BloodMarked

The Fraktioneers #1

by Lu J. Whitley

A ‘townie’ college student, living off campus with her overprotective mother, Greta Brandt thought everything about her life was right on track. Everything, except for the nightmares that have been plaguing her for as long as she can remember.
When her reality is torn apart, Greta finds herself adrift in a world she thought only existed in her fevered dreams. The only soul she can cling to, a dark stranger who seems to know her better than she knows herself.

Jaromir Ragnarsson is a shadow in a world men do not see. Charged with protecting the Brandt women from untold dangers, he had been ever vigilant in his task. Until one night, a fatal mistake threatens to take away mankind’s only chance for survival: Greta Brandt.
Now, he must find a way to protect Greta in his hidden world, where magic and myth are fact not fiction. And curses are very, very real.

Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy

262 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2015

About the author

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, a little girl was born who was just a little odd around the edges. One thing led to another, and now you’re reading her stories.
Lu is a full-time writer who lives a quiet life with her husband and four-legged children.
Follow her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorLuJWhitley
Or Twitter: twitter.com/LuJWhitley

Reviews

[Lu J Whitley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote it. Of course I think it's amazing!

[Christina McMullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah! It's been a while since I've sank my teeth into a nice paranormal romance and what a nice welcome back to the genre this is. The story is familiar: A seemingly ordinary girl learns that she is much more than ordinary and it just so happens that there is a devilishly sexy guy available to acclimate her to her new life as the chosen one.
However...
Don't start ho-humming and rolling your eyes just yet! Sure, the bones are paranormal romance standard, but it's the meat that makes this story unique. Greta is relatable, likeable, realistic, and downright hilarious with her snark. Her reactions to a major traumatizing event are real and heartfelt. And as a bonus (to me anyway) she's tall. There aren't enough tall gals in PNR.
Jami's curse, as well as his history, puts a unique spin on the story, as does the whole shadow organization. And without giving spoilers, let me just just say that the last quarter or so of the book was about as twisty as you can get.
My one complaint is that the next book isn't out yet and I really need to know what's going to happen next. Also, I need more Stein. Stein is a supporting character who doesn't show up until close to the end, but for some reason he caught my attention. I'm curious to learn more about the big troll.
The teaser at the end says that the next book is scheduled to come out in the fall of this year. I'm just hoping that's early fall.

[Paul Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing story that is well written and extremely well set out. the author creates characters that each show strengths and weaknesses, yet gives the story that deserved flavour and aroma...it is definitely a rose in a garden of weeds.
The author has a good grip on this genre and shows great skill in the way she crafts her magic upon the page..

A fascinating read which becomes a great book as you progress deeper into its alluring text and well crafted narration.

blooming brilliant from a blossoming rose of an author...

[C.K. Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bound to be a NY Times Bestseller!

I have definitely been Marked! When I was half way through the book (not even half way actually), I found myself checking how many pages where left because I didn’t want the story to end. BloodMarked is brilliant and refreshing and an unexpected treat from an amazing Indie author. The Fraktioneers Series has been set up beautifully to be a sexy, snarky, witty and much needed breath of fresh air in the paranormal and fantasy genres. I won’t give any spoilers here about who, or what you’ll encounter, but I can tell you that I’m hungry for more yummy Jami and I’m dying to see what happens in book two!

Check out author Lu J Whitley's Spotlight here

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jami is yummy.
Greta can do things she doesn't quite understand. I'm sure they'll tell her 'later'.
Stein... I want his story. He's a.... large man. (wink, wink)

I liked this book from start to finish. While, it is paranormal, Greta is still a college girl so her way of thinking is very relatable.

I'm going to be stalking Lu for the next installment. Count on it.

[Les · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only occasionally read Paranormal and/or Urban Fantasy. I'm more of a Sci-Fi kind of guy, but I kept running across this book and the cover jumped out at me every time. I find the face with the center of a pentagram circling the eye and the blues and purples very appealing. Maybe you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but a nice design like this should get people in the door.

