Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781461065715 |
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| Publisher: | CreateSpace Publishing |
| Publication date: | 04/12/2011 |
| Pages: | 298 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.62(d) |
| Age Range: | 13 - 17 Years |
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Dirty Blood
4.4 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
67 reviews.
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Tara Godfrey is just a normal girl, living in Frederick Falls, VA on the night her life changed completely. After breaking up with her boyfriend at the pool hall and sending him home, she is unsuccessful in finding a ride home, so sets out to walk to the bus stop. While going through an alley, she comes across a girl who seems to be in some distress ¿ however, before she can try to help the girl, the girl ¿ changes into a wolf, and attacks Tara. Tara, to her surprise, manages to not only survive, but to actually kill the werewolf. With the help of her new friend Wes she discovers that everything she thought she knew about herself was a lie ¿ she is a Hunter, and it is her destiny to fight werewolves. How is it she never knew about this? And what are the ¿sides¿ that Wes alludes to? Will Tara decide to embrace her destiny, or will she decide to go about her life as it was?
While I don¿t dislike werewolves, I¿m more of a vampire person, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book. I was a bit astonished ¿ no, taken aback is more like it ¿ when I learned that the favored weapon of the Hunters against werewolves was ¿ a wooden stake. Seriously? Why not a knife? Well, that is actually explained a bit later, but it still seems a bit strange ¿ I hope it is further explained in later books. The characters are well developed and the plot is smooth and quick-paced. Overall the editing and writing style are well-done ¿ at least in the first third of the book or so. After that, there are more editing errors, but still not too bad. This is classified as young adult, since the main character is a 17-year-old girl, and overall it¿s a book I would feel comfortable letting younger readers have ¿ there is some violence, but it¿s not bad, and while there are some romantic scenes, there is no sex. I was also happy that the romance between the characters seemed more or less realistic. Overall, a great book, one I¿d definitely recommend for fans of werewolves and paranormal/urban fantasy.
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Dirty Blood is about a seemingly average girl named Tara, who finds herself face-to-face with a werewolf alone in an alley one cold night. With no help in sight, suddenly instincts she never knew she had just kick in, and Tara somehow manages to kill the shewolf and come out relatively unscathed. In shock and clueless as to what it all means, Tara is happy to trust in the handsome boy named Wes who stumbles upon the scene. He seems to know what's going on, and he offers to help Tara at a time when she desperately needs it. Injured, confused, and wanting answers, she is slowly introduced to a whole new world by Wes and his allies. Turns out Wes is also a werewolf, and Tara is a hunter, someone born to hunt and kill his kind. But there's more to these two species than black and white, and Wes and his friends are all members of The Cause. A group of werewolves and hunters who, together, are trying to make peace amongst their kinds. And it may all depend on the secret behind Wes and Tara's bloodline. With enemies on both sides and a werewolf from Tara's past hell-bent on destroying her future, she's in the fight of her life and Wes is desperate to save her.
I loved the unique twists in this story. There are so many books out where the young heroine with the normal life suddenly realizes that she's actually something more than human, but there was more to it here and it sucked me in from the very start. I loved the mystery behind Tara's true nature and how it plays such a huge part in their fate. She was so infuriated with Wes and the others for not divulging the information she wanted about their world 'for her own good', and who could blame her?! She was flying blind and everyone kept hiding things from her even though there were some things she really needed to know. Tara was really an awesome heroine, she kicked ass and didn't stood up for herself when she felt like it was time for truths to be revealed. With no training, she still managed to hold her own against Leo and his cohorts, and I'm really excited to see what she's capable of later in this series!! And Wes, oh, sweet lord this boy had me melting at every turn!!! I mean, holy smoking hot furball with a protective streak that kisses like you're his last hope of survival...whew!! I adored him for the way he was all Tarzan-like masculine one minute, then tender and loving the next; I was swooning after both sides of him! Yes, I was just as irritated as Tara was every time he decided to keep another secret from her, but I also understood that from his perspective he was protecting her. And how can you stay mad at that??!! I love how destiny is playing a part in their love story; not because they are being forced down a certain path, but that it feels like they were always meant to complete each other and be each other's other half. *sigh*
Hildenbrand hardly gives her readers a chance to breathe once the action starts picking up in this story! Between the heartbreaking decisions that are made and the attacks around every corner, I never had a spot where I could put the book down and not be worried about what was coming up next! As Tara learns about her past and discovers who her attacker really is, a whole
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Well now this book really surprised me and I really enjoyed reading it. I'm not a big fan of books about werewolves and it takes an amazing story to really captivate me and I'm telling you this book just did that. There is something unique and different about this that stands out from the same old, same old. Okay, before I get carried away, I want to thank the amazing author Heather Hildenbrand for providing me with a copy of Dirty Blood in exchange for my review. And let me tell you I'm honestly blown away with how captivated I was by the story and the amazing characters. It was a simple story yet had so much going on in that it had my head spinning and my heart racing. Heather really knows how to make you live and breath the story as if you are in it yourself. I love that about a book, being carried away without a care in the world, except the one you have escaped to. Totally amazing.
