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Rare Blood
“The first time I met Tristan I thought he was a conceited, arrogant, womanizing bastard. Too late, I realized those were his best qualities. It was a warm, May evening in Los Angeles. A book party was held at the Bel Air Hotel to promote my thriller OBSESSION WITH DEATH. Three years of disciplined writing and the luck of signing with a well-connected agent had put me on the brink of success…”
Miranda Ortega was about to find out why a Templar knight, Tarot Cards, a rare blood type, and an extremely seductive billionaire book publisher all played important roles in her life.
She could not believe her luck when a scholarship to UCLA enabled her to leave the cornfields of Illinois and pursue writing. Little did Miranda know that the events in her life were part of a well-orchestrated plan by an ancient being called the Magus.
Her book agent pressures her to meet the demands of Tristan Mordecai, her publisher who has no sense of personal boundaries. She feels control of her life slipping away as she is pulled into a nocturnal world of Lamborghini driving, Chanel wearing, egomaniac assassins with a strict liquid diet.
There, she struggles to make sense of a crazy world where people are often not what they appear to be. Fortunately, she has a really good bullshit detector, with little regard for class distinctions.
Miranda Ortega was about to find out why a Templar knight, Tarot Cards, a rare blood type, and an extremely seductive billionaire book publisher all played important roles in her life.
She could not believe her luck when a scholarship to UCLA enabled her to leave the cornfields of Illinois and pursue writing. Little did Miranda know that the events in her life were part of a well-orchestrated plan by an ancient being called the Magus.
Her book agent pressures her to meet the demands of Tristan Mordecai, her publisher who has no sense of personal boundaries. She feels control of her life slipping away as she is pulled into a nocturnal world of Lamborghini driving, Chanel wearing, egomaniac assassins with a strict liquid diet.
There, she struggles to make sense of a crazy world where people are often not what they appear to be. Fortunately, she has a really good bullshit detector, with little regard for class distinctions.
376 pages, Paperback
Published March 13, 2018
9 people are currently reading
297 people want to read
About the author
Susan Old
24 books13 followersSusan Old is a Peace Corps alumnus and retired mental health/addictions therapist. In other words, ideal qualifications for understanding the world of vampires. Rare Blood’s Miranda is each of us struggling to make sense of an insane world while sipping coffee.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
February 17, 2018
You can also find this review at The Reader and the Chef. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy in exchange of an honest opinion.
I enjoyed reading Rare Blood. I don't venture into Adult Paranormal books, but I was excited to pick it up because it's sometimes fun to read out of my comfort zone. And it was fun!
What I Liked:
I found the plot of Rare Blood very interesting. I love how the story progressed and also its entertaining beginning. There were bits of humor that made my reading much more enjoyable, like the part where Miranda, the main character, starts to meet all the vampires and realizes that some of them she had already met without realizing their true identity. They had been in disguise in order to check up on her. The conversations that followed were comical and I surely loved those!
The secondary characters were also fun to read about. I will specifically talk about the vampire clan. Each vampire, whether good or bad, where all intriguing. I loved how they bantered or addressed each other. I have to admit that I found myself constantly comparing them to the vampires of the Twilight Saga and even though I found some similarities, they had their own pecularities that definitely made them stand out on their own. I think my favorite from them all was the Magus. He is the oldest and the leader of all vampires, with constant presence inside the story, though I wish I could have seen more and more of him!
What Didn't Do It For Me:
Despite liking most of the secondary characters, I have to say that I had trouble liking Miranda, the main character of Rare Blood. She wasn't a completely bad character, but I was expecting a different reaction from her as the book moved forward. Miranda is placed in a crazy situation when she realizes that she has caught the attention of a vampire society due to her rare blood type mixed with her complicated past. She is then pursued by a very handsome and arrogant vampire that basically weaves his way into her life. Later she realizes that she is someone extremely important for the vampire society. That is all fine, but then Miranda decides to act reckless, superior, and sometimes foolish around such dangerous creatures to the point that I found her lack of self-preservation annoying.
But I still had fun reading the story and even though I generally disliked her humor, there were times that her comebacks had me laughing out loud.
Final Verdict:
There were some aspects inside the story that prevented me from truly loving this book, however, Rare Blood turned out to be a solid read that managed to keep me entertained until I was done. If you enjoy Adult Paranormal Romance reads, this might be your kind of book!
I enjoyed reading Rare Blood. I don't venture into Adult Paranormal books, but I was excited to pick it up because it's sometimes fun to read out of my comfort zone. And it was fun!
What I Liked:
I found the plot of Rare Blood very interesting. I love how the story progressed and also its entertaining beginning. There were bits of humor that made my reading much more enjoyable, like the part where Miranda, the main character, starts to meet all the vampires and realizes that some of them she had already met without realizing their true identity. They had been in disguise in order to check up on her. The conversations that followed were comical and I surely loved those!
