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In Blood #1
Secrets in Blood
What makes us human?
Centuries old, the vampire never dreamed he’d meet his end in a silver cage. Or by a human’s hand.
After years of torture, he's ready to give up hope. Until he meets his torturer’s beautiful daughter.
Trapped in a life she didn’t choose, under her father’s control, Evangeline longs for escape. For freedom.
Until the vampire calls to her.
Will she risk everything to free him? Or will the secrets in her blood destroy them both?
Not all vampires are evil.
Not all humans are weak.
Love to last an eternity is within reach—if death doesn’t claim them first.
You'll love this steamy romance because a vampire's bite can claim you forever.
Get it now!
Centuries old, the vampire never dreamed he’d meet his end in a silver cage. Or by a human’s hand.
After years of torture, he's ready to give up hope. Until he meets his torturer’s beautiful daughter.
Trapped in a life she didn’t choose, under her father’s control, Evangeline longs for escape. For freedom.
Until the vampire calls to her.
Will she risk everything to free him? Or will the secrets in her blood destroy them both?
Not all vampires are evil.
Not all humans are weak.
Love to last an eternity is within reach—if death doesn’t claim them first.
You'll love this steamy romance because a vampire's bite can claim you forever.
Get it now!
360 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 10, 2013
258 people are currently reading
368 people want to read
About the author
Patricia D. Eddy
77 books890 followersPatricia D. Eddy is a USA Today Bestselling Author who writes romance for the beautifully broken.
Fueled by coffee, wine, and Doctor Who episodes on repeat, she brings damaged heroes and heroines together to find their happy ever afters in many different worlds. From military to paranormal to BDSM, her characters are unstoppable forces colliding with such heat, sparks always fly.
Add Patricia's latest releases to your TBR list now!
and
Patricia makes her home in Seattle with her husband and very spoiled cats, and when she’s not writing, she loves working on home improvement projects, especially if they involve power tools.
Her Away From Keyboard series will always be her first love, because that’s where she realized the characters in her head were telling their own stories—and she was just writing them down.
You can find Patricia all over the web:
Website: https://patriciadeddy.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/patriciadeddyauthor
Instagram: https://instagram.com/patriciadeddy
Twitter: https://twitter.com/patriciadeddy
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/patri...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Patricia-D.-Ed...
Sign up for Patricia's newsletter to receive a free romantic suspense short story! https://patriciadeddy.com/mailinglist
Fueled by coffee, wine, and Doctor Who episodes on repeat, she brings damaged heroes and heroines together to find their happy ever afters in many different worlds. From military to paranormal to BDSM, her characters are unstoppable forces colliding with such heat, sparks always fly.
Add Patricia's latest releases to your TBR list now!
and
Patricia makes her home in Seattle with her husband and very spoiled cats, and when she’s not writing, she loves working on home improvement projects, especially if they involve power tools.
Her Away From Keyboard series will always be her first love, because that’s where she realized the characters in her head were telling their own stories—and she was just writing them down.
You can find Patricia all over the web:
Website: https://patriciadeddy.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/patriciadeddyauthor
Instagram: https://instagram.com/patriciadeddy
Twitter: https://twitter.com/patriciadeddy
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/patri...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Patricia-D.-Ed...
Sign up for Patricia's newsletter to receive a free romantic suspense short story! https://patriciadeddy.com/mailinglist
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
September 14, 2013
While visiting America, Italian vampire Nicola Angliatti tries to rescue a lost little girl, only to discover she is being used as bait. Captured by the extremists, restrained in silver, his body is used to develop the serum. Years later, near death, he’s discovered by that same little girl, now grown. The attraction between the two of them is instant and inexplicable. I received a copy of the book for an honest review.
So, I will say that this is a totally different take on vamps, which I liked. I loved how they met and how through the years Eva always thought of Nicola and he of her. There were times in the story that Eva made me want to slap her with an iron pan. I was like, what did she just say? Then she straightened herself out. Nicola, what isn't to love about him, I loved his confused emotions makes him so stinking cute! Lots of mystery with a dash of steamy, this was written well and has no cliff hanger, Yea!!
So, I will say that this is a totally different take on vamps, which I liked. I loved how they met and how through the years Eva always thought of Nicola and he of her. There were times in the story that Eva made me want to slap her with an iron pan. I was like, what did she just say? Then she straightened herself out. Nicola, what isn't to love about him, I loved his confused emotions makes him so stinking cute! Lots of mystery with a dash of steamy, this was written well and has no cliff hanger, Yea!!
February 12, 2014
Perfetto!
I learned a lot of Italian phrases and words from this book. Including the dirty ones, lol!
I love the cover! It's so simple yet intriguing. I love Eve's model and she matches her character.
I so looove this book! The storyline was great and it's not your typical vampire story. I love the twists. Really riveting and I was hooked.
The characters were well developed, too. Nicola is a very sexy hero. Strong yet gentle. Harsh yet compassionate. And he's got the Italian charm going on. I love Evangeline. She's my typical book heroine. I'm really a sucker for women who can kick ass- the hero's ass included. Eve is strong, independent, smart, and stands on her own beliefs. I love their chemistry. This is one hot couple, whew! Their love story is very interesting and charming. It was sooo romantic! Please excuse my blabber I'm still suffering from the after effects of this book.
There's nothing bad that I can say about this book.
I really love the story. It was fast paced with plenty of action and romance. I wasn't familiar with the author before but now I am a fan. The story was captivating and I was sucked from start to finish. The story details were vivid. Lots of erotic and steamy scenes, too. The sex scenes were very detailed but not smutty.
I'm glad there's a second book coming up. I can't get enough of Nic and Eve just yet. I want more!
If you love vampire romance you should definitely read this! 5 freaking stars for this!
I learned a lot of Italian phrases and words from this book. Including the dirty ones, lol!
I love the cover! It's so simple yet intriguing. I love Eve's model and she matches her character.
I so looove this book! The storyline was great and it's not your typical vampire story. I love the twists. Really riveting and I was hooked.
The characters were well developed, too. Nicola is a very sexy hero. Strong yet gentle. Harsh yet compassionate. And he's got the Italian charm going on. I love Evangeline. She's my typical book heroine. I'm really a sucker for women who can kick ass- the hero's ass included. Eve is strong, independent, smart, and stands on her own beliefs. I love their chemistry. This is one hot couple, whew! Their love story is very interesting and charming. It was sooo romantic! Please excuse my blabber I'm still suffering from the after effects of this book.
There's nothing bad that I can say about this book.
I really love the story. It was fast paced with plenty of action and romance. I wasn't familiar with the author before but now I am a fan. The story was captivating and I was sucked from start to finish. The story details were vivid. Lots of erotic and steamy scenes, too. The sex scenes were very detailed but not smutty.
I'm glad there's a second book coming up. I can't get enough of Nic and Eve just yet. I want more!
If you love vampire romance you should definitely read this! 5 freaking stars for this!
September 10, 2017
After reading the book summary and all of the four and five star reviews on "Secrets in Blood" I was truly looking forward to this read. Unfortunately, my experience was quite disappointing as compared to other readers.
Nicola is an ancient vampire responsible for enforcing the rules set forth by the vampire council. While in America he is captured by religious zealots known as the Hand of God while aiding a lost girl, Evageline return to her campsite. Nicola is held captive for over nineteen years while being used for experiments. The primary researcher, Henry, is also Eva's father but he doesn't have a fatherly bone in his evil body. As a matter of fact he uses Eva's blood to boost the results.
