ONCE BURNED by Jeaniene Frost

Night Prince, Book 1
Avon Books, June 2012
Paperback
Obtained via:  publisher
0062107534 (ISBN13: 9780062107534)

Paranormal Romance
*** ½


 

ONCE BURNED is the first book in Jeaniene Frost’s Night Prince series (which spins off her Night Huntress series).  ONCE BURNED is the story of Leila and Vlad.  Leila has lived through a tragic accident that scarred her body and killed her dreams.  She now has powers that allow her to channel electricity and learn a person’s darkest secrets by a simple touch.  She is alone in her misery until a group of vampires kidnaps her and forces her to telepathically call out to Vlad (yes it is, Tepesh aka Dracula). 

Vlad has shown up in the Night Huntress series from time to time but reading these prior books is not necessary to enjoy this book.  Vlad is big, bad, powerful and dark.  He is uncompromisingly strong and very alpha.  He is also nobody’s fool.  The relationship between Vlad and Leila is very entertaining.  While Vlad is used to people fearing and obeying his every command, Leila isn’t buying into that.  The sparks these two generate are delicious.

ONCE BURNED is like so many of Jeaniene Frost’s best stories, fast paced and intriguing.  The mystery of who is trying to put an end to Vlad plays throughout the book while the romance between the two leads adds to the intensity and fun of the story.  Strong characters, an interesting storyline and a book that moves along at lightning speed make a great start to Frost’s new Night Prince series.  ONCE BURNED will leave Frost fans hungry for the next book in this series.

Reviewed by T. Barringer
tammyLRM@gmail.com

"This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book."

The Night Huntress novels by Jeaniene Frost

HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE #1
Avon Publishing, October 2007
ISBN: 9780061744822; ISBN10: 0061744824

ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE #2
Avon Publishing, April 2008
ISBN: 9780061245091; ISBN10: 0061245097

AT GRAVES END #3
Avon Publishing, December 2008
ISBN: 9780061977565; ISBN10: 006197756X

Paperback
Obtained via:  publisher
Romantic Suspense
**** ½



The first three books in Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress series, HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE, ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE and AT GRAVES END are all one book better than the next.  These books are romantic suspense stories about half-vampire, now Special Agent, Cat Crawfield, a government agent tasked with ridding the world of the rogue undead.  Each story showcases Cat’s personal growth and development as an agent and woman, with all the ups and downs that come along with her unusual life.  And every book so far in this series has been well worth the money.  How this reader has missed these wonderful stories for this long is anybodies guess, but now that they have been brought to my attention, I will be diligently searching for each of the remaining books in the seven-book series.

The world building is inventive, the characters well developed and interesting to read about, the storylines each build upon the prior book yet are unique stories in their own and the writing is sassy and unexpected.  Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress novels come highly recommended from this reader of all things paranormal, vampire, suspense and romance.

(These books have been previously reviewed by Love Romances and More and so have been given a condensed review by this reviewer.)


Reviewed by T. Barringer
tammyLRM@gmail.com

"This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book."

ONE GRAVE AT A TIME by Jeaniene Frost

A Night Huntress Novel
Publisher: Avon
Date published: August 2011
ISBN 9780061783197
Mass Market Paperback
Paranormal romance
Reviewed by Valerie
Obtained by publisher


After her last adventure Cat Crawfield is looking for some quiet time with her husband, Bones. Since her gift from the New Orlean’s voodoo queen, her life is interrupted by ghosts and one in particular. Now, Cat and Bones are on a mission to kill a ghost and it’s not going to be easy. Heinrich Kramer is the ghost they are after and every Halloween he is able to materialize. Kramer was an inquisitor torturing women and then burning them alive. In his ghostly form he hasn’t changed and continues to torture and burn women which he is able to fulfill when he materializes. The thing is, will they be able to catch him this Halloween or will they fail and have to wait another year. Not only that, but on the home front there are problems to keep Cat and Bones busy.

It is such a joy to read another adventure of Cat and Bones! I dove into this book and could hardly put it down. This series is fantastic and I am going to re-read the whole lot. I do hope that Ms. Frost keeps creating these fantastic adventures.

