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Alliance Vampires #1
Beneath a Blood Red Moon
A tale that sweeps the reader from the antebellum South to contemporary New Orleans, the dark, sensuous world of love and immortality of the beauty and the beast whom some call vampire...
Maggie Montgomery, the owner of Magdalena's an elegant New Orleans boutique, gasped when she learned about the mysterious beheading of a local street person, and the trail of blood that led from the corpse to her building. Her shock turned to turmoil when she met Sean Canady, the police officer who arrived to question her...and inspired a dangerous desire.
Something powerful--and beyond reason--had brought Maggie and Sean together. Something that spoke of an interwoven past, and a passionate torment that began generations before under a blood red moon. For on that night of erotic seduction, Magdalena Montgomery became a vampire, and began a century-long quest to find the one man whose love was pure enough, strong enough to save her from the darkness within...
Maggie Montgomery, the owner of Magdalena's an elegant New Orleans boutique, gasped when she learned about the mysterious beheading of a local street person, and the trail of blood that led from the corpse to her building. Her shock turned to turmoil when she met Sean Canady, the police officer who arrived to question her...and inspired a dangerous desire.
Something powerful--and beyond reason--had brought Maggie and Sean together. Something that spoke of an interwoven past, and a passionate torment that began generations before under a blood red moon. For on that night of erotic seduction, Magdalena Montgomery became a vampire, and began a century-long quest to find the one man whose love was pure enough, strong enough to save her from the darkness within...
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1999
126 people are currently reading
2604 people want to read
About the author
Shannon Drake
52 books571 followersHeather Graham Pozzessere
aka Heather Graham, Shannon Drake
Heather Graham was born on March 15, 1953 and grew up in Dade County, Florida, and attended the University of South Florida at Tampa, majoring in theater arts and touring Europe and parts of Asia and Africa as part of her studies. After college, she acted in dinner theaters, modeled, waitressed, and tended bar. She married Hershey Dennis Possezzere, and after the birth of her third child, she was determined to devote her efforts to her writing: her dream. She sold her first book in 1982.
Today, this author's success is reflected not just by reader response and the over 20 million copies of her books in print, but in many other ways. In addition to being a New York Times bestselling author, Heather has received numerous awards for her novels, including over 20 trade awards from magazines such as Romantic Times and Affaire de Coeur, bestseller awards from B. Dalton, Waldenbooks, and BookRak, and several Reviewers' Choice and People's Choice awards.
Heather has appeared on Entertainment Tonight, Romantically Speaking, a TV talk show that aired nationwide on the Romance Classics cable channel, and CBS Sunday News. She has been quoted in People and USA Today, been profiled in The Nation, and featured in Good Housekeeping. Her books have been selections for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild. She has been published across the world in more than 15 languages and has published over 70 titles, including anthologies and short stories.
Now, she had five children. Somehow, this prolific author manages to juggle it all - family, career, and marriage - while reaching a level of success to which few can aspire.
aka Heather Graham, Shannon Drake
Heather Graham was born on March 15, 1953 and grew up in Dade County, Florida, and attended the University of South Florida at Tampa, majoring in theater arts and touring Europe and parts of Asia and Africa as part of her studies. After college, she acted in dinner theaters, modeled, waitressed, and tended bar. She married Hershey Dennis Possezzere, and after the birth of her third child, she was determined to devote her efforts to her writing: her dream. She sold her first book in 1982.
Today, this author's success is reflected not just by reader response and the over 20 million copies of her books in print, but in many other ways. In addition to being a New York Times bestselling author, Heather has received numerous awards for her novels, including over 20 trade awards from magazines such as Romantic Times and Affaire de Coeur, bestseller awards from B. Dalton, Waldenbooks, and BookRak, and several Reviewers' Choice and People's Choice awards.
Heather has appeared on Entertainment Tonight, Romantically Speaking, a TV talk show that aired nationwide on the Romance Classics cable channel, and CBS Sunday News. She has been quoted in People and USA Today, been profiled in The Nation, and featured in Good Housekeeping. Her books have been selections for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild. She has been published across the world in more than 15 languages and has published over 70 titles, including anthologies and short stories.
Now, she had five children. Somehow, this prolific author manages to juggle it all - family, career, and marriage - while reaching a level of success to which few can aspire.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
October 11, 2009
I have conflicted feelings about this book. First off, I'm a huge fan of Heather Graham/Shannon Drake (SD is Heather's pseudonym). And there were several aspects to this book that I really liked; I thought the historical flashbacks were the best part of the story. I also loved the character of Lucian who is the main focus of the next book in the series When Darkness Falls. However, the things that I found irritating about the story began to pile up towards the end of the book. HG/SD is known to have a fondness for sappy dialogue, which doesn't bother me in small doses. Here, it was used to a near constant distraction. Also, the climax of the 'mystery' (which really wasn't a mystery at all, since the killer was made obvious by about 20 pages in)seemed a little over-the-top.