Nicola has never forgotten Eva and she hasn't forgotten him. After living under the unyielding abuse of Henry, Eva discovers that the vampire who kindly assisted her so many years prior was still alive and being experimented upon. She vows to help him escape. Now as Nicola and Eva attempt to seek freedom they must also face the reality that despite their differences they have one very real thing in common, love.
This read had little to no highs or lows. It was monotone with very little action, emotion, no levity and no joy. I struggled to finish this book and often stopped, questioning when it would get better. Unfortunately, it never did. To each his own. This was not for me!
Nicola is an ancient vampire responsible for enforcing the rules set forth by the vampire council. While in America he is captured by religious zealots known as the Hand of God while aiding a lost girl, Evageline return to her campsite. Nicola is held captive for over nineteen years while being used for experiments. The primary researcher, Henry, is also Eva's father but he doesn't have a fatherly bone in his evil body. As a matter of fact he uses Eva's blood to boost the results.
Nicola has never forgotten Eva and she hasn't forgotten him. After living under the unyielding abuse of Henry, Eva discovers that the vampire who kindly assisted her so many years prior was still alive and being experimented upon. She vows to help him escape. Now as Nicola and Eva attempt to seek freedom they must also face the reality that despite their differences they have one very real thing in common, love.
This read had little to no highs or lows. It was monotone with very little action, emotion, no levity and no joy. I struggled to finish this book and often stopped, questioning when it would get better. Unfortunately, it never did. To each his own. This was not for me!
October 19, 2017
Ever notice that when you read a really well written book you can get half way through before you really know how the main characters look? So when I started reading this book and right off the bat appearance descriptions started indelicately getting dropped warning bells started going off in my head about this authors writing capabilities. But I was intrigued anyways (and let's be honest, don't require the highest caliber of writing in my books) so I kept going. That experience is a pretty good description of my overall feelings throughout this book.
I wouldn't say the writing is bad per se. It felt more like the author was rushing to get ideas out as opposed to being incapable of good writing. This leaves the story with an uneven quality where some parts ended up more flushed out than others. By parts I mean pretty much everything: scenes, pacing, emotions, and development. Those that were flushed out an appropriate amount aren't bad though, and the first two thirds of the book are fascinating plot wise.
Then the last third happened and my oh my, the struggle for it to not become a DNF just got harder and harder. The authors writing completely falls apart in this section. It becomes repetitive, overly dramatic, little things don't quite make logical sense (Ex: pretty sure something is medically off with Eva's blood volume fluctuations, even taking into account supernatural elements affecting it), and the fanfic-y elements become increasingly more pronounced. Let me give you a few exerpts to give you an idea of what we are dealing with here:
1) after a fight scene with some men: "Evangeline went to work on the lock as Nicola guarded her back. She wanted him to hold her, to erase the memory of another man's hands on her, but they didn't have the time." Really? A little brawl necessitates your brain needing to be wiped clean with sex hormones?
2) after Nicola tells another vampire he would trust Eva, his lover at this point, with his life in order to get the other vampire to trust her: "She [Eva] stifled a sob." A sob? Over someone saying they trust you? How often are you sobbing in public?
Those may not seem so bad when there's just the two, but keep in mind these little things are happening over, and over again. A great deal of the problems arise from bonding (you know, when two supernatural creatures get magically and romantically attached to one another) getting introduced into the plot. Now, when one introduces something like a supernatural bonding, they need to do it with a little finesse. Take Captive Prince for example, the book with one of the most fanfic-y plots imaginable: the main character is a prince who gets betrayed by his brother and sold to be a sex slave for the enemy nations prince, whom oops, he might have killed the older brother of in war but wait, their situation only get more complicated as they start falling in love. Pretty over the top right? Loved it. It's an absolutely wonderfully written book and not once, not ONCE while reading it did I think it felt forced, unrealistic or over the top. Now, let's compare that to this book, where I felt constantly bombarded with impulsive actions, possessive behavior, uncalled for PDA, and general lovey-doveyness. And if that wasn't enough, the characters/author feel the need to REMIND you that this is happening every ten seconds with unnecessary statements about how they're bonding/bonded ("Now that we are bonding... " "As a bonded mate..." etc). The reader needs to know that when the characters start acting ridiculous, the author is aware they are acting ridiculous. They also need to be given something OTHER than ridiculous. The author fails to deliver this bare minimum and the result was a tedious, eye-rolling inducing read.
I wouldn't say the writing is bad per se. It felt more like the author was rushing to get ideas out as opposed to being incapable of good writing. This leaves the story with an uneven quality where some parts ended up more flushed out than others. By parts I mean pretty much everything: scenes, pacing, emotions, and development. Those that were flushed out an appropriate amount aren't bad though, and the first two thirds of the book are fascinating plot wise.
Then the last third happened and my oh my, the struggle for it to not become a DNF just got harder and harder. The authors writing completely falls apart in this section. It becomes repetitive, overly dramatic, little things don't quite make logical sense (Ex: pretty sure something is medically off with Eva's blood volume fluctuations, even taking into account supernatural elements affecting it), and the fanfic-y elements become increasingly more pronounced. Let me give you a few exerpts to give you an idea of what we are dealing with here:
1) after a fight scene with some men: "Evangeline went to work on the lock as Nicola guarded her back. She wanted him to hold her, to erase the memory of another man's hands on her, but they didn't have the time." Really? A little brawl necessitates your brain needing to be wiped clean with sex hormones?
2) after Nicola tells another vampire he would trust Eva, his lover at this point, with his life in order to get the other vampire to trust her: "She [Eva] stifled a sob." A sob? Over someone saying they trust you? How often are you sobbing in public?
Those may not seem so bad when there's just the two, but keep in mind these little things are happening over, and over again. A great deal of the problems arise from bonding (you know, when two supernatural creatures get magically and romantically attached to one another) getting introduced into the plot. Now, when one introduces something like a supernatural bonding, they need to do it with a little finesse. Take Captive Prince for example, the book with one of the most fanfic-y plots imaginable: the main character is a prince who gets betrayed by his brother and sold to be a sex slave for the enemy nations prince, whom oops, he might have killed the older brother of in war but wait, their situation only get more complicated as they start falling in love. Pretty over the top right? Loved it. It's an absolutely wonderfully written book and not once, not ONCE while reading it did I think it felt forced, unrealistic or over the top. Now, let's compare that to this book, where I felt constantly bombarded with impulsive actions, possessive behavior, uncalled for PDA, and general lovey-doveyness. And if that wasn't enough, the characters/author feel the need to REMIND you that this is happening every ten seconds with unnecessary statements about how they're bonding/bonded ("Now that we are bonding... " "As a bonded mate..." etc). The reader needs to know that when the characters start acting ridiculous, the author is aware they are acting ridiculous. They also need to be given something OTHER than ridiculous. The author fails to deliver this bare minimum and the result was a tedious, eye-rolling inducing read.
October 30, 2013
I was given this book to read, by the author, in exchange for an honest review:
Grab this book! I would have given it 4.50, but that is not an option.
Honestly, I am a cover person. The cover looks good, I grab it. This cover is not as good as it could be and I admit that if this were a store, and this book was obvious, I would have probably overlooked it. Man would I have been mad at myself! This book gripped me from page 10! This book has a sadist, a maniac cult, a torn woman, a beaten down man, and Italian. There is not much more you can ask for! It ends comfortably, so you aren't tilting your head going "huh" and leaves you with a taste of what is to come (Book 2, out in mid-2014).
