Wicked All Night by Jeaniene Frost

Title: Wicked All Night (Night Rebel #3)

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: Avon 2021

Genre: Romance

Pages: 368

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Spice Rating: 5

A gift from the gods...
Veritas and Ian have finally defeated their worst enemy, but the power it took to pierce through to the netherworld has unexpected consequences. Soon, Veritas is forced to rely on the last person she trusts---a golden deity named Phanes, who seeks far more than a temporary alliance with the beautiful vampire.

Can unleash hell...
But a supernatural escape soon pits Veritas and Ian against beings seeking to rule over mortals once again. Now, they must rally friends and foes alike--if the vampire council doesn't execute Veritas first. Plus, a wedge between Veritas and Ian threatens to destroy their love. Can they stand together against the unearthly powers about to be unleashed? Or does their love--and humanity--not stand a chance?

A fitting conclusion to the Night Rebel series and the to my reading of the Frost’s Night Huntress World. I really enjoyed Ian and Veritas’s story and was excited that they got to find their HEA. As all of Frost’s novels, I enjoyed the plot and the pacing, but the endings always feel so rushed. I wanted to sit just a bit with Ian and Veritas after they defeat their enemies and ride off into the night. I did enjoy seeing a variety of character show up for their final battles and acknowledge their unusual but fitting relationship. Overall, I really enjoyed getting to know Ian more and see his story play out.

Night Rebel

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Next up on the TBR pile:

Wicked Bite by Jeaniene Frost

Title: Wicked Bite (Night Rebel #2)

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: Avon 2020

Genre: Romance

Pages: 371

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Spice Rating: 5

Some promises are meant to be broken…

Veritas spent most of her life as a vampire Law Guardian. Now, she’s about to break every rule by secretly hunting down the dark souls that were freed in order to save Ian. But the risks are high. For if she gets caught, she could lose her job. And catching the sinister creatures might cost Veritas her own life.

Some vows are forever…

Ian’s memories might be fragmented, but this master vampire isn’t about to be left behind by the woman who entranced him, bound herself to him, and then disappeared. So what if demons, other Law Guardians, and dangerous, otherworldly forces stand against them? Come hell or high water, Ian intends to remind Veritas of the burning passion between them, because she is the only person seared on his mind—and his soul…

A fun continuation of Ian and Veritas’s story. I liked how we moved beyond the Dagon storyline from the original book. We get to see some more players and learn more about Veritas’s nature. Her love story with Ian continues to evolve while staying true to who both of them are. I would have liked a few more conversations between the two and less miscommunication, but I realize that it’s in both their natures to conceal their true plans from others. I’m excited to finish off their story with the last book in the trilogy.

Night Rebel

#1 Shades of Wicked
#2 Wicked Bite
#3 Wicked All Night

Next up on the TBR pile:

Shades of Wicked by Jeaniene Frost

Title: Shades of Wicked (Night Rebel #1)

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: Avon 2018

Genre: Romance

Pages: 370

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Spice Rating: 6

The Rule Breaker...

Master vampire Ian is unrepentant, shameless…and every shade of wicked. He’s made one too many enemies in his two centuries of existence, including Dagon, a demon who now lays claim to his soul. Ian’s only chance to escape Dagon is to join forces with a Law Guardian, but he's never been able to abide by the rules for long.

The Law Maker...

Veritas’ normal role is police, judge, and jury to reprobates like Ian. But she has her own ax to grind with Dagon, so if she can use Ian as bait...well, all’s fair in law and war. As they scour supernatural hotspots to perfect their trap, Veritas soon realizes Ian’s carefully cultivated, devil-may-care roguish image hides something much more powerful. And Ian discovers Veritas has shocking secrets of her own. As they’re drawn to each other with a passion as intense as their peril, either love or justice will prevail. But each will have devastating consequences.