The secondary characters were also fun to read about. I will specifically talk about the vampire clan. Each vampire, whether good or bad, where all intriguing. I loved how they bantered or addressed each other. I have to admit that I found myself constantly comparing them to the vampires of the Twilight Saga and even though I found some similarities, they had their own pecularities that definitely made them stand out on their own. I think my favorite from them all was the Magus. He is the oldest and the leader of all vampires, with constant presence inside the story, though I wish I could have seen more and more of him!
What Didn't Do It For Me:
Despite liking most of the secondary characters, I have to say that I had trouble liking Miranda, the main character of Rare Blood. She wasn't a completely bad character, but I was expecting a different reaction from her as the book moved forward. Miranda is placed in a crazy situation when she realizes that she has caught the attention of a vampire society due to her rare blood type mixed with her complicated past. She is then pursued by a very handsome and arrogant vampire that basically weaves his way into her life. Later she realizes that she is someone extremely important for the vampire society. That is all fine, but then Miranda decides to act reckless, superior, and sometimes foolish around such dangerous creatures to the point that I found her lack of self-preservation annoying.
But I still had fun reading the story and even though I generally disliked her humor, there were times that her comebacks had me laughing out loud.
Final Verdict:
There were some aspects inside the story that prevented me from truly loving this book, however, Rare Blood turned out to be a solid read that managed to keep me entertained until I was done. If you enjoy Adult Paranormal Romance reads, this might be your kind of book!
March 7, 2018
A highly caffeinated romp. A sexy adventure romance with humor. Fun stuff!
January 1, 2019
DNF at 45%.
This book was very difficult for me. It was my first venture into Adult/New Adult fiction, and I was not pleased. This book involves vampires and the naive, unnecessarily rude mortal girl that falls into their midst. I feel like the author was trying for more adult Twilight, but completely missed the mark. The story itself seemed extremely rushed and underdeveloped. At 123 pages, there had already been a conflict-resolution arc that should've spanned a whole novel, yet it was crammed into maybe 40 pages. As a result of the rushed writing, the entire plot, characters and romance felt flat, one dimensional and underdeveloped.For example, Miranda was convinced within seconds of meeting Tristan Mordecai that he was a womanizing asshole who just wanted to get in her pants. However, after having a dream about him in which she called his name while she was in danger, she wakes up and realizes she's in love with him. Like what? No. You don't just suddenly go from "this guy is a creepy dick" to "he's my soulmate" because of a dream. That's not how it works.
There was no real connection between Miranda and Tristan that could make the romance and relationship believable, it just appeared to happen because the author wanted it to/it was part of the "Prophecy", another unexplained and underdeveloped plot point in the first half of this book. On top of that, I could not bring myself to care about Miranda at all. The author just hadn't given me a reason to. The vampire society that was introduced in the book had the makings of something interesting but it just wasn't explored in depth enough.
There were also general writing things that really threw me off, such as switching from Miranda's 1st person view to other characters but in third person within the same chapter, with no explanation or division. The timeline in the book is rather murky and unclear, but, from what I could gather, there was a pregnancy that was detected (by both vampire super sense of smell and by blood test) within 4 days of the person having sex, which is 100% not at all how that works. I don't know if the author just like didn't do her research, or what happened, but its just another instance that serves to make the story not believable.
All in all, I had a lot of issue with this book, and was extremely disappointed, especially with it being my first intentional foray into the world of adult fiction. The plot was rushed and underdeveloped, the characters were flat and the romance was unbelievable. I wouldn't recommend this book at all.
Thank you to Kate Tilton Author Services for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This book was very difficult for me. It was my first venture into Adult/New Adult fiction, and I was not pleased. This book involves vampires and the naive, unnecessarily rude mortal girl that falls into their midst. I feel like the author was trying for more adult Twilight, but completely missed the mark. The story itself seemed extremely rushed and underdeveloped. At 123 pages, there had already been a conflict-resolution arc that should've spanned a whole novel, yet it was crammed into maybe 40 pages. As a result of the rushed writing, the entire plot, characters and romance felt flat, one dimensional and underdeveloped.For example, Miranda was convinced within seconds of meeting Tristan Mordecai that he was a womanizing asshole who just wanted to get in her pants. However, after having a dream about him in which she called his name while she was in danger, she wakes up and realizes she's in love with him. Like what? No. You don't just suddenly go from "this guy is a creepy dick" to "he's my soulmate" because of a dream. That's not how it works.
There was no real connection between Miranda and Tristan that could make the romance and relationship believable, it just appeared to happen because the author wanted it to/it was part of the "Prophecy", another unexplained and underdeveloped plot point in the first half of this book. On top of that, I could not bring myself to care about Miranda at all. The author just hadn't given me a reason to. The vampire society that was introduced in the book had the makings of something interesting but it just wasn't explored in depth enough.
