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Sweetblood #1
Bonded by Blood
Deep within the forests of the Pacific Northwest, two vampire coalitions battle for supremacy-
Guardian enforcers who safeguard humanity and Darkbloods, rogues who kill like their ancient ancestors. Now Guardian team leader Dominic Serrano will be forced to choose between the vengeance he craves and the woman he can’t live without…
Movie location scout Mackenzie Foster-Shaw has always known that she's cursed to die young. No one can protect her from the evil that has stalked her family for generations—vampires who crave her rare blood type. Until one afternoon in a wooded cemetery, she encounters an impossibly sexy stranger, a man she must trust with her life.
For Dominic, a man haunted by loss, Mackenzie satisfies a primal hunger that torments him—and the bond they share goes beyond heat, beyond love. She alone can supply the strength he needs to claim his revenge. But in doing so, he could destroy her.
Guardian enforcers who safeguard humanity and Darkbloods, rogues who kill like their ancient ancestors. Now Guardian team leader Dominic Serrano will be forced to choose between the vengeance he craves and the woman he can’t live without…
Movie location scout Mackenzie Foster-Shaw has always known that she's cursed to die young. No one can protect her from the evil that has stalked her family for generations—vampires who crave her rare blood type. Until one afternoon in a wooded cemetery, she encounters an impossibly sexy stranger, a man she must trust with her life.
For Dominic, a man haunted by loss, Mackenzie satisfies a primal hunger that torments him—and the bond they share goes beyond heat, beyond love. She alone can supply the strength he needs to claim his revenge. But in doing so, he could destroy her.
382 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 18, 2011
143 people are currently reading
4530 people want to read
About the author
Laurie London
22 books612 followersThanks for finding me on Goodreads!
Running with the Werewolf, coming November 17, kicks off my brand new Darkaway Island series. It's a destination resort for monsters!
Check out my website for more book info:
www.LaurieLondonBooks.com
Sign up for my new release newsletter and I'll send you a free book.
http://eepurl.com/rNTBL
Running with the Werewolf, coming November 17, kicks off my brand new Darkaway Island series. It's a destination resort for monsters!
Check out my website for more book info:
www.LaurieLondonBooks.com
Sign up for my new release newsletter and I'll send you a free book.
http://eepurl.com/rNTBL
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 229 reviews
January 8, 2011
I received this as an ARC from www.netgalley.com
Woot! to Alexis Morgan for pimping this book...it was great! Laurie London’s debut novel Bonded by Blood was fantastic! I loved our main characters, and I really enjoyed the plot and writing. I’d like to thank Alexis Morgan for mentioning Laurie’s book to me, as I probably would have ended up reading it at some point, but Alexis’ comments bumped it up to my “read now” pile.
This book releases Jan. 18, 2011 but I was lucky enough to read it at the beginning of December.
Soo, Mackenzie is out taking pictures of a cemetery that might be used in a zombie movie-she's the location scout. Whilst there, she hears a bit of a moan..then a plea for help.
Enter super-hot vampire male Dominic. He's taken a silver bullet from the bad guys, but Mackenzie never finds this out since he grabs her and bites her neck. When Dom smells Kenzie, he can't help himself...she is a rare Sweetblood, whereas most of us humans have normal blood, some have a better flavor. That means her blood is both delicious and highly addictive. It's also an illegal substance for the vamp community. Oh, and he works for the Enforcement Agency. Oops!
The agency is trying to eradicate the dealers of "Sweet" and his motives are more than just for the greater good-and btw, isn’t it nice to see a normal hero? Not one who is merely doing good because it’s the right thing to do? I mean we all love a good guy, but his agenda includes revenge against the Overlord of the Darkbloods (those dealing the Sweet). Pavlos (the Overlord) raped his mom, killed his parents, and turned his brother into a Sweet junkie. So Dom's playing for the good guys, but only because it fits in his own plans.
Kenzie is human as can be, but little does she know her blood is delicious and that the Dark Bloods (think drug dealers) will trap her to drain her blood and sell it as a delicacy on the vampire black market. But Kenzie is also much more than she seems. For generations, people in her family have been disappearing. Just up and gone. She's constantly afraid that she will be next. And she lives her life that way-no deep friendships, no commitments, no boyfriends...lonely life.
When Dom took her blood at the cemetery, he created a bond with her that neither understand. Somehow, they are getting each others thoughts and feelings to a degree. The connection is intense and very sensual. But in the mean time, the Darkbloods are somehow becoming organized. This is a new development, as they have always been like a junkie in need of a fix. Drain the human and bail. Now they are trapping humans and keeping them alive...more Sweet to go around if they keep the food source.
I'll have to stop myself here because there are a couple twists that I don't want to spoil. But this is a great debut novel and has a great cast of characters. The side characters are fun and entertaining, and make me care enough about them to want to read Embraced by Blood when it comes out in June. and I'm absolutely enjoying my entry into Laurie London's "World of Sweet."
http://www.demonloversbooksandmore.co...
Woot! to Alexis Morgan for pimping this book...it was great! Laurie London’s debut novel Bonded by Blood was fantastic! I loved our main characters, and I really enjoyed the plot and writing. I’d like to thank Alexis Morgan for mentioning Laurie’s book to me, as I probably would have ended up reading it at some point, but Alexis’ comments bumped it up to my “read now” pile.
This book releases Jan. 18, 2011 but I was lucky enough to read it at the beginning of December.
Soo, Mackenzie is out taking pictures of a cemetery that might be used in a zombie movie-she's the location scout. Whilst there, she hears a bit of a moan..then a plea for help.
Enter super-hot vampire male Dominic. He's taken a silver bullet from the bad guys, but Mackenzie never finds this out since he grabs her and bites her neck. When Dom smells Kenzie, he can't help himself...she is a rare Sweetblood, whereas most of us humans have normal blood, some have a better flavor. That means her blood is both delicious and highly addictive. It's also an illegal substance for the vamp community. Oh, and he works for the Enforcement Agency. Oops!
The agency is trying to eradicate the dealers of "Sweet" and his motives are more than just for the greater good-and btw, isn’t it nice to see a normal hero? Not one who is merely doing good because it’s the right thing to do? I mean we all love a good guy, but his agenda includes revenge against the Overlord of the Darkbloods (those dealing the Sweet). Pavlos (the Overlord) raped his mom, killed his parents, and turned his brother into a Sweet junkie. So Dom's playing for the good guys, but only because it fits in his own plans.
Kenzie is human as can be, but little does she know her blood is delicious and that the Dark Bloods (think drug dealers) will trap her to drain her blood and sell it as a delicacy on the vampire black market. But Kenzie is also much more than she seems. For generations, people in her family have been disappearing. Just up and gone. She's constantly afraid that she will be next. And she lives her life that way-no deep friendships, no commitments, no boyfriends...lonely life.
When Dom took her blood at the cemetery, he created a bond with her that neither understand. Somehow, they are getting each others thoughts and feelings to a degree. The connection is intense and very sensual. But in the mean time, the Darkbloods are somehow becoming organized. This is a new development, as they have always been like a junkie in need of a fix. Drain the human and bail. Now they are trapping humans and keeping them alive...more Sweet to go around if they keep the food source.
I'll have to stop myself here because there are a couple twists that I don't want to spoil. But this is a great debut novel and has a great cast of characters. The side characters are fun and entertaining, and make me care enough about them to want to read Embraced by Blood when it comes out in June. and I'm absolutely enjoying my entry into Laurie London's "World of Sweet."
http://www.demonloversbooksandmore.co...
dnf-p50-rule
March 20, 2013I have no right to review this book (considering I got maybe 50 pages into it), but I'm going to anyway. "WTF?" just about sums up my mercifully short experience with this book.
One of my main grumps is the excessively silly verbs. The heroine yanked off her helmet. (Wouldn't that hurt? They're not exactly loose-fitting.) She sprang to the injured dude's side. (Does she have rabbit genes?) He clamped his eyes shut. (Is he using vice grips?) She jumped on her motorcycle. (Was the seat too damn high for her?). Her spine prickled. (Spines don't prickle. Ever. Your vertebrae are not capable of prickling, goddammit.)
Another grump is a seeming continuity fail. The chick's hair is clipped up one second, but magically flowing around her shoulders when the dude gets a boner for her two seconds later. When she was checking out her face in the bathroom mirror, I thought she was still on the phone with her boss and started to wonder if she was going to shower with him on the line too. And she keeps her candy in the bathroom? WTF? Won't it melt or get soggy or something?
Some notes I made on certain lines while struggling through this:
It took a man and a body capable of carrying a child." p.30
Would this be the giant foreshadowing sign that normal human jizz can't stick to her womb but super-strength vampy jizz can get her preggers? I sincerely hope not. I made my feelings quite clear on that score when I reviewed Wolf Tales 1.
"Sure you didn't prong her with the sharps and the blunt?" p. 41
Dude, that's just skeevy. You should be ashamed for that vamp-frat comment.
There was something on page 40 (can't remember what exactly it was) that felt like a bitch-slap of back story that had absolutely nothing to do with what was currently going on in the book. Shouldn't back story at least have a vague connection or context within present events?
Skeey line on page 41 was my breaking point. I'm glad some people liked this book. I'm also glad I didn't have to finish it. Good luck with this one.
One of my main grumps is the excessively silly verbs. The heroine yanked off her helmet. (Wouldn't that hurt? They're not exactly loose-fitting.) She sprang to the injured dude's side. (Does she have rabbit genes?) He clamped his eyes shut. (Is he using vice grips?) She jumped on her motorcycle. (Was the seat too damn high for her?). Her spine prickled. (Spines don't prickle. Ever. Your vertebrae are not capable of prickling, goddammit.)
Another grump is a seeming continuity fail. The chick's hair is clipped up one second, but magically flowing around her shoulders when the dude gets a boner for her two seconds later. When she was checking out her face in the bathroom mirror, I thought she was still on the phone with her boss and started to wonder if she was going to shower with him on the line too. And she keeps her candy in the bathroom? WTF? Won't it melt or get soggy or something?
Some notes I made on certain lines while struggling through this:
It took a man and a body capable of carrying a child." p.30
Would this be the giant foreshadowing sign that normal human jizz can't stick to her womb but super-strength vampy jizz can get her preggers? I sincerely hope not. I made my feelings quite clear on that score when I reviewed Wolf Tales 1.
"Sure you didn't prong her with the sharps and the blunt?" p. 41
Dude, that's just skeevy. You should be ashamed for that vamp-frat comment.
There was something on page 40 (can't remember what exactly it was) that felt like a bitch-slap of back story that had absolutely nothing to do with what was currently going on in the book. Shouldn't back story at least have a vague connection or context within present events?
Skeey line on page 41 was my breaking point. I'm glad some people liked this book. I'm also glad I didn't have to finish it. Good luck with this one.
April 1, 2017
Cheesy. It was okay, somewhat entertaining, but nothing that really hooked me. (And did I mention the cheese factor? Super-duper Velveeta boxed macaroni type.) There were some decent things about it & the sex wasn't bad so far as vampire-romance goes...but when I say 'romance,' I mean ROMANCE. This is definitely a HQN paranormal, complete with soggy HEA at the close.
I gave it 3 stars because it's a book I'd probably have enjoyed in my long-past PNR/UF phase, but not so much today. (At least these guys didn't talk like JR Ward's crew. :P) One thing is abundantly clear: I don't cotton to paranormal anymore unless it's Anne Rice-ish or focused on the horror. Nowadays I don't GAF re: 'strong heroines,' fanged soulmates, or street thug paranormal villains.
I gave it 3 stars because it's a book I'd probably have enjoyed in my long-past PNR/UF phase, but not so much today. (At least these guys didn't talk like JR Ward's crew. :P) One thing is abundantly clear: I don't cotton to paranormal anymore unless it's Anne Rice-ish or focused on the horror. Nowadays I don't GAF re: 'strong heroines,' fanged soulmates, or street thug paranormal villains.
January 5, 2011
First things first.... Check out the Fangs on this hottie!! {Yowsers!} Bonded by Blood is Laurie London's debut novel in her totally awesome Sweetblood series. From the first chapter, I was glued to my Nook, anxiously awaiting the turn of each page. That is how much I enjoyed this book.
The heroine of this story, Mackenzie Foster-Shaw is awesome. She's kick-arse, sexy, strong-willed, and compassionate. Despite the fact that Mackenzie is marked for death, she lives each day to the fullest. London does an amazing job of developing Mackenzie's character and providing just enough back-story without disrupting the main plot of the story.
Dominic is my type of vampire. Tall, dark, and fangtastically handsome without the typical vampire brooding and cheesy leather duster! Dominic is a vampire on a mission, one that does not include the sweet-blooded Mackenzie. Fate has different plans for Dominic and after just one glimpse of Mackenzie, it becomes evident that she is his saviour. Dom's journey with Mackenzie begins with a little game of Cat & Mouse and very quickly develops into an intimate relationship. P.S... The romance scenes, and yes, there are plenty, are HAWT! {blushes}
My favorite part of Bonded by Blood is the side characters... mainly Dominic's fellow team guardians, who also provide most of the comic relief in this story. A note at the end of the book reveals that book # 2 in London's Sweetblood series, Embraced by Blood, (TBR 07/2011') will feature two of my favorite characters... Dominic's estranged brother, Alfonso and fellow guardian teammate, Lily. This should be a good one, especially because both Alfonso and Lily come with some "soon to be revealed" baggage! Bring on the Drama.