As usual, I do pros and cons, and this list will be short, because there is almost nothing wrong! The only cons I have are some misspellings (which were warned at the time of being given to me) and I wanted more. This is not the author's fault, ok, maybe it is. She made the book so good I wanted to just keep going and going and going and going! That is really all there is wrong. The pro is that this book has love, action, adventure, angst (I LOVE ANGST) and you just want to reach out and hug poor Nic! Evie was a bit whiny and then all over him, then shoved him away. I never understood this logic in a plot, but it works in this one. I did not ONCE get the "Twilight syndrome" because older hot vamp meets pseudo damaged teen with no clue on how life really is. Evie is someone I could relate to and Nic sounded a lot like my husband; wise beyond his years and yet so adorable ALL the time.
IN a nutshell... BUY THIS! I LOVED IT, WHICH MEANS YOU SHOULD TOO! It is over 400 pages (roughly 460-480) and I read it in about 3 days. This while working full time, raising a teenager, taking care of two dogs, 3 cats, and a husband. It is worth the time it takes to flip the kindle pages. LOVED IT LOVED IT LOVED IT!
Grab this book! I would have given it 4.50, but that is not an option.
Honestly, I am a cover person. The cover looks good, I grab it. This cover is not as good as it could be and I admit that if this were a store, and this book was obvious, I would have probably overlooked it. Man would I have been mad at myself! This book gripped me from page 10! This book has a sadist, a maniac cult, a torn woman, a beaten down man, and Italian. There is not much more you can ask for! It ends comfortably, so you aren't tilting your head going "huh" and leaves you with a taste of what is to come (Book 2, out in mid-2014).
As usual, I do pros and cons, and this list will be short, because there is almost nothing wrong! The only cons I have are some misspellings (which were warned at the time of being given to me) and I wanted more. This is not the author's fault, ok, maybe it is. She made the book so good I wanted to just keep going and going and going and going! That is really all there is wrong. The pro is that this book has love, action, adventure, angst (I LOVE ANGST) and you just want to reach out and hug poor Nic! Evie was a bit whiny and then all over him, then shoved him away. I never understood this logic in a plot, but it works in this one. I did not ONCE get the "Twilight syndrome" because older hot vamp meets pseudo damaged teen with no clue on how life really is. Evie is someone I could relate to and Nic sounded a lot like my husband; wise beyond his years and yet so adorable ALL the time.
IN a nutshell... BUY THIS! I LOVED IT, WHICH MEANS YOU SHOULD TOO! It is over 400 pages (roughly 460-480) and I read it in about 3 days. This while working full time, raising a teenager, taking care of two dogs, 3 cats, and a husband. It is worth the time it takes to flip the kindle pages. LOVED IT LOVED IT LOVED IT!
January 4, 2014
This was a delightful read. A fun romp that kept me turning pages long after when I should have been asleep. A sweet love story with a wonderful twist. The girl does the saving instead of needing to be saved!
If there is such a thing as a vampire cozy romance this fits the bill. I want to spend more time with this couple & see what new adventures -read trouble- they get themselves into.
If there is such a thing as a vampire cozy romance this fits the bill. I want to spend more time with this couple & see what new adventures -read trouble- they get themselves into.
February 18, 2014
A fascinating world being created - I am intrigued how it is going to go on.
Initially when I started reading there was a moment of adjustment as the book packs a lot of information into the first few pages but then it grabs your attention and you cannot put it down anymore.
Initially when I started reading there was a moment of adjustment as the book packs a lot of information into the first few pages but then it grabs your attention and you cannot put it down anymore.
October 21, 2013
LOVE LOVE LOVE Nic and Eva she is strong and he is loving! Great twist to the whole vampire romance keep up the good work anxiously waiting for the sequel!
November 11, 2019
5 stars audio
2 stars story
2 stars story
January 26, 2015
I was provided a free copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.
Secrets in Blood by Patricia D. Eddy: Vampires are out and about in the world and integrating with the human population and all well. Or so they think. During mid 2005 plans are put in place to empower a fanatical group, the Hand of God, and to try to tip the scales in their favor to kill off the vampires. Henry Longo takes his pregnant wife and a handful of others into the underground bunker, the catacombs, to work on a way to stop the vampires from healing, and existing.
Years later Henry’s daughter, Eva, is out and about topside and runs into a vampire, Nicola Angliatti, and her world is turned upside-down. She realizes that vampires are not evil, soulless monsters that she should be terrified of that her father has drilled into her head. Nic helped her find her way back to her father, he showed her kindness, and for his deeds her father shoots him and takes him prisoner.
I really enjoyed this book. From the characters to the actual story line. Honestly I don’t normally dig all the sex, but it didn’t take anything away from this story. While Nic is prisoner and being beaten and burned you ache for him to be either killed or released. When Eva is beaten by her father for actually have an intelligent thought, you are so angered by his actions. You feel for each person, even Pietro at the end, the blasted SOB, you even feel sorry for him. I can guarantee that I will be re-reading this one next year. Its just too good not too!
Secrets in Blood by Patricia D. Eddy: Vampires are out and about in the world and integrating with the human population and all well. Or so they think. During mid 2005 plans are put in place to empower a fanatical group, the Hand of God, and to try to tip the scales in their favor to kill off the vampires. Henry Longo takes his pregnant wife and a handful of others into the underground bunker, the catacombs, to work on a way to stop the vampires from healing, and existing.
Years later Henry’s daughter, Eva, is out and about topside and runs into a vampire, Nicola Angliatti, and her world is turned upside-down. She realizes that vampires are not evil, soulless monsters that she should be terrified of that her father has drilled into her head. Nic helped her find her way back to her father, he showed her kindness, and for his deeds her father shoots him and takes him prisoner.
I really enjoyed this book. From the characters to the actual story line. Honestly I don’t normally dig all the sex, but it didn’t take anything away from this story. While Nic is prisoner and being beaten and burned you ache for him to be either killed or released. When Eva is beaten by her father for actually have an intelligent thought, you are so angered by his actions. You feel for each person, even Pietro at the end, the blasted SOB, you even feel sorry for him. I can guarantee that I will be re-reading this one next year. Its just too good not too!
July 19, 2018
This was one of those books that just captivates and you can't put it down.
Such a beautiful original love story.
It's wonderful when you find yourself so wrapped up in the characters, that you feel for what they're going through, down to your soul.
It was simply amazing and I'm so happy I don't have to wait at all for book 2... fewf!
Highly recommended!!!
Such a beautiful original love story.
It's wonderful when you find yourself so wrapped up in the characters, that you feel for what they're going through, down to your soul.
It was simply amazing and I'm so happy I don't have to wait at all for book 2... fewf!
Highly recommended!!!
September 13, 2018
I'll admit I scanned the last couple of chapters, but I could tell a cliff hangers was coming and wasn't in the mood for that.
