well written, it fell extremely flat. I teetered on the edge of boredom and questioned a lot why I didn't DNF. I won't be continuing with the series. Based on reviews it's a lot of the same and I just really need more substance in my UF stories.

[Jeanny · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 it’s a patchwork quilt star
The author had a messy uninspired plot. I kept reading the story picturing the FMC as a dull-witted plodder mucking about the story missing the plainly obvious & having the personality of moldy white bread. Also I’m still wondering WTF happened to all those extraneous subplots. Hard pass.

[Nadene (Totally Addicted to Reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Bloodlust Blues" introduces fans of urban fantasy to the world of Charley Underwood. Charley, a reluctant witch, has the task of unravelling the complexities of Crimson Town, a town filled with humans, shifters, witches, and vampires. The town is plagued by a string of unexplained disappearances baffling Charley and her cohorts. Offering a perfect blend of magic and intrigue, "Bloodlust Blues" is a must-read for fans of the genre.

"Bloodlust Blues" is book one in the Charley Underwood series. Charley, a businesswoman, runs a bar bequeathed to her by her mother. The establishment serves as a haven for Crimson Town's residents, where everyone is welcome provided, they don't cause any disturbances. Besides managing the bar, Charley secretly operates a cooperative, supplying vampire blood to humans as an affordable substitute for prescription medications for various ailments, an endeavor that, unbeknownst to her, may not be as clandestine as she thinks.

Everything was proceeding smoothly until her co-op business partner suddenly became possessed. Meanwhile, some residents have disappeared, and others began acting oddly. And then there's the new business owner across the street—what exactly is his agenda?

This is my first Luanne Bennett novel, and it certainly won't be my last. As I write this review, I've began reading the second book. 'Bloodlust Blues' encounters the common challenges of first books in urban fantasy series entries: an emphasis on world-building and not much character building, setting the stage for the unfolding drama that's to come.

At first, the multitude of simultaneous events made the story challenging to follow, but eventually, it all came together. Unanswered questions remained but hopefully the next installment provides answers. The mystery proved to be underwhelming since it was obvious who was responsible for the disappearances, although Charley and her friends failed to see it. However, determining if the victims were dead or alive provided some redemption to the mystery. The secondary characters are quite intriguing.  I am keen to discover more about Dog the werewolf, Tucker the psychic, and Samuel the vampire. Samuel seems to be emerging as a romantic interest for Charley, and I am interested in seeing how this element of the story unfolds.

The trip to Crimson Town was an enjoyable, magical and chaotic adventure brimming with humorThis review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading

[Cristina Elena | LaaA · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Bloodlust Blues” by Luanne Bennett, takes place in a world where supernatural beings live side-by-side with humans. . Whether you're drawn to supernatural elements or intrigued by the small-town setting, this story offers a thrilling escape into the world of Crimson, Georgia.

Set in a contemporanys setup, the story follows Charlie Underwood, a bartender running an illegal vampire blood business in the bar. When a bunch of vampires start learning about her secret business, it runs the risk of potentially alerting the authorities and revealing her secret.

Being the first book in the series, I started with little expectation, yet Stephanie Cannon's audio narration succeeded to bring the story to life with her expressive delivery and engaging tone. Her (US) Southern accent adds authenticity to the setting and characters, enhancing the overall listening experience. The portrayal of the main character, Charley, is spot-on, capturing her no-nonsense attitude and resilient spirit. While her male character voices may seem to lack some a big differentiation from the female voices, it doesn't detract significantly from the overall performance. I enjoyed that the audiobook production maintains high quality throughout, with clear sound and seamless transitions between chapters.

Overall, “Bloodlust Blues” offers a captivating storyline filled with excitement, mystery, and intrigue. While the beginning may feel slow to some listeners, the plot quickly picks up, keeping you engaged until the thrilling conclusion. The diverse cast of characters and vivid world-building contribute to the overall appeal of the narrative.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, Second Sky Books, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.

