One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress #2) by Jeaniene Frost

BookTalk

Four years ago Cat left Bones…the man who taught her everything she knows about vampires and vampire hunting. Also, the only man she’s ever loved.

Now Cat is leading a special team of government agents in the war against the paranormal miscreants of the world…and she’s stumbled upon one of the most powerful: Ian, the man who also happens to be Bone’s sire. Cat’s good but she’s not that good, and while Cat leaves Ian alive and un-dead she also happened to kill one of Ian’s oldest and most revered servants. Setting off a chain of events that will leave members of her team dead…and undead…

But the heart of our story isn’t about working relationships, or friends…it’s about Bones finding his way back into Cat’s life after four very long years. And back into her heart…forever…

Review

I love this series. I was a little thrown by the premise of this installment taking place so long after the first. Four years is a long time and I was worried that it would hinder the romantic progression of Bones coming back into Cat’s life. Really, I should have feared not.

Bones is almost instantly back in Cat’s life. Not back in her bed from the get-go, but back as a fellow vampire fighter and trainer. Though, the love doesn’t follow far behind.

I loved getting to know Cat’s team. The men are rough and tough and it was interesting to see them at a point where Cat had a new member. It showed the testaments she needed to make to gain trust from the men, but also assured the reader that she was accepted as their leader as well as a friend. Watching the final team member slowly integrate and trust Cat was almost like watching a relationship develop…Gave you the new relationship feeling that was missing from Cat and Bones. Mostly because Cat and Bones aren’t new.

Nope, Cat and Bones come to this book with previous expectations. High Expectations. And this book does deliver. The relationship is strong and still growing. Frost allows her characters to grow without changing who they are at their base. The repartee between the two is still strong as is the heat of their love. A little jealousy is thrown in (on both sides) to add a little spice.

Readers who enjoyed the first book will find the same Cat and Bones, just a little older, and a little stronger. Like fine wine they’re only getting better with age.

Rating: 4/5 Well done second installment with actual character growth!

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Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress #1) by Jeaniene Frost

BookTalk

Catherine Crawfield has daddy issues.

You see, she is the product of a rape and has lived her life being reminded of this fact daily by her mother and extremely religious grandparents. But Cat’s story gets worse. You see her father wasn’t just a normal jerk, he was an undead jerk…

Yep, Catherine Crawfield is half vampire and all rage against the undead. From the age of 16 with her mother’s blessing and support, Cat has been sneaking off to clubs to lure and kill vampires. She’s had lots of luck until the night she meets Bones.

Bones is a master vampire, the man who shows Cat she’s been dealing with boys her whole life…both on and off the job. He offers to train Cat toward a goal that suits them both. There’s a ring of both undead and living who are trapping young women into a blood-slave-labor. Together they’ll take down the evil and Bones will give Cat all the knowledge she’s been missing…If she can let her heart overcome her prejudice for all things Vampire…

Review

I am a weak person.

WEAK

I have too many books in my TBR. Too many books in NetGalley and Library form that have a shelf life ticking down in my Adobe Reader. *gasp* How did [blank] get down to just 2 days?! *eek*

But I did it anyway. I’ve read a few books recently that were just so/so. They were decent. The type of book I’d give a 3 star to. Even the type I’d give a 4 star rating…just happens to also be a book I wasn’t really in the mood for when I read it. I was beginning to get bookish-ly depressed. I reached out into the world of Twitter and said: “Someone please throw me a lifeline! A good trashy romance I’ll become addicted to!”

The Sweetest Little Bookworm answered…And all I have to say is:

Be Careful What You Wish For…

I have fallen Head Over Heals for Cat and Bones. This book was exactly what I needed! The romance is wonderful. It’s all hot and heavy a few times toward the end. But it’s watching Bones de-thaw Cat’s prim and proper nature that provides all the fun and *swoonworthy* moments.

Ahh, the scene where Bones surprises Cat with a date…

Hilarious slutty-makeover…Dirty conversations trying to avoid blushes…No underwear…Loved it all!

What makes this more than my so/so trashy romances of late is that this book has depth. It’s my first series where the love interests are the same throughout the series. And I like it. As I move on to other books in the series I can see how these characters will continue to develop and change…yet they keep the spark alive!

Also, this series is one of the few paranormals I’ve read that openly adds religion into the picture. Traditional Christian stories provide background for the Vampiric race. And Cat herself openly makes reference to having faith. No issue is made of the religious references, no discussion of the soul a la Twilight, just very casual references that serve to deepen Cat’s character in a very natural way. This is big because Cat’s family is Uber-Religious and very Anti-Vampire. Frost could have made a bigger deal out of the religion as a theme in the book and yet, because Cat so easily makes a few religious statements the need for the discussion is gone. Beautifully done.

Ugh, So In Love with this series right now it’s taking all I have to split some of my time with Books that NEED to be read. If someone wouldn’t mind scooting over to my house tonight and reminding me to put Book 3 down…thanks 😉

Rating: 5/5 Paranormal Romance with alotta Heat and alotta Soul

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