Overall, there were a lot of good points to this story. The characters are likable and have some interesting backgrounds. There are also some well-placed bits of humor. One, when the male lead, Jaromir Ragnarsson tells Greta (the female lead) that his mother called him 'Jami' her response was, "your mom called you yummy?". He corrects her by explaining that Jami is pronounced Yaa-Mee. Cute, and a good way to get the reader to know how the author intended the name to be said, but I often forgot and read Jay-Mee. (Oh well). Jaromir is an eight hundred plus year old who hails somewhere from the Scandanavian area (so, a Viking?) and at one point is listening to ABBA. When Greta asks him about it, he replied that he likes to listen to the songs of his people. I actually LOLed (and I'm a curmudgeonly old guy that doesn't do a lot of LOLing... smiles, or an occasional chuckle maybe).

Jami, it seems, while living his barbaric old life back in the day, was cursed by a Wyrd Woman. (Which sets up a cute line for Greta to say, "did you call me weird?") The curse made him undying (not sure undead is really correct for this guy), but he seems to be a little in denial. Can sprout fangs, check. Drinks blood, check. Has terrible skin reactions to sunshine, check. Doesn't want to admit he's a vampire (wha?). The interesting twist on this curse is the dual personality (Jekyll-Hyde?) thing going on in his head. 'The Beast' part drives him to the base things in life while the Jami part is pretty much a good guy. Not only is he a good guy, he's part of some secret organization called the Fraktioneers who battle with their evil counterparts the Takers. Much of this long standing (centuries old) battle is only hinted at when needed for the current story.

What I didn't like so much: the lustful scenes after Jami spirits Greta away from the Takers and goes on the run. Now, let me say up front, I'm a pragmatist, so to me when someone is attacked by evil monstrous beings, witnesses the death of a family member and is snatched away by some unknown guy and dragged across the country, they're going to have a lot of traumatic thoughts and probably want to escape more than having thoughts about how hot some guy is. I think this is probably just part of the UF/PNR genre that the target readers lap up, but I found silly and out of character.

Another thing that bothered me was what appeared to be inconsistencies with the baddies. Initially, the Takers are easiest to spot from yards away because of their putrid smell. It seems that they also have nasty sun allergies, which leads to a habit of killing humans and draping themselves with their protective skins. OK... gross, but I can see that. Also, in the beginning, Jami talks about how hard the little buggers are to kill, but in later chapters, he mows through them like a hot knife through butter. Or are there some Takers that are wimps? Dunno. The latter Takers don't seem to be as stinky either, so maybe there are levels?

One more thing and this is probably more of a general peeve for the majority of stories that feature immortal (or near-immortal) characters. How come the flashbacks are ALWAYS back to the beginning? The guy's lived over 800 years, think of all the stuff that he's experienced and the changes in the world he witnessed. There was a scene where Jami and his sidekick Stein are flying somewhere in an airplane. (Stein, BTW, is a troll, and a hilarious sidekick). Perfect opportunity for a couple of paragraphs as Jami remembers the FIRST time he flew in an airplane. Perhaps shortly after WWI when one of the crazy gotta-be-the-first-to-get-new-tech Fraktioneers convinces the old Viking to go for a ride in a biplane. Just sayin'.
Overall, the good v. evil and action parts were enjoyable, and I suspect that if one is a true-blue UF/PNR reader you'll love this story.

[Jessica Wren-Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

You saw your mother die an unspeakable death. You then get kidnapped by a fearsome (but mysteriously sexy) stranger who insists he trying to carry you to safety. You spend the next few days on the run with said fearsome and mysteriously sexy stranger and find your lust for him growing exponentially. You are then separated from your fearsome and mysteriously sexy friend and find yourself in a gigantic castle equipped with all sorts of Medieval torture devices. When you demand to speak to the person in charge, you find yourself sitting across a huge desk from…your dad? it would be enough for you to say “F this!”