Calling all Vampire and PNR romance fans out there: This book is a must read. Lara Adrian's Midnight breed and Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress World fans will appreciate Bonded by Blood!!
Overall rating: 4.5 out of 5
Review Posted here: Nocturnal Bites
**Book provided by Harlequin via NetGalley for review purposes**
The heroine of this story, Mackenzie Foster-Shaw is awesome. She's kick-arse, sexy, strong-willed, and compassionate. Despite the fact that Mackenzie is marked for death, she lives each day to the fullest. London does an amazing job of developing Mackenzie's character and providing just enough back-story without disrupting the main plot of the story.
Dominic is my type of vampire. Tall, dark, and fangtastically handsome without the typical vampire brooding and cheesy leather duster! Dominic is a vampire on a mission, one that does not include the sweet-blooded Mackenzie. Fate has different plans for Dominic and after just one glimpse of Mackenzie, it becomes evident that she is his saviour. Dom's journey with Mackenzie begins with a little game of Cat & Mouse and very quickly develops into an intimate relationship. P.S... The romance scenes, and yes, there are plenty, are HAWT! {blushes}
My favorite part of Bonded by Blood is the side characters... mainly Dominic's fellow team guardians, who also provide most of the comic relief in this story. A note at the end of the book reveals that book # 2 in London's Sweetblood series, Embraced by Blood, (TBR 07/2011') will feature two of my favorite characters... Dominic's estranged brother, Alfonso and fellow guardian teammate, Lily. This should be a good one, especially because both Alfonso and Lily come with some "soon to be revealed" baggage! Bring on the Drama.
Calling all Vampire and PNR romance fans out there: This book is a must read. Lara Adrian's Midnight breed and Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress World fans will appreciate Bonded by Blood!!
Overall rating: 4.5 out of 5
Review Posted here: Nocturnal Bites
**Book provided by Harlequin via NetGalley for review purposes**
July 30, 2015
**2.5 stars**
Lately I only feel like listening to romance in audio and that's the only reason why I didn't dnf this puppy.
Bonded by Blood was a below average read. The characters were cookie cutter and nothing to talk about but the biggest problem in the book were the technical aspects, which needed a lot of work to make a cohesive book. The world building was an anemic mishmash of the usual vampire myths and some of the new themes we've seen in popular series like the BDB but with no explanation as to how these seemingly contradictory elements could work - I need more explanations about a world where vampires are born AND can be turned. The timing transitions were terrible. A few times I didn't realize that days/weeks have passed until I was several minutes into a chapter, so every time there was a transition I was left wondering if it was the next hour or the next week.
Another distracting feature was the weird shortening of the main characters' names. When people said 'Dom', I imagined the hero in leather and chains; Mckenzie was sometimes called "Kenze" and most of the time I didn't who they were talking about.
The author seemed to be inexperienced and/or uncomfortable with love scenes and didn't seem to think things through. Some scenes would start steamy and then sort of fade to black; there was a lot of rearranging of erections and hardening of the hero's cock but there were barely any details about the heroine's parts. I even wondered if the hero was the only one with genitals.
The confrontation with the uber villain (which was of the mustache twirling variety) was anticlimactic and there was a conflict with the hero's brother that was so obvious that it was laughable. Oh and that end was just too freaking maudlin.
This is the first time I've listened Antonia Laury and I'll definitely listen to a book narrated by her again. I enjoyed her narration even if the book wasn't to my taste.
Definitely not continuing this series.
Lately I only feel like listening to romance in audio and that's the only reason why I didn't dnf this puppy.
Bonded by Blood was a below average read. The characters were cookie cutter and nothing to talk about but the biggest problem in the book were the technical aspects, which needed a lot of work to make a cohesive book. The world building was an anemic mishmash of the usual vampire myths and some of the new themes we've seen in popular series like the BDB but with no explanation as to how these seemingly contradictory elements could work - I need more explanations about a world where vampires are born AND can be turned. The timing transitions were terrible. A few times I didn't realize that days/weeks have passed until I was several minutes into a chapter, so every time there was a transition I was left wondering if it was the next hour or the next week.
Another distracting feature was the weird shortening of the main characters' names. When people said 'Dom', I imagined the hero in leather and chains; Mckenzie was sometimes called "Kenze" and most of the time I didn't who they were talking about.
The author seemed to be inexperienced and/or uncomfortable with love scenes and didn't seem to think things through. Some scenes would start steamy and then sort of fade to black; there was a lot of rearranging of erections and hardening of the hero's cock but there were barely any details about the heroine's parts. I even wondered if the hero was the only one with genitals.
The confrontation with the uber villain (which was of the mustache twirling variety) was anticlimactic and there was a conflict with the hero's brother that was so obvious that it was laughable. Oh and that end was just too freaking maudlin.
This is the first time I've listened Antonia Laury and I'll definitely listen to a book narrated by her again. I enjoyed her narration even if the book wasn't to my taste.
Definitely not continuing this series.
December 28, 2010
Bonded by Blood
First Line: Mackenzie Foster – Shaw spotted the cemetery sign at the last minute and squeezed the brakes, spinning out her white Triumph motorcycle in a spray of dirt and gravel.
Why the Mad Scientist read this book:
I needed a adult fix and this book was it. Thanks the the lovely people at NetGalley and Harlequin I was able to get this fix early. With this in mind it had no effect on my already effected brain.
Concotion of a review:
Bonded by Blood was a wonderful debut novel & scrumptious beginning of the Sweetblood series by Laurie London. It starts off with dear Mackenzie taking pictures in various cemetaries. (I right then this book was for me, vampires & morbid cemetary.) But what will her wondering eyes find? Well, one simply to die for delicious hunk of a vampire who has been injuried by a silver bullet. She is drawn to him in a cautious way but he is drawn to her by her overpowering rare and extremely addictive sweetblood. You can’t help your sweet tooth & neither could he.
From that point she felt odd, especially when she was missing a day of her life. Where did it go? Then she found herself oddly attracted to a stranger. The connection she feels for him is overpowering her stubborn rational self. Which may be a good thing for her. She quickly learns about a world that she never knew about & possibly were she belongs in it.
Bonded by Blood was crazy mad hot when it came to the wonderful chemistry between Dom and Mackenzie. These two pulled and pushed into each other in and tenseful passoinate way. I loved it! Laurie London builds their intense relationship slowly and explosive at the same time. Seems to be hypercrytical? It is hard to explain but too true.
The love scences were hot and steamy, just the way I like them. Nothing was over done, over the top, or reused when it came to Dom and Mackenzie’s body twisting scences.
The world Laurie London created was also very believable. Behind a paranormal book there is a lore and this one was well thought out and developed nicely explaining everything that needed to be layed out so the reader, or the Mad Scientist, would not be too confused or left in the dark. We also learn of the world along with Mackenzie so the shock and wonder goes hand and hand.
Dislikes? Not really. If I had to pick something I would have to say that I wish Mackenzie kept more of the hardcore attitude as the story went on but I didn’t think about it until after the story was over. We will see about book two.
Overall, Bonded by Blood was a story with a new twist of a vampire/human romance that had me flipping through pages faster then I could read them. I was recommending the book and now I’m stuck waiting for more Sweetblood action even longer then noraml since this book isn’t even out yet!!!
4.5 Blasts
Hunky vampire & intense steamy scenes
will be had!
First Line: Mackenzie Foster – Shaw spotted the cemetery sign at the last minute and squeezed the brakes, spinning out her white Triumph motorcycle in a spray of dirt and gravel.
Why the Mad Scientist read this book:
I needed a adult fix and this book was it. Thanks the the lovely people at NetGalley and Harlequin I was able to get this fix early. With this in mind it had no effect on my already effected brain.
Concotion of a review:
Bonded by Blood was a wonderful debut novel & scrumptious beginning of the Sweetblood series by Laurie London. It starts off with dear Mackenzie taking pictures in various cemetaries. (I right then this book was for me, vampires & morbid cemetary.) But what will her wondering eyes find? Well, one simply to die for delicious hunk of a vampire who has been injuried by a silver bullet. She is drawn to him in a cautious way but he is drawn to her by her overpowering rare and extremely addictive sweetblood. You can’t help your sweet tooth & neither could he.
From that point she felt odd, especially when she was missing a day of her life. Where did it go? Then she found herself oddly attracted to a stranger. The connection she feels for him is overpowering her stubborn rational self. Which may be a good thing for her. She quickly learns about a world that she never knew about & possibly were she belongs in it.
Bonded by Blood was crazy mad hot when it came to the wonderful chemistry between Dom and Mackenzie. These two pulled and pushed into each other in and tenseful passoinate way. I loved it! Laurie London builds their intense relationship slowly and explosive at the same time. Seems to be hypercrytical? It is hard to explain but too true.
The love scences were hot and steamy, just the way I like them. Nothing was over done, over the top, or reused when it came to Dom and Mackenzie’s body twisting scences.
The world Laurie London created was also very believable. Behind a paranormal book there is a lore and this one was well thought out and developed nicely explaining everything that needed to be layed out so the reader, or the Mad Scientist, would not be too confused or left in the dark. We also learn of the world along with Mackenzie so the shock and wonder goes hand and hand.
Dislikes? Not really. If I had to pick something I would have to say that I wish Mackenzie kept more of the hardcore attitude as the story went on but I didn’t think about it until after the story was over. We will see about book two.
Overall, Bonded by Blood was a story with a new twist of a vampire/human romance that had me flipping through pages faster then I could read them. I was recommending the book and now I’m stuck waiting for more Sweetblood action even longer then noraml since this book isn’t even out yet!!!
4.5 Blasts
Hunky vampire & intense steamy scenes
will be had!
November 11, 2010
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
If TWILIGHT was written for girls, BONDED BY BLOOD is written for women. Both share a similar story concept: a specific human with blood that sings with its sweetness to vampires. Mackenzie is a Sweetblood. A rare human whose blood is like heroin to a desperate junkie. In fact, Sweetblood is sold in dark alleys and trafficked like drugs in vampire society. I liked Mackenzie's live for the moment, cherish everyday because it could be your last mentality, but I found her unwarranted initial shrewness towards Dom to be grating and a little Romance genre cliché. Her complete mood swing the other way was also a bit abrupt and a tad Stepford-ish.
While I had a few minor issues with Mackenzie, Dominic was the man. He's a Guardian (basically a vampire cop) who protects humans by tracking Darkbloods, vampires who act outside the law. I loved that Dom wasn't over the top alpha initially. He is all man, but he has doubts and fears and doesn't always make the right call. He's plagued by guilt and truly terrified that he'll lose control and kill Mackenzie. I think that dichotomy is what makes a vampire love interest so compelling for me, the constant struggle between control and desire.
The chase between these two was as hot as you'd want it to be. Mackenzie is attracted to Dom, drawn to his chivalry, but leery of the mood swings she can't help but notice. He's trying to conceal his obsession after one impulsive taste but determined to keep his distance, struggling with control every second he's with her, all the while protecting her from a threat he's responsible for exposing her to. See what I mean about the TWILIGHT parallels?
BONDED BY BLOOD is supernatural sex on a stick. Deadly hot vampires, a centuries old battle between good and evil, and the constant battle between control and desire. Paranormal romance fans will love this new series, and like me, eagerly await the next Sweetblood installment, EMBRACED BY BLOOD, in July 2011. I'm already trying to imagine a cover that can top this one.
Sexual Content: Several moderately graphic sex scenes
If TWILIGHT was written for girls, BONDED BY BLOOD is written for women. Both share a similar story concept: a specific human with blood that sings with its sweetness to vampires. Mackenzie is a Sweetblood. A rare human whose blood is like heroin to a desperate junkie. In fact, Sweetblood is sold in dark alleys and trafficked like drugs in vampire society. I liked Mackenzie's live for the moment, cherish everyday because it could be your last mentality, but I found her unwarranted initial shrewness towards Dom to be grating and a little Romance genre cliché. Her complete mood swing the other way was also a bit abrupt and a tad Stepford-ish.
While I had a few minor issues with Mackenzie, Dominic was the man. He's a Guardian (basically a vampire cop) who protects humans by tracking Darkbloods, vampires who act outside the law. I loved that Dom wasn't over the top alpha initially. He is all man, but he has doubts and fears and doesn't always make the right call. He's plagued by guilt and truly terrified that he'll lose control and kill Mackenzie. I think that dichotomy is what makes a vampire love interest so compelling for me, the constant struggle between control and desire.
The chase between these two was as hot as you'd want it to be. Mackenzie is attracted to Dom, drawn to his chivalry, but leery of the mood swings she can't help but notice. He's trying to conceal his obsession after one impulsive taste but determined to keep his distance, struggling with control every second he's with her, all the while protecting her from a threat he's responsible for exposing her to. See what I mean about the TWILIGHT parallels?
