Seduced by Blood (Hqn) [Mass Market Paperback]

Laurie London (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 24, 2012 | Series: Hqn

Deep within the forests of the Pacific Northwest, the battle for supremacy rages on between two vampire coalitions:

Guardian enforcers sworn to protect humanity, and Darkbloods, rogues who kill like their ancient ancestors…

Hot-blooded and hard-edged, Tristan Santiago has an uncanny ability to see beneath the surface—a skill that serves him well as the Guardians' region commander. But when a deadly plot against his fellow vampires is uncovered, he must turn to the one woman he can't read: the beautiful yet mysterious Roxanne Reynolds, whose sensual presence soothes his tormented memories.

Roxy had put love before duty once before, with devastating results. But to root out a dangerous traitor in their midst, she must put her faith in Santiago, the one man skilled enough to break through her defenses. Posing as lovers, Santiago and Roxy work side by side—and discover a powerful craving that threatens to consume them both….

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Laurie London's vampires are beyond seductive!" ~ Romancing the Darkside

"What else can I say to let you know how great this book is? Seduced by Blood is very simply put PERFECT! Laurie London out does herself with this masterpiece! I am absolutely, positively Joyfully Recommending it!" ~ Joyfully Reviewed

"Seduced By Blood is an action packed, never a dull moment type of read and one you wish you can read over and over.' ~ Reading Diva

"The fine line the Guardians walk in their struggle not to become what they fight against adds a punch of tension and urgency to London's compelling series." ~ 4 Stars, RT Book Reviews

"If you have not read any Sweetblood books you really need too...I have truly loved each book." Books N Kisses

"Dark and sinfully sexy....I'm totally addicted." -New York Times bestselling author Cherry Adair on Bonded by Blood

"A spellbinding look into a dark and dangerous world...readers will be thirsty for more."

--Publishers Weekly on Bonded by Blood

From the Author

Dear Reader,

I'm beyond thrilled to share with you the fourth installment of the Sweetblood series, which centers around a group of vampire warriors based in the Pacific Northwest.

The world is a deadly and seductive one, where Guardians fight to protect humans from Darkbloods--vicious members of their race who still kill humans like their ancestors did and sell their blood on the vampire black market. The rarest, called Sweet, is very addictive and commands the highest price.

It's hard to believe that just last year the series began with BONDED BY BLOOD. Don't worry if you haven't read the other books though. I wrote each one to stand alone.

When I first met Santiago, the region commander, he stormed onto the page and stole the show. He's hotheaded and very hard to ignore.

Because I own horses, as I wrote Santiago's story, I was reminded of the dynamics of herd behavior. In a nutshell, the horse that gets the other horses to move their feet and get out of his way is the dominant one. I had a horse like this once. He was sweet to my daughter and me, but when he was around other horses, he expected them to move out of his space. And if they didn't, he bit or kicked them.

That's Santiago. He expects you to obey if he gives you an order, and if you don't... Well, let's just say it's not going to be pretty.

Once time, my horse encountered another who seemed immune from his authority, who could give a rat's ass that my horse thought he was in charge. It really threw the poor guy through a loop. He was confused and wasn't himself for a while.

Guess what? Roxy has that same effect on Santiago. Unlike everyone else around him, she isn't impressed with his authority and does things her way. She doesn't jump when he tells her to jump. She gets under his skin like no one else has ever done, which upsets his entire world and sense of self. And then, of course, he falls madly in love with her.

As you can imagine, I had a great time torturing Santiago with Roxy. I hope you enjoy reading his story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

All my best,
Laurie

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin HQN; Original edition (July 24, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373776691
• ISBN-13: 978-0373776696
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #968,296 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Laurie London is the author of the Sweetblood series and the Iron Portal series--dark, sexy paranormal romance.

ASSASSIN'S TOUCH, book 1 in the Iron Portal series: Just released

BONDED BY BLOOD, book 1 in the Sweetblood series: Available now
HIDDEN BY BLOOD, a short e-novella: Available now
EMBRACED BY BLOOD, book 2: Available now
A VAMPIRE FOR CHRISTMAS anthology "Enchanted By Blood" Available now
TEMPTED BY BLOOD, book 3: Available now
SEDUCED BY BLOOD, book 4: Available now

A graduate of Western Washington University and a former tester/programmer for a Fortune 500 company, Laurie London writes from her home near Seattle where she lives with her husband and two children.

For more, visit www.LaurieLondonBooks.com. She loves to talk with readers and can be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the better installments in the series July 24, 2012

By Jen TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Not every book in this series has been created equal, but I think this is definitely one of the strongest installments.

The story features Santiago, regional commander of the vampire Guardians. (And for those of you following along from the previous books, the boss of Dominic, Lily and Jackson.) He's gruff and impatient. He's domineering and prone to outbursts. But there is much more to him than that. He's also a man full of angst and self-loathing for his own failings. He tortures himself (literally) over his perceived shortcomings. And he believes himself to be incapable of treating a woman any better than his adulterous father treated his mother.