The connection between Cat and Bones continues to sizzle and pop. They are just perfect together and they grow with each book. Here we see them more settled with each other and working more as a team. This is a fast moving adventure that had me turning the pages frantically to see what would happen next. I love how Ms. Frost fills the pages with so much exciting stuff. There are twists and turns and surprises and romance too. Her characters jump off the pages, not only the main characters, but also the secondary characters. We see lots of my favorites, Cat’s mother, Don, Ian and more. If Ms Frost could write faster I’d read faster!

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

THIS SIDE OF THE GRAVE by Jeaniene Frost

Night Huntress book 5
Publisher: Avon
Date published: February, 2011
ISBN: 978-0061783180
Vampire romance
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Valerie
Obtained by publisher


Cat Crawfield and her vampire husband Bones are drawn into a battle of the species. It seems that Cat’s unexpected abilities are causing problems between the ghouls and the vampires. There is a certain party who is out to gather his troops and fight the vampires and he is using Cat as the reason. If the ghouls and vampires fight, humans may have to handle the fall-out and it won’t be pretty becoming collateral damage. There is one ally who could help Cat and Bones but she may have a price that cannot be paid. The ghoul queen of New Orleans is someone who has great power, and she seems to have an agenda of her own. Still, Cat, Bones and their fighting friends are ready to do what needs to be done to secure peace.

I would give this book a five just because of Bones…sigh! I’m a huge fan of this series and I am so happy to say that the series gets more and more exciting with each book! Ms Frost has created a believable story with engaging characters, a lot of action, some hot and sexy love scenes and a bit of humor thrown in. It’s a marvelous mix that keeps you turning the pages to see what is going to happen next. Have I already mentioned Bones? He is British and Ms. Frost shows this brilliantly in the way he talks. There is only one thing that I have a bit of a problem with and it has nothing to do with the story. There is a picture on the inside with Cat and I suppose Bones and that picture kind of shattered my own idea of the sexy vampire. Still, this is a book that I will be reading again in fact the whole series is on my keeper shelf and will be reread!

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

ETERNAL KISS OF DARKNESS by Jeaniene Frost

Night Huntress World book 2
Publisher: Avon
Date published: July 2010
ISBN: 978-0061783166
Paranormal romance
Paperback
Reviewed by Valerie
Obtained by publisher


Kira Graceling, private investigator was walking home one night when she heard moans of pain from a warehouse. She couldn’t just walk by, so after alerting the police she went in to find a man being taunted and cut. She tries to save him, but in the scuffle she gets mortally wounded. Mencheres is a master vampire who is surprised to see this beautiful and totally fearless human come to his rescue. Now he has to save her and he takes her to his place. He just needs to erase her memory and send her on her way, but it isn’t as easy as that. Now their lives are entwined and although Mencheres is highly attracted to Kira he knows that keeping her would put her in danger. It looks like he either has to choose the woman he loves or the darkness with which he can defeat his enemy.

Oh, I really loved this book. We meet some old friends from the ‘Grave’ series. Bones, Cat and Vlad all make an appearance. It was great fun getting to know Mencheres. Here we take a good long look at his life, his past, his fears and his strengths. Kira is perfect for him and she is not going down without a fight. Ms Frost writes a fast-paced story that will have you on the edge of your seat. I had to read this in one sitting, I couldn’t put it down for a minute. There are also some lovely steamy scenes that will give you the warm fuzzies. I loved the twists Ms. Frost puts in her vampire legend and I am sure you will thrill to the tantalizing way she handles the romance. This is a passionate, exciting read that will capture you until the last word is read. I am looking forward to more from this talented author.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

FOUR DUKES & A DEVIL by Cathy Maxwell, Elaine Fox, Jeaniene Frost, Sophia Nash & Tracy Anne Warren

Publisher: Avon
Date published: June 2009
ISBN: 978-0-06-178736-2
Historical/Paranormal/Contemporary Romance
Mass Market Paperback
Obtained via: Publisher
Reviewed by Dawn




FOUR DUKES & a DEVIL is five short stories that will have you believing in love all over again as these five couples find themselves snared in love’s crosshairs.

