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willowisp79's review against another edition
4.0
A first book to a new series!
Ok, so its about Vamps, but not in your normal "nice, Sparkly" kind of way.
There are 2 levels of being a vamp - those who havent turned completley, and those who have and cant be saved. Demi Vamps are the main focus of the book the ones who havent turned!
Sophie is our main character and shes actually really likeable!
Working as a columnist for a magazine and tootling along nicely with it, her world is turned skewiff when she discovers the world of vamps, and that the things that go bump in the night can exist!
Marek is the guy who turns her life into a rollercoaster. He is convinced that Sophie is a "Sophia" - a kind of special icon in demi vamps lives.
As we take the journey through the book, our girl handles all the new things with admiration! A new world, vamps, weres, prophets, and shes now a part of it and cant return to the normal world unknown......
A recommended read! I really enjoyed it, and also the second in the series! I look forward to the next ones!
**read for author in return for honest review**
Ok, so its about Vamps, but not in your normal "nice, Sparkly" kind of way.
There are 2 levels of being a vamp - those who havent turned completley, and those who have and cant be saved. Demi Vamps are the main focus of the book the ones who havent turned!
Sophie is our main character and shes actually really likeable!
Working as a columnist for a magazine and tootling along nicely with it, her world is turned skewiff when she discovers the world of vamps, and that the things that go bump in the night can exist!
Marek is the guy who turns her life into a rollercoaster. He is convinced that Sophie is a "Sophia" - a kind of special icon in demi vamps lives.
As we take the journey through the book, our girl handles all the new things with admiration! A new world, vamps, weres, prophets, and shes now a part of it and cant return to the normal world unknown......
A recommended read! I really enjoyed it, and also the second in the series! I look forward to the next ones!
**read for author in return for honest review**
bookish_satty's review against another edition
4.0
I got this book from the author, free of cost, in exchange of an honest review from my side!
Firstly I would like to thank Ash Krafton, author of Bleeding Hearts for letting me review her book and giving me this finest opportunity of reading her work.
The story line is unique and the characters are strong and well described and not at all sketchy. The main character Sophie Galen is an ordinary advice columnist and who has deeply involved herself in saving each person she can. Then she meets Marek and the world around her changes as the magic of love touch her and she enters a new world of demi-vamps who are not evil and haven't lost their soul yet.
She also comes to know about the existence of other supernaturals such as vampires, werewolves which she never even imagined.
The romance between them is hot and steamy and the suspense is breath- taking. It is not at all an ordinary regular vampire story, the author changed the entire view about vampires in her novel with special twists and turns as well.
I enjoyed this story thoroughly and hope the same for you all. I'm not giving out anymore because I know you guys would like to discover it all by yourselves, so go grab your copy and enjoy!
Firstly I would like to thank Ash Krafton, author of Bleeding Hearts for letting me review her book and giving me this finest opportunity of reading her work.
The story line is unique and the characters are strong and well described and not at all sketchy. The main character Sophie Galen is an ordinary advice columnist and who has deeply involved herself in saving each person she can. Then she meets Marek and the world around her changes as the magic of love touch her and she enters a new world of demi-vamps who are not evil and haven't lost their soul yet.
She also comes to know about the existence of other supernaturals such as vampires, werewolves which she never even imagined.
The romance between them is hot and steamy and the suspense is breath- taking. It is not at all an ordinary regular vampire story, the author changed the entire view about vampires in her novel with special twists and turns as well.