I plan on continuing on with the series, and am hopeful that Lucian's story will not leave me disappointed.
I plan on continuing on with the series, and am hopeful that Lucian's story will not leave me disappointed.
September 16, 2018
I had the whole series sitting on my shelves for years so I finally decided it was time to give it a try.
If you are expecting a Ward, Cole or Frost,... (you get my drift) kind of vampires book you might be disappointed and probably won't like it. But if you are open to another take on the PNR, love a good romantic-suspense plot, great characters and dialogues, you should give it a try.
This book is a very good mix of PRN and RS with a tiny little touch of reincarnation. A thing I love about Heather Graham/Shannon Drake is that she knows her history and she made the most of the cities she chose to set her story in. The flashbacks added another dimension to the story and will take you from nowadays New-Orleans to Victoria era London. The transition between historical and present writing is very smooth.
That being said, I don't understand how Oakville (the name of the hero's family house) suddenly transitioned into Ashville in the last chapters. Just saying.
If you are expecting a Ward, Cole or Frost,... (you get my drift) kind of vampires book you might be disappointed and probably won't like it. But if you are open to another take on the PNR, love a good romantic-suspense plot, great characters and dialogues, you should give it a try.
This book is a very good mix of PRN and RS with a tiny little touch of reincarnation. A thing I love about Heather Graham/Shannon Drake is that she knows her history and she made the most of the cities she chose to set her story in. The flashbacks added another dimension to the story and will take you from nowadays New-Orleans to Victoria era London. The transition between historical and present writing is very smooth.
That being said, I don't understand how Oakville (the name of the hero's family house) suddenly transitioned into Ashville in the last chapters. Just saying.
December 21, 2012
This book has been in my book case for YEARS!!!! Just never gotten around to reading it, like so many of my other books, especially the older ones. You know how it is, a new book comes out and you want to read them.
It is very easy to tell that this book was written in the 90s. Not that this is a bad thing, it's the type of vampire novel that gotten me into the PNR. Something that I really liked was how both Countess Elizabeth Báthory and Jack the Ripper were both mentioned(both who I am very fascinated with), Jack more so but for reason I won't get into because I'm not in a use spoiler kind of mood.
I will admit that this book did take me sometime to get into and I think it's because I have gotten to used to today's PNR books, that it just took me a moment to realized that this was one of the older ones. Once it had my attention I really enjoyed it, I liked how it went back and forth in modern times and the past. Over all this was really good paranormal romantic suspense novel. I'm looking forward to reading more by Shannon Drake/Heather Graham.
It is very easy to tell that this book was written in the 90s. Not that this is a bad thing, it's the type of vampire novel that gotten me into the PNR. Something that I really liked was how both Countess Elizabeth Báthory and Jack the Ripper were both mentioned(both who I am very fascinated with), Jack more so but for reason I won't get into because I'm not in a use spoiler kind of mood.
I will admit that this book did take me sometime to get into and I think it's because I have gotten to used to today's PNR books, that it just took me a moment to realized that this was one of the older ones. Once it had my attention I really enjoyed it, I liked how it went back and forth in modern times and the past. Over all this was really good paranormal romantic suspense novel. I'm looking forward to reading more by Shannon Drake/Heather Graham.
March 15, 2008
Shannah was right (thank you, Shannah!) about this book. The characters were interesting, and you could feel the static between them, the sparks dragging you right into the story. Drake's descriptions brought you right there, as if watching it all from the sidelines. The action was terrific, some scenes emotional. The plot was interesting, even if you knew who and what was going on, it was how the story got the climax and ended that kept you riveted. I've already got the next three books in the series, and I'm on the second one now. Definitely a book worth reading if you like a mix of historical and present day. Awesome read.
June 16, 2010
I think once I realized this book was from 1999, my opinion became a little less harsh. I've noticed that the best paranormal romances are much more recent. Maybe we're all more vampire-tolerant, and pro-werewolf now :)
I liked the glimpses into the past of Magdalena's life, but I didn't like the way the author made it so ambiguous that Maggie was Magdalena...especially when it was obvious that she was.
I'm not a huge fan of murder/mysteries, so that being a huge aspect of the book kinda turned me off. It's not a blood and guts thing, and since this killer (aaron carter) had a very Jack-the-Ripper thing going...could Carter have been the REAL Jack? He was a vampire, so it's possible, but we might never know.
