The Assassin's Curse

Cursed Blood #4

by J.D. Monroe

For over one hundred and fifty years, Sasha Morozov's mind has been tormented by a witch's curse. Those who love him most are strangers, and what little he grasps is cruelly torn away with each full moon. And when he falls into the hands of vampire hunters days before the full moon, he is left defenseless. Upon waking from a strange dream to meet a beautiful human woman, he knows two things with utter certainty:

He wants her. He will protect her with his life.

When seasoned vampire hunter Kristina Arensberg finds herself in possession of an amnesiac vampire, she faces the challenge of a lifetime. Her superiors task her with convincing Sasha that he is an ally, and that they share an enemy: the Blade of Auberon.

But Kristina begins to question the morality of the zealous organization that she serves. When the deadly vampire with the haunting eyes turns out to be sweet, sincere, and protective, she has to question everything she's ever known about the bloodsucking monsters she's always hated.

And in the end, she may have to choose between her family and the enemy who is stealing her heart.

Genres: Vampires, Romance, Fantasy

520 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 28, 2023

Reviews

[Crystal P · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Assassin’s Curse is book 4 in the Cursed Blood Series by JD Monroe. The crafting of Sasha and Kristina’s story is next level with a mashup of tropes including, but not limited to, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and amnesia. There are a whole lot of forbidden love vibes as well. But beyond the story of Sasha and Kristina, the bigger story of the war between Vampire covenants and the Shroud of the Auberon is unraveling, with the new future taking shape.

This series is definitely a favorite in the Vampire genre and I am on the edge of my seat waiting for the next one…. It is going to be Paris’ story and I expect nothing short of epic!!!

[susan mcdonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book to read and review. I Loved this addition to the Corrupted Protector series. Sasha and Kristina’s story is full of twists and unexpected turns that will keep readers up all night to finish. This book has The use of music to help memory has been proven and it was nice to see Kristina use it to help Sasha.

[Tamye Whitener · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding Read!

I couldn't put this book down. While the storyline is excellent, it's the characters that drive it. Kristina and Sasha will grab your heartstrings and weave themselves into your heart. Not just them but the rest of the Shroud and even some characters that might surprise you. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series. I can't wait to see what happens next.

I highly recommend this book and series!

[Tara Heilman · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I definitely recommend reading this series in order. No one likes to feel like you jumped in to the middle of a conversation. I fell in love with these characters from book 1. While this is Sasha and Kristina's story, there is a so much more going on. The war between the Vampires is getting out of hand with the Hunters in the mix. It's getting harder to draw a distinct line between good and evil. Change is coming and sides are being chosen by all involved. Now I'll give what opinion I can without spoilers. There were more than a few times I cried for Sasha. I kept asking how the author could be so cruel to him. His curse was plain terrible. My heart broke for him. When Kristina crosses his path he knows he needs to protect her at all costs. Kristina is also drawn towards him and begins to question her loyalties. They are both being used as pawns and will have to trust each other. The problem is they are running out of time. Sasha's curse is beginning to affect her also and they don't know who they can turn to. There are many twists and turns along the way for the couple. In the end the strength of love will win. Although I was a tad upset with Ms. Monroe at the start, she managed to make this an amazing read. Sometimes things have to be difficult to be worth it. I have since forgiven her. (in truth I think she's a rockstar) The next book could not come soon enough. I was lucky enough to have received an early copy and this is my honest opinion.

[Kitty Elder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book can be read as a standalone, however it probably is best read after the other books in the series if you want to catch all the references.

Imagine that you are cursed to forget everything once a month. Your name, home, friends, you forget it all. And in addition you are a vampire so this curse goes on for nearly 200 years. That’s the situation Sasha is when the book begins. Then he stumbles across Kristina, a vampire hunter and daughter to the head of a group of vampire hunters. But Kristina is confused because Sasha doesn’t remember so many things, but he remembers that he needs to protect humans.
We get to follow them through a number of twists and turns in the plot. As it turns out, Kristina is Sasha’s soul mate....and with her help, his curse can be broken. But before that point, his curse is contagious to her. The tighter their soul bond gets, the more Kristina forgets. This is a well written book with lots of suspense, action, and plot twists.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lisa Bing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fab addition to the series and I loved all the twists that these complex characters had to deal with. I cannot imagine a curse of amnesia resetting at the full moon every month, but Sasha has lived it for over 200 years...makes you cry with how awful that is for him. Kristina, looking for her father's approval, is a vampire hunter and, it turns out, Sasha's soul mate. Talk about tricky! With just about everyone trying to prevent them from bonding, and his curse now affecting her, too, it was a thrilling page turner for me. While they do get their HEA, it wasn't a smooth road and I couldn't help but root hard for them ;D

[Sally Tame · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series sucked me right in, this one couldn’t have come at a better time. Awaiting the arrival of my first grandchild I have spent 3 days just hanging around and Kristina and Sasha’s story kept the hours at bay. JD Monroe spins a tale much like Soshannas threads. It’s romantic, thrilling, dangerous, familial and I just love it. It draws you in and before you know it our Grand daughter is born and I’m anxious to read the next book.

