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 unlikely partnership.
In exchange for help 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 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.
Cat’s character is a little refreshing – and scary. Refreshing because she’s a little different than some heroines. Yes, she’s snarky and loud with a chip on her shoulder, but her past and current semi-living situation make it seem a lot more reasonable. I also like that she refuses to back down when she meets Bones – even though he isn’t what she expected at all.
Bones is everything I would want in a British bad-boy vampire. His humor, his outlook, his loyalty – it’s the real deal. His initial meeting with Cat is fantastic, and while they clash in every way possible, there’s no denying that’s an underlying chemistry between the two.
This is definitely a buildup novel. Halfway to the Grave is setting the stage for the future of the Night Huntress world, and it does a pretty good job. The world has lots of potential to grow and the side characters are intriguing and could become main characters in their own right down the line.
There is a bit of a cliffhanger (which is why I have a hard time saying this is a true paranormal romance) – but it was done fantastically. It feels like a natural bridge to the next book instead of just a hook to pull you along.
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Three Reasons You Should Read This Sweet Paranormal Romance:
Of Songs and Seashells by T.M. Franklin is an incredibly new and fun twist on the character from The Little Mermaid – it was not what I expected – in a great way.
While we don’t see too much of the villian, her presence is felt almost from the very beginning, and her motivation was unique and very believable.
Bash and his nephew, Wyatt, were great characters and along with Bash’s mother rounded out the cast of characters wonderfully.
An immortal woman. An ancient curse. A deadly pact.
Lily has roamed the earth for centuries, unable to die but also unable to truly live, lest her secret be discovered.
Unfortunately, saving a young boy from an almost-deadly accident attracts a handsome stranger’s rapt attention.
He sees her in a way few others have before, putting them both at risk and awakening an ancient curse.
After years of searching and nearly losing all hope, Lily’s finally found something—and someone—to live for. But will that be enough to save them from what is coming?
What if The Little Mermaid didn’t have her happily ever after? Where would she be today? Of Songs and Seashells by T.M. Franklin starts with a different ending to the classic fairy tale. Lily doesn’t get her happily ever after with her prince and instead finds herself in a small coastal town many, many years later. Right off the bat, this story had my attention.
Lily was one of my favorite characters from book one. Of Snow and Roses. and she didn’t disappoint as I got to know her better in her own story. A loner, all she wants is to be left alone. But she finds herself wrapped up in trying to save a town from an ancient being – and maybe letting a little boy and his family into her heart.
Young Wyatt enters the story with a bang and a tumble and quickly finds out that Lily isn’t quite as normal as she wants everyone to think. He’s a fun kid, and I fell in love with him. And even better, he has a cute, and equally charming, father. Bash starts off a bit rude, but it was a good way to introduce him to Lily and give them room to grow and come to trust each other.
Now, the villain (I won’t say who they are) was brilliant. She had motivation, means, and has a history with Lily that tied her past to her present. She was tough enough to bring everyone together without being the super-mega impossible foe that they need a miracle to beat. I loved it.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
Handcuffs chaining her to a sterile hospital bed. Weird occurrences that no one can explain. No memories of who she is or what came before.
They say she’s been a patient at the Blackbriar Institute since childhood, that she’s sick, alone, and nobody’s coming for her.
But someone’s already here—a mysterious man in her therapy group with unfathomable pain in his dark eyes—and she can’t deny her draw to him, no matter how much he tries to keep her away.
He doesn’t speak, but he seems to know something the others do not. Is she really sick, or might it be magic? What other dark secrets hide behind Blackbriar’s gates, and will she ever find a way to break free?
Equal parts puzzle and page-turner, Of Snow and Roses is a modern take on the classic fairy tale Snow White & Rose Red. We promise you’ve never read anything quite like it before.
When Neve wakes up in the Blackbriar Institute without her memory I suspected that there would be an evil doctor holding her against her will – and there was – but it was done a lot differently than other stories with similar tropes and themes. Neve will need to tread carefully to figure out who she can trust as a friend, and who is trying to hurt her.
While Neve was the main character, and I enjoyed her story, I found some of the side characters to be more intriguing and enjoyed their time on the pages a lot. Lily was one of my favorites, and the mysterious Tala is still a character I wonder about. Torbin, the strong silent one, had a somewhat predictable part of the story, but he was still fun.
The rest of the characters, including the bad guy and his friends, sort of blended into the background. I never got a real feeling for why they were the bad guys. I like my villains to have depth and backstory as well.
I like that while this featured some familiar characters from Snow White and Rose Red, it wasn’t an actual re-telling of their story (although I’m not super familiar with the original). There were a few spots that were a little repetitive or drawn out a little too much that I found myself skimming through.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