There were also general writing things that really threw me off, such as switching from Miranda's 1st person view to other characters but in third person within the same chapter, with no explanation or division. The timeline in the book is rather murky and unclear, but, from what I could gather, there was a pregnancy that was detected (by both vampire super sense of smell and by blood test) within 4 days of the person having sex, which is 100% not at all how that works. I don't know if the author just like didn't do her research, or what happened, but its just another instance that serves to make the story not believable.
All in all, I had a lot of issue with this book, and was extremely disappointed, especially with it being my first intentional foray into the world of adult fiction. The plot was rushed and underdeveloped, the characters were flat and the romance was unbelievable. I wouldn't recommend this book at all.
Thank you to Kate Tilton Author Services for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
March 12, 2018
‘That’s nice, no one gets sucked to death on date night.’
Illinois author/therapist Susan Old comes to her debut novel with a rich experience from which to draw extraordinary characters. She has served in the Peace Corps in Zaire, worked in Mental Health/Addictions in California at a street emergency shelter, in County Mental Health, in a University Medical Center, and at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles, before moving to Illinois to serve Veterans at a V.A. Medical Center. She remarks, ‘I had the privilege of hearing about the struggles of celebrities, bikers, walking wounded Veterans, nurses, felons, farmers, prostitutes, athletes, professors, musicians, etc. Being a therapist gave me insight into many lives from a housewife with insomnia to a strange ranger who walked the streets with a suitcase full of Barbie dolls.’ She has survived breast cancer, Lupus, and becoming a young widow, and has discovered her outlet for the stress of her jobs and life as we live it in writing about vampires!
Susan’s fascination with the paranormal realm (vampires in particular) she sums as follows – ‘try and imagine how you might react to finding out Vampires exist, and that they have a special interest in you. What if someone entered your life and caused you to question everything you had once taken for granted. What if you realized they had always been there, but you just had not paid attention to them? Would you tell them to go to hell, then realize that might not be possible?’ And that is the flavor with which she writes – incredible stories that plead to be honored with sincerity.
RARE BLOOD is Book 1 of The Miranda Chronicles – a reassuring sign that there will be more quality novels in this genre to follow. Book 1 is well summarized in the synopsis: ‘ The first time I met Tristan I thought he was a conceited, arrogant, womanizer. Too late, I realized those were his best qualities. It was a warm, May evening in Los Angeles. A book party was held at the Bel Air Hotel to promote my thriller OBSESSION WITH DEATH. Three years of disciplined writing and the luck of signing with a well-connected agent had put me on the brink of success…”Miranda Ortega was about to find out why a Templar knight, Tarot Cards, a rare blood type, and an extremely seductive billionaire book publisher all played important roles in her life. She could not believe her luck when a scholarship to UCLA enabled her to leave the cornfields of Illinois and pursue writing. Little did Miranda know that the events in her life were part of a well-orchestrated plan by an ancient being called the Magus.Her book agent pressures her to meet the demands of Tristan Mordecai, her publisher who has no sense of personal boundaries. She feels control of her life slipping away as she is pulled into a nocturnal world of Lamborghini driving, Chanel wearing, egomaniac assassins with a strict liquid diet. There, she struggles to make sense of a crazy world where people are often not what they appear to be. Fortunately, she has a really good bullshit detector, with little regard for class distinctions. Miranda Ortega loves to surprise people who underestimate her, especially powerful, wealthy, brilliant vampire nobility.’
Susan’s life experiences shine through to illuminate a very fine paranormal novel: she has been exposed to more bizarre aspects of life than most and she turns those perceptions into a very fine, impressive debut novel. Welcome to a gifted, insightful, immensely entertaining new author!
Illinois author/therapist Susan Old comes to her debut novel with a rich experience from which to draw extraordinary characters. She has served in the Peace Corps in Zaire, worked in Mental Health/Addictions in California at a street emergency shelter, in County Mental Health, in a University Medical Center, and at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles, before moving to Illinois to serve Veterans at a V.A. Medical Center. She remarks, ‘I had the privilege of hearing about the struggles of celebrities, bikers, walking wounded Veterans, nurses, felons, farmers, prostitutes, athletes, professors, musicians, etc. Being a therapist gave me insight into many lives from a housewife with insomnia to a strange ranger who walked the streets with a suitcase full of Barbie dolls.’ She has survived breast cancer, Lupus, and becoming a young widow, and has discovered her outlet for the stress of her jobs and life as we live it in writing about vampires!