July 25, 2018
What an adventure and what a romance. This is a must read. There was action, danger, brainwashing, torture, DNA manipulation, serum designed to kill, a deranged scientist, his innocent young daughter who was eight years old at the time and a vampire over eight hundred years old. The story was intriguing. It had my attention from page one. The story had so many twists and turns, ups and downs, plots and subplots. The characters, main and supporting, were well developed and well written. The book was written in a way that you could see in your mind’s eye what was happening and understood what that character were intensely feeling. It took me about six hours (with breaks) to read the book. But boy was it worth it. I could not put it down. I had to read straight through. It begins with the Hand of God religious group. They were on a secret mission to eradicate vampires from existence or make them mortal. Although the vampire Conclave (the ruling body of the vampires) had signed a treaty to respect humans and treat them as equals. This edict was not embraced by all vampires. The Hand of God members feared that they would become blood slaves. The faction of vampires opposing the edict was small. However, the humans did not care. The humans became zealots dedicated to killing all vampires. Henry Longo, a scientist, was such a man. The Bishop of the Hand of God gave Henry the assignment to gather a team of the brightest, smartest scientists from all over the world, and create an infallible serum, a vaccine, that would change the vampires into mortal beings. That was his mission for as long as it took. The Bishop had come up with a way to hide them from notice and from being caught. The Hand of God found catacombs left over from the cold war that were underground in the middle of nowhere in the state of Washington. This location was remodeled to allow the team to live there indefinitely while they research vampire blood to find the secrets of how they regenerate so fast and to find a way of stopping it from happening. While living underground Henry's wife died in childbirth. But the baby girl lived. Her name was Evangeline/Eva. After eight years, Henry's research stalled. He needed a live specimen to study. He used Eva as bait. She was but eight years old. Henry counted on Eva to wander the forest and get lost. Hopefully drawing the attention of a vampire. Nicola Angliatti was making his way on foot to Seattle for a Conclave meeting. He saw the lost child and he told her he would not harm her. She relaxed and went into his arms and cried. Told him she was lost. That she was with her father and his friends. They exchanged names. In order to distract Eva, he gave her his lucky coin. She gratefully accepted. Eva even at eight years old was an astute child. She did not like living in the catacombs and told Nicola that her father was mean. Eva asked if he would take her away with him. He smiled with wonder at the innocence and trust of the child. He said he would return her to her father. When they got nearer to Longo's camp, he stopped a ways from them and guided Eva toward them. Unfortunately, Longo's team was ready for him and shot him full of silver. Three things incapacitated vampires, silver would slow them, fire would kill them so would beheading. Nicola was incapacitated but conscience. Eva screamed and tried to protect Nicola. She screamed at her father that he had killed her friend. But her father was violent with her, physically hurting her to get her under his control. They all went down to the catacombs. Eva believed Nicola died. But Nicola was taken prisoner and for eighteen years tortured and experimented on. Eva had grown into a lovely young woman. After Nicola's capture, eight-year-old Eva hopped on the computer and did some research. Wide eyed with wonder she read about the Conclave and the treaty to protect all humans from vampires. She also read about the good vampires did in the world. That was when she realized her father had told her lies. From that point on she hid her beliefs about vampires and conformed to Henry's rules. Henry continued to rule Eva with an Iron Fist. He experimented on her. She would convulse, spasm and with fever endured the pain for all her years growing up. Henry was using her blood to come up with the toxin to stop vampires. When she was twenty-six she found out Nicola was alive. Nicola was at the point of death. But seeing Eva gave him strength. Eva was kind to Nicola. They both remembered when they met. She was still leery of Nicola but in her heart, she trusted that he was a good man. She helped him escape. On the run, they got to know each other better. A miraculous occurrence happened. Nicola wide eyed with surprise that Eva was his life mate. It was not done and it had never happened that a vampire and human would bond. This scared the crap out of Eva. She did not know what to think. They finally traveled far away from the catacombs and found an abandoned gas station. Luckily for them it still had electricity, running water and a usable bathroom. Nicola called his second in command, his lawyer, his friend Carlo in Italy. He asked Carlo to arrange to rescue them, bring clothes, food, his former bodyguard Pietro and his doctor Vittoria. Carlo obeyed and did as he was told. While Eva and Nicola waited the bonding became stronger. Eva was scared she did not understand what was happening. She did not know this world. She grew up in the catacombs. That was all she knew. Nicola calmed her explained what he could without scaring her and assured her he would help her adjust. He too needed to adjust for after eighteen years much has changed. He knew he had to protect Eva and stop Henry Longo from endangering the vampire race. Previously Henry sent out bait for Nicola hoping he would feed from the infected humans and die. But the vaccine killed the human hosts. Henry was no fool. He implanted trackers inside every person whether child or adult to monitor their actions. Nicola now knew what the toxin smelled like and would know to avoid it. When Carlo, Pietro and Vittoria arrived, Eva was introduced to new foods, meat and fruit, wine and other things. She loved it. There was suspicion against Nicola because he was bonding and protecting a human. It simply was not done. The Conclave would not understand. But Nicola stood firm and banished the doubts from Carlo. Then he found out that Pietro was spying on him for another unsavory vampire. Nicola was furious that Pietro would doubt his loyalty to the Conclave. He almost killed him. But Pietro realized he was wrong about Nicola and asked for forgiveness. It was granted. Eva was hot one minute and cold the next. She wanted Nicola but she was not sure how this bonding worked. Neither did Nicola. Luckily for them Carlo did. Eventually, Eva realized she was in love with Nicola and never wanted to be apart from him. She told him that she would follow him to Italy to start their new life together. Carlo told them how to complete the bond. They did. It was a wonderful feeling for both of them to belong to each other. (The bonding had an intricate set of rules that had to be followed in sequence. You will read about it in the book.) Their next step was to destroy Longo and grab the disks of the hard drives and servers to take back to the Conclave. This was extremely dangerous. They lost Pietro in the crossfire. While they were escaping Henry found them. He attacked Nicola and Eva shot Henry. Henry was not dead and he activated the destruct sequence for the catacombs. Eva tried to help the innocent residents to escape. Nicola, Eva, Carlo and Vittoria barely escaped with their lives. The catacombs imploded. Nicola and the rest got away. Now Nicola was on borrowed time. He had enough time to set his affairs in order, legally wed Eva and then he had to surrender himself to the Conclave for interrogation. This worried Nicola. He had to relive some of the torture he suffered under Longo as the Conclave would tie him down with silver for the interrogation. Nicola, Eva, Carlo and Vittoria all hoped Nicola would be found innocent of any charges brought against him. Carlo did a smart thing by copying all the information from the discs to study them, in case things did not go well for Nicola. He would intervene. Eva was worried that Nicola would never return to her and then what would she do? Nicola gave her access to his money, ownership of his import/export business in case he did not return or died. He also negotiated with the Conclave that they would honor his bond with Eva. That their bond would be treated as if she was a vampire. She would have all the rights of a bonded vampire. The Conclave agreed. What more could they do? It was almost time for Nicola to leave Eva. OMG it ends with a cliffhanger!!!! I can't wait to read the sequel Revelations in Blood. This was an exciting read. I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book via Hidden Gems and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 7, 2018
Wow...I loved this! A well-written, emotional ride. 4.5 stars!
July 28, 2016
contains some explicit scenes...
But a wonderful read! I can't wait for the sequel!!
But a wonderful read! I can't wait for the sequel!!
January 25, 2020
Started out a bit indecisive. Wasn’t sure whose side to be on. The human coalition against Vampires seemed to be speaking out of fear and it seemed like they needed someone to bring them out of their dark whole of delusions and on the other hand Vampires are super dangerous and have been know to do some pretty horrific things so I was thorn. (still not sure how the h’s mom died as it seemed to be this big plot point used for the book that I totally glossed over trying to decide whose side I should be on).
In the end I was trying to decided what just kind of did not fit and I think the world building was too vague and unrefined to give a reader a full picture of the world these characters find themselves. Some main moments were set up to present the right challenge, but others were left as a mystery that put some plot holes in the story. Like that portal device the humans had access too. I was not sure how they got it or how they are the sole owners and the Vampires never got their hands on such a device in all their many years. It seems like there is some background intro to that that could have been used better to explain the introduction of such a technologically advance weapon. As the years go by passed year 2018 there is less and less specific info on the development of society just the clueless heroine being educated on the ways of the Vamp and the many times she keeps running into the people from her old life out of no where in this vast and big network of tunnels and open wide forest. Did not make much sense there.