If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads! #BloodlustBlues #NetGalley #LifeLongLearning

[Lauren Easey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Had the makings of a good story but had far too much going on. There were absolutely too many characters and too much happened without furthering what we actually know. You can't keep making people disappear/having people be attacked/people be possessed/people change personalities and then ALSO having the protagonist in fights with a group, with absolutely no context. It's too much. You have to give us clues along to way that helps us work out who it could be causing everything. The protagonist also seems to just ignore everything that's going on until the end when she finally has to sort it out. She seems more concerned with her bar and co-op than the people she lives around.

[Jace · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF
I found the writing in this book so disjointed that it was hard to follow. There's no emotion behind anything. The timeline doesn't really add up and I didn't particularly like any of the characters. Fail.

[Ā•lyn Reads]

I listed to the audiobook version narrated by Stephanie Cannon, and I did enjoy the narration. She has a bit of a southern accent, and I was here for it. She did an excellent job of making her voice fit the different characters, and differentiating between them. There’s good inflection in her voice, that does a great job of bringing the story to life. The writing itself was done well, for the most part, and both narrator and author did an excellent job of creating easily envisioned scenes.

Urban fantasy is by far one of my favorite guilty pleasure reads. Having seen this compared to Patricia Briggs work, and Charlene Harris, I had pretty high expectations. I do feel there was maybe just a touch too many nods to True Blood. While it didn’t necessarily meet my expectations, I was entertained. The story unfortunately had a habit of telling vs. showing. In this story we are told that the FMC, Charley, was supportive and caring. Although there are situations that would make one wonder if that’s truly the case. She’s worried and cares, then seems to write off or forget about certain characters that go missing or fall ill.

This story centers around an illegal vampire blood co-op that’s being run by the owner of the bar ‘The White Stag’. Charley our FMC is essentially sticking it to the man by providing this blood to people who can’t afford medications they need for different medical ailments and addictions. Vampire blood is essentially a temporary cure all. Then questionable things start to happen, as a mysterious person moves to town and opens a restaurant right across the street from the bar. People start to act strange, a woman is brutally attacked, and others start to disappear all together. Then a group of nasty vampires show up and start demanding a cut of Charley’s business. There are certainly tensions and what is essentially a civil war brewing between humans and vampires.

There were times when the story was a little confusing. I was starting to get easily distracted and had to rewind to make sure I hadn’t missed anything. Although not all together cohesive, the story moved along quickly. The ending felt a little rushed, and I do wish there was a touch more on the potential love interest.

One thing that I found I did struggle with, as far as the FMC, was the fact that she was a half witch, half human, who showed she clearly had abilities from very early on. Yet, she constantly denied having any “because my mom said I didn’t”. Well, clearly, she was mistaken. I wish there had been a little more back story on her mom, and her powers. I enjoyed the witty banter, but the FMC was constantly making very questionable decisions. I loved that Charley had a pet Raven, named Jack, and that she “adopted” a cat…I love when animals with personalities are added to stories. I said what I said.

For those that enjoy stories with small supernatural towns, witches, werewolves, vampires that don’t sparkle, questionable and witty characters, this book might just be for you.

Thank you to @NetGalley for supplying me with an audiobook ARC in exchange for my review. All opinions are honest and my own.

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘I nodded to the metal spatula gripped tightly in his hand. “What are you planning to do with that? Flip him to death?”’

Mix a little bit of Mercy with a little bit of True Blood and you have Bloodlust Blues.

There was a lot of banter and a ton of witty one liners from nearly every single character with a lot of action to round it out. Charley was oh so relatable, especially with this line, “I know, but if I don’t joke about it, I’ll end up crying. Would you rather see that?”

Sometimes humor is the only way to deal with the extremely shitty days. I found Charley relatable and funny, especially how she dealt with her issues. I won’t spoil who her potential lover interest is but I’m excited to see where that goes, especially with where they left off by the end of the book.

