First Drop of Crimson - Blog with Bite Review

First Drop of Crimson (Night Huntress World, Book 1) by Jeaniene Frost

Kindle download...bought it!

PJVs QUICKIE POV: Spade sizzles as the Night Huntress World expands. Yowzers I think I want me my own personal vamp too. Frost delivers a sexy, fun, and still a little bit deep paranormal romance all wrapped up in the happy world she introduced in her earlier books featuring Cat and Bones. 

REVIEW: Denise, having just lost her husband the year previously in a vampire war, has sworn off the violent world of the undead. Unfortunately for her, the paranormal world will not leave her alone. Face to face with a demon named Raum, Denise now has very little time to track down a long lost relative to hand over to Raum, or watch her family die. She desperately tries to track down her best friend Cat and Cat's husband Bones, but it has been awhile since they spoke, so she can't handle up on any working numbers.  A number she does have is Bone's sexy friend, Spade, vampire extraordinaire, and not someone Denise is fond of contacting. Biting the bullet she makes the call and Spade swoops down to help Denise in her time of need, because like her he is loathe to get Bones involved in something so dangerous as dealings with Demons.

Spade and Denise set out on a break-neck journey trying to track down Denise's relative. From England, to Vegas, to Monaco, they span the globe in search of the soul welsher...and the entire time they are in complete denial of their feelings for each other. Spade could never have the hots for a human, and Denise wants nothing to do with the vampire world. Back-stories, prejudices and hot tempers lead to a very tumultuous romance...and a great read.  I agree with my fellow BWB babes, one of the best PNRs I've read in awhile. 

Down points, Denise was a bit of a wimpy wank, but made up for it in the end. Grrr.  Some of the novel did drag after they initially hooked up, after you got through the foreplay I felt the cuddling lasted a bit too long. Pretty much thought the novel could have ended quickly after that. The usual romance blue print applied - Meet - Attraction - Deny Attraction - Flirt - Hook up - Break -up when "secret" is revealed - Hook back up - Get Hitched.  Just the time between Hook up and Break up were long and drawn out, and then there was like no time between break up and hook back up...soooo well I think that could have been better.

Good points. Great characters, plot was interesting. There were some plot threads that were a bit predictable and defied logic but all in all they were "real". Denise was a very likable character and so was Spade. Even characters I don't like in the Cat/Bones books, I actually liked in this book (IAN).  Also there were a few tidbits in the book that was amusing and I thought were very witty.  Like the demon wearing a Got Brimstone? tee. Too funny.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Adults only, typical PNR.  Fans of vamps, the Cat and Bones series, and paranormal romance, a must read.

RUMINATIONS: -new feature- (Spoiler Alert): My fav scene in this book was when Ian busted in on Spade and Denise. Made me really like that guy. I sooo see an Ian book. That should be interesting. The next book was blurbed at the end of this one as featuring Mencheres (sp?).

Discussion Quesitons:

Denise and Spades chemistry sparks more than a firecracker on the 4rth of July. Did you like the chemistry between them and did you feel the development of the relationship work?

I liked it, and felt it was believable. I find a lot of PNR does this fated/love thing that drives me crazy, whereas Spade and Denis had the whole, initial attraction, but then they are turned off because of their current situations etc., so they went into the romance kicking and screaming, so-to-speak.  It really worked for me and was very believable.  The shower...OMG. 

Have you read the Cat & Bones series? Denise is such a different (wimpier) character than Cat... did that make a difference to you?

Yes, I have read the Cat & Bones series. Let me break it down for you.  The Night Huntress books are UF books wrapped up with a romance flavor. First Drop - total PNR (paranormal romance). Cat is your typical UF (Urban Fantasy), arse kicking, trash talking, stubborn protagonist. Denise is your A-Typical romance heroine, meek, but strong-willed, damaged because of past tragedy, all set on changing her world for the better and not even looking for love (need expansion on this type of character pick up any Nora Roberts novel). I'm not always (usually never) a fan of the romance protagonist, but Denise worked for me, probably because in the end she turned into a UF character...when she kicked Raum's bootie.

LIGHTNING ROUND. Identify your top three favorite PNR series.  "There are too many!" is not an answer. Neither is more than three.  Name the top three. Ready.....go!

The Black Dagger Brotherhood, Night Huntress, Jane True Series.

Sizzle or Fizzle?

Sizzle

Follow Friday Week 3

BLOGS I STALK...IN THE URBAN FANTASY / PARANORMAL REALM

PJV's Week 3 Follow Friday.  I'm hitting the "C"s & "D's" since I've skipped a week because of my 9 to 5. OMG I was sequestered in a hotel downtown kissing clients booties. Fun.

If you would also like to do a Follow Friday you are more than welcome to grab the button above. It doesn't have to be parablogs.