Towards the middle of the book I was waiting on more illumination but what we as readers got was dolled out in small dollops as to how much interest the heroine showed in the world she now found herself in. And this once very curious teenager h that self-proclaimed still had that curiosity now freed from a system of oppression and controlled information sharing seizes very little chances to learn more on the world that has progressed outside of their little Vamp hating sect and even get to know more about the Vampire society she willingly wants to stay part of. As such she is just satisfied with very little introductions of the outside world, like real food, clothes and just some very bare basing info on the Vampire society. And that’s it. That’s the whole revelation of the world outside. I kind of felt cheated. Till then the heroine was showing some spunk and courage. She was more than repeatable when trying to get to the bottom of the truth of a world she is being contained in. But when offered some information she rarely or if ever tried to make conclusions or deductions of her own. When the sick soldier finds them the hero determines why he is sick. When they are debating why their bong could have formed (ad nausea might I add) she never ever thinks this might be due to a very dear to the hero’s heart necklace that she has been carting around forever now. Nope. Such outside thinking is just beyond her.
And towards the end when they were constantly repeating what the bond will mean and that she will be his and he hers. And the whole “mine” concept had to be explained for like a MILLIONTH time I was ready to throw a hedgehog at them. It’s a simple concept. You married but way more permanent. It was even explained at some point by the hero in those lines. And yet nope. Not enough. They still had to go through what the whole “mine” thing will meant to them like ten times more over. Inner debate and their conversations. And what did that end up resulting in? Is the reader super clear that they are entering in this forever bond of their own volition and preparedness? Yup. As we had already been made aware ten “mine” discussions ago. What it ultimately did for me is make me bored of the characters, mute their interactions in my head and just move through the end of this book through a haze I do not regret.
Next time do us a better favor of cutting the chic-chat and get on with it. And then use the remaining pages to better color in the work this story is set in.
In the end I was trying to decided what just kind of did not fit and I think the world building was too vague and unrefined to give a reader a full picture of the world these characters find themselves. Some main moments were set up to present the right challenge, but others were left as a mystery that put some plot holes in the story. Like that portal device the humans had access too. I was not sure how they got it or how they are the sole owners and the Vampires never got their hands on such a device in all their many years. It seems like there is some background intro to that that could have been used better to explain the introduction of such a technologically advance weapon. As the years go by passed year 2018 there is less and less specific info on the development of society just the clueless heroine being educated on the ways of the Vamp and the many times she keeps running into the people from her old life out of no where in this vast and big network of tunnels and open wide forest. Did not make much sense there.
Towards the middle of the book I was waiting on more illumination but what we as readers got was dolled out in small dollops as to how much interest the heroine showed in the world she now found herself in. And this once very curious teenager h that self-proclaimed still had that curiosity now freed from a system of oppression and controlled information sharing seizes very little chances to learn more on the world that has progressed outside of their little Vamp hating sect and even get to know more about the Vampire society she willingly wants to stay part of. As such she is just satisfied with very little introductions of the outside world, like real food, clothes and just some very bare basing info on the Vampire society. And that’s it. That’s the whole revelation of the world outside. I kind of felt cheated. Till then the heroine was showing some spunk and courage. She was more than repeatable when trying to get to the bottom of the truth of a world she is being contained in. But when offered some information she rarely or if ever tried to make conclusions or deductions of her own. When the sick soldier finds them the hero determines why he is sick. When they are debating why their bong could have formed (ad nausea might I add) she never ever thinks this might be due to a very dear to the hero’s heart necklace that she has been carting around forever now. Nope. Such outside thinking is just beyond her.
And towards the end when they were constantly repeating what the bond will mean and that she will be his and he hers. And the whole “mine” concept had to be explained for like a MILLIONTH time I was ready to throw a hedgehog at them. It’s a simple concept. You married but way more permanent. It was even explained at some point by the hero in those lines. And yet nope. Not enough. They still had to go through what the whole “mine” thing will meant to them like ten times more over. Inner debate and their conversations. And what did that end up resulting in? Is the reader super clear that they are entering in this forever bond of their own volition and preparedness? Yup. As we had already been made aware ten “mine” discussions ago. What it ultimately did for me is make me bored of the characters, mute their interactions in my head and just move through the end of this book through a haze I do not regret.
Next time do us a better favor of cutting the chic-chat and get on with it. And then use the remaining pages to better color in the work this story is set in.
October 25, 2017
As you might have gathered from my reviews, I'm not against paranormal romance but it's not my favorite subgenre. I read it occasionally and my favorite romance series certainly falls into this category. That being said, however, I find that a lot of it doesn't work for me. Vampires, for example, are not my favorite.
Still, this book had good reviews on Amazon and the price was right so I figured I'd give it a try. I'm always game for a new book, because you never know.
As the first book in a paranormal series, it starts with a little bit of world building. Vampires are governed by the Conclave. Nicola is one of the members, and helps persuade his fellow vampires to introduce a code that restricts feeding directly from humans in favor of blood from bloodbanks, where humans are compensated for their donation. This obviously cannot completely eliminate violence towards humans by vampires but does a lot to help improve relations between the two. Fast forward about 80 years and we are introduced to Henry, a scientist, and his pregnant wife. Henry is being recruited by the Hand of God, a human organization that wants to destroy vampires, to research a drug that will allow humans to more easily kill vampires. (Fire and beheading work, but vampires can heal from most other wounds and also possess superhuman strength and speed, as well as the ability to mind control humans after feeding on them.)
From there, the book hops ahead eight years to Nicola's capture. The cell Henry leads lives underground and he's brought his daughter, Evangeline, up to serve as bait in an attempt to catch a vampire. It's merely Nicola's misfortune to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and he is successfully captured. Evangeline believes he has been killed but remembers him as a nice man — far nicer than the man she calls her father.
The next several chapters of the book bounce forward through the years, giving us glimpses of Nicola in captivity and Evangeline's growing quiet rebellion against her father and the doctrine of hate he preaches. Finally the day draws closer to when she'll finally be able to escape — but then she discovers that the vampire she'd never been able to forget is still alive, trapped in her father's laboratory. She can't leave him there.
When the action finally picks up (and we stop jumping forward in time), the rest of the story takes place over roughly a week or so. There's a reasonable amount of violence and a strong case of instant-lust on both sides. Most of the actions they take seem reasonable, and it was well written, although there were one or two spots where the speaker of dialog was very unclear.
Still, it was a fairly solid offering so if this subgenre is your cup of tea, I'd recommend checking this one out.
Still, this book had good reviews on Amazon and the price was right so I figured I'd give it a try. I'm always game for a new book, because you never know.
As the first book in a paranormal series, it starts with a little bit of world building. Vampires are governed by the Conclave. Nicola is one of the members, and helps persuade his fellow vampires to introduce a code that restricts feeding directly from humans in favor of blood from bloodbanks, where humans are compensated for their donation. This obviously cannot completely eliminate violence towards humans by vampires but does a lot to help improve relations between the two. Fast forward about 80 years and we are introduced to Henry, a scientist, and his pregnant wife. Henry is being recruited by the Hand of God, a human organization that wants to destroy vampires, to research a drug that will allow humans to more easily kill vampires. (Fire and beheading work, but vampires can heal from most other wounds and also possess superhuman strength and speed, as well as the ability to mind control humans after feeding on them.)
From there, the book hops ahead eight years to Nicola's capture. The cell Henry leads lives underground and he's brought his daughter, Evangeline, up to serve as bait in an attempt to catch a vampire. It's merely Nicola's misfortune to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and he is successfully captured. Evangeline believes he has been killed but remembers him as a nice man — far nicer than the man she calls her father.
The next several chapters of the book bounce forward through the years, giving us glimpses of Nicola in captivity and Evangeline's growing quiet rebellion against her father and the doctrine of hate he preaches. Finally the day draws closer to when she'll finally be able to escape — but then she discovers that the vampire she'd never been able to forget is still alive, trapped in her father's laboratory. She can't leave him there.