Susan’s fascination with the paranormal realm (vampires in particular) she sums as follows – ‘try and imagine how you might react to finding out Vampires exist, and that they have a special interest in you. What if someone entered your life and caused you to question everything you had once taken for granted. What if you realized they had always been there, but you just had not paid attention to them? Would you tell them to go to hell, then realize that might not be possible?’ And that is the flavor with which she writes – incredible stories that plead to be honored with sincerity.
RARE BLOOD is Book 1 of The Miranda Chronicles – a reassuring sign that there will be more quality novels in this genre to follow. Book 1 is well summarized in the synopsis: ‘ The first time I met Tristan I thought he was a conceited, arrogant, womanizer. Too late, I realized those were his best qualities. It was a warm, May evening in Los Angeles. A book party was held at the Bel Air Hotel to promote my thriller OBSESSION WITH DEATH. Three years of disciplined writing and the luck of signing with a well-connected agent had put me on the brink of success…”Miranda Ortega was about to find out why a Templar knight, Tarot Cards, a rare blood type, and an extremely seductive billionaire book publisher all played important roles in her life. She could not believe her luck when a scholarship to UCLA enabled her to leave the cornfields of Illinois and pursue writing. Little did Miranda know that the events in her life were part of a well-orchestrated plan by an ancient being called the Magus.Her book agent pressures her to meet the demands of Tristan Mordecai, her publisher who has no sense of personal boundaries. She feels control of her life slipping away as she is pulled into a nocturnal world of Lamborghini driving, Chanel wearing, egomaniac assassins with a strict liquid diet. There, she struggles to make sense of a crazy world where people are often not what they appear to be. Fortunately, she has a really good bullshit detector, with little regard for class distinctions. Miranda Ortega loves to surprise people who underestimate her, especially powerful, wealthy, brilliant vampire nobility.’
Susan’s life experiences shine through to illuminate a very fine paranormal novel: she has been exposed to more bizarre aspects of life than most and she turns those perceptions into a very fine, impressive debut novel. Welcome to a gifted, insightful, immensely entertaining new author!
March 27, 2018
DNF % 32
Rare Blood is a New Adult Paranormal Romance. It is what initially made me accept the ARC of it. However, it hasn’t lived up to my expectations as far as I’ve read it.
The book starts of with a prologue set in the year 1306. It has a mysterious and dark vibe to it, and I loved it. The chapter starts of with first-person narrative of the Main female character, Miranda. She is a young author who got her first break and happens to sign another writing contract as her circumstances called for. The main male character, Tristan, is also simultaneously introduced.
Tristan, he is a conniving Vampire who does anything for his own good and has now taken interest in Miranda. Miranda is a quirky next-door girl, with a lot of attitude that was honestly too much and often went to the annoying-whiny side. Whenever they meet, it’s mostly pointless banter which issues spanning a lot of pages; He wants her to ‘work’ with him willingly – and his way to convince her includes part-harassing-part-bribing, and She would oppose him at every little thing – only to go with his wishes in the very end.
Some issues that stood out to me were: 1) Tristan is a vampire and has lived for hundred-some years, why doesn’t he know the best way to approach her, especially when he has been watching her!? 2) Miranda’s opinions would change so quickly sometimes within the same chapter that she appeared to be bipolar. At first, she would do and say anything to oppose him, yet when she would finally agree, it would be a simple ‘okay’. I felt that contradicted her character a lot and the pacing of it all, felt weird.
Other issues that made me drop it were the overall pacing of events. The plot seemed to drag on forever with no real path of where it’s headed. Also, the chapters would have third-person narrative start abruptly without any sign to where Miranda’s narrative ended and where the other scene began. Some conflicts would be introduced suddenly, while others had no clear end. As for the side characters, I think they were the only strong points of the whole plot, who acted true to their characters.
Overall: 2 out of 5 stars.
**I received a free copy from Kate Tilton Author Services in exchange for an honest review**
Rare Blood is a New Adult Paranormal Romance. It is what initially made me accept the ARC of it. However, it hasn’t lived up to my expectations as far as I’ve read it.
The book starts of with a prologue set in the year 1306. It has a mysterious and dark vibe to it, and I loved it. The chapter starts of with first-person narrative of the Main female character, Miranda. She is a young author who got her first break and happens to sign another writing contract as her circumstances called for. The main male character, Tristan, is also simultaneously introduced.
Tristan, he is a conniving Vampire who does anything for his own good and has now taken interest in Miranda. Miranda is a quirky next-door girl, with a lot of attitude that was honestly too much and often went to the annoying-whiny side. Whenever they meet, it’s mostly pointless banter which issues spanning a lot of pages; He wants her to ‘work’ with him willingly – and his way to convince her includes part-harassing-part-bribing, and She would oppose him at every little thing – only to go with his wishes in the very end.
