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Rosebud (Chosen #4A)

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PART 1: Elf/Vampire Serial
Reading order - 1#Chosen by the Vampire Kings 2#Stolen by the Alpha Wolf 3#Unlikely Mates 4#Awakened by the Vampire Prince
SPOILER ALERT:
King Katar is gravely ill. Esral must go back to her place of birth, to be at her father’s side, during this difficult time. She is relieved when her protector, Xavier, is not permitted to accompany her. It is becoming more difficult to deny her feelings for the vampire prince who clearly feels nothing for her in return. Right now, she must focus on her father’s needs and on getting him well again…regardless of what it might cost her in the end.
The elven princess is a delicate beauty of the rarest kind. Xavier has the utmost respect for the female and the ideals she holds so dear. A complete innocent, she plans on saving herself for her future mate. If only she knew the kinds of thoughts he had about her, she would never allow herself to be alone with him ever again. May never even speak to him again and he wouldn’t blame her.
‘Rosebud’ is the first of a 3 part serial and is approximately 18,000 words/72 pages
Be warned, the story contains strong sexual themes/language and is not intended for readers under the age of 18.
It is highly recommended that you start with Chosen by the Vampire Kings first for the most enjoyment.

79 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 13, 2015

81 people are currently reading
337 people want to read

About the author

Charlene Hartnady

113 books1,710 followers
Charlene lives on an acre in the country with her husband, three children and an array of pets including a snake.
In her spare time you can usually find her typing away franticly on the computer completely lost in worlds of her making. She is an avid believer that it is the small things that truly matter like the feeling you get when you start reading a new book or a particularly beautiful sunset.
Charlene likes to write bite stories her readers can sink their teeth into. Sign up for her latest release newsletter for more information http://mad.ly/signups/96708/join

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5 stars
391 (46%)
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270 (32%)
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
Profile Image for jenn *mother of dragon & snake*.
691 reviews343 followers
February 23, 2017
I'm not so sure about this series tbh. They are all getting 3 stars. It was cute.... but annoying.

I mean referring your "barrier" as a Thorn and it turns out there IS ACTUALLY A FUCKING THORN IN YOUR... *waves at lower half of body* SAY WHAT NOW?!
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Like. Dude. WTF.
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Who would want any part of that!? Poor Xavier. Imagine guys, that you literally have to slice your Sir-hangs-alot on a thorn, inside a woman.... A big one at that.... I imagine it would be like getting kicked in the nuts a million times. *shudders*
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Profile Image for Marianne.
1,315 reviews153 followers
June 8, 2015
Princess Esral was a gift from the elven king Katar to the vampires. She was supposed to mate one of the vampire kings. Their union was intended to broker an alliance between the two races. When kings Brant and Zane both mated Tanya, Esral was left in a precarious position.

Still unmated, she's seen as defective by her own kind,and even though she's now free to pick her own mate, the one she wants treats her like an annoying sister and an inconvenience. To add insult to injury, the other vampire males don't seem to want her either!

Prince Xavier never wanted a mate, but he can't keep his smutty thoughts off of Esral. If she knew half of things he wants do do to her she'd never talk to him again. And why can't those horny vampire males stop staring at her? Time to roughen them up a bit and instill proper fear before they soil her reputation.

Her father gravely ill, Esral has to return to castle Pulamor (snicker!) to face the ridicule and rejection. Her own people seem to think that her thorn has been broken, a grave offence by elven high born standards. The rumors are fanned by Cheri; former handmaiden turned princely mistress and Zafar, Esral's ex fiancee. Esral's brother is out for vampire blood.

In a last ditch effort to bring them together, king Brant, Xavier's brother decides to send Esral to Pulamor with another guard, thereby hoping to force Xavier's hand. Will it work? Surely he'll be angered by Esral's rather pathetic attempts at wooing other vampire males in an effort to secure a marriage... any marriage - for her father's sake.

The hotness-level in this installment is not as high as the other serials. The elves prize virginity, and it seems that Esral is destined to stay one until she is well and truly mated. But the humor is the same. Charlene has created an elven vocabulary I fond very cute. Elves are nature lovers and vegetarians, it's only appropriate that they refer to sex in rather... flowery... terms. There's talk of roots, thorns, blossoming ceremonies. Very sweet IMHO. (Although Zafar certainly manages to make it sound crude.)

But all is not well in castle of Pulamor. It's clear to the readers that someone is trying to assassinate king Katar, and it's not exactly difficult to figure out who one of the key players is. Hopefully, this character won't be turned into a one dimensional villain. Up until no, some of the characters that we thought were bad guys, have been given stories and books of their own. I'd like to see that trend continue, I have no love of characters who are evil to the core.