When the action finally picks up (and we stop jumping forward in time), the rest of the story takes place over roughly a week or so. There's a reasonable amount of violence and a strong case of instant-lust on both sides. Most of the actions they take seem reasonable, and it was well written, although there were one or two spots where the speaker of dialog was very unclear.
Still, it was a fairly solid offering so if this subgenre is your cup of tea, I'd recommend checking this one out.
July 22, 2018
Let me start this review by saying that I've been a fan of Patricia Eddy's since discovering her, by accident, over a year ago. I've read her first book, and am currently reading her last-written book, which happens to be the second book in this series (and judging from this first book, I hope there are a ton more in the In Blood series from this author). Then let me say that I don't read vampire books, I thought Twilight the movie was a comedy, and I rarely read any type of paranormal (I like shifter stories but that's it, for the most part). A year ago, or perhaps only a few months ago, if someone had told me that I would be reading a story about vampires and would want to keep reading about the characters long after the story ended, I would have told them they were out their freaking minds.
Well, I would have been wrong. Not the first time, and I actually DO love admitting I'm wrong, especially about books. I've been escaping into books since I could read (around 6 or 7). At 9, I had devoured most of the Nancy Drew's and Hardy Boys and I just kept right on. This book, Secrets in Blood, brought back that excitement and curiousity that I would feel when reading one of those earlier stories. The feeling of "what's going to happen next" permeated this book. In my mind, nothing was what I expected, especially when it came to the main characters, Nicola and Evangeline. Evangeline has been my favorite woman's name since I first read Wordsworth's poem by the same name (I was probably 12 and when I re-read it in college, I loved it more). Nicola is an Italian vampire, hundreds of years old, who mixes English with Italian in the most romantic way possible. Yes, he kills people. So does Evangeline, and the book makes no excuses, nor does it make apologies. It is what it is - the violence, the reaching for something that you know is almost beyond your grasp, and that wonderful thing called love.
I don't think Patricia Eddy knows how to write what other people consider conventional love stories, and I love her writing that much more because of it. Her characters aren't softened for her readers, they are as they should be. And all of her characters, regardless of which book you read, love hard and love true.
I didn't really mean to turn this into a review of Patricia D. Eddy, it was supposed to be about Secrets In Blood, but in my mind, this book reminded me of how well Ms. Eddy writes her characters. And she doesn't just write them, she weaves them, slowly but surely, into a solid character who stays true to himself or herself throughout. When reading her books, and this one was no exception, I have never had to say to myself, 'that isn't what I expected them to do'. But even more important than that, her characters have color and the color bleeds into the story, so when you complete Secrets In Blood, you are not only friends with Nic and Evangeline, you are their benefactor as well. You will complete the book and not forget it for a while. In my case, my timing, for the first time in a long time, was perfect. The sequel, Revelations in Blood, was just released. That means after clearing a couple more books off my TBR list, I will enjoy Ms. Eddy's writing again. I initially received this book as an ARC from Hidden Gems, however, HG had made a slight error and I was not aware I was receiving this book, so I also purchased it. :-)
Well, I would have been wrong. Not the first time, and I actually DO love admitting I'm wrong, especially about books. I've been escaping into books since I could read (around 6 or 7). At 9, I had devoured most of the Nancy Drew's and Hardy Boys and I just kept right on. This book, Secrets in Blood, brought back that excitement and curiousity that I would feel when reading one of those earlier stories. The feeling of "what's going to happen next" permeated this book. In my mind, nothing was what I expected, especially when it came to the main characters, Nicola and Evangeline. Evangeline has been my favorite woman's name since I first read Wordsworth's poem by the same name (I was probably 12 and when I re-read it in college, I loved it more). Nicola is an Italian vampire, hundreds of years old, who mixes English with Italian in the most romantic way possible. Yes, he kills people. So does Evangeline, and the book makes no excuses, nor does it make apologies. It is what it is - the violence, the reaching for something that you know is almost beyond your grasp, and that wonderful thing called love.
I don't think Patricia Eddy knows how to write what other people consider conventional love stories, and I love her writing that much more because of it. Her characters aren't softened for her readers, they are as they should be. And all of her characters, regardless of which book you read, love hard and love true.
I didn't really mean to turn this into a review of Patricia D. Eddy, it was supposed to be about Secrets In Blood, but in my mind, this book reminded me of how well Ms. Eddy writes her characters. And she doesn't just write them, she weaves them, slowly but surely, into a solid character who stays true to himself or herself throughout. When reading her books, and this one was no exception, I have never had to say to myself, 'that isn't what I expected them to do'. But even more important than that, her characters have color and the color bleeds into the story, so when you complete Secrets In Blood, you are not only friends with Nic and Evangeline, you are their benefactor as well. You will complete the book and not forget it for a while. In my case, my timing, for the first time in a long time, was perfect. The sequel, Revelations in Blood, was just released. That means after clearing a couple more books off my TBR list, I will enjoy Ms. Eddy's writing again. I initially received this book as an ARC from Hidden Gems, however, HG had made a slight error and I was not aware I was receiving this book, so I also purchased it. :-)
July 26, 2018
Emotional - Engaging - a unique must-read!
This was the first in a duet, the second half is already released, though I am hoping the author continues this as a series
Secrets in Blood starts out a bit on the slow side - there is a lot of details that are presented within the first few chapters but I was so thankful for the slow build - once the adventure begins there really isn't a place to take a breather - Lots of angst and "Oh no you didn't moments" sprinkled with enough plot twists and surprises that felt like I was on a tilt-a-whirl - then we have the romance between Eva and Nic, this was beautifully portrayed, allowing the reader to easily follow their journey and fall in love with love
The Details:
The Hand of God Ministries is on a mission to ensure that the vampire race is eradicated. A team of top scientists is brought together to research a serum that will accomplish this. They have everything they need except a test subject - Nicola, ever calm and charismatic, finds himself the new guinea pig for the HOG Ministries.
We follow both the good doctor, Evangelina and Nicola over a 15+ year journey
A few of the cast:
Let's start with Daddy Dearest - Henry - could there be a better protagonist? I do not want to give any surprises away so I will just say he is the man you love to hate. I have so many questions about what happened during his "research". I am really hoping that book two gives me those answers.
Evangelina - this is what a heroine, IMO, should be, strong, intelligent curious to a fault, feminine but has no qualms about correcting your misguided and slightly misogynistic beliefs when they rear their ugly heads. Yeah - I really liked her 😁 she was a "Piccola donna esuberante"
Nicola - What a perfect creation for a male lead. He seems to radiate a sense of composure and tranquility, except when Evangelina is threatened - 😔 can't tell you because it would ruin the surprise
Overall?:
I would recommend if you enjoy paranormal .
There are a couple scenes that I wish the author had gone into more detail but it did not detract from the overall story.
This is a full-length story that does continue in a second book.
This was the first in a duet, the second half is already released, though I am hoping the author continues this as a series
Secrets in Blood starts out a bit on the slow side - there is a lot of details that are presented within the first few chapters but I was so thankful for the slow build - once the adventure begins there really isn't a place to take a breather - Lots of angst and "Oh no you didn't moments" sprinkled with enough plot twists and surprises that felt like I was on a tilt-a-whirl - then we have the romance between Eva and Nic, this was beautifully portrayed, allowing the reader to easily follow their journey and fall in love with love
The Details:
The Hand of God Ministries is on a mission to ensure that the vampire race is eradicated. A team of top scientists is brought together to research a serum that will accomplish this. They have everything they need except a test subject - Nicola, ever calm and charismatic, finds himself the new guinea pig for the HOG Ministries.
