Trail-Mix Readers discussion

Here is my review on GR and Amazon:

I picked this book up and couldn't put it down!
I was snagged into this exciting and steamy tale of Greta and Jami, aka Yums, and I didn't want to resurface. Lu Whitley's snarky humor and intriguing story line hooked me. Her amazing characters and heartbreaking situations reeled me in. I am now caught in her web! Cannot wait for the next book.


I really did love this book. I gave it five stars and that is rare for me. The tone was perfect. I immediately fell in love with Greta because she is tough but fun. Jami was beautiful and a little tortured, my fave kind of lead male.
Wonderful read.

I enjoyed this book immensely. It's easy to read and clips along at a good pace.
The story is told from different viewpoints, alternating between the heroine and the hero.
The plot flows well with plenty of twists, turns and action.
The descriptions pull you into the book and you feel involved in the story.
The characters are well developed, Greta is gutsy heroine with attitude, Jaromir (aka Yummy)is a hot vampire who has problems controlling his inner beast and Stein is a charming, muscle-bound, tattooed troll.
I had a hard time putting down, and was surprised by the sudden ending, which was possibly a bit too sudden, but left me begging for more.

Here's my 5* review of Bloodmarked (copy/pasted from Amazon):

BLOODMARKED - DEFINATELY A MUST READ!!

Where to begin? The storyline and characters are so engaging, getting drawn into the story isn't even an option. You're getting sucked in. I loved how the main character, Greta was portrayed. She starts out as a normal college student with a seemingly normal life, and then she's suddenly thrown into a struggle that she's somehow the focus of. She finds out that she's not as normal as she thought, that the WORLD isn't as normal as she'd thought. She's angry, hurt, confused... Her reactions, her frustrations, her angry retorts... they solidify the character completely.

Her protector is a mystery at first, other than telling her "I'm here to protect you." Such a short answer brings out those frustrations and angry retorts from Greta... exactly what one would expect if they were they in the same situation. I was a bit frustrated myself, so it makes what Greta is feeling easy to connect with. One of my favorite aspects of the book was that feeling of frustration, of only getting little bits and pieces of information. I found myself wanting to throttle the characters at some points. That's what makes the story so engaging, because you can honestly relate to the characters along the way.

While not giving away any spoilers, I will say that Jaromir is a spectacular character. I love his inner struggle that comes out throughout the book, and when the darker side of him is set loose, you realize just why he kept such a tight hold on that darker side of him.

The flow of the story is fast paced, and much of it focuses not only on the 'action' but incorporates the emotions of the characters throughout, which is one of the strongest aspects of the story. The characters aren't just going through the motions, they're feeling their way through them - and they do it in such a way that it's very easy to relate with the characters.

The ending felt a bit abrupt. If this were a standalone novel, I would say that was the story's only drawback. However, in this case, that abrupt ending isn't a closure ending, but open-ended... letting the reader know there's more to come. And this reader is waiting for that next book impatiently, to see what's coming next!

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate you taking the time to read and write reviews!