Santiago's life gets turned on its ear when Roxy enters the picture. She is a woman who knows her own mind and heart. He's not her boss, so she doesn't have to take his crap... and he barely knows what to do with himself when his tantrums and orders fall on deaf ears.

Roxy was a Guardian long ago, but now she is a teacher to those who need to learn to scent-track. She agrees to teach a course for her old student and friend, Lily, which is what puts her in Santiago's orbit. But once he realizes there may be a traitor in his organization, he realizes he can use her special gifts to sniff them out. The two end up posing as lovers as a cover for her internal investigation. From there, it's only a hop, skip, and a jump until their ruse turns into reality.

I liked Roxy a lot. She has issues, sure, but for the most part, she really has her act together. For all of his swagger and bluster, Santiago is really kind of a basket case. I enjoyed watching him come to terms with his problems and accept the gifts Roxy is giving....

We didn't have to wait terribly long for the sex, which was gratifying ('cause the sex was good.) But I really appreciated the fact that the tender feelings between Roxy and Santiago grew over the course of the book. It felt like their relationship was an evolution and that helped me invest more. --I also thought the Darkblood plot was well-done. The pacing was good and I liked that the resolution was neither obvious, nor tied in a perfectly neat bow.

The internal conflict was a little heavy on assumptions and misunderstandings, but I've seen worse.

This is book four in the Sweetblood series and I think it would work as a standalone, though longtime readers will no doubt enjoy seeing the couples featured in previous books. I loved seeing how far Dominic and Mackenzie have come! Read more ›

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars good July 25, 2012

By R. Laney

Format:Mass Market Paperback

3 STARS
This is the last of four books in the series but the first one I have read. It does feel like a stand alone but
I feel that if I had read the other 3 books and see their story line continued would be richer.
Thier are a lot of sex scenes in the story.
Tristan Santiago the region commander likes everyone to jump when he says jump. But thier is a new
tracker in town to teach other trackers and Roxy Reynolds does not jump but walks away from his orders.
Roxy has come to teach the class so that Lily the one who was supposed to teach can go on a
pre-wedding trip. On the way thier she sees a wounded stranger out in the boondocks so she stops to
help and realize he was attacked by dark bloods for all his sweet blood. Before she can help him get
away two rangers come and then 2 dark bloods so Roxy unarmed calls for help.
Tristan has judged her by her tattooes and just wants her to go away, but ends up needing her help
to find the trator who is causing his men to get hurt. Roxy goes undercover as his girl friend and
thinks it way to cozy fast.
The Head dark blood in that area is a strong smart female who you love to hate. Laurie has strong
female characters who are tuff and sexy. Even some of the humans females are brave.
The male characters run the gamit some you want to slap and some you want to kiss.
If you love books with lots of sex and fighting you will like Seduced by Blood.
I was given this ebook to read in exchange of honest review from Netgalley.
07/24/2012 PUB Harlequin HarlequinHQN

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Ms. London Did not disappoint July 24, 2012

By Under The Covers Book Blog

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Reviewed by Angela & posted at Under the Covers Book Blog

Seduced by Blood is the 4th installment of the SweetBlood series and Ms. London did not disappoint. She continues to create this world with swoon-worthy heroes you cannot avoid but to wish they were your own and heroines who have traits you wish you had.

The war between the Guardians and the Dark Bloods continues. Innocents with sweet blood kidnapped, tormented and used to feed blood addictions. However, there are pressing issues of the recent attacks on the headquarters and failed missions leading the guardians to think there is a traitor amongst them. Solving this problem will be top priority as they cannot afford lose anyone or have anymore injured colleagues. I like the idea that none of them are perfect and the possibility of conspiracy or a spy amongst them makes it more realistic and believable (Not that they are not real, because they are). J

I have waited a long time to hear Tristan Santiago's story and is every bit of what I expected. Region Commander of the Guardians, Santiago is handsome but a hard-ass, temperamental, grumpy, used to getting his way and way over-bearing. However, what I did not expect was a sweet and tender side, and that is exactly what he was when he was with Roxy. Call it fate but her arrival to the facility was perfect timing. As a retired Guardian and now a professor, Roxanne Reynolds is supposed to cover for Lily DeGraff teaching/training new trackers. Instead, she will go under cover with Santiago to find the traitor posing as lovers. And wow, pretending to be a couple can bring on just the right amount of jealousy, possessiveness and sexual tension that will bring them to their knees, and maybe even love one another....

Santiago is ever the domineering male and Roxy definitely is not a push over leading woman. I knew I loved Santiago from the start but I did not expect is to like Roxy. She was a snob in the start but she ended up easy to like. She wasn't whiney, didn't play games and she is a kick ass heroine for sure. Oh, their coming together was awesome and I may say, pretty damn hot. The banter between them was funny as heck and they fit perfectly as a couple. Ms. London did a wonderful job pairing them up as she did with the previous books from the series.

* ARC provided by Netgalley Read more ›