BONDED BY BLOOD is supernatural sex on a stick. Deadly hot vampires, a centuries old battle between good and evil, and the constant battle between control and desire. Paranormal romance fans will love this new series, and like me, eagerly await the next Sweetblood installment, EMBRACED BY BLOOD, in July 2011. I'm already trying to imagine a cover that can top this one.
Sexual Content: Several moderately graphic sex scenes
April 6, 2011
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Good paranormal romances are hard to find. Seems like for every heart stopping steamy addiction I find, four copycats pop up. Shoving my favorite stories down my throat with poor characters, a sad plot trying to pretend it's not a ripoff, and bedroom scenes that should be banned. So when a picky reader like me stumbles upon a good PNR I'm a happy camper. After the first couple of pages of Bonded by Blood I entered that much needed realm of happy camperness. Thirty pages later I was in PNR bliss. Pure bliss.
London proves she's no copy cat with this first installment of the Sweetblood series. These vampires have different traits from the over populated genre of blood suckers. Guessing what part of the myths we know are “true” in the realm of the Sweetblood universe and what London has tossed in to make her species even more off the hook is all part of the fun. The vampire eternal fight of good and evil is embodied through the Guardians and the Darkbloods.
The idea behind Sweetblood is chilling. The rare humans who have the blood are basically vamp crack on legs—even giving vampires amped up powers. Darkbloods believe humans are simply on the menu, who cares if food just goes up and missing off the streets. That kind of callus attitude leads to a “breeding program” that left me with chills.
Mackenzie is a fantastic leading lady she's a tough biker babe who appreciates Hello Kitty and can take care of herself. She's lived with a chip on her shoulder, as for generations members of her family tree have gone missing before they ever reach the age of 30—her father and cousin being some of the more recent. Dominic, or Dom, is one of the best portrayed male leads I have read in a PNR. Dom could have easily been one of those dark and emo guys that populate the genre, spending too much time brooding and avoiding their lady love. Instead the reader gets to go inside his head to find a man who has suffered terribly by the hands of the leader of the Darkbloods, and by his own brother whose betrayal cost him the life of his parents. Mackenzie and Dom actually court each other, of course a few racy things happen before they “officially” get together—it's still PNR.
Besides the amazing couple lead, London weaves in an amazing cast of side characters and equally amazing stories to accompany them. When the POV would shift from the two leads to the side characters I would find myself just as excited to read their parts as the main characters. Lily was such a fun sexed up vampire hottie that I just couldn't not like her. She was brash and loves to talk, but she's too fun to be annoying. Trying to figure out who her serious relationship is—who happens to be her Darkblood informant—was so fun. Plus the truth behind Alphones, Dom's brother, was a thrill ride!
Whether you want good leads for your hot couple fix, amazing side characters, unique plot, and chills to laugh out loud moments Bonded by Blood delivers. When I picked it up I came for the idea behind the Sweetbloods, what I found was pure PNR bliss. Trust me, I'll be back for the next book.
Sexual Content: Pretty steamy bedroom scenes and dirty talk. There are some pretty strong tones of sexaul volition and people getting off on it.
Rating: 5/5- Fabulous, a beautiful obsession!
Originally posted at Book Whispers.
Good paranormal romances are hard to find. Seems like for every heart stopping steamy addiction I find, four copycats pop up. Shoving my favorite stories down my throat with poor characters, a sad plot trying to pretend it's not a ripoff, and bedroom scenes that should be banned. So when a picky reader like me stumbles upon a good PNR I'm a happy camper. After the first couple of pages of Bonded by Blood I entered that much needed realm of happy camperness. Thirty pages later I was in PNR bliss. Pure bliss.
London proves she's no copy cat with this first installment of the Sweetblood series. These vampires have different traits from the over populated genre of blood suckers. Guessing what part of the myths we know are “true” in the realm of the Sweetblood universe and what London has tossed in to make her species even more off the hook is all part of the fun. The vampire eternal fight of good and evil is embodied through the Guardians and the Darkbloods.
The idea behind Sweetblood is chilling. The rare humans who have the blood are basically vamp crack on legs—even giving vampires amped up powers. Darkbloods believe humans are simply on the menu, who cares if food just goes up and missing off the streets. That kind of callus attitude leads to a “breeding program” that left me with chills.
Mackenzie is a fantastic leading lady she's a tough biker babe who appreciates Hello Kitty and can take care of herself. She's lived with a chip on her shoulder, as for generations members of her family tree have gone missing before they ever reach the age of 30—her father and cousin being some of the more recent. Dominic, or Dom, is one of the best portrayed male leads I have read in a PNR. Dom could have easily been one of those dark and emo guys that populate the genre, spending too much time brooding and avoiding their lady love. Instead the reader gets to go inside his head to find a man who has suffered terribly by the hands of the leader of the Darkbloods, and by his own brother whose betrayal cost him the life of his parents. Mackenzie and Dom actually court each other, of course a few racy things happen before they “officially” get together—it's still PNR.
Besides the amazing couple lead, London weaves in an amazing cast of side characters and equally amazing stories to accompany them. When the POV would shift from the two leads to the side characters I would find myself just as excited to read their parts as the main characters. Lily was such a fun sexed up vampire hottie that I just couldn't not like her. She was brash and loves to talk, but she's too fun to be annoying. Trying to figure out who her serious relationship is—who happens to be her Darkblood informant—was so fun. Plus the truth behind Alphones, Dom's brother, was a thrill ride!
Whether you want good leads for your hot couple fix, amazing side characters, unique plot, and chills to laugh out loud moments Bonded by Blood delivers. When I picked it up I came for the idea behind the Sweetbloods, what I found was pure PNR bliss. Trust me, I'll be back for the next book.
Sexual Content: Pretty steamy bedroom scenes and dirty talk. There are some pretty strong tones of sexaul volition and people getting off on it.
Rating: 5/5- Fabulous, a beautiful obsession!
Originally posted at Book Whispers.
October 2, 2013
Pages Survived: 254
Nope. No, wait, make that double-nope. In fact, let's go ahead and take an ass-huge heaping pile of no, cram that sucker with a bit of nope, add three more scoops of nope-nope to the mix, and top that piece of culinary hell with one more face-full of nopey.
Hyperbole much? Nope. If I can offer any sage words of experienced wisdom for the youth today, it's basically to metaphorically be this badger in regards to Laurie London's book, Bonded By Blood...
"But, Jacqueline!" are you're indubitably not gasping aloud, "What could London have done so atrociously wrong to make you be this big of an ass-clown about her work?!" Well, as a nonexistent great philosopher that I just made up never said, "The greatest crime a novel can commit is that of boredom." Basically, that's this rearrangement of 26 letters; Bonded By Blood is ostensibly a glorified Lunesta commercial, with less panache.
Heartbreaking, yes, but when characters have as much chemistry as paint meeting oxygen, and the plot is more flaccid than a castrated 90 year old man, there's some serious screwy issues with such a novel. The technical construction to the writing was fine, and I applaud London for knowing how to write a book. But, to be extra-special dorky for a hot minute, I'll quote Sherrilyn Kenyon's Acheron and say, "Just because you can doesn't mean you should." And, oh-damn-baby, London shouldn't have.
So, lack of a believably driven plot? Check. Supposed romance novel's characters with passion the equivalent of evaporated milk? Check. Lack of believability in the people within the universe the book centers? Yeah, that too, so check. Basically, we've got all the makings for a novel that fails hard, but not even in a fun, "I can't believe it's not butter" kind of failing. 254 pages into a book, and I got nothing, nada, and zilch after over a month of trying. So, DNF status? You bet your chunky-monkey.
PS: Here's your consolation prize for having waded through this monstrosity eye-brain rape of a shittastic review. Enjoy...
December 9, 2011
Dominic Serrano....vampire and member of the Agency, sorta like vampire feds so to speak. They're constantly at war with The Darkblood Alliance, Rogue vampires that treat humans like cattle. The alliance's main focus at the moment is capturing humans that have a rare blood type known as "Sweetblood" and its up to The Agency to stop them. One night after chasing down the aforementioned Darkbloods, Dom gets shot by silver. Mackenzie, while at a cemetery stumbles across an injured Dominic and tries to aid him. There's only one problem with that....she has the rare blood type, Sweetblood...highly addictive and once Dom bites her it will be near impossible for him to stop! Because of her bloodtype the Darkbloods are after her and Dom must protect her at all costs. What begins as a normal job turns into much more as Dominic might have found the one woman that can capture his heart forever.
Great story! Although the concept wasn't quite original. I really enjoyed myself! It was pretty Hot and suspenseful. It was a little predictable but entertaining all the same. I will definitely continue the series. The characters really came alive to me....I enjoyed Mackenzie's spunk and willingness to protect what was left of her family. It really pulled at my heart strings because she wanted to love and wanted to be loved by someone, but it was impossible for her because everyone in her family(save her mom and brother) disappeared. So she saw no reason to get into a relationship since she knew oneday she would disappear as well. I loved Lily...a sexy vixen with a mouth like a trucker..lol! Dominic was sexy as hell and I would let him bite me anytime...4 stars;)
Great story! Although the concept wasn't quite original. I really enjoyed myself! It was pretty Hot and suspenseful. It was a little predictable but entertaining all the same. I will definitely continue the series. The characters really came alive to me....I enjoyed Mackenzie's spunk and willingness to protect what was left of her family. It really pulled at my heart strings because she wanted to love and wanted to be loved by someone, but it was impossible for her because everyone in her family(save her mom and brother) disappeared. So she saw no reason to get into a relationship since she knew oneday she would disappear as well. I loved Lily...a sexy vixen with a mouth like a trucker..lol! Dominic was sexy as hell and I would let him bite me anytime...4 stars;)
January 18, 2011
An interesting way I rate a novel is how often I can set the novel down. Simply put, if I can stop reading the book without any stress to my well-being, I’m not that into the book. With Bonded by Blood, I was able to set the book down, and not even think about it for days. It was not that the book was bad; it just was not anything new or exciting. I “liked” it. I “enjoyed” it, I just did not think about it beyond the time I was actually reading it. In fact, it is hard for me to remember the story and I just read it.
Maybe I’ve read too many paranormal romance books and my opinion is jaded. I don’t know. At this point, it takes a lot to wow me when it comes to PR and this one (even though it was good) didn’t WOW me.
Maybe I’ve read too many paranormal romance books and my opinion is jaded. I don’t know. At this point, it takes a lot to wow me when it comes to PR and this one (even though it was good) didn’t WOW me.
February 21, 2011
Mackenzie Foster-Shaw enjoys spending her time taking photographs to scout for movie locations. On this particular day she has found herself in a cemetery taking pictures, which is creepy enough – until she hears a man moaning. Cautious, she sees a man slightly buried beneath leaves and sticks and he is injured. This will be the last memory she has of him.
Dominic Serrano, or Dom is a vampire – but he is one of the good guys, although when he catches Mackenzie’s scent, his baser instincts take over. Although Mackenzie is human, she is a Sweetblood, unknowingly carrying blood that is irresistible to vampires. Dom has no other option than to taste her, and he somehow finds the strength to stop drinking from her before she dies. He ends up giving her a few drops of his blood to make sure she will live, before wiping her memory and returning her to her house.
Dom works for the Agency, a group of vampires who fight against the Darkbloods, those that seek out the Sweetbloods and usually drain them dry. Although he was able to stop drinking from Mackenzie, he knows if a Darkblood picks up her scent, she will be in grave danger. He not only feels protective of her, but because they had a blood exchange, he is now picking up her thoughts and emotions. He feels a pain in his chest if she travels too far away from him. He has only heard rumors that a bond like this could exist.
Mackenzie has lived with the “Shaw family curse” her entire life. Family members have gone missing with no explanation. As Mackenzie starts to unravel this mystery, the Darkbloods start to organize in the Seattle area where Mackenize lives and Dom knows a fight is on the horizon.
Bonded by Blood is the debut book by Laurie London. When Dom and Mackenzie have their chance encounter to start the book, it is pretty explosive. Dom physically can not keep from drinking Mackenzie’s blood. I enjoyed that he is the good guy, yet his vampire tendencies still shine through. After this first encounter, even though it is mentioned that Dom struggles with not drinking from her, I kind of wish he would have lost it again. Or showed more struggle. For the next 150 pages the pace really slows down. Mackenzie and Dom end up running into each other again and because they are bonded, (although Mackenzie has no idea he is a vampire) they are definitely attracted to each other. But it felt like it really took awhile for things to start moving again.
After a while the pace picks up. Mackenzie starts to uncover what Dom really is. When the Darkbloods start hunting her and those close to her, the book became very entertaining. We only see a glimpse of the head villain a few times, and I think we definitely could have benefitted from more scenes from his point of view. The ending conflict with him is wrapped up way too easily as well. We are told of all of these evil things he has done in the past, but we really don’t get to see a lot of him in the book.
The strength in this book lies with Dom and his relationships with his fellow team members. Lily, Jackson, and others have some nice banter – and made me laugh more than once.
“Dom. Lil. Hey, Mackenzie,” Jackson said. “We’ve never really met, but I know you.” He pulled his hand from his crotch and extended it to shake hers.”
“For God’s sake, Jackson.” Dom knocked his had away.
“I was just scratching an itch. Sorry.”