Some issues that stood out to me were: 1) Tristan is a vampire and has lived for hundred-some years, why doesn’t he know the best way to approach her, especially when he has been watching her!? 2) Miranda’s opinions would change so quickly sometimes within the same chapter that she appeared to be bipolar. At first, she would do and say anything to oppose him, yet when she would finally agree, it would be a simple ‘okay’. I felt that contradicted her character a lot and the pacing of it all, felt weird.
Other issues that made me drop it were the overall pacing of events. The plot seemed to drag on forever with no real path of where it’s headed. Also, the chapters would have third-person narrative start abruptly without any sign to where Miranda’s narrative ended and where the other scene began. Some conflicts would be introduced suddenly, while others had no clear end. As for the side characters, I think they were the only strong points of the whole plot, who acted true to their characters.
Overall: 2 out of 5 stars.
**I received a free copy from Kate Tilton Author Services in exchange for an honest review**
March 11, 2018
A unique and interesting take on vampires in the modern world.
March 15, 2018
Rare Blood (The Miranda Chronicles Book 1) by Susan Old is an addictive adult style paranormal book written with a vivid flair. Miranda is the main character, a bit headstrong, a little quirky, and with whole lot of attitude. She is not an entirely appealing character, but is suitable considering the plot and what she goes through. This truly is like an adult version of the Twilight series, with vampires running amok, and more interesting secondary characters. Miranda meets Tristan Mordecai, a conniving guy who is at once creepy and enticing, and in a short amount of time, Miranda goes from hating him to loving him. It appears that much of Miranda's life is pre-ordained, some of it good, some of it bad. The plot was kind of all over the place, a little hard to follow in spots, and the points of view shifted in the story, making it a little difficult to read at times. However, with interesting characters, this could be a promising series.
March 15, 2018
Supernatural vampire story for adults
This is a cross between twilight and vampire diaries. The story develops nicely and the main character Miranda is at times loveable and other times undesirable and easy to hate. That combination makes her the perfect star of this adventure. I enjoy a good vampire story and this one did not disappoint me at all. With the variety of characters introduced and the complex life of Miranda this story is just the right mix of action, fantasy, and fun. If you enjoy supernatural storylines, this is a great start with the first book in the series. Check it out and let me know what you think.
This is a cross between twilight and vampire diaries. The story develops nicely and the main character Miranda is at times loveable and other times undesirable and easy to hate. That combination makes her the perfect star of this adventure. I enjoy a good vampire story and this one did not disappoint me at all. With the variety of characters introduced and the complex life of Miranda this story is just the right mix of action, fantasy, and fun. If you enjoy supernatural storylines, this is a great start with the first book in the series. Check it out and let me know what you think.
March 24, 2018
There were interesting parts in the book and characters. It was a little different and definitely had some humor. Not everyone will like it or understand it. This felt kinda weird to me and there was a time I didn't want to finish. I couldn't like Miranda. I tried but no. I also didn't feel much of an emotional connection between Miranda and Baron...at all. So, I didn't buy their relationship. It was a long book and some things happened way too fast and others too slow. I'll probably pass on the sequel if there is one.
December 31, 2018
This book was a Christmas gift - my parents picked it up while at a store where the author happened to be for a book signing. Mom said since I enjoy learning about tarot cards she thought it might interest me. She was right - the way that the arcanas tied in to the story definitely kept my interest.
I did enjoy the storyline overall, but was consistently distracted by misspellings, misuse of punctuation, and some confusing use of quotations/breaks for dialogue. Incorrect words were used frequently - one that really stuck with me was the use of “epidermal” instead of “epidural.” Two very, very different things! Of course, this is just a personal thing and might not bother other people as much, but it was extremely distracting to me.
The snippets of history pulled into a modern world were fantastic. Lady Anastasia was my favorite! I thought the characters seemed realistic and appreciated the amount of diversity. The one character I had trouble with, as a writer originally from small-town Illinois myself, was the main character, Miranda. Something about her personality & mindset & and the way she related to her hometown, as well as LA & the things happening around her seemed off to me. Not genuine or realistic at all. Also, her literal overnight change from hating the obsessive Baron to falling in love with him was extraordinarily irritating & unbelievable. Otherwise, the author did a good job of making the vampires’ way of living amongst us feel almost believable.
It wasn’t a “can’t put it down” read - I only finished in two days because I’m stuck in bed with the flu. Overall, though, I enjoyed the story & will be eager to read the sequel and find out what happens next when it is released. Hopefully there will be many less distracting editorial mistakes in the next one.
I did enjoy the storyline overall, but was consistently distracted by misspellings, misuse of punctuation, and some confusing use of quotations/breaks for dialogue. Incorrect words were used frequently - one that really stuck with me was the use of “epidermal” instead of “epidural.” Two very, very different things! Of course, this is just a personal thing and might not bother other people as much, but it was extremely distracting to me.