I enjoyed this story thoroughly and hope the same for you all. I'm not giving out anymore because I know you guys would like to discover it all by yourselves, so go grab your copy and enjoy!
wendylynnm's review against another edition
4.0
My Rating: 4
When Sophie meets a tall, dark, handsome man she never knew her entire life would turn upside down. Marek and Sophie fall in love quickly and she thinks they are going to have a HEA but all too soon she learns that Marek is a demivampire. To save his people he agrees to a meeting with the enemy only to have the worst thing possible happen to him. With Sophie's help he does not step completely over the edge but he still leaves to protect her. With the help of Marek's brother, Sophie is watched and protected from all the evil that's out to destroy her. Sophie is an oracle who has the powers to help all the demivampires and she uses her advice column to help them. When someone starts breaking into Sophie's apartment and following her, she moves a few times but when Marek's family needs her, even after several months, she is there to help them.
When Sophie meets a tall, dark, handsome man she never knew her entire life would turn upside down. Marek and Sophie fall in love quickly and she thinks they are going to have a HEA but all too soon she learns that Marek is a demivampire. To save his people he agrees to a meeting with the enemy only to have the worst thing possible happen to him. With Sophie's help he does not step completely over the edge but he still leaves to protect her. With the help of Marek's brother, Sophie is watched and protected from all the evil that's out to destroy her. Sophie is an oracle who has the powers to help all the demivampires and she uses her advice column to help them. When someone starts breaking into Sophie's apartment and following her, she moves a few times but when Marek's family needs her, even after several months, she is there to help them.
crisana28's review against another edition
4.0
Along the years I have read a lot of vampire books and have seen different takes on the same subject, some of them really clever but many others not so much. So when I looked at this book’s blurb I thought it was just another one to add to the long list of books to add to the "forget pile". But I was pleasantly surprised, the characters were well built, the story was fresh enough to keep me wanting to know more and more about Sophie and Marek and I couldn't stop reading it.
Sophie's character was really interesting to get to know, she was nice to everyone but without being weak. Sometimes she was actually too nice and always wanting to help someone, trying to sort out their problems, but that was also what made her so likeable, the need to have a purpose in life and making a difference to people. Giving advice is also what she does for a living, being the agony aunt for a local magazine. I totally loved Marek, he was so dark but at the same time so sweet and he always kept Sophie safe no matter what. The way that he treats Sophie throughout the whole book totally makes the book so worth the read. Even at the end (I’ll not spoil it for you!) he did what he thought was best for her and I can’t wait for the next book, I really really need to know what happens next.
The only negative thing I would say is that I would have liked to actually read their sex scenes and that is the reason why I'm giving it four stars and not five. It didn't feel right to have such chemistry between them and then just gloss it over when the sex finally happened. I think adding the scenes would have really helped cement the connection that they slowly built since the beginning. Also Marek’s ability to touch Sophie's inner emotions and enhance her sexual desire towards him had loads of possibilities and should have been explored in depth.
Aside from this I really enjoyed the book and I’m eagerly waiting for the next one to come out.
Book kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Sophie's character was really interesting to get to know, she was nice to everyone but without being weak. Sometimes she was actually too nice and always wanting to help someone, trying to sort out their problems, but that was also what made her so likeable, the need to have a purpose in life and making a difference to people. Giving advice is also what she does for a living, being the agony aunt for a local magazine. I totally loved Marek, he was so dark but at the same time so sweet and he always kept Sophie safe no matter what. The way that he treats Sophie throughout the whole book totally makes the book so worth the read. Even at the end (I’ll not spoil it for you!) he did what he thought was best for her and I can’t wait for the next book, I really really need to know what happens next.
The only negative thing I would say is that I would have liked to actually read their sex scenes and that is the reason why I'm giving it four stars and not five. It didn't feel right to have such chemistry between them and then just gloss it over when the sex finally happened. I think adding the scenes would have really helped cement the connection that they slowly built since the beginning. Also Marek’s ability to touch Sophie's inner emotions and enhance her sexual desire towards him had loads of possibilities and should have been explored in depth.
Aside from this I really enjoyed the book and I’m eagerly waiting for the next one to come out.
Book kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
gypjet's review against another edition
3.0
I'm kind of on the fence about this book. On the one hand, it kept me interested, I wasn't bored, and I didn't hate the main character. On the other it had a lot of issues.