But really I loved the beginning of the book-Antebellum New Orleans, and plantations, and balls...loved it. Then the murders began and I got annoyed with the flashbacks not being helpful, just confusing and annoying. But since it's not my typical paranormal romance style, I'll rate it a 2 star book- it was okay.
I liked the glimpses into the past of Magdalena's life, but I didn't like the way the author made it so ambiguous that Maggie was Magdalena...especially when it was obvious that she was.
I'm not a huge fan of murder/mysteries, so that being a huge aspect of the book kinda turned me off. It's not a blood and guts thing, and since this killer (aaron carter) had a very Jack-the-Ripper thing going...could Carter have been the REAL Jack? He was a vampire, so it's possible, but we might never know.
But really I loved the beginning of the book-Antebellum New Orleans, and plantations, and balls...loved it. Then the murders began and I got annoyed with the flashbacks not being helpful, just confusing and annoying. But since it's not my typical paranormal romance style, I'll rate it a 2 star book- it was okay.
April 12, 2010
The first of Shannon Drake's vampire books, it takes place in New Orleans of the present and the past. There are good vampires hunting the bad vampires and lots of romance. This was the first vampire romance that I ever read and I have to say that it is one of the best. I am not so much a romance reader as a mystery and paranormal reader, so maybe that is why this book had so much appeal. I have read it several times.
June 17, 2015
Review in czech language.
Dlouho předtím, než se roztrhl pytel s paranormálními romancemi, přišla Shannon Drake, autorka známá především svými historickými romancemi, s prvním dílem romantické upíří série stručně nazvané Upíři. První díl zavádí čtenáře do současného New Orleans, kde se množí případy vražd až příliš podobné stylu Jacka Rozparovače.
Sean Canady coby zasloužilý policista a bývalý voják už ve službě viděl a zažil hodně nepříjemných věcí. Brutální vraždy prostitutky a pasáka ovšem zamávaly i s ním. Krvavé stopy související s tímto případem vedou až ke dveřím butiku, jenž vede Maggie Montgomeryová. Sean je při výslechu této nyní hlavní podezřelé nádhernou ženou okamžitě okouzlen. Společně se snaží zjistit, kdo za vraždami stojí. Maggie ovšem skrývá temné tajemství, jež sahá hluboko do minulosti – a pojí ji s tímto odhodlaným detektivem.
Ústřední pár tvoří poněkud kýčovitě policista a hlavní podezřelá v případu, jež Sean vyšetřuje. Postavy všechny do jedné postrádají hloubku, působí ploše, nezajímavě a nesympaticky. Maggie hlubší dojem v čtenáři nezanechá, je nevýrazná, vlažná a v podstatě nudná. Sean, jakkoli ho autorka představuje jako tvrdého a drsného poldu, hned na začátku příběhu ztrácí svou auru téměř okamžitým zamilováním se do hlavní podezřelé a celkově neodpovídá představě drsňáckého poldy, pro nějž je zákon nade vše, byť je tak autorkou představován. Jedinou zajímavější postavou je král upírů Lucian, který ovšem příliš prostoru nedostává. V příběhu se vyskytuje velké množství vedlejších postav, které nejsou ničím zajímavé, v zástupu jmen se tak může čtenář ztrácet.
Děj odehrávající se v současném New Orleans je doplněn náhledy do minulosti Maggieiny rodiny od Magdaleny, jež se v první polovině 19. století zamilovala do upíra, přes Meg, jež sledovala, jak její milovaný Sean Canady, prapředek hlavního hrdiny, umírá v občanské válce, po Megan, která v Londýně ztratila své blízké při řádění Jacka Rozparovače. Tyto náhledy nabízejí zajímavý pohled na tehdejší společnost a události.
Autorka seznamuje čtenáře se svým pojetím upírů, s jejich pravidly, vlastnostmi a zákony. Shannon Drake vyšla ze základů, jaké nabízí lidové povídačky, ale poupravila si je a dodala stručné informace o upíří politice a zákonech. Ve výsledku tak představuje upíry silné, rychlé, schopné se měnit v mlhu. Světlo jim nevadí, jedí krev i lidské jídlo. Jejich kousnutí člověka buď promění, zabije nebo oběť zešílí, záleží na množství ztracené krve. Zabití jiného upíra, které je možné pouze setnutím hlavy, se trestá smrtí. Nestárnou, ale mohou se poranit a jejich rány se léčí pomalu, často celá staletí. A jak autorka naznačuje, z upírství se lze vyléčit. Upíři v této sérii tak jsou ve své podstatě dokonalými a neporazitelnými predátory, které nemají přirozeného nepřátele a je téměř nemožné je zabít.