The snippets of history pulled into a modern world were fantastic. Lady Anastasia was my favorite! I thought the characters seemed realistic and appreciated the amount of diversity. The one character I had trouble with, as a writer originally from small-town Illinois myself, was the main character, Miranda. Something about her personality & mindset & and the way she related to her hometown, as well as LA & the things happening around her seemed off to me. Not genuine or realistic at all. Also, her literal overnight change from hating the obsessive Baron to falling in love with him was extraordinarily irritating & unbelievable. Otherwise, the author did a good job of making the vampires’ way of living amongst us feel almost believable.
It wasn’t a “can’t put it down” read - I only finished in two days because I’m stuck in bed with the flu. Overall, though, I enjoyed the story & will be eager to read the sequel and find out what happens next when it is released. Hopefully there will be many less distracting editorial mistakes in the next one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 26, 2023
So I have to say that maybe if you're into vampire romances, you may like it, but I didn't really. I was asked to read this book because my great aunt is friends with the author and wanted to see what I thought of it, so I gave it a shot.
It wasn't great.
Like many people in the reviews say, the Baron and Miranda didn't have a realistic relationship. One minute, she hates him, and the next she wants to be held in his arms and thinks he's her soulmate, so two hours later, they're married. I mean, what? Their relationship is unhealthy and I can't help relating it to the unhealthiness of Twilight's characters Bella and Edward's relationship.
The book went WAY too quickly and I feel like nothing really happened. It was just a journal of short clip-its of this girl's life. Some things went way too slow, and others, way too fast. The pacing was extremely off.
Another thing that bugged me is the terrible job of editing. Lots of incorrect punctuation (like, a lot), misspelling of "dessert", spelling the Baron's last name wrong at one point, forgetting to put words where they should be, and many other mistakes which made this book seem very unofficial.
All in all, I didn't think it was very good and won't be finishing the series (though I did read the second book). If you're into unrealistic vampire romances, then maybe you'll like this one, but if not, don't read it.
It wasn't great.
Like many people in the reviews say, the Baron and Miranda didn't have a realistic relationship. One minute, she hates him, and the next she wants to be held in his arms and thinks he's her soulmate, so two hours later, they're married. I mean, what? Their relationship is unhealthy and I can't help relating it to the unhealthiness of Twilight's characters Bella and Edward's relationship.
The book went WAY too quickly and I feel like nothing really happened. It was just a journal of short clip-its of this girl's life. Some things went way too slow, and others, way too fast. The pacing was extremely off.
Another thing that bugged me is the terrible job of editing. Lots of incorrect punctuation (like, a lot), misspelling of "dessert", spelling the Baron's last name wrong at one point, forgetting to put words where they should be, and many other mistakes which made this book seem very unofficial.
All in all, I didn't think it was very good and won't be finishing the series (though I did read the second book). If you're into unrealistic vampire romances, then maybe you'll like this one, but if not, don't read it.
March 19, 2018
Rare Blood opens up to a new type of drama in the vampire world; a half-breed vampire and a warm blooded “short” who is changing the rules for all of the undead. Miranda knew she was different but she didn’t realize she received blood from a vampire when she was in an accident as a child. As an author, she was continually being harassed by her publisher for her new book and he decided it would help her concentrate better if she moved into his mansion. The attraction he generated from women was frustrating; it was as if they could not help being drawn to him. Miranda found his connection to her was both unwanted, yet destined. She grew to understand she has always been protected by vampires because of the vows of her ancestors.
I found this novel an excellent read, bring a new light on vampires. The drama within their world and ranks was unexpected, as they each sought to impress the Magus or overthrow him. Using monks to hunt the vampires was classical, but most myths and traditional methods of disposing of the undead were not used. Susan Old did an impressive job combining the two worlds and adding the royal infants as a step into the next book was an exceptional foresight.
I found this novel an excellent read, bring a new light on vampires. The drama within their world and ranks was unexpected, as they each sought to impress the Magus or overthrow him. Using monks to hunt the vampires was classical, but most myths and traditional methods of disposing of the undead were not used. Susan Old did an impressive job combining the two worlds and adding the royal infants as a step into the next book was an exceptional foresight.
October 14, 2019
Rare Blood is a book I picked up at a local author signing event. It’s a fun read that takes on contemporary vampires. There are some historical references about vampires, but for the most part the novel takes place in the here and now.
Miranda is a struggling young writer whose life is filled with chaos of all sorts. Some of it fun and some of it not. Susan Olds does a wonderful job of immersing us in Miranda’s life. We feel her attraction to Tristan as well as her repulsion.
The world of the vampires grows more complex as Miranda finds herself deeper inside it. There are abundant mysteries in that world. Many are answered in this book, but I’m sure there are more answers and questions coming in the upcoming books. I was told there will be at least two more books.