C - not many...
Candace's Book Blog ~Follow~  

D

Dark Faerie Tales ~Follow~
Darkly Reading ~Follow~
DemonLover's Book Reviews & More ~Follow~
Diary of a Amateur Vampirologist ~Follow~

 If you start with a "C & D" and I missed you, or I'm not on your happy Google Follower list...let me know. Shout out in the comments - I can't follow if you don't introduce yourself!

XOXO

Eclipse Teaser Trailer Released Today

Friday Night Bites by Chloe Neill

Friday Night Bites (A Chicagoland Vampires Novel) by Chloe Neill
Purchased OMG by me, on my happy little iPhone

PJVs QUICKIE POV: This novel had me at times jumping around like a little girl in literate happiness and other times bored and eye rolling. And while I ended Friday Night Bites fully satisfied as if I had partaken on a very fine cut of Filet...I feel that maybe while I ordered Medium, I really got Medium Well. Have I become too judgmental in my descent into to reviewer land? Friday Night Bites would have had me squirming in happiness at the end, but now, some of the problems took the joy out of what could have been prose perfection.

REVIEW: The start of Friday Night Bites, finds Merit moving into Cardogan House. It is bitter sweet and symbolism for her leaving her human self behind. The symbolism of cutting human ties is rampant throughout Friday Night Bites and her moving into the House is Step 1. Merit blames the move on Mallory and Catcher’s romantic endeavors and her ability to perform her Sentinel duties properly. All in all still denying that she is most likely thrilled to get close to Ethan.

Within the first couple of chapters, the plot is revealed as Merit’s human past comes to haunt her.  Ethan informs her that a close family friend, and her ex-boyfriend’s little brother, Jamie is working for a tabloid intent on publishing nasty stories about vampires. With human/vampire in the happy pink, Ethan and the other vamps don’t want anything to tarnish their squeaky clean image, especially with vampires still remembering the clearings of the past. Their solution, ingratiate into the human/wealthy society of Merit’s past by attending parties and galas to ferret out info and connections.  Everything isn’t exactly as it seems though, as Ethan and Merit soon discover.  Are they the players or being played?

In the romantic section of this novel, Merit is still sticking true with Morgan, even though he basically blackmailed her into dating him. This relationship I do not get in the least, especially with her continuing patient in dealing with him. He might be hot, but a girl needs to make up her own mind. So, it explores a little bit of deeper romantic interest in that category and a bit of upset and jealousies when Merit starts getting tighter with her Master, Mr. Hot Pants himself, Ethan Sullivan. Oh and Oh...not to give any spoilers away, but there was a smokin’ hot scene *yowzers* that just involved a kiss and made me a puddle on the floor. My goodness when Neill gets around to a de-pantsing it should have her readers crawling the walls!

Where the problems lie, in Friday Night Bites. First, series books that reiterate over and over again prior occurrences in the first book drive me bonkers.  I read the book, I know this man.  And for those that didn’t read the book, why make it easy, force them to read that book if they didn’t! That being said, first chapter, total yawn fest as the first book was surmised and placed in a neat little package that I didn’t have the patience to read. Secondly, there was a lot of training and sparring and katanas and katas and what not. Great, for one or two, but it was too much and had very little to do with the plot.  Training with Catcher = cool, training with Catcher over and over again, boring. Also, some of the plot lines were a little trite, and I don’t want to give anything away, but the Bad Guy acted like high school drama queen...and having Ethan, Morgan, Merit and the side characters all trying to dissect these drama creating events was a little bizarre.

What I loved about this novel.  Merit is a cool character, and I can so relate to her. The character interaction has me believing they must be real people somewhere.  Merit’s reactions and inner dialogue are phenomenal and I can so agree with her behavior and reactions to Morgan and Ethan’s actions.  This depth of character always surprises me in Neill’s novels, it is one of the traits that makes her a great storyteller. If you liked Some Girls Bite, you have to move on to Friday Night Bites.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Read Some Girls Bite, first.  While you might hold your own just reading FNB, Some Girls Bites is a great novel and you would be doing yourself an injustice by not reading. Recommended for adult readers, but there really wasn’t anything racy that an older teen would be irrecoverably corrupted by.

Num8ers by Rachel Ward Giveaway!

Today PJV spotlights, Num8ers by Rachel Ward and is hosting a giveaway to win a copy of this YA novel.

Since her mother’s death, fifteen-year-old Jem has kept a secret. When her eyes meet someone else’s, a number pops into her head - the date on which they will die. Knowing that nothing lasts forever, Jem avoids relationships, but when she meets a boy called Spider, and they plan a day out together, her life takes a new twist and turn. Waiting for the London Eye, she sees everyone in the queue has the same number - something terrible is going to happen.

Ward's debut novel, published in 2009 is making waves throughout the literary community.  Numbers has been nominated and is the running for numerous awards including (but not limited to..LOL) the Carnegie Medal ,  UKLA Children’s Book Award, the Angus Book Award and the Southern Schools Book Award.  

Stay tuned for me review soon!

This is not a book you want to miss out on reading and you can WIN IT HERE by filling out the form below.  Make sure to read the DEETs first. But first....which do you like better, UK or US???

UK                     or                     US

Giveaway Deets:

• Comment on this post - tell me which cover you prefer (gains you +1 Entry)
• Please check back to see if you won, I will not be emailing, winner will be posted. Please do not include your email address in comments. Spamming is fun. *sarcasm font*
• Must be US/Canada mailing
• 13 or older
• Parajunkee's View Follower (please state how you follow, feedburner, google, etc.) 
• Contest Ends March 22nd

Extra Entries (give links in comments TY)

• +1 New Follower
• +2 Old Follower
• +2 Blog with Bite Follower
• +2 Twitter Follower (@parajunkee)
• +1 Tweet this:  Win a Signed Copy of Num8ers by Rachel Ward @parajunkee http://bit.ly/clbi6D  RT Plz
• +1 Sidebar
• +5 Blog Post
• +1 Comment
• +1 Add up your points! Thanks! (I'm horrible at math)

Waiting on Wednesday - Wintercraft

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly Meme started by Breaking the Spine. It is a feature that  spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. I haven't read a lot of YA fantasy, so here is what I have chosen this week, sounds so interesting. This book is not on Amazon, so I'm wondering if it will be hard to obtain. *sigh*

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Wintercraft by Jenna Burtenshaw

Goodreads has it releasing May 2010.

From Goodreads:

Ten years ago Kate Winters' parents were taken by the High Council's wardens to help with the country's war effort. Now the wardens are back...and prisoners, including Kate's uncle Artemis, are taken south on the terrifying Night Train. Kate and her friend Edgar are hunted by a far more dangerous enemy. Silas Dane -- the High Council's most feared man -- recognises Kate as one of the Skilled; a rare group of people able to see through the veil between the living and the dead. His spirit was damaged by the High Council's experiments into the veil, and he's convinced that Kate can undo the damage and allow him to find peace. The knowledge Kate needs lies within Wintercraft -- a book thought to be hidden deep beneath the graveyard city of Fume. But the Night of Souls, when the veil between life and death is at its thinnest, is just days away and the High Council have their own sinister plans for Kate and Wintercraft. To help Artemis, Edgar and herself, Kate must honour her pact with a murderer and come face to face with the true nature of death.

Princess Bookie's Recreate a Cover Challenge

 This is my entry for Princess Bookie's Recreate a Cover Challenge.

Here are the deets. Recreate A Book cover of a 2010 Young Adult Book (your choice, book must be released in 2010-no reprints)

My chosen book: Hex Hall Book One by Rachel Hawkins

 

My recreation:

What do you think, I'm always up for a good critique. Don't hold back the punches.

Movie Trailer Tuesday - Robin Hood

Movie Trailer Tuesday.  The soon to be released movies in the paranormal, scifi and fantasy genres. Today's choice is Robin Hood.

Hello Mr. Crowe

Premiers "Summer" - PJV inside sources are saying May 14th
Ridley Scott has taken Robin Hood and interpreted Gladiator style. Break out the bows and arrows cause Prince John is about to get Spaticussed.

Taken from www.themovieinsider.com

Directed by: Ridley Scott
Starring: Russell Crowe
Cate Blanchett
Vanessa Redgrave
Eileen Atkins
Danny Huston

Oscar® winner Russell Crowe stars as the legendary figure known by generations as “Robin Hood,” whose exploits have endured in popular mythology and ignited the imagination of those who share his spirit of adventure and righteousness. In 13th century England, Robin and his band of marauders confront corruption in a local village and lead an uprising against the crown that will forever alter the balance of world power. And whether thief or hero, one man from humble beginnings will become an eternal symbol of freedom for his people.

The Robin Hood adventure chronicles the life of an expert archer, previously interested only in self-preservation, from his service in King Richard’s army against the French. Upon Richard’s death, Robin travels to Nottingham, a town suffering from the corruption of a despotic sheriff and crippling taxation, where he falls for the spirited widow Lady Marion (Oscar® winner Cate Blanchett), a woman skeptical of the identity and motivations of this crusader from the forest. Hoping to earn the hand of Maid Marion and salvage the village, Robin assembles a gang whose lethal mercenary skills are matched only by its appetite for life. Together, they begin preying on the indulgent upper class to correct injustices under the sheriff.

With their country weakened from decades of war, embattled from the ineffective rule of the new king and vulnerable to insurgencies from within and threats from afar, Robin and his men heed a call to ever greater adventure. This unlikeliest of heroes and his allies set off to protect their country from slipping into bloody civil war and return glory to England once more.