13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
No problem with language here!, December 30, 2006
This was my first venture into paranormal erotica/romance, and despite my busy schedule, I could not put this book down at night! I really liked the pychological twists with the good vs. bad vampires. Hey, haven't we all met our share of the bad vampires? And the thought of a noble vampire with paranormal sexual/romantic abilities sounds good to me! As for the complaints above of the foreign languange peppering, I liked it. I don't speak Spanish, but I can spot erotica and sweet-talk in any tongue, especially in obvious context. I do know a little basic Latin and enjoyed the characters from an era when Latin was the religous language actually using Latin, and it wasn't all that much or often to overlook for those who like their religion in English, even from a time when it was always in Latin. It was a learning experience, with all the levels of vampires. I look forward to the rest of the trilogy!
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Sexy Vampire Read!, January 30, 2007
Don Rafael Perez has lived a lifetime...seven hundred years of a lifetime to be precise and during this time he has worked up from being a vampire slave to being the ruler of one of the largest "areas" in the United States. His rule has been absolute until now. Now his enemy is making a bid for his dominion and that would be enough to keep Rafael busy enough. But then Grania O'Malley enters the picture. Grania is a mortal but she is trouble with a capital "T." She has no idea that she shares a bond with a seven hundred year old vampire. Rafael doesn't trust what it between them yet he can't stay away even though it would be safer for Grania if he did. Can Rafael safe the woman destined to be his mate and still retain his rule in North America?
This is the first full length effort by Ms. Whiteside for her Texas Vampire series. There are going to be two more titles to follow. There is plenty of heat found between the pages between Rafe and his Grania. This is a very strong character driven romance with plenty of paranormal elements balancing out the read. Rafe is not you common everyday vampire and his sensuality is almost a character in an of itself. The reader will find that Ms. Whiteside's vampires are very unique and as a result fresh when compared to other authors in the hugely popular market. Grania is a perfect mate for Rafe. This is really a story about star-crossed lovers. I eagerly devoured this effort and anxiously await the rest of this series. Rafe and Grania will capture the reader's attention from the start. Be prepared for a heated and sexy read! Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Bond of Blood, December 10, 2006
A knight will always be true to his faith and his oaths, and these will give him the strength to face and overcome anything.
Born in the 13th century Don Rodrigo of Galician followed his liege, Don Fernando, through battle and peace. His true happiness though came from the love he shared with his wife Blanche and their children, and he would have done anything to keep them safe. After many battles, Don Fernando died, taking his army's hopes with him, but they fought on in his name...until their final defeat at the hands of the Syrian army. Pulled off the field by his Arabian cousin, the badly injured Rodrigo had a chance of making it home to his beloved family; but as he and his close friend Fearghus were healing, the escudero that he mourned as dead stole into Achmed's home along with a Syrian and took them. It took two centuries, but after being tortured, forced to become a vampiro and used as a sex slave, Rodrigo escaped. 700 years later, Rodrigo is now Don Rafael Perez and he holds both Texas and Oklahoma under his rule and his protection.
Found as a baby in a raid of Mexican drug traffickers, Grania O'Malley was brought up in an orphanage, unadoptable because her parents' deaths were unconfirmed. She made the best of her situation and worked to help the younger children around her and later she put herself through school. Finally, finished with both school and her teaching stint, Grania is on her way to her dream job, being a vet for the Hill County Raptor Center.
The first time they set eyes on each other, Rafael and Grania can feel a strong attraction, almost bordering on obsession. Rafael fights the attraction as he can't afford a distraction now that there's a very real possibility that soon he'll be in the middle of a war. When Grania first sees Rafael, she can't believe how much he resembles the knight that has been in her dreams all of her life. She knows that he cannot be her knight; Rodrigo is just a dream...isn't he?
Bond of Blood by Diane Whiteside is an interesting story, taking place in the present with Rafael's past told through Grania's dreams. Although the story of the past is gripping, the scenes of the present are slow paced and could have used more action; I found myself putting Bond of Blood down a few times. I also wish the transitions were done better as there were several times that I had to go back or skip ahead to figure out what was going on. The characters, both main and secondary, are all multi-faceted and feel real and the world that Ms. Whiteside created in Bond of Blood is wonderfully done. If you love a well-told tale, Bond of Blood is definitely a good read.
Lyonene
Reviewed by Joyfully Reviewed
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