Finally, finally, finally we get Ian’s story! I got super excited when his storyline got teased in Vlad’s quartet. I was hoping for a good romance adventure that didn’t nerf Ian’s quirky and rebellious nature. Thankfully, this is still Ian. He’s still brash and at times grating. But darn it, he’s still so incredibly hot. Pairing him with Veritas is genius. We have to have a strong female character to go up against Ian. Their romance is delightful. Beyond that, I really enjoyed the adventure story. The battle with the demon is perfect! I can’t wait to see where their story goes next. This book is great fun!

Night Rebel

#1 Shades of Wicked
#2 Wicked Bite
#3 Wicked All Night

Next up on the TBR pile:

In the Fire by Jeaniene Frost

Title: Into the Fire (Night Prince #4)

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: HarperCollins 2017

Genre: Romance

Pages: 375

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR; Finishing the Series

In the explosive finale to New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost’s Night Prince series, Vlad is in danger of losing his bride to an enemy whose powers might prove greater than the Prince of Vampires’ . . .In the wrong hands, love can be a deadly weapon

For nearly six hundred years, Vlad Tepesh cared for nothing, so he had nothing to lose. His brutal reputation ensured that all but the most foolhardy stayed away. Now, falling in love with Leila has put him at the mercy of his passions. And one adversary has found a devastating way to use Vlad’s new bride against him.

A powerful spell links Leila to the necromancer Mircea. If he suffers or dies, so does she. Magic is forbidden to vampires, so Vlad and Leila enlist an unlikely guide as they search for a way to break the spell. But an ancient enemy lies in wait, capable of turning Vlad and Leila’s closest friends against them . . . and finally tearing the lovers apart forever.

We get to the conclusion of Vlad and Leila’s story. And I must that I think this series could have been one book less. I enjoyed this volume. I liked wrapping up their story and uncovering all the mysteries. But when I look back at the series as a whole, I think it really should have been shorter. The third book especially suffered from pacing. Anyway, we get to finally see what Leila’s childhood accident really means and uncover the secrets of her past. We see Leila and Vlad somewhat becoming more open with each other, although I was mighty angry at Vlad for the bit about Mencheres in this one. My biggest plus in this book was the inclusion of Ian as a character. We have seen him throughout the larger Night Huntress world, but usually as an antagonist. His introduction to Cat was quite memorable even if you kinda wanted to stake him in the heart. Obviously this series sets Ian up to have his own spin-off series featuring his demon enemy and Veritas, the Law Guardian. I am excited to move on and read those books soon.

Night Prince

Next up on the TBR pile:

Bound by Flames by Jeaniene Frost

Title: Bound by Flames (Night Prince #3)

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: Avon 2015

Genre: Romance

Pages: 342

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR; Finishing the Series

Spice Rating: 5

The climactic third novel in New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost's Night Prince series finds Vlad and his newly turned bride, Leila, at odds with each other—and vulnerable to the one vampire powerful enough to end the Dark Prince's reign . . .

Play with fire, pay the price

Leila's years on the carnie circuit were certainly an education. What she didn't learn: how to be a vampire, or how to be married to the most famous vampire of them all. Adjusting to both has Leila teetering on a knife edge between passion and peril, and now the real danger is about to begin . . .

Vlad must battle with a centuries-old enemy whose reach stretches across continents and whose strength equals his own. It isn't like Vlad to feel fear, but he does . . . for Leila, because his enemy knows she is Vlad's greatest weakness. As friend and foe alike align against him—and his overprotectiveness drives Leila away—Vlad's love for his new bride could be the very thing that dooms them both . . .

Oh that took a turn! I was not expecting the twists and turns in this volume of the series. This book has nonstop action from page one until the end. And there is some serious disturbing action in this one. Definitely not for the feint of heart. Even I cringed during a few scenes. But on the other side of the book, we get to see so much growth between Vlad and Leila. I was desperate for them to really start to understand each other and come together. One more book in this series to see how this chapter of their story ends.