Not only did I love Charley, but I loved Dog and Patrick and Candy as well. Who doesn’t love a former stripper turned witch? (And whatever she gets up to in that back room with those clients of hers…)

If I had any complaints it would be the villain. And I don’t mean the fang-y one. It was frustrating how long it took Charley to figure out who the bad guy was. They were suspect the second they stepped on the page. Nearly every chapter was a giant, blinking arrow pointing to this person. It just makes everyone look very dumb, I know it’s a small Southern town, but cmon, they can’t be that oblivious.

Overall, it was a fun read, with quick witted characters, hilarious one liners, and a kick ass (literally) cast working at the White Stag. I can’t wait to see Charley come into her own even more and see what she and her ragtag crew get up to.

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky publishing for providing this ARC. I can’t wait to dive into the next!

[Zoé-Lee O'Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I am hooked. This series is going to be something I am going to love vampires, werewolves, demons, witches and more…check check check.

This was addictive as we follow the life of Charley, daughter to a powerful witch. All she wants to do is run the bar, The White Stag. However, things get murky when a new restaurant is opened across the road from her.

Multiple paranormal creatures are at play, a blood bank, extortionist vampires and more. This book has everything I want in a paranormal thriller. I loved the dialogue and the characters. I could picture the White Stag, the town of Crimson. It gave me all the True Blood vibes and I can tell it will get better and better.

I can’t wait for the next book as we have more to learn about Tucker and the handsome Samuel. And of course, there’s a cat! The cat is just awesome

I found Luanne's writing so compelling as she sucked me into the story, casting a spell on me as I read the book as I didn’t want to stop reading it. I did feel like things were rushed with the Big Bad, as the book was plodding along with everything but then the Big Bad made themselves shown near the end and it all was a bit quick. However, these early pages were world-building and character-building.

We have a fantastic bunch of characters here, all with their own trials, tribulations, and secrets. I can’t wait to get to know Dog, Candy and Tucker. Patrick is just epic, he had me chuckling a lot. His humour was my humour.

I also loved what Luanne has done with the known mystical quantities and tweaked their backgrounds. How they became, how the town is split, how we have the dark and light of it all and how humans are mixed in. As I say it has everything.

I can’t wait for the next one!!!

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book left me a little confused. Not on the plot, I mean the antagonist was laughable easy to identify. And how an all powerful witch who spent a whole dinner around this person and the weird displays from the people around them is rather confusing. What really caught me off guard are all the side characters. Their actions just left me saying WTF. At one point a guy tries to SA someone and he basically gets thrown out and told never to come back. That’s it. It was so casually done it was like what the hell is going on in this town that and attempted rape is old hate and NOTHING IS DONE. Or when weird conversations happen and at the end the speaker (sign characters) wink or laugh and everyone just moves on with their day like they guys actions were fine and not at all creepy or concerning. For someone who loved the town enough to put her ass on the line for a drug distributing co-op I didn’t find 1 townsfolk worth that risk. Nothing made me want to help those people in pain. It was just so odd. It just wasn’t a book I walked away from reaching for the next.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charley Underwood's small town of Crimson, with its vampires, witches, shifters, and various other otherworldly delights, reminds me of a certain other southern vampire series that led to a very successful TV show, and I mean this in the best of ways. Charley's town is full of charming characters, intriguing stories, and lots of mysteries to unfold. I'm eager for the second book to see what our resident bar owner can get herself into next!

Thank you to NG, Bookouture Audio, Secondsky Books, and the author for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

[Nicki Markus · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a while since I last read an urban fantasy work, so I enjoyed getting back into the vibe of those tales with Bloodlust Blues. Charley was a compelling heroine and I liked the story premise. The action kept me entertained throughout and we got a good sense of the world of Crimson. However, I was sad there wasn't a little bit more of a romance element. It did appear nearer the end, though, so might be further developed in future installments in the series. I also found the ending a little rushed after all the build up. The only other 'negative' was that I struggled to take seriously a bad-guy vampire with the name of Ian, but this may simply be because it's my father's name, so it felt weird. Overall, though, it was enjoyable and I wouldn't mind reading future volumes in the series to find out what will happen to Charley next. I am giving this one four stars.

