First Drop of Crimson (Night Huntress World, #1) in Dangerous Hero Addict Support Group

Jul 15, 2009 Auntee rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2010_reads, paranormal-romance

Fantastic fun! It was intense, a bit gruesome, suspenseful and soooo sexy! Spade, I underestimated you!! Please forgive me Bones, but step aside! There's a new man in my life....:)

This is Denise McGregor's story (you remember her--"human" best friend to half-vampire Cat Crawfield, who is half of the Bones/Cat super-couple)? Well, ever since Denise's husband Randy met his demise (in the most horrible way) in At Grave's End, Denise has been trying to stay away from her friends in the immortal worl Fantastic fun! It was intense, a bit gruesome, suspenseful and soooo sexy! Spade, I underestimated you!! Please forgive me Bones, but step aside! There's a new man in my life....:)

This is Denise McGregor's story (you remember her--"human" best friend to half-vampire Cat Crawfield, who is half of the Bones/Cat super-couple)? Well, ever since Denise's husband Randy met his demise (in the most horrible way) in At Grave's End, Denise has been trying to stay away from her friends in the immortal world, wanting to make a clean break from her past and all the horrors she witnessed and the guilt she feels over Randy's death. But when her young relatives start (suspiciously) dropping like flies, one after the other, and she witnesses one of the deaths which is actually a murder, and the murderer turns into a dog right before her eyes, she knows she needs help. But who? Who would believe her when the authorities think the deaths are just the result of heart attacks? Cat, that's who. But when Denise has trouble reaching her, she reluctantly turns to the one person who would know Cat's where-abouts--the powerful, mysterious, and sexy as hell vampire, Spade. Spade doesn't want Denise to involve Cat and Bones in her problem, since they've recently had their own rough time, and agrees to come to her in Fort Worth. But before Spade can get to her, she is visited by a demon named Raum who wants a very specific thing from her. Find one of her long ago relatives (Nathaniel) who welshed on a deal with Raum and is probably hiding out among vampires, and bring Nathanial to him or watch her parents be the next victims of an early demise. Oh yeah, and to make sure she cooperates, he leaves her with some demon "brands" that could turn her into a demon shape-shifter like him along with unique qualities to her blood that could threaten her very existence and make her a valuable commodity to the vampire underworld.

So Spade arrives, finds Denise "branded" by a demon and listens to her plans of finding the elusive Nathanial, and since he's adamant that she doesn't involve Cat and Bones in her plan, he reluctantly agrees to help her in their place. It won't be easy tracking Nathanial, he could be the property of a number of vampires, and Denise and Spade's search takes them from NYC to Las Vegas, to England, and various cities in Europe, ending in a big party in Monaco where it's revealed just who has Nathanial and what has been done to him for the past 150 years.

Now, while all this is going on, Spade and Denise try to fight the attraction that has been brewing between them since they first met years ago. Because of Spade's tragic last great romance over 150 years ago, he vowed never to get involved romantically with a female human again--humans were just for casual "shagging" and feeding. And since Denise is a friend of Cat and Bones, there could be nothing casual between them. But boy is he tempted.

As is Denise. Even though Randy's been dead a year, and Denise wants to move on, she doesn't want to be attracted to Spade and be drawn back into the world that left her with nightmares. But after spending more and more time with him, and witnessing what a good man he is, and his old-world charm and his modern day sexiness, how can a girl resist?

Okay, more than enough said. You'll just have to read it and get swept up in it like I did. Jeaniene Frost does not disappoint--there is not a slow spot in this book. If you've read the first 4 books in the previous series and enjoyed them, you'll find this one just as enjoyable. This book was a very easy read, and I was able to slip right back into the world JF created even though I've read many books since Destined for an Early Grave. I felt this book had more romance and less action in terms of the "fighting" that Cat and Bones had to do, even though there is some action (especially the exciting conclusion where Denise proves how much she's changed--both physically and emotionally). But the best part for me was the romance between Spade and Denise--it was filled with sexual tension (OMG, Spade's shower scene!) that just built and built, and then the payoff? Whew! Turn up the AC, or run outside in the snow! Verrry erotic and verry passionate!

