Forest of Blood

by Sheri L. Williams

A beast lurks in the forest.......

While Emmaline Gillies tries to gain independence and Lord Benjamin Whitmore tries to find a companion for his lonely daughter, the beast hunts. It has no care for the people of the manor in the center of its chosen hunting grounds. Can the unlikely duo save the people, and themselves from the beast? Or will tangled feelings get in the way?

Genres: Romance

82 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 3, 2015

About the author

Sheri L. Williams is an author who laughs in the face of genre. She always knew she would be a romance author one day, until she found the macabre that lives in her heart and her brain. Equally as comfortable in her own imagination as she is in the real world, she finds inspiration everywhere. Her stories range from light to dark, then very dark, but always with a touch of romance.

Sheri is a wife and a mom, which bring her great joy. She is also a geek and an avid Netflix binger, which also brings great joy. She always has multiple projects on her plate and if you want to stay up to date, be sure to sign up for the newsletter on her website. You can also follow her author page on fb, on twitter, pinterest and Google+

Reviews

[Lena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, I think this book was missing at least a hundred pages. The date is never given but it's written in Austen like times. Emma is down on her luck trying to get a job after her father dies. None of her governess interviews have panned out because she can't speak French and has no connections. Out of desperation she goes out into the boondies (really anywhere that's not London is the boondies at the time) to an old large manor to interview as a child's companion. Lord Benjamin greets her carriage and tells her that his daughter Anna will be the one conducting the interview. Anna just looks at Emma then says she's hired. It's all very abrupt and the story continues like that. I think within ten pages of being hired Emma is part of Lord Benjamin's aristocrats-only, men's-only, supernatural research and hunting club as well as the widowers own love interest.

Seriously there should have been lots of witty conversation and bits of action in which Emma proves herself. All of the book is like this! It's especially bad at the end when they're all like, I guess we'll never find out what happened to Claire or why Mr. Teak is sick but let's just go home and be happy.

[Kay Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The pacing was great. I loved the suspense at the right moments. I adored Emmaline and how much she cared for Ben's daughter Anna.
The apprehension of the forest worked lovely in this story and I found myself wondering what was in the forest right along with the characters. Emmaline spoke what was on her mind and I love that quality in female characters or the heroine as in this story. Five stars for me.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Artemiz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Forest of Blood by Sheri Williams was promised in Netgalley to be Romance and Horror and it sounded interesting, since I have not really read before such a combo, usually its Paranormal and Romance, which you could also take as Horror.

Well, this short story had barely Horror (Paranormal) and even less Romance. It starts almost like Jane Eyre, when she went to Thornfield Hall. But then it quickly becomes a usual paranormal/historical/romance novel, that has speedy and maybe happy ending.

It was an OK read, but it could have been much better.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm biased. I wrote it. I kinda love it.

[Nikki Prince · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love stories by this author. The cover is fabulous, and it was what drew me in first. I am a cover snob. So, kudos to the cover artist and kudos to Author Sheri L. Williams for a fantastic piece of fantasy fiction! I will be making sure to read book 2. I was drawn in from the first sentence.

[Karen Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I did enjoy the book, I felt there should have been more to it. I guess, being the first in the series, I am looking forward to more from the author. I received the book from net galley for an honest review.

[Katnip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This suspenseful tale had me on my toes! This book gave me old Hollywood movie monster vibes. In fact I envisioned it in black and white. The story was very well written. The characters are charming and relatable. I can’t wait to see what the next adventure brings!

[Julie Towe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the writing, the way the words flow. Sheri Williams is obviously talented. But I do think she held back a little. The action scenes are excellent. The dialog, when it occurs, is great. But I agree with some reviewers that there should have been a bit more interaction between Emma and Ben. (Spoiler: It sort of jumps from flirting throughout the entire book to an assumption by Ben that they'll be married. No sex.) If you like books that aren't heavy on the mushy stuff, then you may enjoy the way Sheri Williams touches on the subject now and then but doesn't make it the central aspect of the story. Every reader is different with what they like, and books that handle romance in this way aren't necessarily bad. Besides, with the title of "Forest of Blood", this book was never meant to be a romance novel.

This is the first in a series, so I don't have a problem with the story ending with unanswered questions. I do hope she will soon publish the next book. I believe I picked up on some clues about where the story is headed. Her writing is enjoyable enough that I wouldn't mind being given moments to linger on the interactions between characters before the scenes change. I want us to be allowed deeper into their thoughts and observations.

Though I am rating this three stars, it is not because I think the books is bad. I rate it that because the potential and writing talent are there for this to have been much more amazing. So, the author deserves 5*, but this book is only 3*. Now I have to check out her other work.

[Ophelia Gunn · Rating 2 out of 5]

NetGalley kindly provided me with a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
I really love the cover of this book, and the premise had me excited for a bit of romance set within a wonderfully dark plot.

I was left disappointed, however. The romance itself progresses far too quickly - hindered by a timeskip in which most of the bonding would have occured (we kind of need to see that...). And the rest of it? Well, Emmaline gets her job almost unbelievably fast, and is allowed into the boy's club with barely a grumble. Some of the dark, spooky aspects were done well, but overall I just didn't buy most of it. Sorry.

I liked Emmaline and Benjamin, and I feel they were let down by how shallowly they were explored throughout the story; leaving them vapid and insta-lovey. The secondary characters were barely there, and it felt like half of them served merely as props.

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received an ARC for honest review

I am not sure what I really think about this book. AS it stands I believe you can cut of the romance innuendo out and it could be for a younger crowd and it would be highly liked. However I believe with the romance in the book that the expected audience is older people. IF this is the case I believe the book is missing character and plot depth. As a short story fine but this appears to be book one of more to come.

As a quick predictable mystery read the book is fine and I would give it 3 stars. As a series I beleive I would give it 1.5 to 2 stars because there is no depth to the book. You are starting to like the characters and but there is no development to make you really want more or to see a book about another character in another book.

[Danielle Donaldson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is one that you should read in the dark. Dim the lights, cuddle under your blankets and dive right into the world that feels far away but also immediate. The vibe is reminiscent of Henry James' TURN OF THE SCREW. It's uneasy, makes the the reader feel wobbly (right along with the main characters). Something lurks in the dark forest, but something also lurks in the manor and hushed words and closed doors keep most everyone in the dark until the big twists at the end. I loved the pacing. Slow enough to build good suspense but fast enough that you are never left aching for too long.

Fun read for a stormy evening. The story and characters stay with you for days.

[Beverly Diehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our plucky heroine, Emmaline, has come as governess to a ten year old girl, but there is a savage beast roaming the woods. Will she or her charge be its next victim? And what about the girl's father, alternately sexy and scary Lord Benjamin?

Disclaimer: I'm acquainted with the author via social media.

It feels like Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester go a-hunting for werewolves. If it bugs you when historical-ish fiction doesn't have a clearly defined time period and location, you may not care for this. But if you like a page-turning horror short story with a small amount of gore and a fair amount of romance, you'll like this. I did, and horror isn't usually my "thing."

[Irene Well Worth A Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick read, longer than a short story but shorter than a novel
It had a great old fashioned kind of innocent vibe to it.
It started off a bit slow but then picked up after Emmaline was warned away from walking in the woods and told of the curse some of the local people believe in.
There was a little bit of romance and a lot of spooky atmosphere.
I received a complimentary copy for review.

[Tanya Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I dive into books blind, is it a good method? Probably not.
However I had no idea what this was about & when I started reading it flowed so well,
I’m not a person who reads historical type things but the language was so well done. I felt like I was there & it didn’t make me feel dumb.
I would totally recommend this to my friends.