First of all, I like that Sophie was an advice columnist, that set her up for her "calling" well and it was interesting that she had a best friend/ex lover who was a priest. That was interesting. I was intrigued about her vampire world and the levels that a vampire could become, I thought that was kind of original and a unique take with serious potential. The romance was fun, the hero dark and brooding. I'm always a sucker for the tall, dark, handsome, buff and brooding leading man, and I got that in spades with Marek (even loved his name!). I claim him as my boyfriend, no one else may have him.
Unfortunately, there were a lot of plot holes and just awkward story telling. The first three-quarters of the book felt like the author wasn't sure where she was going and it dragged a lot in the plot category. Basically it just followed Sophie around being undecided about her life and not confident in herself. Then the explanation of what makes a demi-vampire as opposed to a vampire and what causes the change was unclear. Sure I got the whole demis have a soul and vampires don't, but the differences between them (physically) (do demi-vampires eat stuff besides blood? unclear), their powers, their purposes, their society were not described and I was confused and frankly didn't have any reason to care about the differences. The last quarter of the book is the part where anything happened and it was exciting but still it was a long time to wait for anything to occur and any conflict to be introduced.
Basically, if you just like a paranormal romance for romance's sake, this book is for you. It showed some promise at the end to be something else, but it was too little too late.
First of all, I like that Sophie was an advice columnist, that set her up for her "calling" well and it was interesting that she had a best friend/ex lover who was a priest. That was interesting. I was intrigued about her vampire world and the levels that a vampire could become, I thought that was kind of original and a unique take with serious potential. The romance was fun, the hero dark and brooding. I'm always a sucker for the tall, dark, handsome, buff and brooding leading man, and I got that in spades with Marek (even loved his name!). I claim him as my boyfriend, no one else may have him.
Unfortunately, there were a lot of plot holes and just awkward story telling. The first three-quarters of the book felt like the author wasn't sure where she was going and it dragged a lot in the plot category. Basically it just followed Sophie around being undecided about her life and not confident in herself. Then the explanation of what makes a demi-vampire as opposed to a vampire and what causes the change was unclear. Sure I got the whole demis have a soul and vampires don't, but the differences between them (physically) (do demi-vampires eat stuff besides blood? unclear), their powers, their purposes, their society were not described and I was confused and frankly didn't have any reason to care about the differences. The last quarter of the book is the part where anything happened and it was exciting but still it was a long time to wait for anything to occur and any conflict to be introduced.
Basically, if you just like a paranormal romance for romance's sake, this book is for you. It showed some promise at the end to be something else, but it was too little too late.
littleread1's review against another edition
3.0
This book is broken up into 3 sections, so I think talking about each section on its own makes the most sense for me. I really liked the first part. It takes you through the life of Sophie Galen, and really helps you get to know her. Krafton does a great job making her relate-able. The way that Sophie meets Marek is adorable as well. In a museum? I love it. There is definitely instant attraction.
I wish there was more to the week Marek kept coming to Sophie's apartment every night. There was much that was implied as far as what was told about the history of Vamps and Demi Vamps, but we don't get to be privy to those conversations. I felt like I was missing out some.
And then of course there is her best friend, the Priest ex-boyfriend Jared. I love him. He kind of drops out of the second part of the book and makes a grand re-appearance in the third part, but I am getting ahead of myself. I don't know about you, but I would love a friend like him. Someone who knows me that well, but there is no pressure for *anything* to happen, and who won't judge anything I do or say. That would be lovely.
So, section one gets a solid 4 stars from me.
Section two, on the other hand, opens up just a week or two later, but Sophie is already a part of the DV's lives. Lounging in the office, joking with Marek's brother like they have known each other for years ... it all seemed rushed. Maybe if more time had passed it would have grated on my nerves less. It just was too fast. It was too close to "insta-love" for comfort.