Meet Greta Brandt, the kiss-ass heroine in Lu J. Whitley’s Bloodmarked. She goes on the run with Jaromir after the Takers murder her mother in a hideous fashion. Along the way, Greta learns that her entire life has been a lie, that she is not the person she always thought she was, and that she is powerfully attracted to Jaromir, who reciprocates her feelings but knows that indulging in their mutual attraction could be dangerous for both of them.

I loved the snarky, sassy tone the characters used with each other, and the dialogue is awesome (think “How to Train Your Dragon” but with a lot more profanity and sexual innuendo). This adds a strong element of dark humor to the book. Greta and Jaromir spend most of the novel bickering like an old married couple, and later Greta gives Stein (Jaromir’s troll friend whom he has assigned to deliver Greta to safety) a dose of attitude and an enormous headache. The book even hints at Greta’s attraction to Stein, but her loyalty to Jaromir wins out. The characters are superbly developed. I think Greta is my new role model. Both Jaromir and Stein work for the Fraktion, an organization devoted to eliminating the Takers and other unsavory creatures, and protect those who have become targets for Takers and other unsavory creatures.

Another thing I liked about this book was its dash of Deutschland. The author sprinkles bits of German culture and language in the plot and characters.

Although the plot flows well and is in general well-developed, the abrupt shifts in point of view became a distraction. In many parts of the book, the point of view would suddenly change with no clear transition. I had to re-read many of the sentences over again just to be sure whose point of view I was following. And I was excitedly following the intense action of the book all the way to a somewhat anti-climatic ending. I am a lot more forgiving of loose ends and cliffhangers when there is a sequel in the works (there is), but this ending just wasn’t 100% satisfying. But I guess Ms. Whitley’s going to make me read the sequel ;). As Greta would say, “Get over yourself and focus.”

[Lynne Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and I had a great time reading it!

I enjoyed reading, BloodMarked the first in Lu J. Whitley’s Fraktioneers Saga. The book is told from alternating points of view of the heroine and the hero--Greta Brandt, a young college student and Jaromir Ragnarsson, the 800-year-old guardian she didn’t know she had. Jaromir, the “J” is pronounced “Y” and he invites her to call him Jami. pronounced “Yummy” which pretty much describes his super-hot good looks. Another remarkably attractive character in BloodMarked is Jami’s friend and comrade in arms in the Fraktioneer organization, Stein, a massively muscle-bound troll with tattoos and a refreshingly sarcastic viewpoint.

In paranormal romance, the heroes are invariably Alpha males and Jami is triple-A Alpha all the way. Greta’s spunky and resourceful female lead is more than a match for him in terms of attitude. Seeing her through Jami’s eyes endears her to the reader, while gradually illuminating Jami’s fears of the curse laid upon him that could make loving him a deadly experience. Greta and Jami have some very hot erotic scenes, even with the threats that tear them apart.

The back and forth viewpoints reminded me somewhat of my beloved Patricia Briggs’ Alpha and Omega werewolf series.

The action in Bloodmarked is nonstop from the moment when Greta comes home to find her mother slain by the evil Takers, who are determined to kidnap her and kill anyone who gets in their way. On the run with Jami, Greta learns secrets about her childhood that put her in mortal danger. The twists and turns of the plot lead the reader into the next book in the series, which is due out in the fall of 2015.

[Morana Blue · Rating 4 out of 5]

BloodMarked wasn't at all what I'd anticipated. I'm, in the main, a stranger to paranormal stories so didn't quite know what to expect - but BloodMarked weaved a fast-paced action-packed tale pitting noble characters of old world myth (I pretty much fell for Stein, the super-huge super-buff totally charming rune-tattooed troll) against darker creatures borne from the unknowable world of the author's imagination; it's a modern world, today's world - but the creatures therein, with their eons-old heritage, are dark, hidden, menacing - and wholly relentless.