Night Prince

#1 Once Burned
#2 Twice Tempted
#3 Bound by Flames
#4 Into the Fire

Next up on the TBR pile:

Up from the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Title: Up from the Grave (Night Huntress #7)

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: Avon 2014

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Pages: 372

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Spice Meter: 5 (albeit one with a vampire)

The Grave Ends Here.

Lately, life has been unnaturally calm for vampires Cat Crawfield and her husband Bones. They should have known better than to relax their guard, because a shocking revelation sends them back into action to stop an all-out war...

A rogue CIA agent is involved in horrifying secret activities that threaten to raise tensions between humans and the undead to dangerous heights. Now Cat and Bones are in a race against time to save their friends from a fate worse than death...because the more secrets they unravel, the deadlier the consequences. And if they fail, their lives--and those of everyone they hold dear-- will be hovering on the edge of the grave.

And we come to the end of the main series with this volume. (I know that there is a #8 and #9, but those are earlier books retold from Bones’ perspective. Not the main storyline.) I was so glad to see a happy-ish ending for Cat and Bones. After everything they have gone through, it was nice to see them gain some semblance of peace. Even if that peace was hard fought and comes with some additional strings. I loved the main mystery of this volume, but could have done with some retooling of the side characters. Tate and the boys just seemed to be thrown in there. And I’ve never been a fan of Cat’s mother at all. I still think it was a terrible decision to make her a vampire. She should have just died. This volume didn’t have as much romance as I would have liked, but we still get a few scenes between Cat and Bones. I want to read the last two novellas/short stories, but I’m still deciding on whether or not to read the Bones books.

Night Huntress:

#0.5 Reckoning ✓
#1 Halfway to the Grave ✓
#1.5 Happily Never After ✓
#2 One Foot in the Grave ✓
#3 At Grave’s End ✓
#3.5 Devil to Pay ✓
#4 Destined for an Early Grave ✓
#4.5 One for the Money ✓
#5 This Side of the Grave
#6 One Grave at a Time ✓
#6.5 Home for the Holidays ✓
#7 Up from the Grave
#7.5 Outtakes from the Grave
#7.6 A Grave Girls’ Getaway
#8 The Other Half of the Grave
#9 Both Feet in the Grave

Next up on the TBR pile:

Twice Tempted by Jeaniene Frost

Title: Twice Tempted (Night Prince #2)

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: Avon 2013

Genre: Romance

Pages: 360

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series; Romanceopoly - Fated Folly

Spice Rating: 5

Dating the Prince of Darkness has its challenges . . .

Leila's psychic abilities have been failing her,and now she isn't sure what the future holds. If that weren't enough, her lover Vlad has been acting distant. Though Leila is a mere mortal, she's also a modern woman who refuses to accept the cold shoulder treatment forever--especially from the darkly handsome vampire who still won't admit that he loves her.

Like choosing between eternal love and a loveless eternity . . .

Soon circumstances send Leila back to the carnival circuit, where tragedy strikes. And when she finds herself in the crosshairs of a killer who may be closer than she realizes, Leila must decide who to trust--the fiery vampire who arouses her passions like no other, or the tortured knight who longs to be more than a friend? With danger stalking her every step of the way, all it takes is one wrong move to damn her for eternity . . .

Oh yes! This was exactly what I wanted from this series! The first book had me very frustrated by both Vlad and Leila’s behavior. Thankfully this book starts to break their behavior down and we actually see some growth from our characters. And while we don’t get a happy ending (there are two more books in this series), we get shades of happiness sprinkled in throughout the obstacles and pain. The big mystery really amps up in this volume and I cannot wait to see where this all goes.

Night Prince

#1 Once Burned
#2 Twice Tempted
#3 Bound by Flames
#4 Into the Fire

Next up on the TBR pile:

Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost

Title: Once Burned (Night Prince #1)

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: Avon 2012

Genre: Romance

Pages: 373

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Spice Rating: 5 (but with vampires)

After a tragic accident scarred her body and destroyed her dreams, Leila never imagined that the worst was still to come: terrifying powers that let her channel electricity and learn a person's darkest secrets through a single touch. Leila is doomed to a life of solitude...until creatures of the night kidnap her, forcing her to reach out with a telepathic distress call to the world's most infamous vampire...