One last thing: Did you wonder why the name Pulamor made me snicker? Well, I can reveal that in Norwegian, the words "pule" (past tense "pula") and "mor" is what your daddy did to your mommy - in order to make you;-) But this is no birds and bees analogy. In fact, the term is rather crude, probably along the lines of what Zafar would have said, had he not been a tree hugging elf. Hey, a perv is a perv... ;-)
Profile Image for Jenni.
6,506 reviews80 followers
January 15, 2025
I am ADDICTED to this series; I can get enough of this paranormal romantic goodness. With alpha males in all shapes and sizes with Ménage à trois, MFM love triangles (eat your heart out), Vampires, Shifters, and Elves. It is Sexy, it is Sizzling, it is smoking Hot, it is Erotic so much so that it jumps right off the pages and leaves you needing a cold shower.
Sassy, headstrong females, and fighting to the death is not uncommon. So, what happens when smoking hot vampires and shifters, mortal enemies want the same thing; this is where things get so interesting, and the fun begins. These men are ruthless, they are vicious, power players, they are violent. There is lots of action, danger and war around every corner but given all that they love fast, they love with their whole heart and make you want to go and find your own.
Charlene has woven a captivating, tangled web of lies, deceit, suspense, drama and love that will leave you breathless. The characters are to die for, and each have their own voice in this series. I love that we get their POV because it makes them more real.
It is not all doom and gloom though there are plenty of witty moments and humour that will have you laughing out loud especially Zane and Becky, they crack me up.
Don’t even stop to think just click and read and tell me I am not wrong. Happy reading!
Profile Image for Alex Wolf.
Author 7 books55 followers
February 10, 2018
This was so frustrating in the beginning! As in the storyline which made me want to continue and I am glad I| stuck with it. The twist was good and then ended well. By the end of it, I really liked the characters involved and already starting the next book.

I am glad Ketos book is soon because I can tell I am going to be SWOONING for him already. I loved this couples chemistry and a nice 'normal' pairing compared to the threesome previously. It was a nice break. I liked how the characters developed together and I can just see them having an adorable family!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Reader_for_LifeTLG.
2,772 reviews17 followers
February 17, 2018
Fighting for love

Esrel loves Xavier but he does not seem to return her affection. She must mate to save her reputation and to ease her father's stress. If he doesn't step up she will find another.
9 reviews
June 27, 2019
Excellent book

Couldn't put down, I read the whole book. Can't wait for the next one. I haven't found flower yet. Excellent
Profile Image for Judy Lewis.
1,566 reviews55 followers
June 6, 2015
DELICIOUSLY CUTE, SERIOUSLY SEXY AND DELIGHTFULLY ENTERTAINING !!!
Good Golly Miss Molly! Charlene has knocked it out of the park - again - with her latest release, Rosebud, Part One of her tantalizing Awakened by the Vampire Prince Serial! Yes, I said serial so that means multiple books with , dare I say it, cliffhangers so be forewarned. Yikes! Although it's not necessary, I would highly recommend reading Charlene's Chosen by the Vampire Kings, Stolen by the Alpha Wolf and Unlikely Mates Series since many of the characters are also included in each. I think that's one of the things that I truly enjoy most about Charlene's books. The premise and the characters for each book are so well developed and carried forward throughout each series. The familiarity of the characters makes it so easy and enjoyable to immediately fall comfortably into each story. Her characters are always my favorite part of each of her series. They are always captivating, engaging, laugh out loud funny and sexy. Va..Va..Voom! Of course, the story is always exciting, thrilling, funny, exceptionally well written, romantic, arousing and oh so seductive. Charlene skillfully combines these elements to craft a delightfully entertaining paranormal offering filled with humor, adventure, suspense and lots of romance. Prince Xavier and Princess Esral have been dancing around each other for months. The problem is, they've been dancing to different tunes. Fortunately for us, I think their playlists are about to be synced! Yowza! We first met Princess Esral when she was introduced in Book Four of Charlotte's first series, Chosen by the Vampire Kings and man, did she arrive with a bang! Her father, Elven King Katar, gave her as his most prized possession to the vampire kings, Zane and Brant, as a token of peace between the elven and the vampires. What? She was to be mated with one of the kings as a sign of good faith and to broker a truce between the species. Oops! They both already have a mate - the same woman, their Queen Tanya! Esral was to be mated to royalty so that only left Brant's brother, Prince Xavier, but he refused to mate with the elven princess. Oh my! How disappointing! But Princess Esral decides to remains with the vampires and with Tanya's help, she finally receives permission from her father to choose her own mate. The only problem is, she wants the one vampire male that doesn't want her - Xavier. Oh, what a cluster-fest! I bet you thought I meant to say something else, didn't you? Esral has just received word that her father is very ill and may be dying. She must return home to Pulamor. If her father dies, her brother, Prince Keton, will become king and for some reason he hates vampires so that means the fragile relationship between the two species will be destroyed. Yikes! A union between the two races is imperative. Oh my glory! Upon her return, she's criticized, ridiculed and rejected by her own people. They think she's defective because she's still unmated; apparently, not even a vampire will have her. And to make matters even worse, her brother's evil girlfriend, Cheri, is spreading nasty rumors about her. Oh no! She had to find a way to salvage the situation to alleviate her father's shame. What's a princess to do? Try to seduce a mate, of course! But will it be Xavier? Or her other guard, sweet York? Or her once intended, nasty Zafar? What's really wrong with her father? And just what in the world is the evil, manipulative, low-born, former server Cheri up to? I don't know. We'll just have to read the book to find out. So get ready my lovelies! Here we go again and there will be fireworks! No spoilers from me but I will say this... Beautiful elven princess whose thorn is still unbroken-check! Handsome, sexy vampire prince whose too stubborn to admit he's in love-check! Drama, suspense, humor, angst, heated attraction and steamy dreamy romance-you bet! I just can't help myself. I have to share my favorite passage in the book - 'Much to her horror, she moaned loudly as his gentle touch caused a zing of pleasure to pulse through her. Her flower blossomed and filled with nectar'. Come on you guys, you have to admit that's not only original but pretty cute as well! After all, Esral is an Elf. I can hardly wait to read Part Two, Flower. Deliciously Cute, Fabulously Funny, Seriously Sexy and Delightfully Entertaining!
My Rating: Five Extraordinary Stars!!!
Profile Image for Rachel .
2,250 reviews1 follower
March 10, 2017
Awesome story! Can't wait for the next. Great add to the series!
Profile Image for Ash P Reads.
1,054 reviews16 followers
June 9, 2015
Of all the books in this interlinked series I thought I loved Ward and Stephany's story the best. But after reading Rosebud, my loyalties are quickly shifting. Xavier and Esral have got to be the SWEETEST couple and I have great hopes for this serial.

