BLOOD VINE by Amber Belldene

Blood Vine

Amber Belldene

Rating: B+

Synopsis:

In Blood Vine, bites are an inconvenient bliss, exiled vampires are wasting away, and the fate of their kind depends on the perfect PR campaign. 

When public relations pro Zoey Porter arrives at an enchanting California winery, she discovers her sexy new client is the almost one-night stand she can’t forget. After her husband’s suicide, Zoey has vowed never to risk her heart again. But can she walk away from the intriguing winemaker a second time?

Driven from Croatia by his ancient foes, vampire Andre Maras has finally made a blood-like wine to cure his fellow refugees. Now he needs Zoey’s PR expertise to reach them. After his wife’s death, Andre has a vow of his own—never to risk another painful blood bond. And one taste of the tempting Zoey would bind him to her eternally. 

His secrets stall her PR plans. Her jealousy is stoked by the blissed-out beauties leaving his bedroom. At every turn, he utterly fails to resist her. When she discovers he is a vampire, will she be lost to the golden-eyed Hunters, or lose herself to the emptiness in her heart, before she can help him save his kind?

My thoughts on the book:

Blood Vine was a pleasant surprise for me. I generally don't read books that are released by small publishers or indie authors because there are normally tons of copy editing, grammatical, and spelling mistakes. Also, the writing is usually subpar. However, I'm doing a blog tour for the second installment of this series, and after reading the excerpts and getting a taste of Belldene's writing, I decided to give Blood Vine a try. I'm glad I did because Belldene is an extremely talented author who clearly has a deep understanding of human hopes and fears. I can't wait to read the second book in the series. 

The characterization in this novel is astounding. Both primary and secondary characters are fully-developed and unique. I was able to sympathize with Zoey and Andre, of course, but I also connected to Bel, Kas, and Lena. Ethan is a truly horrifying bad guy, and while I disagreed with a lot of what Lucas' actions, I still felt badly for him. Pedro is another favorite, and I can't wait to see what happens to him next. Sometimes Zoey got on my nerves because her stubbornness and obsession with keeping others at a distance made her do some really stupid things. However, I understood her reasoning and could still root for her, even while I wanted to smack her. 

The pacing is spot on, and I didn't get bored once. Belldene switches between points of view flawlessly (the POV is third person limited, alternating between the majority of the characters), and each character has his or her own voice. The plot is intriguing, and while it's clear from the start who the bad guys are, there is still enough suspense and romantic tension to keep the reader enthralled. There are maybe two typos, which is about the same number that is in most major publications (no editor is perfect. after all). The romance is super steamy, and a little bit sweet. There are quite a few sex scenes, so my younger readers may want to avoid this one. The ending ties up Zoey and Andre's story, but leaves room for a sequel due to the fact that we got to know so many characters in this first novel. 

Overall, I'd recommend Blood Vine to anyone who is looking for a good, touching, and steamy paranormal romance. Belldene is one of the best writers in the genre, and I am so glad that I gave her book a chance. 

Order Blood Vine (the e-book is only $0.99!)