First up was THE IRISH DUKE by Cathy Maxwell which tells the tale of a spinster woman determined to ruin any Irish Duke’s chances of catching a bride…except she never imagines getting snared herself.

First off, I have to admit this story did not endear me at all to the characters. The main heroine, Susan, came off as whiny, childish and annoying to me. I wasn’t sure why this character didn’t do it for me-maybe it might have been the mood I was in or something. The writing was ok, nothing popped out for me to get excited about nor did the storyline capture my attention. It was just an ok story and had me skimming pages to get to the next one.

Next up was THE DUKE WHO CAME FOR DINNER by Elaine Fox. This is about a woman who is determined to get away and let herself finally come out of her shell. Add in a dog named Duke, a ghost who is a matchmaker and Mr. Right to the mix and you have the makings of one wild romance.

This was definitely one of my favorites in the anthology. A contemporary romance, Ms. Fox delivers a story that will leave you smiling when the last page is read. You have humor, romance and wit sprinkled throughout the story and this is an author who keeps you highly entertained from start to finish. I highly enjoyed this one.

Up next was DEVIL TO PAY by Jeaniene Frost. Elise is a vampire who is determined to be alone and lives by herself, with no contact with the outside world. When she rescues a man who is trying to kill himself, she finds herself drawn into the world once again as she tries to help Blake deal with the demon inside him.

I have to admit, I had to read this anthology just for this author. Ms. Frost is a wonderful storyteller and you really get into the characters of each of her books. This story is a fast paced wonder as Elise finds herself living again as she helps Blake try to deal with his problem, namely the demon living inside him. Elise is a wonder. She comes out of her shell to take care of Blake and that endeared me to her. A strong female character, she called to me and I was rooting for her to finally see happiness with Blake in the end. Overall, it was a nice adventure and a treat to read.

Next up was Sophia Nash’s CATCH OF THE CENTURY. This tells the tale of the ton’s latest eligible bachelor finding love with a feisty vixen who snares his heart even as she drives him to the brink of madness.

This was a minor character from one of this author’s series and though I haven’t read that series, this was an ok read as well. At times I wanted to shake Victoria, the heroine but she does grow on you eventually. The chemistry between John and Victoria was a bit predictable and had characters popping up from previous series that had me scratching my head in confusion for a bit. Overall, it was just an ok story and felt it could have needed a little more growth to completely keep my attention.

Finally, the last story was Tracy Anne Warren’s CHARMED BY HER SMILE. India Byron is determined to escape a suitor who is besotted with her. When London’s most scandalous rake steals a kiss, she begins to fall for the older man even as the suitor becomes more enamored with India. Can India and Quentin find a way to be true to their hearts in the end?

This final story was a bit better than the other historical/regency romances. I found the writing to be tight, storyline moving smoothly and though a bit predictable, an enjoyable romance. The hero is a bit older than the heroine and it was a nice aspect of the storyline. The heroine, India, was at times feisty yet innocent as she fell for Quentin, Duke of Weybridge. Both characters were well rounded and well written; another gem in this anthology.

FOUR DUKES & A DEVIL had a few lovely stories to enjoy but also a few misses as well. A few of the stories were really good and had me racing to check out the author’s backlist while a few others were flat to me. You will enjoy this if you enjoy historical/Regency romances. This was a sweet and tasty anthology to whittle the hours away while out on the hammock this spring.



THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF THIS BOOK. THIS IS AN OBJECTIVE UNBIASED REVIEW

DESTINED FOR AN EARLY GRAVE Night Huntress book 4 by Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: Avon
Date published: July 2009
ISBN: 978-0061583216
Paranormal romance
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Valerie


Cat and Bones are off to Paris for a well-deserved holiday. Since they met, they’ve ‘married’ with a blood bond, have battled and fought against the undead and a Master vampire. But, as usual, their holiday is interrupted when Cat starts to dream of a vampire called Gregor. Now, Cat is half-vampire and Bones is a vampire. Apparently, Cat knows Gregor from the past although her memories of him are very, very vague. Gregor believes that Cat is his wife and he is out to get her. As a Dreamsnatcher, he could take her away from Bones while she’s sleeping and dreaming of him. Cat soon realizes that she will need a lot of power to overcome Gregor, and this may mean that to get this power she will have to die.