There is also a nice twist with Dom’s brother that sets up the next book in the series.
Besides a couple of reservations, this is a fun world. Laurie London writes a book that is very easy to get into. It flows really smoothly, the romance scenes are pretty steamy and I really enjoyed the interactions with the supporting characters.
Rating: C+
Dominic Serrano, or Dom is a vampire – but he is one of the good guys, although when he catches Mackenzie’s scent, his baser instincts take over. Although Mackenzie is human, she is a Sweetblood, unknowingly carrying blood that is irresistible to vampires. Dom has no other option than to taste her, and he somehow finds the strength to stop drinking from her before she dies. He ends up giving her a few drops of his blood to make sure she will live, before wiping her memory and returning her to her house.
Dom works for the Agency, a group of vampires who fight against the Darkbloods, those that seek out the Sweetbloods and usually drain them dry. Although he was able to stop drinking from Mackenzie, he knows if a Darkblood picks up her scent, she will be in grave danger. He not only feels protective of her, but because they had a blood exchange, he is now picking up her thoughts and emotions. He feels a pain in his chest if she travels too far away from him. He has only heard rumors that a bond like this could exist.
Mackenzie has lived with the “Shaw family curse” her entire life. Family members have gone missing with no explanation. As Mackenzie starts to unravel this mystery, the Darkbloods start to organize in the Seattle area where Mackenize lives and Dom knows a fight is on the horizon.
Bonded by Blood is the debut book by Laurie London. When Dom and Mackenzie have their chance encounter to start the book, it is pretty explosive. Dom physically can not keep from drinking Mackenzie’s blood. I enjoyed that he is the good guy, yet his vampire tendencies still shine through. After this first encounter, even though it is mentioned that Dom struggles with not drinking from her, I kind of wish he would have lost it again. Or showed more struggle. For the next 150 pages the pace really slows down. Mackenzie and Dom end up running into each other again and because they are bonded, (although Mackenzie has no idea he is a vampire) they are definitely attracted to each other. But it felt like it really took awhile for things to start moving again.
After a while the pace picks up. Mackenzie starts to uncover what Dom really is. When the Darkbloods start hunting her and those close to her, the book became very entertaining. We only see a glimpse of the head villain a few times, and I think we definitely could have benefitted from more scenes from his point of view. The ending conflict with him is wrapped up way too easily as well. We are told of all of these evil things he has done in the past, but we really don’t get to see a lot of him in the book.
The strength in this book lies with Dom and his relationships with his fellow team members. Lily, Jackson, and others have some nice banter – and made me laugh more than once.
“Dom. Lil. Hey, Mackenzie,” Jackson said. “We’ve never really met, but I know you.” He pulled his hand from his crotch and extended it to shake hers.”
“For God’s sake, Jackson.” Dom knocked his had away.
“I was just scratching an itch. Sorry.”
There is also a nice twist with Dom’s brother that sets up the next book in the series.
Besides a couple of reservations, this is a fun world. Laurie London writes a book that is very easy to get into. It flows really smoothly, the romance scenes are pretty steamy and I really enjoyed the interactions with the supporting characters.
Rating: C+
January 30, 2011
My Synopsis:
Bonded by Blood is a sweet addition to the paranormal romance world!
Mackenzie is out scouting locations for a movie shoot; when she starts photographing in an ancient cemetery she hears a moan of pain. Tentively she approaches some bush to find a gorgeous man buried under leaves and injured. When she approaches the stranger to help he shrinks back and begs her to leave but Mackenzie advances determined to help him. The next thing she knows she is waking in her bed a day later with no recollection of what happened.
Dominic works as a Guardian for the Agency to take down Darkbloods, bad vampires who kill humans and deal in sweetblood, a rare and highly addictive blood type in humans. And they are up to something new it seems. But besides just dealing with the Darkbloods he is out for revenge also. Dominic is hunting Pavlos, The Overlord of the Darkbloods, and the vampire who terrorized then murdered his parents as well as getting his brother Alfonso hooked on sweet and turning him into one of his lackies. Revenge is what he lives for until the beautiful Mackenzie stumbles upon him and an unintentional blood bond is formed.
Now, unable to stay away from the tempting artist Dom appears in her life and Kenzie struggles with the realization the she wants more then Dom is willing to give. But when she is attacked by Darkbloods Dom’s true identify is revealed. Can Kenzie accept him for who he truly is? Does Dom hold the secrets to her families past, a past of unexplained disappearances spanning for centuries of generations? And can Dom conquer his uncontrollable urge to taste Kenzie again; and if he doesn't, will she survive?
My Thoughts:
Laurie London’s debut novel is a beautiful romance that comes to a powerful climax with nail-biting action.
I loved the characters and plot, which moved at a steady pace and was easy to follow. This novel is well written with good world building and realistic charters that were easy to connect with and likable side characters. There is a boatload of sexual tension that builds up until it reached its peak in the middle of the book. And the main characters have an amazing chemistry between them; you can feel the sizzle in the air when these two get together, which leads to a good amount of hot love scenes. The action didn’t escalate until more towards the end of the book but the wait’s worth it with plenty of twists and turns to keep you on your toes.
A great and highly entertaining read by new author Laurie London!
Embraced by Blood, set to be released June 21st, is the next novel in the Sweetblood series and features Dominic’s brother Alfonso and I cannot wait to get my hands on it!
http://readingbetweenthewinesbookclub...
Bonded by Blood is a sweet addition to the paranormal romance world!
Mackenzie is out scouting locations for a movie shoot; when she starts photographing in an ancient cemetery she hears a moan of pain. Tentively she approaches some bush to find a gorgeous man buried under leaves and injured. When she approaches the stranger to help he shrinks back and begs her to leave but Mackenzie advances determined to help him. The next thing she knows she is waking in her bed a day later with no recollection of what happened.
Dominic works as a Guardian for the Agency to take down Darkbloods, bad vampires who kill humans and deal in sweetblood, a rare and highly addictive blood type in humans. And they are up to something new it seems. But besides just dealing with the Darkbloods he is out for revenge also. Dominic is hunting Pavlos, The Overlord of the Darkbloods, and the vampire who terrorized then murdered his parents as well as getting his brother Alfonso hooked on sweet and turning him into one of his lackies. Revenge is what he lives for until the beautiful Mackenzie stumbles upon him and an unintentional blood bond is formed.
Now, unable to stay away from the tempting artist Dom appears in her life and Kenzie struggles with the realization the she wants more then Dom is willing to give. But when she is attacked by Darkbloods Dom’s true identify is revealed. Can Kenzie accept him for who he truly is? Does Dom hold the secrets to her families past, a past of unexplained disappearances spanning for centuries of generations? And can Dom conquer his uncontrollable urge to taste Kenzie again; and if he doesn't, will she survive?
My Thoughts:
Laurie London’s debut novel is a beautiful romance that comes to a powerful climax with nail-biting action.
I loved the characters and plot, which moved at a steady pace and was easy to follow. This novel is well written with good world building and realistic charters that were easy to connect with and likable side characters. There is a boatload of sexual tension that builds up until it reached its peak in the middle of the book. And the main characters have an amazing chemistry between them; you can feel the sizzle in the air when these two get together, which leads to a good amount of hot love scenes. The action didn’t escalate until more towards the end of the book but the wait’s worth it with plenty of twists and turns to keep you on your toes.
A great and highly entertaining read by new author Laurie London!
Embraced by Blood, set to be released June 21st, is the next novel in the Sweetblood series and features Dominic’s brother Alfonso and I cannot wait to get my hands on it!
http://readingbetweenthewinesbookclub...
January 11, 2011
Bonded by Blood is the first in a series by Laurie London, and I think Laurie did a really great job of setting up a new world and introducing characters. I loved the hero and heroine of the story, Dom and Mackenzie, who make an awesome couple. Dom is strong, sexy, and very alpha, but at the same time is scarred from his past. Mackenzie is independent and badass, yet vulnerable, and I loved how the two interacted.
The book starts out with Kenzie taking photos in a cemetery, and as she's walking along, she spies an injured man on the ground. Enter Dom, who has just been wounded by Darkbloods(vampires who feed off and kill humans and give in to their animal instincts). Dom desperately needs blood, and when he sees Mackenzie, he has no choice but to feed off of her. However, Dom quickly discovers that Kenz is a Sweetblood, a rare human with blood that is addicting and very coveted by vampires, especially by Darkbloods.
A bond forms between the two, and Mackenzie finds herself pulled into a dangerous world where Darkbloods are targeting Sweetbloods, and the secrets of the past are revealed. As Dom and Mackenzie grow closer, the danger increases and the passion between them reaches new heights. The feelings the two have for each other are unlike anything either has ever felt before, but the threat the Darkbloods pose doesn't go away. Old enemies return, and the Darkbloods are becoming more and more organized. And the most important question of all; Is Mackenzie their next target?
The pace of the story is good, the romance is hot, and there's a satisfying amount of action. London did a nice job of explaining the key terms so the reader doesn't get confused, and the secondary characters are amusing and interesting. I'm looking forward to the next book in the Sweetblood series and I'm curious to see where Laurie will take the story next.
Overall: 4.5
Thanks to @Netgalley
The book starts out with Kenzie taking photos in a cemetery, and as she's walking along, she spies an injured man on the ground. Enter Dom, who has just been wounded by Darkbloods(vampires who feed off and kill humans and give in to their animal instincts). Dom desperately needs blood, and when he sees Mackenzie, he has no choice but to feed off of her. However, Dom quickly discovers that Kenz is a Sweetblood, a rare human with blood that is addicting and very coveted by vampires, especially by Darkbloods.
A bond forms between the two, and Mackenzie finds herself pulled into a dangerous world where Darkbloods are targeting Sweetbloods, and the secrets of the past are revealed. As Dom and Mackenzie grow closer, the danger increases and the passion between them reaches new heights. The feelings the two have for each other are unlike anything either has ever felt before, but the threat the Darkbloods pose doesn't go away. Old enemies return, and the Darkbloods are becoming more and more organized. And the most important question of all; Is Mackenzie their next target?
The pace of the story is good, the romance is hot, and there's a satisfying amount of action. London did a nice job of explaining the key terms so the reader doesn't get confused, and the secondary characters are amusing and interesting. I'm looking forward to the next book in the Sweetblood series and I'm curious to see where Laurie will take the story next.
Overall: 4.5
Thanks to @Netgalley
January 27, 2011
There are two kind of vampires in the world: those who accept the new ways and those who wish to bring back the ways of old. The Darkbloods are vampires who believe human lives and blood are theirs for the taking. Especially those known as “sweetbloods.” Humans with that special quality in their blood are especially sought after, so much so that Darkbloods sell vials of the stuff on the street like it’s a drug.
Dominic is one of the vampires who embraces a life lived side by side with humanity. He rarely partakes in human blood and when he does –it’s never to kill. He works for a group known as the Agency. They are vampires who police the rest of their kind and fight the Darkbloods.
It’s just after he is gravely injured, that Mac stumbles across Dom’s path. She is a sweetblood –and though he tries to resist her, the pull is too strong and he takes her blood. He takes so much, in fact, that he must give her some of his own to save her life. The exchange activates a blood bond between the two, a rare and binding tie, which allows them to sense each others emotions and even share thoughts.
The story was easy to get into. The world-building easy to follow. And perhaps most importantly, the building sexual tension between the two main characters was played to perfection. However, there was a bit of predictability as the story arc played out. I think some of the foreshadowing was a little heavy handed and I would have liked to be surprised a little more. Also, I found some of the scenes cut off a bit more abruptly than I’d like –and we’d see days or weeks gone as we went into another scene without seeing immediate repurcussions of what happened immediately before.
All that being said, I did enjoy it. It was an easy read, not to complex, with some hot sex. Almost 4 stars.
Dominic is one of the vampires who embraces a life lived side by side with humanity. He rarely partakes in human blood and when he does –it’s never to kill. He works for a group known as the Agency. They are vampires who police the rest of their kind and fight the Darkbloods.
It’s just after he is gravely injured, that Mac stumbles across Dom’s path. She is a sweetblood –and though he tries to resist her, the pull is too strong and he takes her blood. He takes so much, in fact, that he must give her some of his own to save her life. The exchange activates a blood bond between the two, a rare and binding tie, which allows them to sense each others emotions and even share thoughts.
The story was easy to get into. The world-building easy to follow. And perhaps most importantly, the building sexual tension between the two main characters was played to perfection. However, there was a bit of predictability as the story arc played out. I think some of the foreshadowing was a little heavy handed and I would have liked to be surprised a little more. Also, I found some of the scenes cut off a bit more abruptly than I’d like –and we’d see days or weeks gone as we went into another scene without seeing immediate repurcussions of what happened immediately before.
All that being said, I did enjoy it. It was an easy read, not to complex, with some hot sex. Almost 4 stars.