Esral has fallen hard for Xavier. Since the time he was assigned to guard her, she has tried every game in the book in order to incite some kind of reaction from him but he remains stoic, honorable and very serious about his duties. But when her father falls ill she feels responsible for his condition being unable to secure a royal mating. When rumors and scandals surround her in her elven home and her brother too treats her as badly as the common folk, she turns her attention to another vampire guard, so that her father may recover without feeling that his daughter was "defective"

Considering that Xavier is a prince, has his pick of vampire females and is pretty much unscrupulous in doing so, he has proved himself to be a real gentleman in Esral's case. Taking a mate may not be a part of his plans but he is unable to keep his feelings for her under wraps anymore, because now she has turned her attentions to York and he has also witnessed what his refusal to mate her has made of her reputation within her ancestral home.

eARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Frances P. Foster.
147 reviews3 followers
June 10, 2015
STOP!!! Don't read these stories unless you have read Vampire Kings

Spoiler alert ....I've read Vampire series....Stolen series.....and Unlikely series......Now for the moment I have been waiting for to have Esral and Xavier together over all the looks, longings, foot stomping and doors slamming know when I finally get to 93% Xavier kisses her and has finger play? Then that's it and I have to wait for part 2. Charlene we need to have a talk. While this book is leading up to the fireworks you do have to understand Xavier is being an honorable vampire. He loves the princess and what's only the best for her. But what he is forgetting is he is what is best for her. When the princess is also trying to do what is best for everyone else but herself. Two people trying to come together. Go God I hope they hurry up and stop being so stubborn.
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Profile Image for Shelly Smith.
171 reviews1 follower
January 27, 2016
Good continuation of the series.

I have enjoyed these books greatly. I'm glad that we are getting to Xavier's story finally. My only negative feedback is the words to describe things used by the elves. I get making it seem more realistic when they have their own way of speaking and thinking, but it just annoyed me having to read breaking your thorn and remembering that it was losing virginity. Otherwise, well done.
Profile Image for Kimberly Walden.
1,276 reviews8 followers
July 30, 2015
Vampires/Elf series - 1st book.

Kindle Unlimited read. Series and cliffhanger. This is the first book of Esral and Xavier's story. Love these series...and this was a great beginning and ends with a big turn of events.
2,374 reviews20 followers
July 24, 2015
Great Book

Finally, Xavier, gets a turn in falling in love. I have been hopeing and was not disappointed. It has been truly exciting to see, Xavier and Esral, finally admitting they have feelings for one another? I am so ready for part two.
Profile Image for Lacy.
292 reviews5 followers
September 10, 2015
I just knew those two would comer around

Great start to esrals story. I loved every minute of it. Xavier might be stubbornly seems to me these two were made for each other. Can't write a long review cause I wanna read the next one so bad.
293 reviews
January 5, 2016
Good fun short novella

First part of a short novella. Strangely addictive short book. I've read a few of this author's novellas and its easy to race through then. Good fun. Got this as part of Kindle Unlimited so not expensive to read short books.
Profile Image for B. U..
564 reviews5 followers
January 26, 2016
I feel like the book was finally getting into the story and then ended. I have enjoyed the other serials in this ongoing series and will continue reading this series, but not my favorite book in them.
Profile Image for Hendrix Fan 4ever.
2,577 reviews7 followers
February 4, 2016
LOVED IT!!

I am so enthralled with this series. It's like I can't get enough of this whole paranormal world. I am truly hooked on Ms Hartnady's storytelling, she is now in the top 10 of my favorite authors in the paranormal world.
Profile Image for Robin.
574 reviews1 follower
July 18, 2015
was bored and had to wait for any kind of hotness. makes me think it will be forever before the really good will happen like not until the last book of the series. if so not interested any more.
Profile Image for Kathy.
2,207 reviews30 followers
January 5, 2016
Awakened by the Vampire Prince #1

Read:
January 4, 2016 - Kindle Unlimited
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