We follow both the good doctor, Evangelina and Nicola over a 15+ year journey
A few of the cast:
Let's start with Daddy Dearest - Henry - could there be a better protagonist? I do not want to give any surprises away so I will just say he is the man you love to hate. I have so many questions about what happened during his "research". I am really hoping that book two gives me those answers.
Evangelina - this is what a heroine, IMO, should be, strong, intelligent curious to a fault, feminine but has no qualms about correcting your misguided and slightly misogynistic beliefs when they rear their ugly heads. Yeah - I really liked her 😁 she was a "Piccola donna esuberante"
Nicola - What a perfect creation for a male lead. He seems to radiate a sense of composure and tranquility, except when Evangelina is threatened - 😔 can't tell you because it would ruin the surprise
Overall?:
I would recommend if you enjoy paranormal .
There are a couple scenes that I wish the author had gone into more detail but it did not detract from the overall story.
This is a full-length story that does continue in a second book.
July 21, 2018
** I received a free copy of Secrets in Blood for my complete and honest opinion. **
*** This review will not contain any spoilers. ***
Vampires are evil, vile, soulless creatures that are determined to enslave the human race. Or that is what the Hand of God (the religious group that Eva’s father belongs to.) Evangeline was born and raised in an underground shelter with a small group of the Hand of God members.
When she was 8 she met her first vampire. The only problem is, he did not treat her like she was taught they would. She had a connection to him, but she is forced to live her father’s life.
Nicola is hundreds of years old. Vampires are solo creatures. Most are very happy to live an entire life with very little contact. He has killed, but he tries to be better.
On Conclave business, Nicola stumbles upon a sweet and innocent eight-year-old girl. He rescues her and returns her to her family, only to be trapped and captured.
Dr. Longo shot Nicola and threw him in a cell. Nicola was tortured for so long that he began to lose hope. However, salvation came in the form of a sweet-smelling woman. He missed the connection of another.
Nicola learns that with the unwilling help of Eva and himself, Dr. Longo is determined to make a serum that will kill vampires. Can they make it out of this alive and with their sanity intact?
This is a true 5-star book.
Secrets in Blood is an epic vampire/human romance novel. This book is full action, adventure, and love.
Eva and Nicola are wonderful characters. They are very well developed. Their love story is one for the ages.
There were plenty of twists and turns in Secrets in Blood the keep you on your toes. The world was intriguing and it made me never want to live in an underground shelter.
This love story is breathtakingly epic. The connection that Eva and Nic have is exciting and hopeful. The inability for either of them to fight it is touching.
I very much love this book. And I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
*** This review will not contain any spoilers. ***
Vampires are evil, vile, soulless creatures that are determined to enslave the human race. Or that is what the Hand of God (the religious group that Eva’s father belongs to.) Evangeline was born and raised in an underground shelter with a small group of the Hand of God members.
When she was 8 she met her first vampire. The only problem is, he did not treat her like she was taught they would. She had a connection to him, but she is forced to live her father’s life.
Nicola is hundreds of years old. Vampires are solo creatures. Most are very happy to live an entire life with very little contact. He has killed, but he tries to be better.
On Conclave business, Nicola stumbles upon a sweet and innocent eight-year-old girl. He rescues her and returns her to her family, only to be trapped and captured.
Dr. Longo shot Nicola and threw him in a cell. Nicola was tortured for so long that he began to lose hope. However, salvation came in the form of a sweet-smelling woman. He missed the connection of another.
Nicola learns that with the unwilling help of Eva and himself, Dr. Longo is determined to make a serum that will kill vampires. Can they make it out of this alive and with their sanity intact?
This is a true 5-star book.
Secrets in Blood is an epic vampire/human romance novel. This book is full action, adventure, and love.
Eva and Nicola are wonderful characters. They are very well developed. Their love story is one for the ages.
There were plenty of twists and turns in Secrets in Blood the keep you on your toes. The world was intriguing and it made me never want to live in an underground shelter.
This love story is breathtakingly epic. The connection that Eva and Nic have is exciting and hopeful. The inability for either of them to fight it is touching.
I very much love this book. And I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
July 4, 2018
I really want to mark this as post-apocalyptic and dystopian, but the thing is, it really isn't. It just kind of has that feel sometimes. I think it has that feel because of where Evangeline grew up.
Vampires exist. But, they are ruled by a group called the Conclave. Nicola is a member of the Conclave and he wrote up a law that controls the way that vampires feed. They aren't allowed to drain humans anymore, and they can't bespell them. His law also set up blood banks where humans could donate blood for the vampires to drink. While not all vampires want to follow this law, the fact is that it is good for everyone, and it's a way to let everyone live together in peace.
Nearly one hundred years later, Henry takes his pregnant wife, Marie, into the bunkers with more members of The Hand of God. They are a radicalized terrorist group, who believe that vampires are evil. His goal is to find a way to make vampires mortal so that they can all be killed.
After that, we start jumping a bit in time. We meet Evangeline as a young girl, used as bait to capture Nicola. Then we jump forward to follow Evangeline several times.
I thought that this was a really interesting book, with an incredibly interesting premise. I like the world that Eddy came up with, and her framing of the way the vampires work and their bonding is reasonably unique, I think. I love Evangeline. She's strong and fierce and not afraid to do what she thinks she should. I do feel sorry for her though, for what she has to go through. I hate her dad. He's a major ash-hole.
I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Vampires exist. But, they are ruled by a group called the Conclave. Nicola is a member of the Conclave and he wrote up a law that controls the way that vampires feed. They aren't allowed to drain humans anymore, and they can't bespell them. His law also set up blood banks where humans could donate blood for the vampires to drink. While not all vampires want to follow this law, the fact is that it is good for everyone, and it's a way to let everyone live together in peace.
Nearly one hundred years later, Henry takes his pregnant wife, Marie, into the bunkers with more members of The Hand of God. They are a radicalized terrorist group, who believe that vampires are evil. His goal is to find a way to make vampires mortal so that they can all be killed.
After that, we start jumping a bit in time. We meet Evangeline as a young girl, used as bait to capture Nicola. Then we jump forward to follow Evangeline several times.
I thought that this was a really interesting book, with an incredibly interesting premise. I like the world that Eddy came up with, and her framing of the way the vampires work and their bonding is reasonably unique, I think. I love Evangeline. She's strong and fierce and not afraid to do what she thinks she should. I do feel sorry for her though, for what she has to go through. I hate her dad. He's a major ash-hole.
I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
July 21, 2018
I received a free copy of this book via Hidden Gems and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Secrets in Blood spans an eighteen year period. Henry, a scientist, has made it his life's mission to rid the world of vampires. This group of terrorists is a part of and association called the Hand of God. Henry's sect of this group has taken home in an underground bunker, and there they live and preform secret experiments.
Henry however is the true source of evil. He uses his own daughter to bait a vampire for capture so he has a test subject. Even worse, he also uses his own daughter and the rest of the group as part of his experiments. A real mad scientist.
This story is in fact a romance. The young girl that is used as bait, and the vampire that is captured do eventually come together. I am not a big fan of huge spaces in time, but it really works in this story. Eighteen years is a long time to be used as text subject, and both these characters barely make it out in one piece.
I was so glad that there was a happy ending at the end of this story. I would love to read more about these characters. I am sure they have many more adventures ahead of them.
Secrets in Blood spans an eighteen year period. Henry, a scientist, has made it his life's mission to rid the world of vampires. This group of terrorists is a part of and association called the Hand of God. Henry's sect of this group has taken home in an underground bunker, and there they live and preform secret experiments.