Autorka si kromě pojetí upírů pohrála také s teorií o Jacku Rozparovači a nabízí své vlastní vysvětlení tehdejších událostí. Pro ty, kdo nejsou s případem tohoto nikdy nedopadeného sériového vraha seznámeni, tak mohou narážky na tohoto zabijáka a jeho případ unikat. Na své si v románu přijdou i příznivci teorie reinkarnace, s níž autorka také pracuje.
Čtenářský zážitek z knihy může kazit poněkud těžkopádný styl psaní, ploché postavy a také množství faktografických chyb. Směr, kudy se bude příběh ubíhat, je jasný již od prvopočátku a jediné větší překvapení, kterého se čtenáři mají v závěru dočkat, je zřejmé již od první třetiny románu. Dialogy i scénář příběhu jsou spíše podprůměrné a drží se schématu, jaké čtenář očekává od naivních historických romancí bez hlubšího podtextu, čemuž odpovídá i jazykové zpracování. Milostné scény, popisy detektivní práce ani akční sekvence nefungují, závěr samotný je svou kýčovitostí a přeslazeností hodný jihoamerické telenovely.
Od Shannon Drakeové jsem svého času přečetla množství historických romancí, které jsem si velmi oblíbila a které Drake vskutku umí psát. Romány odehrávající se v současnosti jí ovšem zas tolik nejdou a Pod rudým měsícem je toho důkazem vzhledem k tomu, že nejzajímavějšími částmi jsou právě historické úseky. Fanoušci tvorby této autorky tak mohou být z tohoto díla zklamaní, stejně jako čtenářky a případní čtenáři žánru paranormální romance a detektivek. První díl této šestidílné série nemá čím nadchnout, na druhou stranu ani neurazí, a pokud máte večer problémy se spaním, třeba vám tato kniha pomůže lépe než sklenice horkého mléka či hypnogen.
-----
Dojmy pod dočtení.
Panebože, tohle byl děs. Příběhově, postavami, jazykově. Vyhozený peníze, ztracenej čas. Dala bych jednu hvězdu, ale pohledy do minulosti, scény s Lucianem a zajímavé pojetí upírů to trochu pozvedlo. Jinak mizérie. Plná recenze později.
Dlouho předtím, než se roztrhl pytel s paranormálními romancemi, přišla Shannon Drake, autorka známá především svými historickými romancemi, s prvním dílem romantické upíří série stručně nazvané Upíři. První díl zavádí čtenáře do současného New Orleans, kde se množí případy vražd až příliš podobné stylu Jacka Rozparovače.
Sean Canady coby zasloužilý policista a bývalý voják už ve službě viděl a zažil hodně nepříjemných věcí. Brutální vraždy prostitutky a pasáka ovšem zamávaly i s ním. Krvavé stopy související s tímto případem vedou až ke dveřím butiku, jenž vede Maggie Montgomeryová. Sean je při výslechu této nyní hlavní podezřelé nádhernou ženou okamžitě okouzlen. Společně se snaží zjistit, kdo za vraždami stojí. Maggie ovšem skrývá temné tajemství, jež sahá hluboko do minulosti – a pojí ji s tímto odhodlaným detektivem.
Ústřední pár tvoří poněkud kýčovitě policista a hlavní podezřelá v případu, jež Sean vyšetřuje. Postavy všechny do jedné postrádají hloubku, působí ploše, nezajímavě a nesympaticky. Maggie hlubší dojem v čtenáři nezanechá, je nevýrazná, vlažná a v podstatě nudná. Sean, jakkoli ho autorka představuje jako tvrdého a drsného poldu, hned na začátku příběhu ztrácí svou auru téměř okamžitým zamilováním se do hlavní podezřelé a celkově neodpovídá představě drsňáckého poldy, pro nějž je zákon nade vše, byť je tak autorkou představován. Jedinou zajímavější postavou je král upírů Lucian, který ovšem příliš prostoru nedostává. V příběhu se vyskytuje velké množství vedlejších postav, které nejsou ničím zajímavé, v zástupu jmen se tak může čtenář ztrácet.
Děj odehrávající se v současném New Orleans je doplněn náhledy do minulosti Maggieiny rodiny od Magdaleny, jež se v první polovině 19. století zamilovala do upíra, přes Meg, jež sledovala, jak její milovaný Sean Canady, prapředek hlavního hrdiny, umírá v občanské válce, po Megan, která v Londýně ztratila své blízké při řádění Jacka Rozparovače. Tyto náhledy nabízejí zajímavý pohled na tehdejší společnost a události.