This is also when you get a better idea of vamp politics and who runs what. As well as find out more about the Sophia. I thought that was a good try to put a new spin on the vampire mythology, but it just didn't work for me. I don't want to ruin the story for you, just suffice it to say it made them all seem a bit too whiny.
Section two winds down with some bad stuff, a nice evening, and then Sophie doing the dumb heroine thing and not listening to what Marek tells her to do. Section two drops the story to 3 stars.
Section three ... well there isn't a whole lot I can say without spoiling the book. I found parts to be very predictable, not that that is a bad thing. I was just reading along and thought to myself, "I bet _____ happens" and I was right. There were some things I didn't understand, such as someone being excluded from the group. There were definitely some loose ends that I am hoping will be tied up in a second installment. Section three gets 3 1/2 stars.
Overall, I give this 3 1/2 stars. It was a good read and there were parts where I had a hard time putting it down, but I thought some parts of the story were a bit weak, and could have possibly been helped by further explanation. I still recommend you read this if you want a new spin on vampires, and I will be looking forward to a book 2.
I wish there was more to the week Marek kept coming to Sophie's apartment every night. There was much that was implied as far as what was told about the history of Vamps and Demi Vamps, but we don't get to be privy to those conversations. I felt like I was missing out some.
And then of course there is her best friend, the Priest ex-boyfriend Jared. I love him. He kind of drops out of the second part of the book and makes a grand re-appearance in the third part, but I am getting ahead of myself. I don't know about you, but I would love a friend like him. Someone who knows me that well, but there is no pressure for *anything* to happen, and who won't judge anything I do or say. That would be lovely.
So, section one gets a solid 4 stars from me.
Section two, on the other hand, opens up just a week or two later, but Sophie is already a part of the DV's lives. Lounging in the office, joking with Marek's brother like they have known each other for years ... it all seemed rushed. Maybe if more time had passed it would have grated on my nerves less. It just was too fast. It was too close to "insta-love" for comfort.
This is also when you get a better idea of vamp politics and who runs what. As well as find out more about the Sophia. I thought that was a good try to put a new spin on the vampire mythology, but it just didn't work for me. I don't want to ruin the story for you, just suffice it to say it made them all seem a bit too whiny.
Section two winds down with some bad stuff, a nice evening, and then Sophie doing the dumb heroine thing and not listening to what Marek tells her to do. Section two drops the story to 3 stars.
Section three ... well there isn't a whole lot I can say without spoiling the book. I found parts to be very predictable, not that that is a bad thing. I was just reading along and thought to myself, "I bet _____ happens" and I was right. There were some things I didn't understand, such as someone being excluded from the group. There were definitely some loose ends that I am hoping will be tied up in a second installment. Section three gets 3 1/2 stars.
Overall, I give this 3 1/2 stars. It was a good read and there were parts where I had a hard time putting it down, but I thought some parts of the story were a bit weak, and could have possibly been helped by further explanation. I still recommend you read this if you want a new spin on vampires, and I will be looking forward to a book 2.
triciaschneider's review
5.0
I’ve been looking forward to reading this story since I first heard about it. The waiting was well worth it! BLEEDING HEARTS hooked me from the very first page. I loved Sophie’s wit, sarcasm and bravery. She handled things a bit better than I would have in the same situation! Marek’s overwhelming darkness drew me to him. He was sexy, dark and oh, so dangerous! The mythology behind the vampires in this urban fantasy was something I haven’t read before and I loved the Egyptian angle. Sophie pulled me into her world and I was reluctant to part with it in the end (luckily there is a sequel!). The anguish these characters go through really pulled at my heart, making this a very emotional story, not only for Sophie and Marek but also the other characters I fell in love with, like Jared and Rodrian. This novel is filled with light and dark, good and evil, and a love that is tested beyond all limits. Ash Krafton’s writing is amazing and I simply cannot wait to read the next book in this series.
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