Henry however is the true source of evil. He uses his own daughter to bait a vampire for capture so he has a test subject. Even worse, he also uses his own daughter and the rest of the group as part of his experiments. A real mad scientist.
This story is in fact a romance. The young girl that is used as bait, and the vampire that is captured do eventually come together. I am not a big fan of huge spaces in time, but it really works in this story. Eighteen years is a long time to be used as text subject, and both these characters barely make it out in one piece.
I was so glad that there was a happy ending at the end of this story. I would love to read more about these characters. I am sure they have many more adventures ahead of them.
March 16, 2018
I really struggled with this book and I am left with very mixed feelings.
I loved the unique story and the world that was created, but while I was loving that I realized that I pretty much hate the characters. Nicola and Eve just never connected in my mind. I think the only time I enjoyed reading about them was in the very beginning when she was a child and they only interacted for a few minutes. And this whole bonding thing getting brought up as often as it did was simply annoying.
So basically I think this is the first time I have EVER read a book that was labeled a romance and I wish that it DIDN'T have romance in it! So I am giving 3 stars because the story/world is fantastic but the romance sucked.
* I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the Author. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.*
I loved the unique story and the world that was created, but while I was loving that I realized that I pretty much hate the characters. Nicola and Eve just never connected in my mind. I think the only time I enjoyed reading about them was in the very beginning when she was a child and they only interacted for a few minutes. And this whole bonding thing getting brought up as often as it did was simply annoying.
So basically I think this is the first time I have EVER read a book that was labeled a romance and I wish that it DIDN'T have romance in it! So I am giving 3 stars because the story/world is fantastic but the romance sucked.
* I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the Author. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.*
August 7, 2018
I was lucky enough to stumble across this fantastic read when I was looking for a riveting new book. Though it was a bit of a slow start I couldn't help but be intrigued by both Nikolai and Evangeline's characters. The more I read the better I connected with their characters. Evangeline was intelligent, strong-willed, courageous, kindhearted yet fiery when she needed to be. I loved how she wasn't afraid to stand up for what she believed in. Nikolai was strong and fiercely protective. The connection between them is undeniable and withstood the test of time. When the two are reunited the story really picks up and kept me on the edge of my seat anticipating what new twist their story would take. It has been quite some time since I have read a paranormal book that has kept me spellbound like Secrets in Blood has. Secrets in Blood was an entertaining, suspenseful, and gripping read and I look forward to continuing Nikolai and Evangeline's story in the next book!
July 23, 2018
Nicola wants vampires and humans to coexist which means vampires not using humans as blood banks, unfortunately for him just like everything there are others like him as well as humans who don't like each other. On the night he is captured he meets a young girl who wasn't afraid of him and thats what keeps him alive for 18 years of torture and experiments only to find out he is the daughter of his torturer. Eve lost her faith in her fathers teaching after meeting Nicola and she decides its finally time to escape, from here secrets are revealed, twists are exposed and many layers of deceit are exposed with some leaving you with your jaw dropped. Fantastic world building goes on in this book as well as characters you either love ie Eve, Nicola, Sylvie or hate ie ... well you have to read it to find out and thankfully book 2 is available to read straight after this!
July 23, 2018
Nicola wants vampires and humans to coexist which means vampires not using humans as blood banks, unfortunately for him just like everything there are others like him as well as humans who don't like each other. On the night he is captured he meets a young girl who wasn't afraid of him and thats what keeps him alive for 18 years of torture and experiments only to find out he is the daughter of his torturer. Eve lost her faith in her fathers teaching after meeting Nicola and she decides its finally time to escape, from here secrets are revealed, twists are exposed and many layers of deceit are exposed with some leaving you with your jaw dropped. Fantastic world building goes on in this book as well as characters you either love ie Eve, Nicola, Sylvie or hate ie ... well you have to read it to find out and thankfully book 2 is available to read straight after this!
November 22, 2021
This book has been on my to-read pile for some time now, as I've ached to make my way through Patricia Eddy's blacklist of novels.
I've a particular fondness for her suspenseful romance, where some situation or forced proximity finds the two leads in the throes of a love they don't quite understand. Eva and Nic's relationship here was rather different, in that they created a bond so strong despite a separation over years... and it was lovely to watch as they found and fell for each other after such a time apart.
I enjoyed both main characters, loved the fierceness that Evangeline managed to hold onto despite her terrible unbringing. I'm hopeful that the direction of the story means we'll get further development into Nic and his life before. I'm eager to see how their relationship together, two strong, stubborn souls can weather the storm ahead.
I've a particular fondness for her suspenseful romance, where some situation or forced proximity finds the two leads in the throes of a love they don't quite understand. Eva and Nic's relationship here was rather different, in that they created a bond so strong despite a separation over years... and it was lovely to watch as they found and fell for each other after such a time apart.
I enjoyed both main characters, loved the fierceness that Evangeline managed to hold onto despite her terrible unbringing. I'm hopeful that the direction of the story means we'll get further development into Nic and his life before. I'm eager to see how their relationship together, two strong, stubborn souls can weather the storm ahead.
July 20, 2018
For years her father, a rabid member of an anti vampire organization known as the Hand of God, has conducted painful experiments on Evangeline. Nicola was helping a lost child when he was captured by members of the Hand of God, for eighteen years his tormentor has experimented on him. Nicola is praying for death, but Evangeline, the child he found lost in the woods, will help him escape from his torturers.
Wow, fascinating and intricate world building! You won't be able to put this book down. I thought this was a fantastic vampire romance with unique and we'll written characters. I loved this book and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
I am voluntarily leaving an honest and non-incentivized review of this book.
Wow, fascinating and intricate world building! You won't be able to put this book down. I thought this was a fantastic vampire romance with unique and we'll written characters. I loved this book and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
I am voluntarily leaving an honest and non-incentivized review of this book.
October 10, 2018
Enjoyable Overall
I am a longtime reader of vampire novels, and although I read constantly and love a variety of genres, I inevitably find myself seeking a good vampire story, or better still, a series.
Two things that I took issue with in this book were the repetitive phrasing ( a pet peeve ) as opposed to creative alternatives for relaying similar information, and also the constant curse words used throughout the story. I am not a prude, and curse a fair amount, but I felt that so much foul language took away from the storyline, and that's unfortunate, because the storyline is a very good one.
I found this book enjoyable enough that I would like to read more by Ms. Eddy. I recommend this book to any fellow readers of vampire novels.
I am a longtime reader of vampire novels, and although I read constantly and love a variety of genres, I inevitably find myself seeking a good vampire story, or better still, a series.
Two things that I took issue with in this book were the repetitive phrasing ( a pet peeve ) as opposed to creative alternatives for relaying similar information, and also the constant curse words used throughout the story. I am not a prude, and curse a fair amount, but I felt that so much foul language took away from the storyline, and that's unfortunate, because the storyline is a very good one.
I found this book enjoyable enough that I would like to read more by Ms. Eddy. I recommend this book to any fellow readers of vampire novels.
July 16, 2018
Secrets in Blood is a vampire romance set against the backdrop of a group of religious zealots who are cloistered from the world and brainwash their followers to believe vampires are evil. Nicola is a vampire they have captured in order to torture and experiment on so they can create a serum to kill vampires. Eva is the daughter of the group leader and she is unknowingly being experimented on. The story revolves around the connection of Nic and Eva and spans 18 years before they see each other again. I enjoyed the premise of the story, the intricate world that was built and the characters but the storyline was slow and repetitive. It didn’t have enough twists or suspense to really capture my full attention and keep me engaged. Although a good read with a good premise, I feel the plot could be reworked for a better flow and more unique and suspenseful plot twists.
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