May 9, 2016
Bonded by Blood was surprisingly good. I almost stopped reading it. The beginning is a little slow but the story picks about 40% in. The lead characters Dominic Serrano head of the Guardian Enforcers in the Northwest has been attacked by the Dark Blood Vampires and shot with silver bullets. He is discovered in an old cemetery by MacKenzie Foster Shawn. She is there to photograph the cemetery as a possible site for a movie/TV show. MacKenzie has a special blood that vampires are lured to. She is called a Sweet Blood and when Dom smells her blood he takes it. Dom realizes he has taken to much and gives her his blood. They become blood bonded. MacKenzies has certain family members such as her father and her cousin who have gone missing all through her family's generations. She suspects she will be next. Dom is determined to protect her. Early on they fall in love. They also, find out what has happened to her family members over the generations.
The storyline between the Guardian Enforcer Vampires and the Dark Bloods is good. The fight between humanity and inhumanity is at stake. Dark Bloods have started a program to find and repeatedly take and track all Sweet Bloods. There scheme is soon found out to be more diabolical then they initially thought. I finally did get quit engrossed in the story. Once it starts moving it doesn't let up. The romance between Dominic/Dom and Mackenzie is sizzling hot and quite sensual. I will continue to read this series. I do like the fact that these are the real type of vampires of old. With one exception they can eat food, but other then that are like vampires of old, which is a good thing to me. I am sick of the new style vampires who eat drink an go out in the day time. Neither do they have any special skills that vampire of old had. I am really happy that the author Laurie London is writing Vampires the way they should be written!!
The storyline between the Guardian Enforcer Vampires and the Dark Bloods is good. The fight between humanity and inhumanity is at stake. Dark Bloods have started a program to find and repeatedly take and track all Sweet Bloods. There scheme is soon found out to be more diabolical then they initially thought. I finally did get quit engrossed in the story. Once it starts moving it doesn't let up. The romance between Dominic/Dom and Mackenzie is sizzling hot and quite sensual. I will continue to read this series. I do like the fact that these are the real type of vampires of old. With one exception they can eat food, but other then that are like vampires of old, which is a good thing to me. I am sick of the new style vampires who eat drink an go out in the day time. Neither do they have any special skills that vampire of old had. I am really happy that the author Laurie London is writing Vampires the way they should be written!!
February 10, 2011
Bonded by Blood is Laurie London's first book in the Sweetblood series and all I can say is THANK YOU for giving us readers a new series to obsess about and cherish! This book has everything that any Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance reader wants to see and enjoy in a book. Action, intrigue, mystery, HOT romance and most of all, characters that jump from the pages and come to life before your eyes.
Not only did I develop a connection between Dom and Mackenzie but also with the secondary characters in the book. I loved how not only did we get to hear and feel what both Dom and Mackenzie were thinking and feeling but, also that the development of their relationship was realistic. Perhaps that may be the key thing about this book is that although the story is about vampires, the world that Laurie was able to create made it believable to exist. Yes we have vampires, but the vampires in Laurie's world seem human enough, of course with some differences, that the average human would not be aware of them.
I really enjoyed the growing passion that developed between the two leads and seeing them both deal with their inner demons at the same time, which at times put a roadblock to their relationship.
At the end of the book I found myself wanting more and wanting to know what was going to happen next with Dom, Mackenzie and the rest of the secondary characters that we were introduced to. This is a great new series to get lost in and I can't wait to read Book 2 comes out later this year.
5 Stars
Not only did I develop a connection between Dom and Mackenzie but also with the secondary characters in the book. I loved how not only did we get to hear and feel what both Dom and Mackenzie were thinking and feeling but, also that the development of their relationship was realistic. Perhaps that may be the key thing about this book is that although the story is about vampires, the world that Laurie was able to create made it believable to exist. Yes we have vampires, but the vampires in Laurie's world seem human enough, of course with some differences, that the average human would not be aware of them.
I really enjoyed the growing passion that developed between the two leads and seeing them both deal with their inner demons at the same time, which at times put a roadblock to their relationship.
At the end of the book I found myself wanting more and wanting to know what was going to happen next with Dom, Mackenzie and the rest of the secondary characters that we were introduced to. This is a great new series to get lost in and I can't wait to read Book 2 comes out later this year.
5 Stars
December 28, 2010
This is a good story. The stroy between the Darkbloods and the Sweetbloods was very interesting to read. I liked the connection the hero and heroine has after he takes her blood, but I am always a sucker for a vampire that can read minds and feel what the heroine is felling, so he can save the day if need be. There is plenty of danger, excitement and some great steamy sex. My biggest problem is the story didn’t keep my attention and I am not one for a back in forth relationship. I did enjoy it enough that I will try the second book when it comes out.
February 25, 2018
3 stars.
Overall, it was an ok book. Not sure if I'm just a bit saturated with Vampire stories or just getting a bit too blasé over the whole sub-genre. We've got the good guys protecting the humans from the bad guys who want to drink them to death... especially those with "sweetblood" like our heroine and her ancestors. Humans with that special mutation in their blood can provide the vampire with enhanced abilities, as in the case of the Big Bad "Overlord" and our hero who drank her blood.
There's nothing too different about the world being built in this first book, let's see if the author will expand the world in the subsequent books. I did find the hero a bit wishy-washy and blowing hot and cold a bit too much though. A promising start.
Overall, it was an ok book. Not sure if I'm just a bit saturated with Vampire stories or just getting a bit too blasé over the whole sub-genre. We've got the good guys protecting the humans from the bad guys who want to drink them to death... especially those with "sweetblood" like our heroine and her ancestors. Humans with that special mutation in their blood can provide the vampire with enhanced abilities, as in the case of the Big Bad "Overlord" and our hero who drank her blood.
There's nothing too different about the world being built in this first book, let's see if the author will expand the world in the subsequent books. I did find the hero a bit wishy-washy and blowing hot and cold a bit too much though. A promising start.
March 21, 2012
Sweetblood Starts Strong
After a battle with rogue Darkbloods leaves him close to death and hiding from the sun in a shaded cemetery, vampire and Guardian enforcer Dominic Serrano catches the scent of both his salvation and his doom. A Sangre Dulce, a human with a rare type of blood craved by his kind, is close to where he's gone to ground and the intoxicating scent is stirring the predator in him into a frenzy. Feeding on a Sangre Dulce is forbidden - the threat to the human's life too great to risk even if he were at his most controlled. In his wounded and half-starved state, there is truly no chance he can spare her.
Scouting movie locations for television and movie productions is one of Mackenzie Foster-Shaw's jobs. It puts her out in the field and has made her very familiar with the Pacific Northwest she calls home. After two weeks of haunting cemeteries near and far for her current client, she's finally found one that may meet her picky client's needs. As she sets up her equipment and starts photographing the site, she's startled by the sound of distress coming from under a pile of forest debris. Moving closer to investigate, Kenzie is shocked to find not an animal, but a man. An obviously wounded man in dire need of help.
It isn't until he lunges at her that she realizes an insane truth. He's not a man at all.
Waking up at home the next morning with no idea how she got there or what happened to her the previous afternoon, Kenzie is confused and concerned. She feels weird, first of all. There is a buzzing in her head, like static, and a strange feeling in her chest. She wonders if it has something to do with her family's curse. The Shaw family has been plagued with mysterious disappearances going back generations. Her own father disappeared, then a few years later, a cousin. Maybe what's happening to her is somehow a precursor of that horror.
Kenzie has no idea how horrifying the truth can be, but with one vampire intent on keeping her safe - even from himself - and an entire contingent of Darkbloods working on just the opposite, one thing is certain. She's going to find out.
~*~
I liked this series debut. London has a fluid, easy-to-read writing style, and the world she's creating is brushed with creativity and a bit of originality that adds a breath of fresh air to vampire-featured paranormal romance. The Guardian enforcers were a particular treat. Their presence and purpose added a covert ops military unit feel to their aspects of the story that I found appealing and thought a surprisingly nice blend with the vampire history and culture that London introduces.
Both main characters were likable and their individual backstories were fleshed out nicely and incorporated into their character development. They were not, perhaps, the most individual, unique, or remarkable hero and heroine I've ever read, but they fit well in their roles in the book and they did their job as the lead romantic pair. Neither of them annoyed or offended in any way - always a plus.
As a couple Kenzie and Dom had a solid amount of chemistry, and some of their scenes were hot enough to singe my fingers on the page (always a good thing), but I was a little thrown by how deep into the book I was before Kenzie is clued in on the existence of vampires. Half of the book is gone before she finds out they're large, in charge, and closer than she knows. In books such as this, where the heroine isn't aware that the guy she's lusting on isn't human, I struggle with my level of comfort with the relationship. It's hard for me to fully commit to a romance based on that sort of lack of information. Because of that, the emotional connection between Kenzie and Dom frustrated me a little for longer than I would have liked when I was reading it.
On a brighter note, I thought there was a nice balance between the world-building, the progression of the external plot conflict, and the evolution of the relationship between Dom and Kenzie. Too often lately I've read books that skew more heavily one way or the other to the expense of all three. Some of the elements could have had more thorough definition for my taste, but what's there combined well and worked together to create a satisfying story instead of detracting from it. The external plot conflict with the Darkbloods also added lots of great action into the mix.
The sum of all the parts of this book is what made this read work so well for me. It didn't have the same tired feel as so many in the genre have of late. London stirred her overlarge palette of romance standards and original story elements, then combined them in such a way that she created a surprisingly harmonious blend of comforting familiarity and exciting originality. I really enjoyed what I read and look forward to continuing the series.
Quoatables:
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
After a battle with rogue Darkbloods leaves him close to death and hiding from the sun in a shaded cemetery, vampire and Guardian enforcer Dominic Serrano catches the scent of both his salvation and his doom. A Sangre Dulce, a human with a rare type of blood craved by his kind, is close to where he's gone to ground and the intoxicating scent is stirring the predator in him into a frenzy. Feeding on a Sangre Dulce is forbidden - the threat to the human's life too great to risk even if he were at his most controlled. In his wounded and half-starved state, there is truly no chance he can spare her.
Scouting movie locations for television and movie productions is one of Mackenzie Foster-Shaw's jobs. It puts her out in the field and has made her very familiar with the Pacific Northwest she calls home. After two weeks of haunting cemeteries near and far for her current client, she's finally found one that may meet her picky client's needs. As she sets up her equipment and starts photographing the site, she's startled by the sound of distress coming from under a pile of forest debris. Moving closer to investigate, Kenzie is shocked to find not an animal, but a man. An obviously wounded man in dire need of help.
It isn't until he lunges at her that she realizes an insane truth. He's not a man at all.
Waking up at home the next morning with no idea how she got there or what happened to her the previous afternoon, Kenzie is confused and concerned. She feels weird, first of all. There is a buzzing in her head, like static, and a strange feeling in her chest. She wonders if it has something to do with her family's curse. The Shaw family has been plagued with mysterious disappearances going back generations. Her own father disappeared, then a few years later, a cousin. Maybe what's happening to her is somehow a precursor of that horror.
Kenzie has no idea how horrifying the truth can be, but with one vampire intent on keeping her safe - even from himself - and an entire contingent of Darkbloods working on just the opposite, one thing is certain. She's going to find out.
~*~
I liked this series debut. London has a fluid, easy-to-read writing style, and the world she's creating is brushed with creativity and a bit of originality that adds a breath of fresh air to vampire-featured paranormal romance. The Guardian enforcers were a particular treat. Their presence and purpose added a covert ops military unit feel to their aspects of the story that I found appealing and thought a surprisingly nice blend with the vampire history and culture that London introduces.
Both main characters were likable and their individual backstories were fleshed out nicely and incorporated into their character development. They were not, perhaps, the most individual, unique, or remarkable hero and heroine I've ever read, but they fit well in their roles in the book and they did their job as the lead romantic pair. Neither of them annoyed or offended in any way - always a plus.
As a couple Kenzie and Dom had a solid amount of chemistry, and some of their scenes were hot enough to singe my fingers on the page (always a good thing), but I was a little thrown by how deep into the book I was before Kenzie is clued in on the existence of vampires. Half of the book is gone before she finds out they're large, in charge, and closer than she knows. In books such as this, where the heroine isn't aware that the guy she's lusting on isn't human, I struggle with my level of comfort with the relationship. It's hard for me to fully commit to a romance based on that sort of lack of information. Because of that, the emotional connection between Kenzie and Dom frustrated me a little for longer than I would have liked when I was reading it.
On a brighter note, I thought there was a nice balance between the world-building, the progression of the external plot conflict, and the evolution of the relationship between Dom and Kenzie. Too often lately I've read books that skew more heavily one way or the other to the expense of all three. Some of the elements could have had more thorough definition for my taste, but what's there combined well and worked together to create a satisfying story instead of detracting from it. The external plot conflict with the Darkbloods also added lots of great action into the mix.
The sum of all the parts of this book is what made this read work so well for me. It didn't have the same tired feel as so many in the genre have of late. London stirred her overlarge palette of romance standards and original story elements, then combined them in such a way that she created a surprisingly harmonious blend of comforting familiarity and exciting originality. I really enjoyed what I read and look forward to continuing the series.
Quoatables:
"Friends don't let friends show up at devastatingly gorgeous men's homes without a warning. What if I had gone to the gym first and was all sweaty and stinky? Did you ever think about that?"
"You don't work out."
"But it's the principle."
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
February 15, 2018
Es un libro muy bello y me encanta un monton ¡¡le doy un 10!!