Looking forward to the next one, although this had a satisfying ending - no horrible cliffhangers. Yay for that.
It was a good read with lots of detail and plenty of plot. Good solid characters that were easy to believe in. I became so immersed in their world it was a disappointment to return to reality.
Miranda is a struggling young writer whose life is filled with chaos of all sorts. Some of it fun and some of it not. Susan Olds does a wonderful job of immersing us in Miranda’s life. We feel her attraction to Tristan as well as her repulsion.
The world of the vampires grows more complex as Miranda finds herself deeper inside it. There are abundant mysteries in that world. Many are answered in this book, but I’m sure there are more answers and questions coming in the upcoming books. I was told there will be at least two more books.
Looking forward to the next one, although this had a satisfying ending - no horrible cliffhangers. Yay for that.
It was a good read with lots of detail and plenty of plot. Good solid characters that were easy to believe in. I became so immersed in their world it was a disappointment to return to reality.
April 17, 2019
I must admit I never thought I’d laugh through a vampire story. Rare Blood is one of those rare stories with surprising vampire humor and unnerving vampire action. If you were a vampire living in present-day LA with strange people around you anyway, you might actually talk and pursue the night-life this way! Rare Blood really is funny, but also has the appropriate amount of mystery, suspense, tension and unique plot twists to keep a reader wondering what will happen next. The author invites you into an ever more complex, creepy, yet perfectly understandable, world of what I think of as a ‘vampire romp’. An easy-going, enjoyable writing style combined with a well-paced, intricate story makes this novel a winner. The Miranda series is sure to keep your blood pressure up with great suspense and your funny bone limber. Who knew vampires could be so likable?
April 1, 2018
A different twist on Vampires as having their own society. However, they also have a rare blood type not generally found in humans. This is what started with Miranda and Tristan, yet totally unknown to her. She was simply trying to be a successful writer. This is how Tristan introduced her into his world by wanting her to write about Vampires. And so the adventures begins. She can't stand him and believes him to be an egomaniacal pretentious entitled chauvinist. However, her agent insists that she work with him.
Welcome to the world of Haute Caste where things are twisted, suspense at every corner, a betrayal long in the making, and a finish that will astound you.
Welcome to the world of Haute Caste where things are twisted, suspense at every corner, a betrayal long in the making, and a finish that will astound you.
April 30, 2018
So I'm at chapter 15, I haven't finished reading it yet, but I have some concerns. I'm not new to adult paranormal romance - but I'm missing some key things at the beginning of this book, like who is Miranda and why is she important? (WHICH really bugs me because it's such a big gap) How is it that Miranda so easily forgets James? And how can you go from running from a guy to and telling him to leave you alone to getting married, without any chemistry or getting to know one another? I get the whole "I've known you your whole life," but Miranda knows NOTHING about Tristan, yet takes everything in stride.
I will continue reading and update later - thus far though I do like James, and Tristan (not that I know much about him), and a few other characters, but I'd love Miranda if she had a bit more backbone and followed through.
******UPDATE**********
Forced myself to read to the end - it was harder than expected. Too much happened too quickly, I would have enjoyed it more if this book had been broken into several books. I'm left feeling like I was on a roller coaster and yet I couldn't tell you anything about the ride because it happened to quickly and without any detail. I feel like I never got to KNOW any of the characters. Where is the back story? Where are the details, descriptions? How do they feel? What are they thinking? Mannerisms? Two stars because the story concept is good and there's potential.
Side note: There are a TON of grammatical errors that bothered me throughout the book, not sure what the editor even did. I tried not to give much away, but this book left me highly irritable and unsatisfied. Funny thing is a lot of authors provide too much detail, this one didn't have nearly enough.
I will continue reading and update later - thus far though I do like James, and Tristan (not that I know much about him), and a few other characters, but I'd love Miranda if she had a bit more backbone and followed through.
******UPDATE**********
Forced myself to read to the end - it was harder than expected. Too much happened too quickly, I would have enjoyed it more if this book had been broken into several books. I'm left feeling like I was on a roller coaster and yet I couldn't tell you anything about the ride because it happened to quickly and without any detail. I feel like I never got to KNOW any of the characters. Where is the back story? Where are the details, descriptions? How do they feel? What are they thinking? Mannerisms? Two stars because the story concept is good and there's potential.
Side note: There are a TON of grammatical errors that bothered me throughout the book, not sure what the editor even did. I tried not to give much away, but this book left me highly irritable and unsatisfied. Funny thing is a lot of authors provide too much detail, this one didn't have nearly enough.