Autorka seznamuje čtenáře se svým pojetím upírů, s jejich pravidly, vlastnostmi a zákony. Shannon Drake vyšla ze základů, jaké nabízí lidové povídačky, ale poupravila si je a dodala stručné informace o upíří politice a zákonech. Ve výsledku tak představuje upíry silné, rychlé, schopné se měnit v mlhu. Světlo jim nevadí, jedí krev i lidské jídlo. Jejich kousnutí člověka buď promění, zabije nebo oběť zešílí, záleží na množství ztracené krve. Zabití jiného upíra, které je možné pouze setnutím hlavy, se trestá smrtí. Nestárnou, ale mohou se poranit a jejich rány se léčí pomalu, často celá staletí. A jak autorka naznačuje, z upírství se lze vyléčit. Upíři v této sérii tak jsou ve své podstatě dokonalými a neporazitelnými predátory, které nemají přirozeného nepřátele a je téměř nemožné je zabít.
Autorka si kromě pojetí upírů pohrála také s teorií o Jacku Rozparovači a nabízí své vlastní vysvětlení tehdejších událostí. Pro ty, kdo nejsou s případem tohoto nikdy nedopadeného sériového vraha seznámeni, tak mohou narážky na tohoto zabijáka a jeho případ unikat. Na své si v románu přijdou i příznivci teorie reinkarnace, s níž autorka také pracuje.
Čtenářský zážitek z knihy může kazit poněkud těžkopádný styl psaní, ploché postavy a také množství faktografických chyb. Směr, kudy se bude příběh ubíhat, je jasný již od prvopočátku a jediné větší překvapení, kterého se čtenáři mají v závěru dočkat, je zřejmé již od první třetiny románu. Dialogy i scénář příběhu jsou spíše podprůměrné a drží se schématu, jaké čtenář očekává od naivních historických romancí bez hlubšího podtextu, čemuž odpovídá i jazykové zpracování. Milostné scény, popisy detektivní práce ani akční sekvence nefungují, závěr samotný je svou kýčovitostí a přeslazeností hodný jihoamerické telenovely.
Od Shannon Drakeové jsem svého času přečetla množství historických romancí, které jsem si velmi oblíbila a které Drake vskutku umí psát. Romány odehrávající se v současnosti jí ovšem zas tolik nejdou a Pod rudým měsícem je toho důkazem vzhledem k tomu, že nejzajímavějšími částmi jsou právě historické úseky. Fanoušci tvorby této autorky tak mohou být z tohoto díla zklamaní, stejně jako čtenářky a případní čtenáři žánru paranormální romance a detektivek. První díl této šestidílné série nemá čím nadchnout, na druhou stranu ani neurazí, a pokud máte večer problémy se spaním, třeba vám tato kniha pomůže lépe než sklenice horkého mléka či hypnogen.
-----
Dojmy pod dočtení.
Panebože, tohle byl děs. Příběhově, postavami, jazykově. Vyhozený peníze, ztracenej čas. Dala bych jednu hvězdu, ale pohledy do minulosti, scény s Lucianem a zajímavé pojetí upírů to trochu pozvedlo. Jinak mizérie. Plná recenze později.
March 27, 2016
I don't like to say this especially about an author I love...but this book was bad bad bad. Basically everything about it was bad. I liked the premise of tying modern day murders to the ripper murders through the use of vamp mythology...but that's the only positive i have to say about it. There were a bunch of...i want to say ethereal but that's too poetic for this mess...threads of story line that never really seemed to tie together. The flashbacks were annoying and largely unnecessary they took you out of the story and would have been better served just being shortened to one prologue. The romance, if you could call it that, was utter crap. They start trading i love yous after like 2 days of knowing each other. THEY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT EACH OTHER!!!! How can you love someone you've only just met?! So I didn't buy into modern day true love but that's ok guys because reincarnation is involved. WAIT WHAT?! where did that even come from...and why was it not developed at ALL?! so i couldn't really get behind that avenue of love either. so what was left was just lust. Speaking of can we PLEASE talk about how the first sex scenes is basically a rape? She repeatedly says she's not into it, that she wants him to leave, and still he molests her on the floor giving her rug burn. he was just in general a dick, attacking her for no reason, trying to get all he man i know best so im gonna just push you around bit. AND SHE LET HIM *gag*. The plot kinda dragged you know who the killer is and what he is and why he kills and yet it takes over a hundred pages to really even acknowledge it because we're so bogged down in this crap romance. The writing is also not up to grahams usual fare. You can totally tell this is an earlier work because its a mess. Non sequiturs galore, sentences that make no sense, run on sentences. Just a few final thoughts: the villains name is aaron carter....i somehow just couldnt be properly terrified of him because of that. Also the amount of religious undertones was a little annoying to a non christian reader. Lastly, if you're going to set a book in a city beloved by so many you should really make an effort to spell the street names correctly. I was literally just in NOLA which is why i know the hero lived on CONTI st not conte... -_-
Bottom line: this is one to skip and i definitely won't be reading any more of this series
Bottom line: this is one to skip and i definitely won't be reading any more of this series
April 5, 2016
What I enjoy the most about Heather's books in this series, is they are taking place in New Orleans. Always found New Orleans interesting with all the culture, voodoo, cemeteries and stories.