December 24, 2010
Review provided by Black Lagoon Reviews:
Bonded by Blood is the debut novel in Laurie London's Sweetblood series. A new twist on the old vampire lore, this novel is wonderfully written with great attention to detail and masterfully developed.
In fact, it was the world development that struck me most about this novel. The lore is perfectly explained and the settings are meticulously described making them seem to spring to life from the pages. I loved the little details that painted the scenes so vividly and that fact that this really mirrored the artistic temperament of the main character, Mackenzie. Likewise the atmospheres are lushly built around the various settings within the novel. For instance, Mackenzie's art studio is very comfortable and homey. Her calming influence a wonderful setting for a classroom and her brash nature contained to the artistic implements within, much like in her own life. Dom's loft is also warm, but it has a very strong male feeling about it. The organization and luxuriant furnishings perfectly reflecting the character. But, not all the atmospheres are so inviting. The dilapidated prison that serves as the base for Pavlos, otherwise known as the Overlord, is suitably creepy conveying the feeling of a scene from a horror movie. It is flawlessly captured to reflect the monstrous intentions of the vile creature and their despicable plots.
The characters are equally well developed. The highly detailed thought processes of the characters are both engaging and enlightening. I loved being able to see so easily into the psyches of the characters, to be able to ascertain their inner struggles and feelings in a way that I know my own mind. Mackenzie is a wonderfully complex protagonist, her fearless natures balanced by her acceptance of that idea she has no foreseeable future. Her artistic sensibilities add a wonderful emotional quality to her, while maintaining a somewhat stoic outer facade. The progression of her character is great to watch, how her cautious emotional nature gets stripped away layer by layer until her true desires finally surface. Dom is likewise composed. His rigid emotionless quality crumbling in Mackenzie's presence. Yet, while she is unaware of the changes within her, Dom is painfully aware of the growing bond between them no matter how much he tries to rationalize his responses to her and her blood. While the secondary characters are just that, secondary, we come to enjoy them even in the brief moments when they appear. They add to the relationship between Dom and Mackenzie, helping to guide the two to the only obvious conclusion: that they are meant to be together.
The romantic appeal of this novel was wonderful too. The suspense and drama of their relationship always kicked up something to put their happiness off. The blood bond, while self explanatory, is still a mystery throughout much of the novel in as much as we never truly know exactly what effects it will have on the two. For instance, Dom's seemingly unusual ability to share energies with a human and the fact that her blood seems to give him exaggerated strength, where as it has no such effect in others. The tender protectiveness between the two is engrossing as well. While Dom tries fervently to protect her even from himself, her fearless belief that he couldn't hurt her is endearing. While Dom is usually much more intuitive about their relationship and their feelings, it is Mackenzie who feels the soul deep attachment between them. This adds a nice balance to the relationship.
The writing style is easy for the reader to connect to, instantly drawing you into the characters lives. The point of view shifts throughout are a wonderfully deep look into the varying characters. I enjoyed this aspect immensely due to the scope of the insight which most authors tend to gloss over. The pace was steady though not overly quick, the development of the world hindering it a bit. But, the payoff of the masterfully detailed world was worth it. Despite the often slow pace of the novel, the action scenes are still marvelously written and add propulsion to the storyline. However, while the pace may not be as quick as I have become use to, I have to say that I was never bored or put off. Instead, the writing had a hypnotic quality that I loved and in truth when the novel ended I was a little saddened.
Overall, this was an interesting and original vampire romance that has me eagerly anticipating the next installment. With some wonderful characters and vividly described setting, this is one world any fan of the paranormal romance genre should not miss!
Bonded by Blood is the debut novel in Laurie London's Sweetblood series. A new twist on the old vampire lore, this novel is wonderfully written with great attention to detail and masterfully developed.
In fact, it was the world development that struck me most about this novel. The lore is perfectly explained and the settings are meticulously described making them seem to spring to life from the pages. I loved the little details that painted the scenes so vividly and that fact that this really mirrored the artistic temperament of the main character, Mackenzie. Likewise the atmospheres are lushly built around the various settings within the novel. For instance, Mackenzie's art studio is very comfortable and homey. Her calming influence a wonderful setting for a classroom and her brash nature contained to the artistic implements within, much like in her own life. Dom's loft is also warm, but it has a very strong male feeling about it. The organization and luxuriant furnishings perfectly reflecting the character. But, not all the atmospheres are so inviting. The dilapidated prison that serves as the base for Pavlos, otherwise known as the Overlord, is suitably creepy conveying the feeling of a scene from a horror movie. It is flawlessly captured to reflect the monstrous intentions of the vile creature and their despicable plots.
The characters are equally well developed. The highly detailed thought processes of the characters are both engaging and enlightening. I loved being able to see so easily into the psyches of the characters, to be able to ascertain their inner struggles and feelings in a way that I know my own mind. Mackenzie is a wonderfully complex protagonist, her fearless natures balanced by her acceptance of that idea she has no foreseeable future. Her artistic sensibilities add a wonderful emotional quality to her, while maintaining a somewhat stoic outer facade. The progression of her character is great to watch, how her cautious emotional nature gets stripped away layer by layer until her true desires finally surface. Dom is likewise composed. His rigid emotionless quality crumbling in Mackenzie's presence. Yet, while she is unaware of the changes within her, Dom is painfully aware of the growing bond between them no matter how much he tries to rationalize his responses to her and her blood. While the secondary characters are just that, secondary, we come to enjoy them even in the brief moments when they appear. They add to the relationship between Dom and Mackenzie, helping to guide the two to the only obvious conclusion: that they are meant to be together.
The romantic appeal of this novel was wonderful too. The suspense and drama of their relationship always kicked up something to put their happiness off. The blood bond, while self explanatory, is still a mystery throughout much of the novel in as much as we never truly know exactly what effects it will have on the two. For instance, Dom's seemingly unusual ability to share energies with a human and the fact that her blood seems to give him exaggerated strength, where as it has no such effect in others. The tender protectiveness between the two is engrossing as well. While Dom tries fervently to protect her even from himself, her fearless belief that he couldn't hurt her is endearing. While Dom is usually much more intuitive about their relationship and their feelings, it is Mackenzie who feels the soul deep attachment between them. This adds a nice balance to the relationship.
The writing style is easy for the reader to connect to, instantly drawing you into the characters lives. The point of view shifts throughout are a wonderfully deep look into the varying characters. I enjoyed this aspect immensely due to the scope of the insight which most authors tend to gloss over. The pace was steady though not overly quick, the development of the world hindering it a bit. But, the payoff of the masterfully detailed world was worth it. Despite the often slow pace of the novel, the action scenes are still marvelously written and add propulsion to the storyline. However, while the pace may not be as quick as I have become use to, I have to say that I was never bored or put off. Instead, the writing had a hypnotic quality that I loved and in truth when the novel ended I was a little saddened.
Overall, this was an interesting and original vampire romance that has me eagerly anticipating the next installment. With some wonderful characters and vividly described setting, this is one world any fan of the paranormal romance genre should not miss!
June 22, 2012
Bonded by Blood is the first novel in the Sweetblood, paranormal romance series by author Laurie London. This dark adult-fiction offers romance, mystery, sexy vampires and a struggle between good and evil. London’s tale grabbed me from page one and I enjoyed the ride.
In the Sweetblood series we have two groups of vampires. There are vampires who live among the humans. They follow society’s rules and drink donor blood. The second group known as the Darkbloods believe in the old ways. Where killing and turning humans is their right. The Agency is a military type vampire unit established to protect the humans and keep the vampires existence a secret. Recently the agency has noticed an increase in activity among the Darkbloods and have sent units to investigate. One of their goals is to protect humans nicknamed "sweetbloods". These humans have particularly sweet blood, which can make a vampire lose himself. They often end up killing the human and the blood gives them a high. Eventually the vampire becomes addicted craving more and more sweetblood. The agency notices an increase in the illegal sale of sweetblood and believes the Darkbloods are behind it.
While on a mission, agent Dominic is shot with silver bullets. He manages to hide himself in a dark cemetery before sunrise. Photographer and biker chick, Mackenzie-Foster Shaw believes she has found the perfect location for a film project. She jumps of her bike, and begins taking photos. As she moves through the cemetery she thinks she hears someone moaning, "Help me'. Suddenly she stumbles upon Dominic, half hidden in a pile of leaves. At first he thinks he will borrow her phone to get help, but then he smells her – a Sweetblood. He tells her to run, but Mackenzie wants to help, she bends down to look at his wounds……………..the next thing she remembers is waking up with a headache in her own bed. Dominic is back at the agency, but is concerned for Mackenzie. He wants to make sure the darkbloods can't find her. He finds himself thinking about her..a lot. The tale that London tells, unfolds at a dizzying pace and I loved every suspenseful, steamy, intoxicating, minute of it.
London creates characters you can’t help but fall in love with. I really liked Mackenzie, she is grounded, responsible, and talented. She rides a motorcycle, teaches art and works as a scout for films. She can be a kick-ass and has a witty sense of humor. A family curse has kept her from getting to close to anyone. There were a few scenes where her behavior had me giggling. Dominic, is a tortured soul, who is determined to seek vengeance. He has suffered great loss and despite the tough guy exterior, he is really a romantic at heart. He is protective, loyal, smart and uber sexy. We meet some of the other vampires in the agency and I look forward to reading their stories. London has given them all unique personalities and I was drawn to each of them. The romance between Mackenzie and Dominic was hot and intense. I loved the banter between them, and how Mackenzie goes from fearing him to trusting him with her life. I must warn my more delicate readers, that while this is a mainstream romance it can get pretty steamy.
The tale itself was intense and believable. I love how London gave us Dominic’s back-story and weaved it into the present making the tale more suspenseful. There were scenes that had my heart racing, as I wondered how Dominic and Mackenzie would survive. There is villain to hate, and a traitor to feel sorry for. London provides details and characters that give this tale endless possibility as a series. I like that while the tale of Good vs. Evil will continue, Dominic and Mackenzie’s tale is complete.
Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer
In the Sweetblood series we have two groups of vampires. There are vampires who live among the humans. They follow society’s rules and drink donor blood. The second group known as the Darkbloods believe in the old ways. Where killing and turning humans is their right. The Agency is a military type vampire unit established to protect the humans and keep the vampires existence a secret. Recently the agency has noticed an increase in activity among the Darkbloods and have sent units to investigate. One of their goals is to protect humans nicknamed "sweetbloods". These humans have particularly sweet blood, which can make a vampire lose himself. They often end up killing the human and the blood gives them a high. Eventually the vampire becomes addicted craving more and more sweetblood. The agency notices an increase in the illegal sale of sweetblood and believes the Darkbloods are behind it.
While on a mission, agent Dominic is shot with silver bullets. He manages to hide himself in a dark cemetery before sunrise. Photographer and biker chick, Mackenzie-Foster Shaw believes she has found the perfect location for a film project. She jumps of her bike, and begins taking photos. As she moves through the cemetery she thinks she hears someone moaning, "Help me'. Suddenly she stumbles upon Dominic, half hidden in a pile of leaves. At first he thinks he will borrow her phone to get help, but then he smells her – a Sweetblood. He tells her to run, but Mackenzie wants to help, she bends down to look at his wounds……………..the next thing she remembers is waking up with a headache in her own bed. Dominic is back at the agency, but is concerned for Mackenzie. He wants to make sure the darkbloods can't find her. He finds himself thinking about her..a lot. The tale that London tells, unfolds at a dizzying pace and I loved every suspenseful, steamy, intoxicating, minute of it.
London creates characters you can’t help but fall in love with. I really liked Mackenzie, she is grounded, responsible, and talented. She rides a motorcycle, teaches art and works as a scout for films. She can be a kick-ass and has a witty sense of humor. A family curse has kept her from getting to close to anyone. There were a few scenes where her behavior had me giggling. Dominic, is a tortured soul, who is determined to seek vengeance. He has suffered great loss and despite the tough guy exterior, he is really a romantic at heart. He is protective, loyal, smart and uber sexy. We meet some of the other vampires in the agency and I look forward to reading their stories. London has given them all unique personalities and I was drawn to each of them. The romance between Mackenzie and Dominic was hot and intense. I loved the banter between them, and how Mackenzie goes from fearing him to trusting him with her life. I must warn my more delicate readers, that while this is a mainstream romance it can get pretty steamy.
The tale itself was intense and believable. I love how London gave us Dominic’s back-story and weaved it into the present making the tale more suspenseful. There were scenes that had my heart racing, as I wondered how Dominic and Mackenzie would survive. There is villain to hate, and a traitor to feel sorry for. London provides details and characters that give this tale endless possibility as a series. I like that while the tale of Good vs. Evil will continue, Dominic and Mackenzie’s tale is complete.
Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer
January 27, 2011
Movie location scout Mackenzie Foster-Shaw has always known that she's cursed to die young. No one can protect her from the evil that has stalked her family for generations—vampires who crave her rare blood type. Until one afternoon in a wooded cemetery, she encounters an impossibly sexy stranger, a man she must trust with her life.
For Dominic, a man haunted by loss, Mackenzie satisfies a primal hunger that torments him—and the bond they share goes beyond heat, beyond love. She alone can supply the strength he needs to claim his revenge. But in doing so, he could destroy her….