Vlad Tepesh inspired the greatest vampire legend of all--but whatever you do, don't call him Dracula. Vlad's ability to control fire makes him one of the most feared vampires in existence, but his enemies have found a new weapon against him—a beautiful mortal with powers to match his own. When Vlad and Leila meet, however, passion ignites between them, threatening to consume them both. It will take everything that they are to stop an enemy intent on bringing them down in flames.

Oh a whole series focused on Vlad! I was so incredibly excited to start this as he may just be my favorite character in the entire Night Huntress world. We get to see just how cold and calculated he can be in a variety of situations. He really frustrated me so many times throughout this book, but I loved every page of it. Leila came to be a great foil for our enigmatic vampire master. I loved the mystery element to this series. All of the Night Huntress books have that mystery element, but I really fell into this one. I was desperate to find a conclusion, but slightly annoyed to find a bit of a cliffhanger. Now I cannot wait to read the rest of this series.

Night Prince

#1 Once Burned
#2 Twice Tempted
#3 Bound by Flames
#4 Into the Fire

Next up on the TBR pile:

One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost

Title: One Grave at a Time (Night Huntress #6)

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: Avon 2011

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Pages: 358

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Spice Meter: 5 (albeit one with a vampire)

Having narrowly averted an (under)world war, Cat Crawfield wants nothing more
than a little downtime with her vampire husband, Bones. Unfortunately, her gift
from New Orleans' voodoo queen just keeps on giving-leading to a personal favor
that sends them into battle once again, this time against a villainous
spirit.

Oh I really enjoyed this one! We get to see Cat and Bones at their best teamed up to take down an unusual ghost. I loved their leadership and banter with the other players. The ghost was significantly creepy and a big mystery to be solved. I loved the appearances by Ian and Spade and Denise. My biggest complaint is actually with the B plot featuring Don and the new head of the military unit Madigan. I really disliked how that just seemed to fizz out to nothing by the end of the book. I would have liked more a resolution.

Night Huntress:

#0.5 Reckoning ✓
#1 Halfway to the Grave ✓
#1.5 Happily Never After ✓
#2 One Foot in the Grave ✓
#3 At Grave’s End ✓
#3.5 Devil to Pay
#4 Destined for an Early Grave ✓
#4.5 One for the Money ✓
#5 This Side of the Grave
#6 One Grave at a Time
#6.5 Home for the Holidays
#7 Up from the Grave
#7.5 Outtakes from the Grave
#7.6 A Grave Girls’ Getaway
#8 Both Feet in the Grave

Next up on the TBR pile:

Happily Never After by Jeaniene Frost

Title: Happily Never After (Night Huntress #1.5)

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: Avon 2008

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Pages: 106

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Spice Meter: 5 (albeit one with a vampire)

Isabella Spaga is about to reluctantly walk down the aisle with Mr. Dangerously Wrong…but not if dashing vampire Chance has anything to say about it. As a favor to Bones, Chance has come to derail this wedding of beauty to the beast. Now if only he can keep his hands off the bride. From New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress world, it’s the wedding of the season…that everyone wants to miss.

I finally tracked down some of the novellas for the Night Huntress series. This one involves a vampire that we briefly met in the first volume of the series. And yea! I was excited to see a little story involving him and his new lady love. We get a fun short story full of action and adventure and some truly terrible villains that were definitely deserving of their fates. Very cute addition to the stories. Now I need to track down some of the later stories…

Night Huntress:

#0.5 Reckoning
#1 Halfway to the Grave
#1.2 The Other Half of the Grave
#1.5 Happily Never After
#2 One Foot in the Grave
#3 At Grave’s End
#3.5 Devil to Pay
#4 Destined for an Early Grave
#4.5 One for the Money
#5 This Side of the Grave
#6 One Grave at a Time
#6.5 Home for the Holidays
#7 Up from the Grave
#7.5 Outtakes from the Grave
#7.6 A Grave Girls’ Getaway
#8 Both Feet in the Grave

Next up on the TBR pile:

Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost

Title: Eternal Kiss of Darkness(Night Huntress World #3)

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: Avon 2010

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Pages: 361

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Summer TBR; Unread Shelf, Finishing the Series

Spice Meter: 5 (albeit with a vampire)

An immortal war has been brewing in the darkness . . .