I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. The main character wasn't that likeable but some of the others were. Villain was easy to guess early one. Get confused on whatever is going on with the MC and police detective. She is not that sensible and a bit unfeeling besides for perhaps 3 people, so there is an emotional detachment feel with the writing for me.

[J.A. Ironside · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audio ARC received via NetGalley

This was perfectly ok. I just want more from urban fantasy - quirkiness, an unusual MC, humour, action and an intricate plot. And if there are vampires, they had better be different in some way. This was written exactly for its target audience which meant it didn't push those boundaries. That's a valid choice but it didn't hold my interest.

[Kristen Laurance · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting but good. It was interesting in the aspect of having supernatural towns. I haven’t read many with that in them. Gave me a little bit of Halloween town vibes. I guessed the bad guy pretty quick in the first interactions. However I did get confused for a bit and had to keep checking the description because the restaurant owner was not the vampire she had a love interest with nor was he protecting her. So that aspect of it was also kind of confusing until said vampire came into the book. All and all it was a good read and I did enjoy the FMCs witty comebacks.

[Valerie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got really frustrated reading this, it feels like it is going absolutely nothing the whole story than boom, in like 1 chapter the finale hits. I would not recommend unless you like to read about the supernatural without any plot. #BloodlustBlues #NetGalley

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
I liked it more than I didn’t like it. I will probably continue with the next book in the series. I didn’t feel the connection to who I think the mmc is so we’ll see if it gets better.

[Steph]

I was interested in learning more about what was happening, but it just felt like everything was either repetitive or dragged out and I was getting bored with it all. So, DNF'd @ 27%; I might return to it at some point.

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sloppy, slow, and chaotic

The premise of the book is good, but the execution screams high school writing assignment. The pacing is painfully slow, which would have been forgiveable with some decent world building, but the book keeps jumping from half explored happening to half explored happening without a whole lot of moving forward. I really wanted to like this book, but the writing is so unbelievably sloppy I just can't.

[Ashley (Red-Haired Ash Reads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Series: Charley Underwood #1
Rating: 2 stars - It was ok

As someone who loves urban fantasy I was excited to jump into this new series, sadly while this book did have some good things, there were quite a few issues that keep me from loving this book.

Charley is owner and sometimes bartender of the White Stag, a paranormal friendly bar in the town of Crimson. While I liked Charley sometimes, I mostly found her actions frustrating. To start with she is the daughter of a witch and a human but spends almost the whole book denying that she has any magic even though she is constantly using magic. As you can imagine this quickly got old. I don’t mind a main character denying their magic because they are afraid or in hiding, but to just constantly deny it because your mother told you you don’t have magic is very dumb and annoying. My other issue with Charley was that she says she is concerned about her best friend and the missing town people but her actions don’t really show that. I feel like a lot of the time once she walked away from her best friend he was forgotten about until someone reminded her that he was still in trouble. Her actions were just always at odds with her words.

My other issue with this book was the pacing. This started slow and continued to have slow sections throughout the book that featured mundane scenes, like just normal days at the bar. All the action doesn’t really happen until the end, even though it was obvious from the very beginning who the villain was. Charley and everyone else ignore all the signs that are pointing to the villain, even when the people are clearly last seen with that person before they cause problems.

While I think this book has a good concept, I think I would have liked to see more of an investigation from the beginning for the actual villain and more of a separate resolution around the co-op instead of just it being concluded from the ending fight. It felt like the co-op ended up being an afterthought even though it was the main focus for most of the story.

TW: Death, violence, racism (against vampires), vandalism, and hate crimes; death of a parent in car accident mentioned; animal deaths briefly mentioned;

*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*