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome paranormal book with strong characters and an action packed romance. The author does a great job developing the story and pulled me in right from the start and kept me glued to the pages with all the drama, danger and twists and turns along the way. It's well written with descriptive scenes, moves fluidly and is a terrific read.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[Sue Philips · Rating 5 out of 5]

The latest story from author J. D. Monroe is full of angst, emotion, and hot, hot action.
I love the way this author thinks. The story is gripping and drew me in. As a reader, I love becoming part of the story and being right there, living the emotion and all the other stuff that goes on. I loved Sasha and felt every bit of emotion he felt as he experienced so many different feelings.
Highly recommended read and highly recommended author.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book just continues to add to this great series. Sasha has no memories and is captured and tortured. Kristina, human, has been taught that vampires are evil. Until she finds herself falling in love with Sasha. The world building is fantastic and of course it's always amazing to see previous couples. There is a hea for Sasha and Kristina however the danger is not over and is only intensifying. I'm looking forward to Paris' story.

[Karen Sorg · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want some serious twists with so many turns and not being able to set the book down....This is such a page turner and I loved it. If you love reading about vampires protecting humans and the violence between differing covens YOU MUST READ this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Suez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series has my emotions all over the place. Sasha's character is so complex, he keeps evolving and growing. This group of vampires is protective of humans and Sasha almost pays with his life. Kristina has to step up and fight for what she believes is right. Can that truly be Sasha? Don't miss a moment of their wild unpredictable journey. This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world building, plot, and characterization was all excellent. The romance was authentic and spicy, and the hero and heroine were both deeply sympathetic. I found this book an excellent read. I also appreciated the longer length. This was a proper novel.

I received a free copy of this book, and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sissy Satterfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sasha's curse just plain sucks, forgetting everything so often. Katrina comes in and even though, what she does conflicts with the mission she was assigned, she follows through. This is a great twisty paranormal romance with a wonderful ending. I Loved Every Thing About It!!! No Spoilers!

[Fernanda Fatio · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars because Kristina is awful. If she had not developed feelings for Sasha she would still be ok with torture and deceiving someone mentally fragile to her own gain. It had to take her go through everything he did for her to learn to a decent a person?

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner in the Cursed Blood series, it does a grea job in continuing the story with grea characters. I was hooked from the first page. JD Monroe has a great writing style and I enjoyed what I read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[tburbr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fourth installment of the Cursed Blood series kept me coming back for more thanks to the endearing characters and engaging story line. I look forward to seeing what the author has in store for us next.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jane Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

😁😁🔥🔥🔥

GAAAAHHHH!!! I can't believe I have to wait until October to read the final book. That is why I don't like cliffhangers, but this series is so amazing I have no choice but to wait and read them all!

[Denise Doughten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still in love with Vampire romance

Amazing read loved every minute of reading this series. The characters are evolving as you read. They are family and you feel included. Can't wait for the next book

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing paranormal romance! I liked it a lot.. It has drama and danger. Very appealing, emotional characters.. I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily reviewed it..

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome story. A vampire that forgets things once a month, very dangerous. Absolutely loved everything about it. Well written to draw you in and keep you there wanting to reread all of them.

[H.R. Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love this series the fared mates theme is very sweet, despite it being a bloody vampire story. I think this book was darker that the others so far. Spice is good and story was compelling

[Rachel Joi Maples · Rating 5 out of 5]

great series

[Eleni · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling read

This is a compelling read with strong characters and an action-packed plot. Recommended for fans of paranormal romance. Looking forward to the next book.

[Klutzy Traveler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just captures my heart. The characters are so complex, they keep evolving and growing, and for a bunch of vampires, they are very protective of humans! This book in the series is pivotal! So much happens and so much is set-up to happen based on this story! Sasha and Kristina are soulmates, and they cannot fight against that connection, even though so many try to break them apart. They fight on so many different fronts for what they believe is right, and for each other. This story shows there are no certainties - good guys can be bad, and the bad guys can be good. There were moments with Sasha that had me sobbing! At the end of the day, love conquers all. What an amazing addition to the series!