Review: A Fire in the Blood

A Fire in the Blood A Fire in the Blood by Amanda Ashley
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Small town girl with an idyllic life meets ancient vampire when he saves her life. Readers who enjoy grand gestures of romance when an alpha male courts an independent female, this book is for you. Tessa grew up in a confines of a small town where everyone had their place and there was no way to re-invent oneself. Whilst she likes the support of a small town, she wanted to break away and grow into her own person. She successfully does this in the cozy town of Cutter's Corner. This little town of friendly people is perfect for her. This lovely life she set out to have is destroyed when there are five murders one after another. The murders themselves are odd with blood drained and scared towns people whispering of vampires.

Tessa is a sweet character who is an average gal. She is relate-able in her job and her choice of best friends. There is nothing that makes her standout. This is the plot device which makes the story interesting as the reader learns why the vampires are in Cutter's Corner. Tessa's near death experience at the hands of vampires could have turned her into a sniveling victim. Instead, she is smart about it and tries to figure it out. When Andrei reveals his past to her, Tessa is a bit skeptical which fits her character. Her caution and mixed feelings is refreshing because she does it with an open mind. The romance between Andrei and Tessa is slow and simmering. For those who expect this to be an erotic novel with several graphic sex scenes, this is not the book for you. This is a teasing romance with erotic foreplay and a bit of suspense which finally ends in a bit of sexy time. By focusing on the plot instead of the sexual relationship, the story builds out the supernatural world as well as give the characters more depth.

The addition of other supernatural creatures feels rushed in this story. It started out slow and picked up the pace in a secondary character. Near the end, it moved a bit faster than expected. Not sure if this is because this book supposed to be a standalone or if it is a hook for a follow up to feature the secondary characters in their own book. My vote is for the latter option. The pace of this book moves in a nice steady speed and ends with a happily ever after. This paranormal romance is recommended to readers who like alpha male vampires and other creatures that go bump in the night.

* Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.

Comments

Popular Posts