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First Drop of Crimson
by Jeaniene FrostSeries: Night Huntress World #1
Published by Avon on January 21, 2010
SubGenres: Paranormal Romance
Format: Paperback
Pages: 371
Source: Purchased
Audience: 18+/Adult
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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 dark 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 craves 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 demon nightmare together…
Because once the first drop of crimson falls, they will both be lost.
The first installment in Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress World series, First Drop of Crimson, is undeniably enthralling and kept me on the edge of my seat due to it introducing a new paranormal entity, a demon who curses Cat’s best friend, Denise. I definitely was intrigued with how Jeaniene Frost was going to write a demon into the Night Huntress World, and how Denise was going to endure being thrown into the paranormal world again, after she had been trying to get away from it.
Here is one person who would never want to tangle with a demon like the one in this book, especially if it has the ability to turn into humans and fool you, as it did to Denise. Poor girl. I felt for her, especially with why the demon was targeting her in the first place. Since she can’t find Cat to help her, she ends up calling the one person she thought she would never contact, Spade, and even he’s surprised she called.
If you read the Night Huntress series, you would have been introduced to Spade in those books. Though he’s no Bones or Vlad, I still liked his character. I loved learning his backstory, which showed he and Denise share a history of loss, explaining her reluctance and his understanding. Spade definitely won me over when he was helping Denise in this book with the demon.
I will admit I was hesitant to read this book due to Denise being the main character because she’s not one who stood out to me as an MC, but I trusted Jeanine Frost. I will say that after what Denise went through, losing a loved one, she did deserve to find love again.
As Denise and Spade spend time together, their growing attraction becomes obvious. I enjoyed reading them resist it, especially since Denise has issues with vampires, but Spade is different. I appreciated how Spade supported Denise during her panic attacks, dealing with both the curse and her fear of the vampire world.
The demon antagonist is a formidable challenge for Denise and Spade. It’s tough to defeat and forces Denise and Spade to hunt down her ancestor, the one responsible for the demon’s presence. Their quest to find her ancestor is anything but easy, and they’re about to find out the demon is not easy to kill, either, which definitely made the story suspenseful and kept me on the edge of my seat.
A highlight is when Bones discovers Spade is with Denise and reacts unhappily because he didn’t want anyone messing with Cat’s best friend. He takes protection very seriously, which is one reason why I adore his character. There are other reasons, but that’s a whole different review. I loved that Cat was also in this book, and even other characters show up.
Despite Denise’s sometimes frustrating decisions, in the end, everything works out, even her relationship with Spade. Overall, another strong installment in the Night Huntress world, and I give it four stars. I’m definitely excited to read the next book in this spin-off series, since it’s Mencheres book and he’s one vampire I’ve been wanting to learn more about.
Thanks to authors like Jeaniene Frost, my love for vampires endures because of books like this one. I was always the kid who wanted to be a vampire, not a princess, which my parents always found weird. They still find me weird, and so does my husband. =)
If you haven’t read Jeaniene Frost’s books and enjoyed shows like Buffy, Angel, or The Vampire Diaries, you’re missing out on fantastic stories with some memorable characters in the Night Huntress series and its spin-offs.
What to Expect:
♥️Paranormal Romance
♥️Forbidden Love
♥️Damsel in Distress
♥️Touch Her and I’ll ☠️ You
♥️Alpha Vampire Hero
♥️Slow Burn
Favorite Quotes:
“It was the sort of bone deep emotion that made him want to hold her tighter with one hand, and draw a sword against the world with the other.”
“Luscious, aren’t I, poppet? Go on, stare. I don’t mind.”
“You look like a Dracula porn movie reject”
“Let‟s not speak of him. Like the devil, Vlad might appear if we do.”
About Jeaniene Frost
Jeaniene Frost is the New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author of the Night Huntress series, the Night Prince series, the Broken Destiny series, and the new Night Rebel series. To date, foreign rights for her novels have sold to twenty different countries. Jeaniene lives in Florida with her husband Matthew, who long ago accepted that she rarely cooks and always sleeps in on the weekends. Aside from writing, Jeaniene enjoys reading, poetry, watching movies with her husband, exploring old cemeteries, spelunking and traveling – by car. Airplanes, children, and cook books frighten her.
For information on Jeaniene's books, book trailers, deleted scenes, creature mythology, and more, please visit: www.jeanienefrost.com
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My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)
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