Mac is a seemingly kick-a$$ chick with a family history of people disapearing for seemingly no reason. She doesn't know she's a sweetblood, someone whose rare blood-type makes it like cracky chocolate to vampires, and it causes them, typically to freak out and kill the sweetbloods as soon as they come across them in life, because they can't control themselves long enough to, well savor the experience. Dominic is a haunted vampire (thats new) who attacks Mac after being attacked himself, and finds himself pre-naturally drawn to Mac, unable to wipe her from his memory as he wiped her memory of his attack. He re-introduces himself to her and to his life as his greatest enemy begins to target Mac. Though she's all ready been targeted due to her bloodlines. In and through the danger they begin to get to know each other and start to fall in love.
Now I don't know how much of this is believable, but the book is well written. Its entertaining, the book is consistent where it needs to be and in this genre you begin to make allowances for certain things not being as realistic or well thought out as others. There were quite a few breaks in the story that didn't make the most sense, most specifically during the courting process that Mac and Dominic went through, when she halfway knew who he was but supposedly had her mind wiped. Or during one of the fight scenes between the other vampires and Mac. They are supposed to be SUPER bad-ass, think of every vamp cliche super power, they got it. But somehow she manages to out maneuver these vamps and get away, several times, as well as fight some of them off. Its a little wiggy. Then there's their whole, we sleep together all the times as vamps thing, but it means nothing, but there are bonded pairs?? And the super freaky brother who betrayed his whole family but has been working undercover ever since? But then he's not really been working for anyone just having hot vampire sex with one of them, whose on the "good team" but that even doesn't make sense the way its written.
Bonded by blood is the grown up version of all of the vampire boy loves a human girl YA stories that are so popular right now fraught with the same cliches and plot holes, but this one, at least, didn't pander to the lowest common denominator in all of us. It was very entertaining, a fun and sometimes sexy story that though i wish was a bit more developed still managed to keep my interest. I'll be reading the next in this series, will I run after it, no but I will read it.
Cover Art: C
Writing: C
Plot: C
Characters: C
Overall Rating: C
For Dominic, a man haunted by loss, Mackenzie satisfies a primal hunger that torments him—and the bond they share goes beyond heat, beyond love. She alone can supply the strength he needs to claim his revenge. But in doing so, he could destroy her….
Mac is a seemingly kick-a$$ chick with a family history of people disapearing for seemingly no reason. She doesn't know she's a sweetblood, someone whose rare blood-type makes it like cracky chocolate to vampires, and it causes them, typically to freak out and kill the sweetbloods as soon as they come across them in life, because they can't control themselves long enough to, well savor the experience. Dominic is a haunted vampire (thats new) who attacks Mac after being attacked himself, and finds himself pre-naturally drawn to Mac, unable to wipe her from his memory as he wiped her memory of his attack. He re-introduces himself to her and to his life as his greatest enemy begins to target Mac. Though she's all ready been targeted due to her bloodlines. In and through the danger they begin to get to know each other and start to fall in love.
Now I don't know how much of this is believable, but the book is well written. Its entertaining, the book is consistent where it needs to be and in this genre you begin to make allowances for certain things not being as realistic or well thought out as others. There were quite a few breaks in the story that didn't make the most sense, most specifically during the courting process that Mac and Dominic went through, when she halfway knew who he was but supposedly had her mind wiped. Or during one of the fight scenes between the other vampires and Mac. They are supposed to be SUPER bad-ass, think of every vamp cliche super power, they got it. But somehow she manages to out maneuver these vamps and get away, several times, as well as fight some of them off. Its a little wiggy. Then there's their whole, we sleep together all the times as vamps thing, but it means nothing, but there are bonded pairs?? And the super freaky brother who betrayed his whole family but has been working undercover ever since? But then he's not really been working for anyone just having hot vampire sex with one of them, whose on the "good team" but that even doesn't make sense the way its written.
Bonded by blood is the grown up version of all of the vampire boy loves a human girl YA stories that are so popular right now fraught with the same cliches and plot holes, but this one, at least, didn't pander to the lowest common denominator in all of us. It was very entertaining, a fun and sometimes sexy story that though i wish was a bit more developed still managed to keep my interest. I'll be reading the next in this series, will I run after it, no but I will read it.
Cover Art: C
Writing: C
Plot: C
Characters: C
Overall Rating: C
March 1, 2011
This book has been sitting on my TBR pile for a while now. I don't know why it took me so long to get to but am I ever happy I did! Bonded by Blood is a nice easy read with a great story that will have you finishing the book in no time. Laurie London manages to put a new and interesting twist on a genre that shelves are overcrowded with. As a result, this vampire book really stands out and is definitely worth a read. There's just the right balance of action, character/plot development and, of course, toe curling goodness. I loved it from beginning to end.
In this tale there are two distinct groups of vampires: ones that feed to kill and ones that don't. Pretty standard, right? In this case, it's the humans who are different. There are the standard blood types, pretty much everyone falls into this category. But, then there are the "Sweet Bloods" who are rare and who's blood is irresistible to these predators. Not only that but consuming their blood also gives vamps a temporary power boost. Needless to say, every evil vampire and their dog wants to get their hands on one of these rare humans. I really enjoyed Laurie's thinking-outside-of-the-box approach to this book. Not only is it original but it's easy to understand and grabbed my attention immediately. The whole plot revolved around this little tidbit and for me that made all the difference.
Mackenzie is a strong female character. I loved her grab life by the horns attitude. She may have had it hard and expects her life to end sooner rather than later but neither fact dampens her spirit in the least. One of my favorite parts of this novel was when one of Dominic's buddy's was setting up roadblocks to divert her route only to have her knock them down with her motorcycle. And Mackenzie doesn't just hit them; she does it with a style that's all her own. Her riding skills are awesome and would probably put many guys to shame. I kept cheering her on: "Yeah! You go girl!". Her leading man Dom is a total hunk and he can cook! My kinda guy! The combination of him being a nice guy and of struggling to control his hunger around a girl who's blood is like crack to his kind is intense.
This book also incorporates the "destined mate" type love story. MacKenzie and Dom are drawn to each other like magnets. They both have their excuses why they can't be together but of course, they can only ignore their inexplicable attraction to each other for so long. The hopeless romantic in me eats this stuff up. But with this type of relationship there's also usually mind blowing sex action which I also admittedly enjoy. So if you like a little spice in your books, Bonded by Blood won't disappoint!
Great writing, captivating characters and an original storyline make this novel an essential read for all paranormal romance lovers. There's so much more to the story than what I covered in my review so don't make my mistake by continuing to delay reading this book. Bump it up to the top of your TBR pile now!
http://rabid-reads.blogspot.com/2011/...
In this tale there are two distinct groups of vampires: ones that feed to kill and ones that don't. Pretty standard, right? In this case, it's the humans who are different. There are the standard blood types, pretty much everyone falls into this category. But, then there are the "Sweet Bloods" who are rare and who's blood is irresistible to these predators. Not only that but consuming their blood also gives vamps a temporary power boost. Needless to say, every evil vampire and their dog wants to get their hands on one of these rare humans. I really enjoyed Laurie's thinking-outside-of-the-box approach to this book. Not only is it original but it's easy to understand and grabbed my attention immediately. The whole plot revolved around this little tidbit and for me that made all the difference.
Mackenzie is a strong female character. I loved her grab life by the horns attitude. She may have had it hard and expects her life to end sooner rather than later but neither fact dampens her spirit in the least. One of my favorite parts of this novel was when one of Dominic's buddy's was setting up roadblocks to divert her route only to have her knock them down with her motorcycle. And Mackenzie doesn't just hit them; she does it with a style that's all her own. Her riding skills are awesome and would probably put many guys to shame. I kept cheering her on: "Yeah! You go girl!". Her leading man Dom is a total hunk and he can cook! My kinda guy! The combination of him being a nice guy and of struggling to control his hunger around a girl who's blood is like crack to his kind is intense.
This book also incorporates the "destined mate" type love story. MacKenzie and Dom are drawn to each other like magnets. They both have their excuses why they can't be together but of course, they can only ignore their inexplicable attraction to each other for so long. The hopeless romantic in me eats this stuff up. But with this type of relationship there's also usually mind blowing sex action which I also admittedly enjoy. So if you like a little spice in your books, Bonded by Blood won't disappoint!
Great writing, captivating characters and an original storyline make this novel an essential read for all paranormal romance lovers. There's so much more to the story than what I covered in my review so don't make my mistake by continuing to delay reading this book. Bump it up to the top of your TBR pile now!
http://rabid-reads.blogspot.com/2011/...
January 10, 2011
There is no better way to start out this New Year then with a fantastic read. I am sure many of you would chime in agreement. Bonded is the first book I've started and completed in 2011.
Laurie London is a debut author making her stamp in the PNR World. If Bonded by Blood marks the beginning of what will be seen by Laurie I will continue to follow along.
There is no denying that Bonded by Blood is Paranormal Romance. There is Paranormal and there is romance. Oh is there romance and it's not for the faint of heart either. Initially, the premise grabbed my attention and after reading I am certain the plot is the real gem.
I have yet to meet a female motorcycle ridin' heroine that I didn't like and MacKenzie is right along that line. She is a tigress in and out with a daunting past and a grim looking future. But from Dominic's eyes she would never be described as daunting and grim and perhaps he helps to change things for her.
The paranormal element is exactly my cup of tea. I'm not too into the whole goth version of vampires. Is goth even the correct term to describe pale, lanky in stature, cursed from the sun, stone cold, forced sleep at daylight, etc etc? Whether it is or is not I don't much care for that kind of vampire. I do like when authors create vampires who could easily infiltrate the human population.
Laurie's vampires are definitely my type. Dom needs blood to sustain himself but he is not limited to it. He can go out in the sun but does become weakened. My most favorite aspect of Bonded is the vampire-type. Another favorite is the Darkbloods and Sweetbloods.
With the previous paragraph said, I applaud Laurie's PNR world but I think the vampirism lacked a skeleton or foundation. There were things happening but with little explanation. Mostly, I appreciate the lack of dwelling on all the 'hows' but I do believe the story would benefit from explanations as to How a vampire is created, How they can be born as one, Why is blood only one of the sources needed to sustain vampire life?
A tiny more background info would be that much more icing on this sweetly delicious cake.
Mackenzie and Dom's history is particularity interesting and to see how they connect and become bonded is so much fun to read. The romance is steamy and intense and all original. Normally, 'under the sheets' scenes are quite similar book to book but Laurie writes something different for her readers. In fact, her writing is amazing. There were sentences that I immediately grasp to and felt like her writing is her own.
HEA. I am a sucker for a happy ending. I'm not picky. The hero could be beaten to a pulp and recovering but as long as 'boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love and live happily ever after' occurs I am sitting pretty. With that said-the ending is a treat. The next installment will ficus on Dom's brother Alfonso and from what I've learned in Bonded Alfonso has one hell of a story to tell.
Laurie London is a debut author making her stamp in the PNR World. If Bonded by Blood marks the beginning of what will be seen by Laurie I will continue to follow along.
There is no denying that Bonded by Blood is Paranormal Romance. There is Paranormal and there is romance. Oh is there romance and it's not for the faint of heart either. Initially, the premise grabbed my attention and after reading I am certain the plot is the real gem.
I have yet to meet a female motorcycle ridin' heroine that I didn't like and MacKenzie is right along that line. She is a tigress in and out with a daunting past and a grim looking future. But from Dominic's eyes she would never be described as daunting and grim and perhaps he helps to change things for her.
The paranormal element is exactly my cup of tea. I'm not too into the whole goth version of vampires. Is goth even the correct term to describe pale, lanky in stature, cursed from the sun, stone cold, forced sleep at daylight, etc etc? Whether it is or is not I don't much care for that kind of vampire. I do like when authors create vampires who could easily infiltrate the human population.
Laurie's vampires are definitely my type. Dom needs blood to sustain himself but he is not limited to it. He can go out in the sun but does become weakened. My most favorite aspect of Bonded is the vampire-type. Another favorite is the Darkbloods and Sweetbloods.
With the previous paragraph said, I applaud Laurie's PNR world but I think the vampirism lacked a skeleton or foundation. There were things happening but with little explanation. Mostly, I appreciate the lack of dwelling on all the 'hows' but I do believe the story would benefit from explanations as to How a vampire is created, How they can be born as one, Why is blood only one of the sources needed to sustain vampire life?
A tiny more background info would be that much more icing on this sweetly delicious cake.
Mackenzie and Dom's history is particularity interesting and to see how they connect and become bonded is so much fun to read. The romance is steamy and intense and all original. Normally, 'under the sheets' scenes are quite similar book to book but Laurie writes something different for her readers. In fact, her writing is amazing. There were sentences that I immediately grasp to and felt like her writing is her own.
HEA. I am a sucker for a happy ending. I'm not picky. The hero could be beaten to a pulp and recovering but as long as 'boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love and live happily ever after' occurs I am sitting pretty. With that said-the ending is a treat. The next installment will ficus on Dom's brother Alfonso and from what I've learned in Bonded Alfonso has one hell of a story to tell.