Immortal Danger/Immortal Love
In this book you start at the beginning; New Orleans 1840, Magdalena Montgomery falls in love, but her father disapproves of him, not because he is French as Magdalena tells him. Her father feels there is a darker secret that he is hiding. Then come Maggie Montgomery, the future ancestor of Magdalena, who owns the family boutique and has hidden her true nature for centuries. A murder occurs just down the road from her boutique, Lieutenant Sean Canady follow a trail of blood to her door. Sean is stunned and has feelings for Maggie as soon as he meets her, then he finds out from his father that the Canady and Montgomery families have crossed paths in the past, what secrets are hidden in this past connection to the families. Since Sean has been smitten by Maggie, will he find the killer, learn Maggie's true nature, leave her once Lucian, a friend, comes in the picture or will it cost him his father and Maggie to get the killer.
It is just a well written story and I really enjoyed reading it. I've decided to try and get the other books in this series, I have recieved 3 of them already, now just have to order the others.
Immortal Danger/Immortal Love
In this book you start at the beginning; New Orleans 1840, Magdalena Montgomery falls in love, but her father disapproves of him, not because he is French as Magdalena tells him. Her father feels there is a darker secret that he is hiding. Then come Maggie Montgomery, the future ancestor of Magdalena, who owns the family boutique and has hidden her true nature for centuries. A murder occurs just down the road from her boutique, Lieutenant Sean Canady follow a trail of blood to her door. Sean is stunned and has feelings for Maggie as soon as he meets her, then he finds out from his father that the Canady and Montgomery families have crossed paths in the past, what secrets are hidden in this past connection to the families. Since Sean has been smitten by Maggie, will he find the killer, learn Maggie's true nature, leave her once Lucian, a friend, comes in the picture or will it cost him his father and Maggie to get the killer.
It is just a well written story and I really enjoyed reading it. I've decided to try and get the other books in this series, I have recieved 3 of them already, now just have to order the others.
October 15, 2013
Good is good and evil is evil...even through the decades. The year is 1840, the place is a plantation in New Orleans, the most beautiful girl is 18 and in love with a Frenchman her family does not approve of, because he IS a vampire luring her to her doom...or is he?. When 18 year old Magdalena escapes through a window to be with the man she loves, she will start a chain of events that will cover the next 170+ years of sad abandonment by all that she has ever known. With evil stalking her through time, a little known saying is the answer to all her hopes: True Love will set you free. But Magdalena has given up looking for love, because whenever she thinks she's in love, she loses the one she loves through death. Will Magdalena survive the approaching evil, or will she confront it and let it have her to save the one she has come to care for more than her own existence? Find a wonderful story in the re-release of "Beneath the Blood Read Moon". It just shows you how a well written book can be re-released 14 years later to be enjoyed by those of us who didn't find it the first time around!
July 11, 2016
This was good for a little while, but it quickly turned into one of those "let’s throw everything plus the kitchen sink in here" stories. I was good with it when it was just murdering vampires tied into a hot and heavy love story, but then we have tie-ins to Jack the Ripper and the Civil War and by the time we got to the reincarnation I was done with it. I actually gave it up about 75% of the way through, pretty much unheard of with me. And have I mentioned that these vampires follow almost NONE of the rules that vampires normally follow? Not even with variations. This led to them being pretty much untouchable, and I think that what makes vampire books work is that humans have some way of being safe from them. It’s no good if the monster doesn’t have a fatal flaw. So to sum it up, I was disappointed.
January 15, 2016
Huge trigger warning for rape, including at the hands of a cop who seems to think that no means yes, and consent culture is bullshit.
I was loving the prose, and the characters are evocative, but when the main character seems totally okay with this guy forcing himself on her despite her words to the contrary, I'm out. We should be promoting consent culture, and this isn't it. Kink and consensual non-consent are completely different from this.
I was loving the prose, and the characters are evocative, but when the main character seems totally okay with this guy forcing himself on her despite her words to the contrary, I'm out. We should be promoting consent culture, and this isn't it. Kink and consensual non-consent are completely different from this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2008
Ooohhh nice! I like that it was present day vampires but also read Maggie's past. How she came to be and what brought her to be the vampire she was now. I like the soul connection with her man, Sean. I loved Lucian. Why does the heroine always have more than one man in love with her?
No quotes.
No quotes.