I absolutely loved this book. I have been following this series and every story is a joy to read. I love Cat and Bones. I especially love Bones. In this story, emotions are running really high and there is almost non-stop action. Cat has to learn some very difficult lessons as she is always running into situations that mess up what the others are trying to do. I think the fans of this series will love how Jeaniene Frost handles how Cat gets turned, there is a wonderful twist. Cat just never does anything the normal way. This story made me go through so many emotions, it was a real roller-coaster that I just loved. I’ve already been telling all my book lover friends about this story. And those of you who haven’t read this series, please start with the first book, I guarantee you will keep reading and be waiting impatiently for more. The next book will be a spin-off from the series about two of the secondary characters that are in this one. I am certainly looking forward to that!

AT GRAVE'S END: Night Huntress Series, Book 3 by Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: Avon
Date published: December 2008
ISBN 978-0-06-158307-0
Paranormal Romance
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Valerie


The vampire community is now aware of Cat and her abilities and although she now has to wear disguises for the hunt, her cover has been blown. Keeping her identity a secret has been futile. Not only that, but Cat has to keep meeting women from Bones’ past and one in particular is a nasty piece of work. She’s intent on killing him once and for all and Cat is caught in the crossfire. Cat and Bones need help in this new mission and some of the world’s most powerful vampires are called upon. Bones himself receives some extra special powers from his grandsire and even this might not be enough as his adversary uses some bad magic against him and Cat. Cat will need all her vampire instincts and then some to be able to save them, even then she may just lose that which is most dear to her.

When you think it can’t get darker, when you think it can’t get more violent, when you think it can’t get more sensual, Jeaniene Frost comes out with AT GRAVE’S END. It seems she has pulled out all the stops and gone right over the edge and the stakes, pardon the pun, have never been higher. This author certainly puts her characters through the paces and has them literally fighting for their lives. As usual, Bones shows no mercy to those who want to harm his love ones and even Cat realises that he can be a nasty piece of work. I loved how Cat’s Mum is back in the story and gives the readers a few surprises too. You’ll be hanging on to the edge of your seat while reading and this book had me laughing, crying and yelling in surprise! I absolutely love these books and can only highly recommend them.

ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE – A NIGHT HUNTRESS NOVEL by Jeaniene Frost

Publisher Avon
Date published April 2008
ISBN 978-0-06-124509-1
Genre Paranormal romance
Paperback
Reviewed by Val

Cat Crawfield is now a Special Agent working for the government to hunt and rid the world of the rogue undead. Only, the agency she is working for doesn’t necessarily think there are any ‘good’ undead. She’s put her past behind her, or has she? She can’t quite get Bones out of her head. Then an attempt on her life is made and Bones makes an appearance in her life and heart.He’s the only one who can truly protect her. Even though her mother hates all vampires, and her team are highly suspicious, Bones is not giving up so easily this time. Soon, they are all embroiled in Vampire politics and Bones gives Cat’s boss an offer he can’t refuse. And let’s not forget Rodney, the ghoul, who makes his own special appearance.

This second book from this highly talented author is as exciting and adventurous as the first and the tension and high-powered action doesn’t let up. Jeaniene Frost lends her own special take on vampire lore and peppers her story with sexual tension on all sides. Cat is fighting off men and vamps as her heart truly only belongs to one, and he is back in full force! This story also has its share of blood and gore and Cat often walks away with blood soaked clothes. There is a lot of emotion in this story and the reader will be emotionally pulled in all directions. This reviewer had to scramble over to this author’s website to see if more books are coming, and yes! More have been contracted, so we fans will have to wait!