March 13, 2013
A slightly different concept of vampires in a vampire-saturated market. I felt it worked, even with the struggle of introducing a whole-new world and characters. Laurie London is a talented writer, especially for this being her debut novel.
This world is just like ours but includes two factions of vampires. The Darkblood Rogues kill like their ancestors, and the Guardians who protect mankind. Vampires are not immortal and they only need a little bit of blood to survive. So onto the story...
Meet Mackenzie. She's spunky and drives a motorcycle.
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She is a movie scout, checking out a graveyard. Naturally, she runs into Dominick, a Guardian vampire dying from a Darkblood attack. He's injured, and she's human, you can kind of guess what's going to happen...
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He wipes her mind, but he realizes that she has a special type of blood which is extra-'sweet.' Because it's a paranormal romance, that's not the end of their relationship though. There's an attraction they cannot deny.
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I liked the progression of their relationship. I also felt like the reveal of Dominick being a vampire was natural and somewhat believable. The side characters are interesting and don't take away from the actual story. They have purpose, and I'm looking forward to a book completely about Lily, Dominick's vampire-ex girlfriend.
[image error]
This world is just like ours but includes two factions of vampires. The Darkblood Rogues kill like their ancestors, and the Guardians who protect mankind. Vampires are not immortal and they only need a little bit of blood to survive. So onto the story...
Meet Mackenzie. She's spunky and drives a motorcycle.
[image error]
She is a movie scout, checking out a graveyard. Naturally, she runs into Dominick, a Guardian vampire dying from a Darkblood attack. He's injured, and she's human, you can kind of guess what's going to happen...
[image error]
He wipes her mind, but he realizes that she has a special type of blood which is extra-'sweet.' Because it's a paranormal romance, that's not the end of their relationship though. There's an attraction they cannot deny.
[image error]
I liked the progression of their relationship. I also felt like the reveal of Dominick being a vampire was natural and somewhat believable. The side characters are interesting and don't take away from the actual story. They have purpose, and I'm looking forward to a book completely about Lily, Dominick's vampire-ex girlfriend.
[image error]
March 1, 2011
Laurie London's debut novel Bonded by Blood was more then excellent! I loved it!
McKenzie Foster -Shaw enjoys taking pictures of new movie locations. As it just so happens today she finds herself in a very creepy cemetery. While there she comes across an injured man she wants to help. Little does she know she wont remember seeing him once this encounter is over.
Dominic Serrano is a good vampire. Now that he has caught McKenzie's scent, he has to taste her. He does in fact find the strength to stop drinking from her but only barely. He ends up giving her just a few drops of his blood to make sure she survives. Dom drops her off at her house, but will he be able to stay away?
McKenzie and Dom end up encountering each other several times and each time just gets more explosive. Not only are they attracted to each other, but come to find out they are Bonded by Blood.
Not only was this story easy to get into, but the world that London built is so hard to resist. The building of the sexual tension keeps you on your toes and plays out perfectly. The characters stand out just liked I hoped they would. Dom is not the classic male. He is more on the emotional, yet understanding side so I grew a soft spot for him fast. McKenzie is feisty and is ready to get all the answers to her questions. Although I liked McKenzie, I didn't really connect with her, but that was okay. I wasn't disappointed at all.
I absolutely loved Dom! He had a traumatic past but came out triumphant and I loved every single minute of it. I also loved him and McKenzie as a couple and how close they became. They started out slow in the whole getting to know each other and wow Dom was so good at that. Taking his sweet time....perfect. The side characters interested me more and more as it progressed. So now I really cant wait for the next release.
The plot was very well written. It all flowed so nicely. Of course their are questions you will ask yourself but of course as in any good series you have to wait for the answers. I have a feeling the bigger picture will be more then extraordinary. I honestly cant wait to see where Laurie London will take us with the second book in this phenomenal series, Embraced by Blood, which is set to release July 2011.
The journey that London takes you on is fantastic. This is a nice addition to all the vamp novels out there. She has earned her place up their with the best and I will continue on this ride. If you love vampires, romance, fun, and adventure this is the book for you. Happy Reading :)
McKenzie Foster -Shaw enjoys taking pictures of new movie locations. As it just so happens today she finds herself in a very creepy cemetery. While there she comes across an injured man she wants to help. Little does she know she wont remember seeing him once this encounter is over.
Dominic Serrano is a good vampire. Now that he has caught McKenzie's scent, he has to taste her. He does in fact find the strength to stop drinking from her but only barely. He ends up giving her just a few drops of his blood to make sure she survives. Dom drops her off at her house, but will he be able to stay away?
McKenzie and Dom end up encountering each other several times and each time just gets more explosive. Not only are they attracted to each other, but come to find out they are Bonded by Blood.
Not only was this story easy to get into, but the world that London built is so hard to resist. The building of the sexual tension keeps you on your toes and plays out perfectly. The characters stand out just liked I hoped they would. Dom is not the classic male. He is more on the emotional, yet understanding side so I grew a soft spot for him fast. McKenzie is feisty and is ready to get all the answers to her questions. Although I liked McKenzie, I didn't really connect with her, but that was okay. I wasn't disappointed at all.
I absolutely loved Dom! He had a traumatic past but came out triumphant and I loved every single minute of it. I also loved him and McKenzie as a couple and how close they became. They started out slow in the whole getting to know each other and wow Dom was so good at that. Taking his sweet time....perfect. The side characters interested me more and more as it progressed. So now I really cant wait for the next release.
The plot was very well written. It all flowed so nicely. Of course their are questions you will ask yourself but of course as in any good series you have to wait for the answers. I have a feeling the bigger picture will be more then extraordinary. I honestly cant wait to see where Laurie London will take us with the second book in this phenomenal series, Embraced by Blood, which is set to release July 2011.
The journey that London takes you on is fantastic. This is a nice addition to all the vamp novels out there. She has earned her place up their with the best and I will continue on this ride. If you love vampires, romance, fun, and adventure this is the book for you. Happy Reading :)
October 31, 2011
Original Review on Fangs, Wands and Fairy Dust URL: http://fangswandsandfairydust.blogspo...
This book was an enjoyable read. I found certain events in the plot unlikely given the natures of the characters involved. The love scenes are well written and very sexy.
MacKenzie, artist, film location scout, art teacher, family caretaker of a stoner-brother since her mother’s diagnosis, Mackenzie has sacrificed a lot for her mother’s care and her brother’s education and living expenses. She is a proud and stubborn woman who jumps to conclusions and rushes to judgment. MacKenzie is also a woman with a strange familial blood trait called Sweet Blood. She is a lot like Bella that way, smells and tastes yummy and has the ability to give vampires super vampire abilities.
Dom is a Euro-Vampire with a heavy-duty guilt complex and a dangerous job in vampire law enforcement at the “Agency.” Within the first few pages the two are bonded and can feel and hear each other. He is obsessed with her and she is pissed at him, until of course she falls into bed with him. Neither character is really looking for anything long term and they almost, on several occasions, lose the chance to discover where their relationship could go. But they go a lot of places intimately, and they go there a lot.
There are several colorful characters, lecherous fellow vampire agents, pretty female agents, an old retired agent and his human wife. On MacKenzie’s side there is her boss, friend and mentor, her slacker brother and her occasionally lucid mother, her massage therapist roommate also has a part to play.
And the author has included some very nasty villains, of the worst kind, cruel and sadistic vampires, lead by the cruelest, most sadistic and evil vampire, and apparently he has really bad “blood-breath.”
I can’t reveal the events that seem totally out of character. I can say the world is fairly tight. I didn’t see much inconsistency. There are some unusual twists in the vampire physiology. I always find a writer’s decisions there really interesting.
While there are some typical romance novel devices: Both characters are perfect physical specimens, independent female requires strong male to save her and strong male considers the female redemption personified, the relationship between the Mackenzie and Dom is exciting.
So, do they all live happily ever after? You’ll have to read this first in London’s Sweet Blood series to find out.
This book was an enjoyable read. I found certain events in the plot unlikely given the natures of the characters involved. The love scenes are well written and very sexy.
MacKenzie, artist, film location scout, art teacher, family caretaker of a stoner-brother since her mother’s diagnosis, Mackenzie has sacrificed a lot for her mother’s care and her brother’s education and living expenses. She is a proud and stubborn woman who jumps to conclusions and rushes to judgment. MacKenzie is also a woman with a strange familial blood trait called Sweet Blood. She is a lot like Bella that way, smells and tastes yummy and has the ability to give vampires super vampire abilities.
Dom is a Euro-Vampire with a heavy-duty guilt complex and a dangerous job in vampire law enforcement at the “Agency.” Within the first few pages the two are bonded and can feel and hear each other. He is obsessed with her and she is pissed at him, until of course she falls into bed with him. Neither character is really looking for anything long term and they almost, on several occasions, lose the chance to discover where their relationship could go. But they go a lot of places intimately, and they go there a lot.
There are several colorful characters, lecherous fellow vampire agents, pretty female agents, an old retired agent and his human wife. On MacKenzie’s side there is her boss, friend and mentor, her slacker brother and her occasionally lucid mother, her massage therapist roommate also has a part to play.
And the author has included some very nasty villains, of the worst kind, cruel and sadistic vampires, lead by the cruelest, most sadistic and evil vampire, and apparently he has really bad “blood-breath.”
I can’t reveal the events that seem totally out of character. I can say the world is fairly tight. I didn’t see much inconsistency. There are some unusual twists in the vampire physiology. I always find a writer’s decisions there really interesting.
While there are some typical romance novel devices: Both characters are perfect physical specimens, independent female requires strong male to save her and strong male considers the female redemption personified, the relationship between the Mackenzie and Dom is exciting.
So, do they all live happily ever after? You’ll have to read this first in London’s Sweet Blood series to find out.
January 16, 2011
Previously Published on my blog: Welcome to Larissa's Bookish Life
Rating: 3.5/5
*SPOILER FREE
I was pleasantly surprised by Bonded by Blood, I wasn’t blown away or anything, but this was a very nice Paranormal Romance read and the beginning of a series that has a lot of potential.
Dominic is a vampire bent on revenging the death of his parents and the betrayal of his own brother. He has been hunting the leader of the Darkbloods for over a century and now he is closer than ever.
Mackenzie is an artist and movie location scout photographer. While working she stumbles into a wounded and crazed Dominic, who drinks from her Sweetblood and wipes her mind so she won’t remember anything.
However Dominic can’t just let her go, he feels the need to protect her from the Darkbloods, Vampires addicted to Sweetblood and that want to only feed directly from humans. While protecting her he realizes that he and Kenzie are actually Bounded and that he even though he wants her for himself, he doesn’t want to chance killing her, since her blood calls to him more than any other.
Ok, so I’ll just put it out there… Vampire is drawn by the smell of the woman’s blood and then wants to leave her because he is too dangerous for her, does this remind you of anyone? I immediately thought of Twilight, oh yes I am going there. The relationship between Dominic and Mackenzie for me was basically one between an older Bella and Edward. It all felt like a mix of Twilight, BDB and Midnight Breed, in a good way.
I loved the world built for this series and I am looking forward to more. I totally guessed a big mystery regarding this novel and I’m very glad that the object of this mystery will be the hero of the second book. Bonded by Blood had a lot of Hot Smex, but it was also full of action, I actually read this one in almost one sitting, but definitely in one day.
Bonded by Blood is not trying to invent the PNR wheel, but it does have all the elements I love so much in this genre. If you enjoy Paranormal Romance, I definitely recommend you check this new series out!
Rating: 3.5/5
*SPOILER FREE
I was pleasantly surprised by Bonded by Blood, I wasn’t blown away or anything, but this was a very nice Paranormal Romance read and the beginning of a series that has a lot of potential.
Dominic is a vampire bent on revenging the death of his parents and the betrayal of his own brother. He has been hunting the leader of the Darkbloods for over a century and now he is closer than ever.
Mackenzie is an artist and movie location scout photographer. While working she stumbles into a wounded and crazed Dominic, who drinks from her Sweetblood and wipes her mind so she won’t remember anything.
However Dominic can’t just let her go, he feels the need to protect her from the Darkbloods, Vampires addicted to Sweetblood and that want to only feed directly from humans. While protecting her he realizes that he and Kenzie are actually Bounded and that he even though he wants her for himself, he doesn’t want to chance killing her, since her blood calls to him more than any other.
Ok, so I’ll just put it out there… Vampire is drawn by the smell of the woman’s blood and then wants to leave her because he is too dangerous for her, does this remind you of anyone? I immediately thought of Twilight, oh yes I am going there. The relationship between Dominic and Mackenzie for me was basically one between an older Bella and Edward. It all felt like a mix of Twilight, BDB and Midnight Breed, in a good way.
I loved the world built for this series and I am looking forward to more. I totally guessed a big mystery regarding this novel and I’m very glad that the object of this mystery will be the hero of the second book. Bonded by Blood had a lot of Hot Smex, but it was also full of action, I actually read this one in almost one sitting, but definitely in one day.
Bonded by Blood is not trying to invent the PNR wheel, but it does have all the elements I love so much in this genre. If you enjoy Paranormal Romance, I definitely recommend you check this new series out!
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