Title: Bonded by Blood Author: Laurie London Series: Sweetblood #1 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Paranormal Romance Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages Publisher: HQN Books  Date Published: January 18, 2011 ISBN-10: 037377544X ISBN-13: 978-0373775446 Review Copy Source: NetGalley Reviewed by: Abigail

Book Description

Deep within the forests of the Pacific Northwest, two vampire coalitions battle for supremacy—Guardian enforcers who safeguard humanity and Darkblood rogues who kill like their ancient ancestors. 

Now, Guardian team leader Dominic Serrano will be forced to choose between the vengeance he craves and the woman he can’t live without... 

Movie location scout Mackenzie Foster-Shaw has always known that she’s cursed to die young. No one can protect her from the evil that has stalked her family for generations—vampires who crave her rare blood type. Until one afternoon in a wooded cemetery, she encounters an impossibly sexy stranger, a man she must trust with her life. 

For Dominic, a man haunted by loss, Mackenzie satisfies a primal hunger that torments him—and the bond they share goes beyond heat, beyond love. She alone can supply the strength he needs to claim his revenge. But in doing so, he could destroy her...

 Review

If TWILIGHT was written for girls, BONDED BY BLOOD is written for women.  Both share a similar story concept: a specific human with blood that sings with its sweetness to vampires.  Mackenzie is a Sweetblood.  A rare human whose blood is like heroin to a desperate junkie.  In fact, Sweetblood is sold in dark alleys and trafficked like drugs in vampire society.  I liked Mackenzie’s live for the moment, cherish everyday because it could be your last mentality, but I found her unwarranted initial shrewness towards Dom to be grating and a little Romance genre cliché.  Her complete mood swing the other way was also a bit abrupt and a tad Stepford-ish.

While I had a few minor issues with Mackenzie, Dominic was the man.  He’s a Guardian (basically a vampire cop) who protects humans by tracking Darkbloods, vampires who act outside the law.  I loved that Dom wasn’t over the top alpha initially.  He is all man, but he has doubts and fears and doesn’t always make the right call.  He’s plagued by guilt and truly terrified that he’ll lose control and kill Mackenzie.  I think that dichotomy is what makes a vampire love interest so compelling for me, the constant struggle between control and desire. 

The chase between these two was as hot as you’d want it to be.  Mackenzie is attracted to Dom, drawn to his chivalry, but leery of the mood swings she can’t help but notice.  He’s trying to conceal his obsession after one impulsive taste but determined to keep his distance, struggling with control every second he’s with her, all the while protecting her from a threat he’s responsible for exposing her to.  See what I mean about the TWILIGHT parallels?

BONDED BY BLOOD is supernatural sex on a stick.  Deadly hot vampires, a centuries old battle between good and evil, and the constant battle between control and desire.  Paranormal romance fans will love this new series, and like me, eagerly await the next Sweetblood installment, EMBRACED BY BLOOD, in July 2011.  I’m already trying to imagine a cover that can top this one.

Sexual Content: Several moderately graphic sex scenes

My Rating:

4/5
Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & pre-order the sequel.

Click HERE to read an excerpt from BONDED BY BLOOD

Previous books in the series:

1. N/A

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