And now one woman has stumbled into the shadows.

Chicago private investigator Kira Graceling should have just kept on walking. But her sense of duty refused to let her ignore the moans of pain coming from inside a warehouse just before dawn. Suddenly she finds herself in a world she's only imagined in her worst nightmares.

At the center is Mencheres, a breathtaking Master vampire who thought he'd seen it all. Then Kira appears—this fearless, beautiful . . . human who braved death to rescue him. Though he burns for her, keeping Kira in his world means risking her life. Yet sending her away is unthinkable.

But with danger closing in, Mencheres must choose either the woman he craves, or embracing the darkest magic to defeat an enemy bent on his eternal destruction.

Oh this one was a wild ride. Mencheres has always been an intriguing character in the regular Night Huntress series and I was so glad he got his own stand alone book. We get to learn his entire history and put to rest an ancient rivalry, all while finding his match in a private investigator. Kira was the right amount of smart and feisty heroine for our master vampire. I loved seeing their interactions and the ways in which Mencheres is forced to open up to Kira. Of course, I always love drop in appearances from Bones and Cat, but I especially love appearances from Vlad. He may be my favorite character in this entire world. This book has the right amount of action and romance to keep me flipping through the pages until the very end.

Night Huntress World:

#1 First Drop of Crimson
#2 Eternal Kiss of Darkness

Next up on the TBR pile:

This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Title: This Side of the Grave (Night Huntress #5)

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: Avon 2011

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Pages: 357

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Finishing the Series

Spice Meter: 5 (albeit one with a vampire)

Danger waits on both sides of the grave.

Half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her vampire husband Bones have fought for their lives, as well as for their relationship. But just when they've triumphed over the latest battle, Cat's new and unexpected abilities threaten to upset a long-standing balance . . .

With the mysterious disappearance of vampires, rumors abound that a species war is brewing. A zealot is inciting tensions between the vampires and ghouls, and if these two powerful groups clash, innocent mortals could become collateral damage. Now Cat and Bones are forced to seek help from a dangerous "ally"—the ghoul queen of New Orleans herself. But the price of her assistance may prove more treacherous than even the threat of a supernatural war . . . to say nothing of the repercussions Cat never imagined.

Hmm… I sped through this volume, but wasn’t super excited about the big mystery. It wasn’t super intriguing and I didn’t think the villain was scary enough. In the fact, I thought that Marie was a much scarier antagonist than the actual stated villain. I wanted to see more scenes with Marie and Cat bantering and sparring. That would have increased my enjoyment of this book. My other favorite part were the scenes involving Vlad. He is always a great addition to the story. I will keep reading this series, if nothing else than to complete books from my Unread Shelf. But, I must say that I’m not super into this series at this point.

Night Huntress:

#0.5 Reckoning
#1 Halfway to the Grave
#1.2 The Other Half of the Grave
#1.5 Happily Never After
#2 One Foot in the Grave
#3 At Grave’s End
#3.5 Devil to Pay
#4 Destined for an Early Grave
#4.5 One for the Money
#5 This Side of the Grave
#6 One Grave at a Time
#6.5 Home for the Holidays
#7 Up from the Grave
#7.5 Outtakes from the Grave
#7.6 A Grave Girls’ Getaway
#8 Both Feet in the Grave

Next up on the TBR pile:

First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost

Title: First Drop of Crimson (Night Huntress World #1)

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: Avon 2010

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Pages: 371

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf, Finishing the Series

Spice Meter: 5 (albeit with a vampire)

The night is not safe for mortals. Denise MacGregor knows all too well what lurks in the shadows—her best friend is half-vampire Cat Crawfield—and she has already lost more than the average human could bear. But her family's past is wrapped in secrets and shrouded in darkness—and a demon shapeshifter has marked Denise as prey. Now her survival depends on an immortal who lusts for a taste of her.