August 13, 2016
Great book! It's a suspenseful, romantic, historical, detective-type vampire murder mystery. There are so many elements to this book that it's a bit hard to describe, but it's wonderful. It's not incredibly predictable, but comfortably so, and so intriguing that I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend if you like complex, well-written novels about eternal love.
June 8, 2015
Really a 3.5 stars book. Most of it was interesting , but towards the end it was like a quick deflation balloon. Could have used more "umph" during the last quarter of the story. I plan on reading more of the series though.
August 16, 2014
I actually read this one after I read number 2. I enjoyed it more, great characters in this one.
September 13, 2014
A great vampire story, done befoe vampires became "over done". Interesting take on vampire history and lore. Very likeable characters and the start of a great series.
try-again
December 9, 2021didn't like the back and forth between times in the book. Was confusing to me.
February 2, 2018
Through the centuries Le Vieux Carre has seen some strange things, but when Lt. Sean Canady follows a trail of blood from the decapitated body of a pimp to the doors of Montgomery Enterprises, there is a new level of different. From the moment he meets her, Sean is drawn to Maggie Montgomery and she feels the same, though at first she won't admit it. She's seen generations of Canady's pass at their nearby plantation and even loved one or two before. You see she's a vampire determined to live as just and moral a life as she would if her soul were not damned, and she does not want to bring Sean into the danger of her life.
I struggled with the rating on this book. On one hand, it has the classic Heather Graham formula of suspense, romance and friendship. On the other hand, I'm not sure I love her vampire mythology. Maggie comes across as slightly enhanced and completely unwilling or unable to use her vampire powers the way others do.
And, if I can offer yet another hand, there's the rape she learns to enjoy, while she develops deep feelings of friendship from the man who spends a century giving her no choice. There's the fact that her "sensual nature" means that she enjoys when men master her sexually. The sex scenes all feature the word force, while words like grab and violence make an appearance. This is an older book from a "simpler" time when readers were taught that we were supposed to find that kind of thing romantic. It's also a vampire romance and I've never read many of them, not because I'm not interested in the concept, but because this is a basic piece of vampire romance.
It's why I didn't make it past Twilight. Supernatural romance tends to used the physical power of the beings involved as an excuse for calling rape "forced seduction." He has the power to sneak into her room, follow her and even get into her head, but it's all because he loves her. It's abuse.
I read a book in the series several years ago and I don't remember that it was like this, but I was younger and more indoctrinated into this concept then. I may still try another to see if the books grew with the times.
I struggled with the rating on this book. On one hand, it has the classic Heather Graham formula of suspense, romance and friendship. On the other hand, I'm not sure I love her vampire mythology. Maggie comes across as slightly enhanced and completely unwilling or unable to use her vampire powers the way others do.
And, if I can offer yet another hand, there's the rape she learns to enjoy, while she develops deep feelings of friendship from the man who spends a century giving her no choice. There's the fact that her "sensual nature" means that she enjoys when men master her sexually. The sex scenes all feature the word force, while words like grab and violence make an appearance. This is an older book from a "simpler" time when readers were taught that we were supposed to find that kind of thing romantic. It's also a vampire romance and I've never read many of them, not because I'm not interested in the concept, but because this is a basic piece of vampire romance.
It's why I didn't make it past Twilight. Supernatural romance tends to used the physical power of the beings involved as an excuse for calling rape "forced seduction." He has the power to sneak into her room, follow her and even get into her head, but it's all because he loves her. It's abuse.
I read a book in the series several years ago and I don't remember that it was like this, but I was younger and more indoctrinated into this concept then. I may still try another to see if the books grew with the times.
February 16, 2024
I will admit that at first, I found this book kind of slow. I wasn't that invested in the story or the characters and may have secretly thought, "What did I get myself into?" However, after about 75 pages, it picked up and the last 50 or so pages were so action-packed, and the ending was very satisfying.
Maggie runs a boutique in New Orleans and meets Sean, a detective, and his partner, Jack, when there is a pimp murdered outside her headquarters. Someone is killing the seedier characters of New Orleans in very disturbing manners, reminiscent of Jack the Ripper. Maggie and Sean grow closer as the mystery unravels and slowly, both seem to realize Maggie may know more about the killer than even she initially realizes. Oh, and did I mention Maggie is a centuries-old vampire and in order for the killer to be stopped, Sean and Jack may just have to believe in something they always considered to be a myth.
This book is told in current-day time as well as historical flashbacks where we get to learn more about what make Maggie such an unusual vampire. Sean and Maggie cannot fight their attraction and as the book progresses, the reader learns how destined to be together the couple really is. If you enjoy paranormal romance, which is a bit heavy on some thriller aspects, then this might be something you want to check out.