Greta, our heroine is thoroughly gutsy, very funny - and chosen; though chosen for what, exactly, she struggles to fathom as the beasts and phantoms in her dreams begin to manifest as real-life nightmares. She doesn't know it - but the real world is, indeed, at stake and she is humankind's only saviour.

Dedicated to her protection, then, is Jamiro - our hero. He's gorgeous, courageous and selfless; he's eternally conflicted though - doomed to perpetually battle the super-dangerous demon inside himself; it becomes a struggle, too, to curb his 'rising' emotional response to sexy Greta and balance his sworn duty to, above all, protect her against the evil marauders; it's a battle that Greta comes to witness, too, as Jamiro changes 'from hot-blooded man to emotionless agent, like she'd tripped the bastard switch or something…' Ha! It's good stuff.

This supernatural action/adventure story - powered by a frustrated unsatiated lust-at-first-sight love story - rockets on at a pace. It's written with natural wit and ease - and leaves you, without a doubt, wanting more. In fact…

'I swear my ticker can't take it…'

[Chrissy Moon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wild ride indeed!

There are so many things to love about this book, but since the most important thing to me is an author's style, let's talk about that first.

I love Lu Whitley. Plain and simple. First, she is not a slave to cliche, which is most appreciated. The author does not narrate the way one would expect, and most importantly, the main character, Greta, is not a helpless idiot. She certainly has her issues like a normal, well-rounded character would, but she is not weak, and she doesn't operate with the notion that she 'has' to have a man.

It has little sprinklings of humor throughout. So many times I literally LOL'd, and it usually had to do with Greta's thoughts about Jami. I'd read a line and would still be laughing days later. One can easily tell while reading this book that the author is intelligent and has a creative, open mind.

It is true that it ended on a cliffhanger of sorts - but this was one that gets the reader revved up for the sequel. I can just imagine how that last scene would be in a movie - the camera panning out, exciting music playing in the background, and the audience clapping heartily (why do audiences clap at movies?).

I need the next book. I need everything this author writes, actually. I really felt like I got to know the characters well. They are in no way generic or easily interchanged. A lot of effort has obviously been made in creating this story and this world.

About the story itself - it is a world like no other. It's part paranormal and part fantasy, and entirely unique, in a category of its own. Well done, and I'm looking forward to the next.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a thrill-ride, Greta Brandt is a twenty-three year old college student living at home with her German immigrant mother. Her father died eighteen years ago when she was only five years old. She suffers nightmares about that night repeatedly. Now, the Takers (Bortbytingen) have found her again and they won’t stop until they have her.

Jaromir Ragnarsson has been assigned by The Fraktioneers (a highly secret organization) to protect her at all costs. When Jaromir is trying to tell Greta how to pronounce his name, since it was such a mouthful (insert sexual innuendo here) he told her she could call him Jami for short. (He pronounced it with a Norwegian accent.) Greta chuckled and said “your mom called you yummy?” “Jami,” he repeated. “Yaa-Mee. Not yummy.” So in my head and Greta’s, Jaromir, our giant Norwegian savoir is Yummy all the way through the story. How could he not be? Tall, long blond hair ice-blue eyes, muscular… Yeah, he was yummy.

The action is a fast paced, rollercoaster ride with twists and turns that are completely unexpected. The storyline is unique and original. Ms. Whitley redefines vampires, trolls and skin-walkers to some degree. However, her urban fantasy world is much like our own, which lends to ease of believability. I can highly recommend this urban fantasy, which ends in a tense and precarious situation. I look forward to the sequel.

FYI: This is Book 1 of The Fraktioneers Series. **Originally written for "BigAl’s Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy.** October 17, 2015

Format/Typo Issues: I found no significant editing errors.

[Morwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

To open, I want to state that I received a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy paranormal romance, and Lu Whitley does not disappoint. Greta Brandt is a typical college student and athlete - a little flippant, and certainly not someone who would consider herself out of the ordinary. She's very familiar to me, from my own experience in college and now watching my own child navigate that journey. Jaromir Ragnarsson is far outside anyone's realm of experience, although Greta certainly makes a determined effort to wrap her head, among other things, around Jaromir.

This story spans continents, and moves very quickly. Despite the fast pace, Ms. Whitley makes sure we're aware of how the characters feel, and what's motivating them. Greta and Jaromir are drawn together, but it's not an easy situation, and neither of them is prone to making it easier. But even secondary characters are fleshed out, and I will confess to find one such character, Stein, utterly irresistible. The romance is certainly heated, and the action nonstop. I don't want to say too much, but this is a page-turner of a book.

This is the first book in a series, and I will confess that the ending was almost too abrupt a cliffhanger. I would have liked a little more resolution, or at least something of a summing up, but I would not call that a deal breaker at all. If anything, it will make me watch for the next book all the more closely, because I really, REALLY want to know what happens next, and that's a very good thing indeed.

[Jennifer Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a thriller! You meet Greta, a college girl living with her mom. You may think she’s normal until she comes home to something in her kitchen. It used to be an old acquaintance, used to be. Now it was something else, something that Greta couldn’t explain. Before she can blink her eyes, her mother is dead and she is off with a man she doesn’t know.
Finding out what’s going on turns out to be a challenge. Then Greta learned there was something strange about her too. Her world is turned upside down and Greta finds herself on the move from the Takers, who want her body. She is put to the test and tried to hold her own. Now I’m not giving away to many more details, but you need to read this book. It was a total thrill to read. Keeping me hooked on every page and now eagerly awaiting book 2.
Lu Whitley is an amazing writer and has an amazing feel for telling a good story. I can see her going far with her writing career and I hope to see more amazing reviews on her work soon!



Author Bio: Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, a little girl was born who was just a little odd around the edges. One thing led to another, and now you're reading her stories.
Lu is a full-time writer who lives a quiet life with her husband and four-legged children.
Follow her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/bloodmarkednovel
Or Twitter: twitter.com/LuJWhitley

[Carole Parkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lu J Whitley demonstrates her wonderful talent for creative writing well in this, her debut book. Even though her fantasy characters are purely fictional, they’re created with remarkable skill and utterly believable. It’s the same with the setting. A modern-day world co-existing with the living remnants of a much older one, yet, it doesn't seem odd at all when you’re reading it. Not even when two unlikely characters like the troll, Stein, and Jami, the 800 year old guardian of Greta, both take a plane ride with normal passengers. I put that credibility down to the author’s clever writing style.

I won’t go into the story since it’s already explained in earlier reviews, and I couldn't really add more without giving spoilers. It’s sufficient to say I was hooked from the first page to the last. It was fast paced, engrossing and thoroughly enjoyable. The only let down for me was the ending which seemed abrupt and left just as many questions as the story began with. For this, I would deduct 0.5 stars but since Amazon doesn't allow me to award 4.5 stars and the fact there will be a sequel, I'm awarding it 5 stars. I’m sure further books in the series will resolve everything. I’ll certainly be buying the rest of the series to find out what happens.

I’d recommend this book without hesitation, even if it does whet your appetite for more.

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book immensely. It's easy to read and clips along at a good pace.
The story is told from different viewpoints, alternating between the heroine and the hero.
The plot flows well with plenty of twists, turns and action.
The descriptions pull you into the book and you feel involved in the story.
The characters are well developed, Greta is gutsy heroine with attitude, Jaromir (aka Yummy)is a hot vampire who has problems controlling his inner beast and Stein is a charming, muscle-bound, tattooed troll.
I had a hard time putting down, and was surprised by the sudden ending, which was possibly a bit too sudden, but left me wanting needing begging for more.