He is Spade, a powerful, mysterious vampire who has walked the earth for centuries and is now duty-bound to protect this endangered, alluring human—even if it means destroying his own kind. Denise may arouse his deepest hungers, but Spade knows he must fight his urge to have her as they face the nightmare together . . .

Because once the first crimson drop falls, they will both be lost.

A spin-off book featuring my favorite vampire, Spade. Seriously, I like him so much more than Bones (although I still love Bones). Spade is my kind of leading man. A little less quippy, but still smoldering. We finally get Spade’s story in his forced proximity story with Denise. Now Denise was not my favorite and really still isn’t my favorite. But I hung on due to the fun demon branding storyline. Plus we get to meet some other interesting vampires and our favorites make appearances. (Especially Ian’s appearance. Hello Ian!) Overall, I read this one just about one day due to a pain flare and it was just what I needed. Something fun and fast-paced to help distract from my pain. Enjoyable addition to the Night Huntress Universe.

Night Huntress World:

#1 First Drop of Crimson
#2 Eternal Kiss of Darkness

Next up on the TBR pile:

Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Title: Destined for an Early Grave (Night Huntress #4)

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: Avon 2009

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Pages: 355

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Finishing the Series

Spice Meter: 5 (albeit one with a vampire)
Her deadly dreams leave her in grave danger

Since half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her undead lover Bones met six years ago, they've fought against the rogue undead, battled a vengeful Master vampire, and pledged their devotion with a blood bond. Now it's time for a vacation. But their hopes for a perfect Paris holiday are dashed when Cat awakes one night in terror. She's having visions of a vampire named Gregor who's more powerful than Bones and has ties to her past that even Cat herself didn't know about.

Gregor believes Cat is his and he won't stop until he has her. As the battle begins between the vamp who haunts her nightmares and the one who holds her heart, only Cat can break Gregor's hold over her. She'll need all the power she can summon in order to bring down the baddest bloodsucker she's ever faced . . . even if getting that power will result in an early grave.

Another volume in this series, but this one just didn’t land for me at all. Right away, we get an intriguing plot involving a potential previous claim on Cat by another vampire. I wanted to fall into the adventure and story. Unfortunately, I really disliked the storyline about Cat and Bones’s relationship. It felt just so incredibly off from the previous works. I was in a constant state of stress the entire book. I hated all the fighting between the two of them. I just wanted to see those two reconnect and move to the next phase of their lives. The saving aspects of the book were really the side characters. Vlad and Spade were the best. They really kept the book from getting 2 stars from me.

Night Huntress:

#0.5 Reckoning
#1 Halfway to the Grave
#1.2 The Other Half of the Grave
#1.5 Happily Never After
#2 One Foot in the Grave
#3 At Grave’s End
#3.5 Devil to Pay
#4 Destined for an Early Grave
#4.5 One for the Money
#5 This Side of the Grave
#6 One Grave at a Time
#6.5 Home for the Holidays
#7 Up from the Grave
#7.5 Outtakes from the Grave
#7.6 A Grave Girls’ Getaway
#8 Both Feet in the Grave

Next up on the TBR pile:

At Grave's End by Jeaniene Frost

Title: At Grave’s End (Night Huntress #3)

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: Avon 2008

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Pages: 342

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Finishing the Series

Spice Meter: 5 (albeit one with a vampire)

It should be the best time of half-vampire Cat Crawfield's life. With her undead lover Bones at her side, she's successfully protected mortals from the rogue undead. But though Cat's worn disguise after disguise to keep her true identity a secret from the brazen bloodsuckers, her cover's finally been blown, placing her in terrible danger.

