Embraced by Blood by Laurie London (Sweetblood Book #2)
Format: eBook via NetGalley
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Harlequin-HQN (June 21, 2011)
ISBN:9780373775866
Deep within the forests of the Pacific Northwest, two vampire coalitions battle for supremacy—
Guardian enforcers who safeguard humanity, and Darkbloods, rogues who kill like their ancient ancestors.
Alfonso Serrano is a hunted man. For months he’s managed to elude the Darkbloods, vengeful foes who won’t rest until he’s dead. But he still craves one dangerous temptation: Lily DeGraff, the sexy Guardian agent he’ll risk anything to protect.
Lily is a wanted woman. Her talent for tracking Sweet—a rare blood type that’s addictive to vampires—makes her a prime target for enemy capture. Her only hope is the stealthy vampire operative who stole into her bed…then left her in despair. Danger aside, Lily won’t let Alfonso near her heart again—until an irresistible hunger threatens to draw them back together… and into an assassin’s snare.
Where To Buy: Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Nook | Powell's Books | Book Depository
Where To Find Laurie: Author Site | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Extras: Read An Excerpt
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| I loved it. |
Shhh...don't tell Vicky Dreiling that I might be dropping Hawk for Alfonso as my new book boyfriend. There's so much I want to say but I can't be giving you guys spoilers! For everyone who has read BONDED BY BLOOD, you know that Alfonso had turned to the Dark Side centuries ago and this upset his brother, Dominic. For a long time, he did horrible, unspeakable things. He even caused the death of his parents, of which his brother wouldn't forgive him. Only spoiler I'll give you (for those who haven't read the first book) is: Alfonso was a double agent. He helped take down the Overlord and everyone believed he died in the fight.
This book picks up a year later. He has decided to atone for his mistakes, starting with recreating the villa in which his family lived in Spain. He still has a thing for Lily and surprise! Lily feels the same.
Top 5 Things I Liked About This Book:
- Alfonso Serrano- He's been on the run since helping the Guardians take down the Overlord Pavlos. After taking the Blood Oath centuries ago, this allowed him into the inner circle and along with the Oath, came the blood assassin. Should he betray the Alliance, his blood assassin would be activated, and activated he was. Alfonso is broken physically and mentally. He's had to live with the knowledge that his past actions have hurt many people including Lily. He thought he could just silently look after Lily and not get involved. Again. Boy was he wrong!
- Lily DeGraff- Lily is a Tracker and recently she's been having issues with her ability. Once one of the best Trackers in the Agency, she's unable to latch on to scent trails quickly and is disgusted with herself. She is scared to let anyone know because she feels everyone will think less of her. Her father is an elite member of the Council and so many in the Agency thought she got the job through familial connections. She has a little girl whom she loves very much. Zoe is her world. Her ex, Stephen, is a jerk and doesn't seem to care much for Zoe. She still has feelings for Alfonso and is determined to keep them at bay. Because of the lessening of her ability, her trainee is abducted and tortured.
- Second Chances- I am a sucker for second chance stories. They say third times that charm, but second chances are worth the wait and the road to HEA is paved with redemption and forgiveness.
- San Diego and Seattle- I may have fan girled out a little when San Diego was mentioned. There's quite a few familiar places in this book which sort of makes it feel realistic. I mean, could the guy living next door to me be a Guardian? Or the cute guy that comes into Starbucks every morning, could he be a Tracker? Could the smelly place near the beach be a Darkblood hideout? Maybe Kurt, the guy from the MMA Gym is as funny as Jackson? Oh, only a girl can imagine.
- Jackson and Santiago- Two for the price of one. I'm so glad Jackson gets his own book next. He's a funny, if slightly blockheaded guy, and seems to steal the scenes he's in with a bawdy joke or a quick remark that would put a smile on anyones face. He's a wall of solid muscle and loves his food. Get in his way and you might loose a finger or two. He's harboring a secret though and I can't wait to find out what it is. Santiago is the Region Commander and he's the guy to avoid. He's got a temper as hot as the fireworks on the Fourth of July, cusses like a sailor (perhaps a curse jar is in order-someone would make a lot of money off of him) and he knows everything about everyone. Even when Alfonso divulged his deepest, darkest secret, Santiago didn't flinch. He's the one to look out for. There's got to be an interesting back story to this guy.
Favorite Quote: "We hang out now, have fun. You tell me about the women you date, and I try to keep them all straight. I'm afraid you've become more like the little brother I never had. A little brother with giant muscles. Jeez, what are you feeding these things?" (***quote subject to change in finished copy of book***)
Overall: I really enjoyed this second book in the Sweetblood's series. I cannot wait to see what Ms. London has in store for us readers. I'm looking forward to how Jackson gets his HEA and if Santiago finally finds someone who can reign in his temper and potty mouth. This is a laugh out loud, heart tugging, unputdownable read. For the past 2 days, it became my Sangre Dulce. It called to me, wanting me to dive in and see if old friends from BONDED BY BLOOD surfaced, and if Alfonso receives his much deserved road to redemption with a HEA. Ms. London did NOT disappoint. Oh, and be on the lookout for the gasp worthy moment or two at the end of the book. Got your attention, haven't I? Seriously. You need to get your copy today.
***I requested this book from NetGalley***
