Review: First Drop of Crimson - Jeaniene Frost

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...

Night Huntress World Series:
(This is a spin off from the Night Huntress Series that fits into the time line after Destined for an Early Grave)
First Drop Of Crimson
Eternal Kiss of Darkness

Night Huntress Series:
Halfway to the Grave
One Foot in the Grave
At Grave's End
Destined for an Early Grave
One for the Money (Short Story in the Magic Graves Anthology)
This Side of the Grave
One Grave at a Time
Home for the Holidays (Novella available as an ebook or as part of The Bite Before Christmas anthology)
Up from the Grave

Night Prince Series:
(This is a spin off from the Night Huntress series that fits into the time line after One Grave at a Time)
Once Burned
Twice Tempted

For more information visit Jeaniene Frost's website

Review:
First Drop of Crimson is the first book in Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress World series, a spin off from her Night Huntress series featuring Cat and Bones. While the original series straddles the line between paranormal romance & urban fantasy and focuses on one couple through all of the books this new series definitely fits into the paranormal romance category and will feature a different couple in each of the books. The characters that it is focusing on have all been introduced as side characters in the first series so I'd recommend reading the Night Huntress books before starting this book but I do think you are given enough information that you can probably catch up if you are new to Jeaniene Frost's work. You will pick up spoilers if you read this first and then move onto Cat & Bones' series though.

I absolutely love the Night Huntress series (I am crazy about Bones!) so I was really looking forward to reading First Drop of Crimson. Spade has been a character I have liked whenever we have seen him in previous books and I was keen to find out more about his past. Denise is Cat's best friend and (mostly) human and I never really felt we got to know her in the other series so I wasn't too sure what to expect from her in this book. I have to say she really grew on me and I enjoyed getting to know her better and watching her change throughout this book. I loved Spade (he'll never replace Bones in my affections but he isn't a bad stand in!) and really feel I understand him a lot better now.

Although Denise could be a little irritating at times I felt that the way she acted was understandable considering her recent experiences at the hands of vampires. It isn't surprising that she has no trust of the supernatural and doesn't want anything to do with them - all she wants is to have a quiet life where she won't be in danger any more. She doesn't get much choice in the matter because an ancestor has put her whole family at risk and if she is going to have a chance to save them she will need help. When she is unable to get hold of Cat or Bones she turns to the only other person she can think of - Spade. Luckily Spade is willing to help, he has been attracted to Denise ever since he first saw her but he has also been hurt in the past and is scared to get into the same situation again. I really felt the attraction between them (the shower scene in particular had me more than a little flustered!) but I liked the way they didn't jump right into a relationship. They both had issues that needed to be dealt with first and I liked the fact that they were able to discuss things. I think they're very well suited to each other and I'm hoping that we get to see more of both of them in future books in both series.

If you've already read Jeaniene's work then you'll already know to expect plenty of action and some interesting plot twists and I don't think you'll be disappointed even though there is more focus on the romance as their story is only told in one instalment. I love the fact that we are introduced to new supernatural creatures in the demons & I'm curious to see if they'll cross over into the Cat & Bones series. I also really liked the fact that we get to see some of the other characters we've come to know and love - Cat & Bones in particular but also Mencheres and Ian (who is growing on me the more I see of him & I'm hoping he will get his own story eventually).

Overall I probably like the Night Huntress series slightly more but I've spent 4 books with Cat and Bones and adore them both so that probably isn't surprising. When you compare this to other standalone PNR stories then it really does hold it's own. I'm looking forward to reading Eternal Kiss of Darkness - I'm so curious to read Mencheres story! I would recommend this series to fans of the Night Huntress series but also to people who enjoy a good PNR book that has a fast paced plot as well as hot romance.

Source: Library

Other Reviews:
Ink and Paper
Story Wings
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