Blood and Absinthe series by Chloe Hart
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy
I am completely and
utterly blown away by these novellas!! Since they are short narratives, I have
combined them in one review.
Book #1: Taming the Vampire (released August 5, 2011)
Author Summary
An unlikely partnership…
Demon hunter Liz Marlowe and
vampire Jack Morgan have hated each other from the moment they met. But when
a powerful enemy threatens their beloved city of Boston, they form a
reluctant alliance. It’s supposed to be temporary—just one night, in fact.
But as the tension between them builds to the breaking point, neither is
prepared for what happens next.
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My Thoughts
I admit I am a big fan of novellas. It’s incredibly
difficult to create a good backstory, develop characters and establish an
interesting plot in such a limited amount of pages. A lot of authors will end up overwhelming
readers with too much detail or underwhelming them with too few. It’s hard to get the balance just right. I think it’s a true test of an author’s skill
to point out all we need to know and successfully deliver a story that
resonates with us.
Chloe Hart is one of those skilled authors. This novella had me from the first couple of
pages. We meet Liz who’s full of anger
and fury and Jack who’s seemingly her archenemy. To quote his reaction to seeing her:
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t my favorite little ball of hate.”
That amused me and intrigued me to read on and
find out what is behind that comment and why they hate each other so much.
In this novella, there’s a new crazy demon in
town, an alliance between the Fae and vampires to rid Boston of bad demons, a
very bewildering relationship between the hero and heroine, friendships, introductions
to characters that show up in the next novel, and the backstory as to why Liz
is so angry and why her and Jack seemingly hate each other and a resolution. And this novel conveys all this and more concisely
and effectively while not inundating us with too much information.
My Viewpoint
This novella has the makings of a
great series. I just hope that Ms. Hart
continues in this direction and bestows us with full-length novels.
Happy reading!
5 Bad Boys – Absolute Must Read!!!!!
Book #2: Bound by the Vampire (released November 20, 2011)
Author Summary
Celia Albright, an eighth-blood Fae
and a spellcaster, is having a very bad day. She’s being targeted by an unknown
assassin, and with most of her friends out of the city fighting demons; she
goes to the only other person in Boston who might be powerful enough to help
her.
Evan Grant is a vampire who prides
himself on his survival instincts. He’s avoided the Fae ever since they killed
his maker years ago, and he knows he’d be crazy to take a Faery girl under his
protection—especially since it might be the Fae themselves who want Celia dead.
If he were smart, he’d send her
away. But when he saves her life instead, Celia and Evan find themselves caught
up in an adventure neither of them expected—and an attraction neither of them
is prepared for.
My Thoughts
These two main characters couldn’t be more
different. Evan is living life looking
out for number one and Celia lives her life looking for ways she can help
others and make a difference. When they
first meet, it certainly isn’t love at first sight. He thinks she is incredibly naïve, fashion-impaired
and kind of demented. (She wears a sweatshirt, sneakers and a fanny-pack to see
a vampire, really?) Celia starts
correcting him on his poor grammar. Not
a good start. But something about her
endears her to him and he finds her attractive despite her attire.
This novel reveals more about the source of Fae
power, absinthe, and the impact that Celia’s ideas could have on their world,
not to mention her own well-being. We see characters grow, relationships build,
assassins hired, and a great lead-in for future tales. Again, so effectively written, you are right
there with the characters in their world.
My Viewpoint
In my opinion, this
series has the makings of a great Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy story. If Ms. Hart can achieve what she has in a
novella, I am sure eager to see what she can do with a full-length novel.
5 Bad Boys – Absolute Must Read!!!!!
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