Storyline: Keira Kelly is a half-breed descendant of a powerful paranormal family who has chosen to live apart from her clan (who now lives in Canada) and stay among the humans in Rio Seco, Texas. She has been forced by her great, great, grandmother GIGI, to watch over her cousin Marty Nelson, who not only failed to inherit the family gift making him a pathetic purebred human outcast, but works as a mortician who is always broke and asking for money. Until things change because he's an idiot! This is Keira's pentance for not leaving Texas with her family who now lives in Canada. Of course, she ends up having her brother, Tucker, come and watch over her.When she experiences a prophetic vision that foretells the vicious murder of her human cousin, Marty Nelson, she vows to determine the truth. Keira begins to uncover long-concealed secrets and risks alienating everyone she knows including her former lover, Sheriff Carlton Larson, who she hasn't seen in 12 years and still carries a flame for Keira. Then she meets the enigmatic Adam Walker, owner of The Wild Moon resort, who she once had a friendly encounter with in England. Hmm, what can I say about Adam that hasn't already been said? Ok, well the scene where he and Keira are eating blood red meat was very, very interesting. Adam has a bit of blood running down his lips and he sexually licks it off, and Keira returns the lick...oh, what was I saying now? OH yeah, Adam...This is a new author to me, and I had to borrow this book through the interlibrary loan system in order to find it. Can I say that sometimes our library system really lacks in it's reading material?Review: First of all, I am not a happy camper that we didn't to find out what kind of CHANGE Keira is experiencing. Second, the townsfolk remind of the people from Deliverance. Extremely spooky! All, that is, except for Bea who is Keira's friend. Third, if Keira can tell some isn't human, why then did it take so long for her to figure out Adam was a vampire? Fourth, Adam was totally clueless about what was happening under his own nose because he was too fixated on finding Keira. Other than all that, a good read for the first book in the series. Putting Blood Bargain on request today.
You can't pick up an urban fantasy these days without getting some variation on the "heroine in tough pose and generally without a head" cover. Nor are your chances good of finding an urban fantasy that does not involve vampires. Maria Lima's Matters of the Blood has both of these things. But don't let that stop you from picking this up, since it is in fact a fun read!First up, this is actually less of an "urban" fantasy per se and more of a "rural" one. I've said in reviews of other things (c.f. Doranna Durgin's A Feral Darkness) that I like seeing contemporary fantasy novels that aren't set in major urban centers. Lima's series is set out in a more rural stretch of Texas, and the setting alone adds a lot of color to the book.Second, while Lima's heroine Keira follows the standard mold of Heroine Who Has Great Magical Powers and Much Attitude But Who Really Just Wants to Be Left Alone, she's nonetheless likable. Keira doesn't go too overboard with the sass, and what attitude she's got towards her family is justified! To balance that out, she's got a lively friendship going on with her best friend Bea, and an intriguing almost-a-relationship with Adam Walker, the mysterious owner of a local dude ranch.Which of course brings me around to the vampire part of the story. It's not a spoiler to say that Keira discovers that OH HEY this guy's a vampire; it'd almost be more surprising if she discovered he wasn't, really. As a character Adam brings nothing new to the vampire milieu, but even given that, I liked him. He wasn't overly angsty as a vampire love interest goes, which helped.The mystery's fun, too, as Keira, her brother Tucker, Bea, and Adam must investigate recent murders around their town--including that of Keira's undertaker cousin Marty, the one member of their family who has no powers whatsoever. There are interesting power plays going on with Adam and his subordinates, and good backstory to bolster it all up. I'll be coming back for more. Four stars.
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ce livre était vraiment pas mal. Kiera est une jeune femme têtue et dynamique, elle vient d'une famille assez spéciale ou chaque personne posséde un don : necromantien, sorcier, loup garous... Elle même commence a changer mais ne sait pas encore ce qu'elle va devenir exactement.Tandis qu'elle s'éloigne de sa famille et que son frere vient la surveiller , son cousin le seul humain de la famille est assassiné par ce qu'elle pense être un vampire. Elle va tout faire pour découvrir la vérité meme si elle est loin de ce qu'elle imagine.Elle s'associera à un vampire Adam venu habiter la région spécialement pour elle.On a un petit triangle amoureux entre un ancien amant dont elle ne veut plus et un vampire sexy. triangle qui de toute façon se finira comme Kiera l'avait décidé au départ.Le livre est plein d'action et de mystères on ne s'ennuit pas une seconde. Je vais de ce pas commencé le second tome !
—Melliane
Interesting series start. I like the mystery of it, though it had a slow start. I like how the main story line continues book to book, yet each book finishes its own problem. I was afraid it was going to be dark, but it really has some light-hearted moments. Yet it has an interesting plot and several cool characters. Wasn't sure at first what type of sup Kiera’s group was. I like the mystery of even them not knowing what each member will be. They have a very interesting clan arrangement. Tucker is the perfect brother. I also like how nether Kiera and Adam knew about the other. I didn't feel that the bond between Kiera and Adam was enough that she’d connect with him that soon. I know that they met in London, but something felt off. And I wonder how far it’s is between the Ranch and Kiera’s house? She sure drives back and forth a lot especially since she only has a few hours. Definitely not going the speed limit. Carlton is just a total jerk. She’s definitely better off without him and so is his wife. Bea is a good friend but a little too easy going. I hope she gets a HEA. And Andrea is a mystery. I like her, but I’m not sure how she fits in with Adam. Quick Thoughts: 1)I've noticed that most of the vamp/shifters series all take place in New Orleans area, Texas or the northwest. There’s a few elsewhere and some are in the Romania area of Europe, but those three places seem to be most popular. 2)I would have put them in the van even if it was lined with silver, better than the sun. Fave Scenes: the man in the Rover, the porch swing, ordering dinner and Kiera helping Adam control himself.
—Theresa
I know the dead and the dead know me.Keira Kelly lives in Texas Hill Country looking after the only human relative in her supernatural clan. Keira is uncertain of her place in the family and will not know where she stands until the Change. She is already a clairvoyant necromancer with the possibility of being a shape shifter. Small town Rio Seco becomes a hotbed of activity when Keira's former lover, Carlton, returns to town as the sheriff. Add the mysterious, Adam and the death of her cousin to bring out the worst in everyone.This is a well written story with interesting characters. Keira's Change is starting 20 years earlier than expected and without the support of her family until her brother Tucker shows up. There are good elements of mystery, romance and humor combined. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. 3.5 stars
—Moondance
