Review: Blood by Moonlight

Reviewed by Jen

This anthology features three PNR/UF stories all loosely tied to Halloween.  The stories are pretty short... the total number of pages was a little over 100 pages.  Here's how they break down:

Of Monsters and Men - Jocelynn Drake takes us back inside her Asylum world for a new adventure of Gage and Trixie.  This short story is set after the events of Angels Ink.  And it's really designed to show just how deeply Gage has fallen in love.  Jack --the werewolf who Gage turned in a chihuahua in the novel-- is in need of help.  The Winter Court of the Fae is about to unleash the Wild Hunt on his pack.  He knows Gage has the juice to stop them. But when Trixie is threatened, we see just how far Gage will go to keep her safe.

I enjoyed revisiting this series and I like seeing this edge to Gage.  I'm not completely invested in the romance, but I really like the world building --and the fact that hero is not all black or white.

The Ghoul Next Door - This short is from new-to-me author Terri Garey. It follows the efforts of an angry witch (Cassie) as she tries to drive the new owner out of her family home.  She has no idea, though, that James has his own powers and his own reason for living there.  And it doesn't take long before she realizes that there is a thin line between love and hate.

I liked the writing in this one and the story was pretty good. My only beef is the speed that these two go from enemies to soul mates... and that is saying nothing about the make-out sessions while being held hostage.   The romantic resolution is just too rushed to really satisfy.

Trick or Treathen - Jenna is a human, desperate to rescue her sister --who has been kidnapped by a sadistic master vampire. Her only hope for help is through another master vamp, Treyne, who has she has become friends with over the past several months.  Now, she's tired of waiting, so she tries to force Treyne's assistance. What ends up happening instead, is that she lights the powder keg of sexual attraction that has been brewing between them since day one.  They are on the verge of sealing a bond between them that neither wants... or do they?

I had a couple of problems with this one.  First of all, I felt like I was jumping into an established series, the way the past between the hero and heroine was characterized.  I'm glad they have a history --don't get me wrong-- because it gave a basis to all the feelings these two have over a short number of pages.  The quick about-faces they do would have been even worse without it.  I didn't like the small time jump at the end.  But on the plus side... the sex was well done in this story, IMO.  And while it was a different vampire world, it felt similar in tone to the first Blood Rose book I read from Caris Roane not too long ago.

Overall Rating: C+

*ARC Provided by Avon

Click to purchase: Amazon

Blood by Moonlight

by Jocelynn Drake, Terri Garey, Caris Roane

Release Date: October 23, 2012

Publisher: Avon

Review: Embrace the Dark

Reviewed by Jen
 

Gerrod is a centuries-old mastyr vampire who puts the welfare of his people before his own. His responsibilities weigh heavy on him, but being a leader is who and what he is.  In the past year, he has found himself drawn to Abigail, a human woman who is opening a bakery in the parallel realm in which he lives.  He knows that attraction can lead nowhere, so he has never acknowledged his feelings.  Until now.

At the wedding of mutual friends, Gerrod and Abigail touch for the first time, setting off a profound physical reaction. They can't seem to help themselves as they give in to a kiss.  It's at that moment, the Invictus (bad guys) attack.

Abigail never saw past Gerrod's surly exterior until she watched him throw himself into battle. And then afterwards, when she saw his hunger and exhaustion, she wanted nothing more than to care for him... and to be the one to feed him. From this point on, the two of them realize how much they want one another, and struggle to figure out how and if they can fit into each other's lives.

This novella series is a spinoff from the Guardians of Ascension books.  There is enough information here to fill me in on the basics as a new reader.  The romance happened rather quickly, though it did help to know that Gerrod and Abigail knew each other for a while, at least, before the story began.   There were some good moments between the two of them, like the scene where Abigail gives Gerrod a bath, but other than the respect and appreciation she held for him, I didn't really feel the emotion between them. A connection, yes, but love? Not really.

I had a little trouble with the writing from time to time.  It felt like the grammar or the wording wasn't quite right in some places.   Granted, I was reading an advanced copy and corrections could be made before a finished copy is released. But a few times, I had to re-read sentences that were "off" and it drew me out of the story.

It was... ok. I liked Gerrod and I enjoyed watching his heart lighten. I didn't really have strong feelings invested in the love story, though.

Rating: C-


*ARC Provided by NetGalley

Embrace the Dark

by Caris Roane

Release Date: July 1, 2012

Publisher: Spencerhill Associates