March 21, 2018
In Rare Blood we learn of Miranda, an author with a book about the undead. The reader is taken on a roller coaster ride as we go through her adventures with the vampire community. Personally I felt she jumped into marriage a little too fast with the Baron. Likewise at the end she left the Baron a bit too quickly. Otherwise I loved the story. Can't wait to read the next one and see how she lives without the Baron full time. Thanks Goodreads Giveaways for the chance to read this book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2019
This is a Vampire Paranormal Book. This story takes you on a wild journey with Miranda would could be the girl next door. Tristan is vampire that live long time and world is changing. What do you do when you take a leap in to the dark, sometimes you can be bitten. This book was a wonderful way to kick off the series. Cant wait to see what is coming up next.
March 23, 2018
A well-written story, I have not read anything from this Author before but I enjoyed reading this story looking forward to reading the next book in the series.I received a copy of this book and I am voluntarily reviewing it.
April 12, 2018
Great read!
It was a interesting read! A slow start,so you can get to know more about the characters.Would recommend that you read it. A pity that the author, so far wrote only this story.
It was a interesting read! A slow start,so you can get to know more about the characters.Would recommend that you read it. A pity that the author, so far wrote only this story.
April 17, 2018
Left Me Hanging
Only wanted to give 3.5 stars. Did not like the ending! Triples and the a single birth? What happened thru the years. Author took 30 years to write this, how long for the sequel!
Only wanted to give 3.5 stars. Did not like the ending! Triples and the a single birth? What happened thru the years. Author took 30 years to write this, how long for the sequel!
April 29, 2020
Want to date a vampire?
This is a very good mix of paranormal romance and mystery. It brings you into the modern world of the vampire and how it could conceivably be today. The characters are very believable. I find myself wondering if vampires really exist?
This is a very good mix of paranormal romance and mystery. It brings you into the modern world of the vampire and how it could conceivably be today. The characters are very believable. I find myself wondering if vampires really exist?
October 7, 2025
Liked this book I reallyyyy wanted to love it given I met the author and she was so sweet when I bought the book it was a fun read for sure just wasn’t quite it for me but I would love to read some of her other books in the future
November 17, 2023
I loved the story! Just enough blood and just enough risqué suggestions. Kind of jealous of Miranda. The editing needs some work, but that’s an easy fix for the next printing!
December 18, 2021
Rare Blood is written by Susan Old and tells the tale of Miranda Ortega. A writer who meets Tristan Mordecai and is introduced to a world of vampires who happened to be assassins.
Miranda is a southern girl moved to the city to become a writer. When Tristan Mordecai tried to tell her he’s a vampire, she thinks he’s insane. As her publisher turned editor, he keeps her close until he reveals himself to her. Soon, he seduces her with his looks and charming personality. Miranda tried to steel his advances and rebels by trying to keep her distance. But not for too long.
Thrust into Tristan’s world and an international organization of vampire assassins, they set to use their power, wealth, and connections to thrive as one. It doesn’t take long before Miranda’s world changes forever and she’s more than ever entangled in the world of vampires. Anything she wants can be provided for her, but she’ll never be able to be free again.
Susan Old brings complexity, humor, and a unique take on the world of vampires. The characters were dynamic, interesting, and at times odd. The story was compelling and the story was dark with a somewhat stylistically appealing tone that I enjoyed. I felt the story propelled forward and brought new exciting life to vampires and the world of Miranda Ortega.
Miranda is a southern girl moved to the city to become a writer. When Tristan Mordecai tried to tell her he’s a vampire, she thinks he’s insane. As her publisher turned editor, he keeps her close until he reveals himself to her. Soon, he seduces her with his looks and charming personality. Miranda tried to steel his advances and rebels by trying to keep her distance. But not for too long.
Thrust into Tristan’s world and an international organization of vampire assassins, they set to use their power, wealth, and connections to thrive as one. It doesn’t take long before Miranda’s world changes forever and she’s more than ever entangled in the world of vampires. Anything she wants can be provided for her, but she’ll never be able to be free again.
Susan Old brings complexity, humor, and a unique take on the world of vampires. The characters were dynamic, interesting, and at times odd. The story was compelling and the story was dark with a somewhat stylistically appealing tone that I enjoyed. I felt the story propelled forward and brought new exciting life to vampires and the world of Miranda Ortega.
didn-t-finish
March 18, 2018“The stench of the river was hard to bare.”
This, in the first paragraph, has stopped me from moving forward in this book. I was intrigued and thought I'd push through just in case, but then hit a few punctuation issues. All in the first three pages.
So I decided not to keep going.
Sorry. I accepted an arc with intentions of reading. But this was not going to end well for the author. It may be that others will read and find much to enjoy and write about.
This, in the first paragraph, has stopped me from moving forward in this book. I was intrigued and thought I'd push through just in case, but then hit a few punctuation issues. All in the first three pages.
So I decided not to keep going.
Sorry. I accepted an arc with intentions of reading. But this was not going to end well for the author. It may be that others will read and find much to enjoy and write about.
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