[Miranda Shanklin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took me in and kept me trapped. From the very beginning I had a really hard time putting it down so that I could sleep and go to work and all the things that interrupt my reading. I just wanted to curl up and not put it down until I was done. I found myself cursing my kindle when it wouldn't let me turn the page to get more of the story.

This is not the same paranormal story that you hear over and over again. It is a completely new concept and I am impatiently awaiting the next book in the series!

[Kimberly Vanderbloom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overal I was impressed with this book. It took me a chapter to get into it but once I did I was hooked. I liked the world building and the characters. My favorite character was The Takers. I thought they were terrifying. I enjoyed the flow of the story and the raw emotions of the characters. I thought they were likable. My favorite moment was near the beginning when Greta wakes up in a crap motel with a half naked god of a man in her bathtub. Her reaction was hilarious. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. I am hooked now.

[Timothy Bateson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great start to the series

BloodMarked is a great series starter, with a lot of twists and turns. The dynamics between Jami and Greta area complex and ever changing as she learns more and more about him, and his curse.
Reading this in my iPad, I did encounter some issues with the formatting, where it wasn't clear in terms of text layout where scenes changed, but that is easily overcome by the clear writing and exciting plot.

[Kelly Akemann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I enjoyed this one as I do love a good paranormal romance. I would give this one a 3-1/2 star honestly.
I enjoyed the well-developed characters and storyline. I feel this writer has a potentially favorable career in writing. I particularly Greta and Jaromir's relationship - complex yet simple. Loved it!
Definitely worth reading if you like paranormal romance.

[A. Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real page turner.

I don't normally read anything in the romance genre but thought I'd give it a try because it's paranormal aspect looked interesting. Glad I did.

Although I did skip through the 'romance' scenes, the rest was good enough to keep me glued to my Kindle. I especially liked the tie-ins to mythology and can't wait for more characters like Stein and Gus.

The sequel is definitely on my TBR list and will probably be bumped to the front so hurry it up Lu.

[Mike Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy paranormal and fantasy fiction but don't usually go for romance - but I still really enjoyed BloodMarked, including the romantic bits. All the characters are likeable and interesting and each could hold their own book. It never got boring and it felt more like watching a film than reading a book. Loved it!

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up and couldn't put it down!
I was snagged into this exciting and steamy tale of Greta and Jami, aka Yums, and I didn't want to resurface. Lu Whitley's snarky humor and intriguing story line hooked me. Her amazing characters and heartbreaking situations reeled me in. I am now caught in her web! Cannot wait for the next book.

[Markie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful tale of suspense, full of twists and turns. You follow Greta, who is a young college student and gets caught up in something that began centuries before she was born. She is forced to watch her mother murdered, and she's on the run with a giant stranger who doesn't give her much in the way of answers. There's even a touch of old Nordic gods and mythology.

[BEVERLY SCHWEHR · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good start

A little tedious. Book you could put down and come back to weeks later and pick right back up. Did like end...Will have to read next part to see what happens...very smart on authors part.

[J. Kahele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting story

I really loved the female lead Greta she was sassy, strong and funny. The male lead Jami was your hunky, hot Greek god male. The author did a wonderful job of taking a complex story and telling it in a way that was easy to read.

[Wendy Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good. The monsters at first reminded me of 'Men in Black', but it's filled with mystical creatures. The story continually develops throughout with a slight twist at the end!

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Loved this book. Had twists and turns I didn't see coming. Definitely worth the read. Would
Recommend this book.. fun fast pace, full of magic and mystery.

[Scott Borgman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Storyline, characters, fast-paced... well worth reading!!

[Phillip Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping Read. Not so happy ending for readers.

The paranormal romance (PNR) genre rarely breaks out of rigidly defined formulas. The heroine, usually a human who may or may not have latent powers of her own, takes on the supernatural world only to get limerent* with one or many supernatural creatures (most often a vampire or werewolf). Quite often she becomes conflicted about this romance, but always succumbs to his otherworldly charms before kicking apocalyptic ass and saving the world.