As if that wasn't enough, a woman from Bones's past is determined to bury him once and for all. Caught in the crosshairs of a vengeful vamp, yet determined to help Bones stop a lethal magic from being unleashed, Cat's about to learn the true meaning of bad blood. And the tricks she's learned as a special agent won't help her. She will need to fully embrace her vampire instincts in order to save herself—and Bones—from a fate worse than the grave.

Another very enjoyable Night Huntress novel. I loved the growth of the relationship between Cat and Bones. I loved the central mystery of the unknown threat. A few of the twists and turns were well executed. I did knock off one star as the first 1/3 of the book seemed to really drag.

Night Huntress:

#0.5 Reckoning
#1 Halfway to the Grave
#1.2 The Other Half of the Grave
#1.5 Happily Never After
#2 One Foot in the Grave
#3 At Grave’s End
#3.5 Devil to Pay
#4 Destined for an Early Grave
#4.5 One for the Money
#5 This Side of the Grave
#6 One Grave at a Time
#6.5 Home for the Holidays
#7 Up from the Grave
#7.5 Outtakes from the Grave
#7.6 A Grave Girls’ Getaway
#8 Both Feet in the Grave

Next up on the TBR pile:

One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Title: One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress #2)

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: Avon 2008

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Pages: 357

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Winter TBR; Finishing the Series

Spice Meter: 5 (albeit one with a vampire)

You can run from the grave, but you can't hide . . .

Half-vampire Cat Crawfield is now Special Agent Cat Crawfield, working for the government to rid the world of the rogue undead. She's still using everything Bones, her sexy and dangerous ex, taught her, but when Cat is targeted for assassination, the only man who can help her is the vampire she left behind.

Being around him awakens all her emotions, from the adrenaline kick of slaying vamps side by side to the reckless passion that consumed them. But a price on her head—wanted: dead or half-alive—means her survival depends on teaming up with Bones. And no matter how hard she tries to keep things professional between them, she'll find that desire lasts forever . . . and that Bones won't let her get away again.

After finishing the first book in the series, I just had to immediately start on the next one. This series is so much fun and full of action. The story dives right in and doesn’t let up until the last page. We get to see Cat four years after the events of the first book as she tries to navigate a new life away from Bones. Of course, he’s not going to stay away for the entire book. Thankfully he fairly quickly makes an appearance and we get the real action. The reader finally gets to learn more about the world and the history of the characters. Another great volume in this series. I’m definitely going to be moving on very soon.

Night Huntress:

#0.5 Reckoning
#1 Halfway to the Grave
#1.2 The Other Half of the Grave
#1.5 Happily Never After
#2 One Foot in the Grave
#3 At Grave’s End
#3.5 Devil to Pay
#4 Destined for an Early Grave
#4.5 One for the Money
#5 This Side of the Grave
#6 One Grave at a Time
#6.5 Home for the Holidays
#7 Up from the Grave
#7.5 Outtakes from the Grave
#7.6 A Grave Girls’ Getaway
#8 Both Feet in the Grave

Next up on the TBR pile:

Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Title: Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress #1)

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: Avon 2007

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Pages: 358

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Romanceopoly - The Vault; Finishing the Series

Spice Meter: 5 (albeit one with vampires)

Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father—the one responsible for ruining her mother's life. Then she's captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership.

In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She's amazed she doesn't end up as his dinner—are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn't have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her newfound status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side . . . and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

This particular series has been sitting on my unread shelves for years. I finally started it just a few days ago and I sped right through the first book. The action starts right away and doesn’t let up until the end of the story. We get a strong female lead and a strong male lead. I loved following Cat’s journey as she comes to understand who exactly she is. Once Bones enters the picture, the story really gets going. I just really love their banter and the way that he cares for Cat. The mystery of the disappearing girls gives the plot a bit of depth and kept me on my toes. I just had to see how everyone concluded. At the conclusion of this volume I knew that I had to keep reading. I’ll be starting the next volume immediately.

Night Huntress: