You can run from the grave, but you can’t hide…
Half-vampire Cat Crawfield is now Special Agent Cat Crawfield, working for the government to rid the world of the rogue undead. She’s still using everything Bones, her sexy and dangerous ex, taught her, but when Cat is targeted for assassination, the only man who can help her is the vampire she left behind. Being around Bones awakens all her emotions, from the adrenaline rush of slaying vamps side by side to the reckless passion that consumed them. But a price on her head—wanted: dead or half-alive—means her survival depends on teaming up with Bones. And no matter how hard Cat tries to keep things professional between them, she’ll find that desire lasts forever…and Bones won’t let her get away again. |
“You know that old saying. Once you go dead, no one's better in bed.”
Even though the ending of the first enraged me, I could let the sequel sit unread for long, as I had to see if the author fixed it. She did, and early, and in great ways, so thank you.
The plot for this one is more intense and layered - it's not just too many pages of training and back and forth love interest, but instead has danger coming from different directions, in the internal circle as well as the outside. I tend to hate when authors jump forward in time for a sequel's sake, but in this case it worked well since we get to see Cat established in her new role and still yearning for her lost love.
Their reunion was hilarious, and probably the funniest part of this book. While humor worked sometimes here, it didn't hold a candle to the humor the first held. That's not an admonishment, though, since that was pretty much the only thing the first excelled at. Here it's still cute at times, especially that "cat fight" with another female, but quirky prose takes a back seat to story. There's still tight action scenes with twisted fighting, but it's not just endless actions sequences that drone on anymore.
The new crew...well, I had reservations since I wasn't in the mood for this plot change, this team, but they've proved themselves worthy of page time and my attention. They don't add a huge depth to the book but they blend in as part of a well-crafted background.
Bones is the star again as the bad-boy hero, although he didn't strike me as fully interesting as the first book. Maybe it's because of all the shifts, although I appreciate how protective he is over his girl and the relationship. Such a nice change from real life. Ian was intriguing and even if he was shown to be a bad type in the end, it was a ruthlessness they all share, so I'm kind of hoping he'll play a positive role in the future - but I doubt it, and I shall see when I dig into the third (which is on order now).
Cat was the bane of the book. I have to say she irritated me more this time around because, despite her growth and accepting who she is more, her tendency to jump into argumentative and insulting banter right off the bat only gets a heroine so far. She's downright ignorant and too rude in a few first encounters, to where I'd find her obnoxiously abrasive if I were in their shoes. Some of her traits are redeemable, so I'm still hoping she grows on me more later. Her bloodthirst fits the series and what she is, but I like more dimension in my characters.
Being a paranormal romance, there is of course sex, one scene in particular several pages and uber graphic as the two ramp up being experimental. Those who have read this will surely know the scene I mean.
I'm hoping the stories keep improving - this one was better than the first, so hopefully it keeps flourishing from here, getting better and better. Worth a read.
Book Quotes:
“She's my kitten, and no one else's.”
“You can run from the grave, but you can't hide.”
Book Stepback:
Book Wallpaper:
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