Lu Whitley's BloodMarked shakes off many of the formula's chains to deliver an original storyline without throwing her readers into completely unfamiliar territory. Her character, Greta Brandt, wakes up from a dream of normalcy into the nightmare of real life to face a monster wearing her mother's skin. The monster would claim her skin save for a last minute rescue by Jaromir Ragnarsson (who, readers will probably guess, is a vampire).

Greta and Jaromir, or Jami, do end up under the sheets. Greta and Jami, as we should expect given the genre, spend pages feeling conflicted about their on-again-off-again daliance. But this is as far into the reader's comfort zone as Whitely will take them. Greta and Jami spend the rest of the book on the run from the monsters, or Takers, who have been after her since childhood.

Greta learns, much to her dismay, that Jami saved her once before, when she was four-years-old the Takers took her father in Germany. Jami spirited her and her mother to California and put them in hiding. Only a chance photograph in her college paper gave her location away. Greta and Jami spend the rest of the novel as fugitives or captives, angry with each other and drawn to each other at the same time.

Unfortunately, as Greta's sexual attraction to Jami grows, the more she feeds the vampire powers he wants to suppress. When the Takers lure him away and capture her, he unleashes those powers to find her.

Whitley never lets the reader rest as she weaves conspiracy after conspiracy, betrayal after betrayal into BloodMarked. Personally I find PNR boring as a rule, precisely because I haven’t found a series since Laura Hamilton that didn't follow her formula almost exactly. Whitley made taking the chance on her book worth it.

BloodMarked is far from a perfect reading experience, however:

Formatting made it difficult for me to follow the storyline. Whoever Whitley hired to convert the book to Kindle format forgot to include any symbol (or at least line breaks) noting shifts between different passages. As a consequence disjointed passages flowed into each other as though one moment flowed into the next. Many times I figured out what had happened, but at others, such as Chapter 7, where Jami is about to cut his hair and suddenly Greta goes into a dream state, I became completely confused. The time disruptions during the rest of the chapter became so disorienting that when I began reading Chapter 8 I wondered (and I still wonder) if an entire chapter hadn't been left out between the two chapters.

Spoiler alert:

Readers who want the book to end with a win before launching into the second book of the series will not enjoy this finish. BloodMarked closes like the end of the first act (think Empire Strikes Back) with the characters still in danger and facing even greater trials in book two.

To be honest, I'm one of those readers. As much as I love the book, and I love BloodMarked, and I will continue to push it, I still think books in series should end with something that feels like a win for readers. At least the book the launches the series. You can let the arch nemesis escape. You can show the clouds looming on the horizon. But the lovers should be reunited at least for a moment in the last ray of sunlight before the meteor strikes.

__________________________________
*Limerence is a phrase that became popular in the eighties, especially with one of my girlfriends who suffered extreme commitment issues. It means a strong infatuation or obsession, often mistaken for love, that disappears only when distance and time intervenes. True limerence requires a platonic obssession but, thanks to the book Love and Limerence by Dorothy Tennov, that aspect flew out the window with the commitment phobic limerent relationships of the eighties and the ensuing popularity of PNR where real human boyfriends could never hope to compete with the muscular frames and other projected Freudian and Jungian aspects of supernatural lovers.

Phillip T. Stephens is the author of Cigerets, Guns & Beer and Raising Hell. You can follow him @stephens_pt.

[Jennifer Deese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging read and captivating storyline. The Takers were so well written that I actually felt as if I could see them, smell them ,and hear them. All the characters were well written and the fluidity of writing drew me into the story and the situations .
The authors character building/creating techniques are, in my opinion, superb.

very well written YA paranormal romance. Great job To the author on this one.

Jennifer Deese-Author