Maggie runs a boutique in New Orleans and meets Sean, a detective, and his partner, Jack, when there is a pimp murdered outside her headquarters. Someone is killing the seedier characters of New Orleans in very disturbing manners, reminiscent of Jack the Ripper. Maggie and Sean grow closer as the mystery unravels and slowly, both seem to realize Maggie may know more about the killer than even she initially realizes. Oh, and did I mention Maggie is a centuries-old vampire and in order for the killer to be stopped, Sean and Jack may just have to believe in something they always considered to be a myth.
This book is told in current-day time as well as historical flashbacks where we get to learn more about what make Maggie such an unusual vampire. Sean and Maggie cannot fight their attraction and as the book progresses, the reader learns how destined to be together the couple really is. If you enjoy paranormal romance, which is a bit heavy on some thriller aspects, then this might be something you want to check out.
October 14, 2019
Another Heather Graham masterpiece!
All of her novels are special,, and they draw the reader into the story so completely that it is difficult to remember that you are reading it and not LIVING it! This one was so different from her usual because it was in the realm of vampires, and yet she still gave the same care to details and emotions that make her books so interesting as well as believable. Anyone who likes vampire novels should definitely give this one your consideration!
All of her novels are special,, and they draw the reader into the story so completely that it is difficult to remember that you are reading it and not LIVING it! This one was so different from her usual because it was in the realm of vampires, and yet she still gave the same care to details and emotions that make her books so interesting as well as believable. Anyone who likes vampire novels should definitely give this one your consideration!
June 23, 2024
I don't normally give 5 stars but I really enjoyed this and it took me by surprise. I barely noticed the long chapters because I couldn't remove my head from the book. I loved the prologue and then the characters history mixed with the present. I wasn't sure I loved the relationship between Sean and Maggie at first. Sean was really sexualizing Maggie and was always saying he wanted to sleep with her and then when they did and she wanted to slow down his reaction was a big red flag. It was good and I liked the ending it fit with the characters. Maggie was miserable being a vampire.
July 10, 2018
HOOKED.....LINE & SINKER!
This series just keeps getting better and better!
I’ve read the “prologue book”, and have now finished book 1.
Definitely getting book 2, NOW!
This series is PERFECT “Summer Reading,” for those that love vampires!
Heather’s characters are phenomenal! Believable personalities that each shine in their own unique way!
I’m such a new fan!
Thank you, Heather!
This series just keeps getting better and better!
I’ve read the “prologue book”, and have now finished book 1.
Definitely getting book 2, NOW!
This series is PERFECT “Summer Reading,” for those that love vampires!
Heather’s characters are phenomenal! Believable personalities that each shine in their own unique way!
I’m such a new fan!
Thank you, Heather!
February 12, 2019
I went back and forth between two and three stars. The story was solid, and if you’re into a bit of a Jack-the-Ripper plot line this is for you. I really enjoyed the New Orleans setting, and had no issue finishing the book even though murder mystery’s aren’t typically my go to. I will note that one slightly distracting thing was the author’s constant use of exclamation points, but that’s a style thing.
September 15, 2017
c1999. The book I read was issued under the name of Heather Graham but, boy, what a lot of tripe. If I had not paid for it, I would not have carried on reading until the end. But, I did. It has all the elements that made urban fantasy a bit of a joke - insta-love, kooky dialogue, family and friends being threatened, fake history and a gushy love story thrown in for good measure. Avoid!
July 19, 2024
This is my favorite book of all time. I used to sit out on my front porch swing and read it every Autumn and then my daughter as a toddler got ahold of it. I need to grab me another copy. But I’d love to re-read it. It’s been years. It’s got paranormal, romance, a historical feel, and mystery. I couldn’t put it down (every time I re-visited it.)
September 11, 2018
Another great book by Heather Graham. I am not sure why this says Shannon Drake, when the book cover clearly says Heather Graham.
The beginning was a little brutal, but once the current story started, it improved drastically.
This was the first of the Alliance Vampires series.
The beginning was a little brutal, but once the current story started, it improved drastically.
This was the first of the Alliance Vampires series.
October 15, 2019
Really enjoyable read. Loved the characters. My father suggested this book and it was pretty steamy which made it kind of embracing to enjoy heat on the pages from a book suggested he said was good. Lol
August 16, 2020
Good read
I happened upon this series while going thru amazons section from Heather . I love a good vampire story. I’ve read two so far, five to go. Great characters. Maybe a little gory but it is a vampire story. I’ll read on.
I happened upon this series while going thru amazons section from Heather . I love a good vampire story. I’ve read two so far, five to go. Great characters. Maybe a little gory but it is a vampire story. I’ll read on.
July 5, 2018
I think I outgrew old vampire romances.
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