Fans of Bones and Cat, don't despair! You know JF had to include them in this book, and they do show up, just in the nick of time. You'll also see plenty of Ian (who is both annoying and charming--I'm dying to read his book), and even Mencheres gets in on the act, and is important in the final showdown with Raum. This story just hit all the right notes for me--there's romance, action, humor, some creepiness, and plenty of moments that left me sighing. And oh my, I fear I may have fallen for Spade as well. He is just so...hot! Spade and Denise made one terrific couple, and to those of you who may feel that Cat is a little 'tough', you may find Denise as a heroine more to your liking (although she can kick some serious a**!) There wasn't anything I didn't love about this story--it gets 5 big stars from me! ...more

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May 26, 2010 Robin rated it liked it

Overall, I liked this book but....I thought it was a very mixed bag. There were times when I thought it was hilarious. The banter between the male characters, the banter between the hero/heroine, and some of the absurd situations (here kitty, kitty!) that occur were very funny. But, there were also times when I thought the heroine whined too much, where I thought Frost over explained (sometimes to the point of taking me OUT of the story to roll my eyes) and the plot left a lot to be desired. Plo ...more

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Jul 29, 2009 Megan rated it really liked it

Shelves: vampire-romance

Book 1 in the Night Huntress World. In the heroine’s world, this book takes place a year after At Grave’s End, although (of course) the events of Destined for an Early Grave have already happened.

This book is about Denise MacGregor and Spade (aka Charles). Denise has been branded by a shape-shifter demon (Raum) to find and return to him Nathaniel (a distant family member of Denise, who acquired powers from Raum and never paid up). And in Raum’s mind, it’s finally time that Nathaniel pay his pri Book 1 in the Night Huntress World. In the heroine’s world, this book takes place a year after At Grave’s End, although (of course) the events of Destined for an Early Grave have already happened.

This book is about Denise MacGregor and Spade (aka Charles). Denise has been branded by a shape-shifter demon (Raum) to find and return to him Nathaniel (a distant family member of Denise, who acquired powers from Raum and never paid up). And in Raum’s mind, it’s finally time that Nathaniel pay his price. If Denise doesn’t find Nathaniel then Raum will kill the rest of her family. The longer it takes for Denise to find Nathaniel the more she will grow into a demon herself. There is only one way to find Nathaniel. That is to enlist a vampire’s help. She doesn’t want to involve Bones and Cat as she doesn’t want them to get hurt. But, even if she did, their numbers are disconnected and they are currently somewhere in New Zealand. So, she calls Spade, the only other vampire she has a number for. He agrees to help her, albeit reluctantly. The last time Denise saw Spade was at the end of At Grave’s End when he took her home after her husband, Randy, murdered at Cat and Bones’ house in Canada. As Spade helps Denise find Nathaniel and protect her from Raum, he develops feelings for her, and eventually Denise becomes only the second human woman he has ever loved. But, can Spade find Nathaniel and protect Denise- even from herself as she becomes less human every day?

Fans of Ms. Frost series will be delighted with the return (near the end of the book) of characters such as Bones, Cat, Ian, and Mencheres. I enjoyed this book immensely. I laughed out loud to several funny parts in the book, which reminded me of Ms. Frost’s first two books in the Night Huntress series. I gave this book 4 stars, even though I LOVED Spade, is because Denise was a little whiney, and a little bit slow in understanding Spade’s intentions towards her. But, Denise changed near the end of the book, in my opinion, for the better.
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Dec 04, 2010 Kaye rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read2010, audio2010

I do not know where to begin. I loved this book but I love all of Jeaniene Frost's books. I felt like it had enough romance, mystery and excitement. I liked the fact you got to know some of the secondary characters from the Night Huntress Series better. I am going to be reading the 2nd one in this series soon. I am wondering if there will be a 3rd one and what character it will highlight. ...more

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