Dirty Blood really starts off with a bang and does not stop. We are introduced to both Tara and the world she is about to be plunged into within the first chapter. She finds herself in a dark alley, trying to defend herself from a wolf. Something kicked in, as if she was born to do just that, and she defeated the wolf. Utterly confused and shocked by what just happened to her, she is confronted by Wes, who turns out to be someone who knows a hell of a lot about wolves. He is someone she can trust to help her as well as fill her in and explain the Supernatural episode she was just in.
Tara is a exactly the type of girl you want in this book. She is strong, confident, independent, stubborn and one hell of a kick ass heroine, who would stop at nothing. For someone so clueless, she really held her own and never liked anyone telling her what she could and could not do. I love how infuriated she would get whenever someone tried to always "protect" her from the big bad wolves, and she wouldn't have a bar of it. That someone was always Wes. Oh my, he is my favourite character from this book. He is dark, mysterious, pig-headed (oh how stubborn he is), sexy, hot, damn impossible to reason with and one bad ass you don't want to mess with. Oh man, what a man, what a man, what a mighty fine man, he is RAWR. He had Tara's head spinning and so was mine. He was always thinking about Tara's safety first before his own feelings and this was so frustrating. Oh the tension between them was palpable and you wanted them to go all savage with each other, and the moments they did, the heat was radiating off of the page. Oh boy, I need a cold drink to cool me down. I loved these two together. Their banter, their attraction, their love, their destiny and the unspoken words between them was beautiful to discover. At times I wanted to bang my head against a wall because forces were keeping them apart, and whether they can overcome these forces is just something you all have to figure out on your own when you read the book yourself.
I loved every minute of this book, and I never like to give away too much in my reviews and I don't think I could say anything more. The plot is complicated, yet simple, and a story that needs to be discovered by everyone. I am super keen and excited to read the next book, and am grateful I won't have to wait too long for book 3 either. The ending was not left on a cliffhanger but has me eager and keen to read on and find out what happens next. Thank you again Heather for providing me with a copy of your book, but for also writing an amazing story about Wolves and Hunters. I'm totally blown away by how unique and different the story is, and I hope the next two are just as captivating and enthralling. Love it!
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Tara is a great heroine! I love how she is just as in the dark about what is going on as we are. I love seeing revelations through the characters eyes from the beginning.
This story is action packed from the get-go. Tara has to literally fight for her life against a girl who attacks her.
I love how independent and stubborn Tara is. She does not deal well with commands and does things her own way, even if the way she does them puts her life in even more danger.... ooops.
The connection between Tara and Wes is evident from the start. This was one of the teen romances I become consumed with. I fell for Wes right along with Tara. He is hot, protective, and so very alpha!
If you are looking for a fast paced and action packed YA Paranormal read then this is definitely a great pick!
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I loved this book, the plot was great and I love a good strong main character. Tara is strong, independent and well she’s just kick ass! Her world as she knew it completely changed one night, she met her then boyfriend for dinner and to play some pool, long story short they broke up because football seemed to be more important than anything else. When she was about to leave she realized he was the one who brought her there so she would have to take the bus, she took a short cut though an ally on her way to the bus stop. As Tara got closer to the bus stop she noticed a woman standing there and then her body shifted – and then she was a wolf. All snapping teeth and extended claws. Some hidden instinct kicks in and Tara manages to kill the wolf-girl, sustaining some minor injuries. Hot sexy Wes Shows up and poor Tara is in shock He takes her home and makes her forget.
The next day Wes shows up and starts explaining things she thought where only in books. What happens when things are not the way you thought they were and then some other wolf pack tries to kill you. But when they take someone you love you will do anything to get them back even if it kills you. I’m officially addicted to this series! And I’ll be getting book 2 as soon as I can! I loved the action the way Wes and Tara relationship grows and all the twists and turns and OMG I love Tara’s Grandma you will know what I mean when you read this book she is bad ass!
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I love my stories to make sense even if it's written on the premise of fantasy because logic and rationale is standard regardless of your kind. Even if the laws are different one's reaction still follows a certain flowchart and not fall erratically between the cracks. On this note I love Tara, she asks the right questions and takes everything with a grain of salt, she doubts and relishes her journey towards enlightenment. Which is the normal reaction if you are in the precipice of something life changing. Wes, her Werewolf love interest, is interesting too, not only does he drive a badass Aston Martin but he's hunky and a capable consort for Tara. His history, DNA, destiny and relationship with Tara is intriguing. Is he really into her or does it have something to do with the prophecy?
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Dirty BloodBy: Heather HildenbrandISBN: 9781461065715Published April 28, 2011 by Accendo PressAvailable Format: Paperback, ebookMy Rating: ¿¿¿¿¿After an impulsive breakup with her boyfriend at her favorite pool hall, Tara is stranded without a ride back home. Taking a shortcut through a dark alley (hello?!?), she has a run-in with a girl who seems to hate her for no reason whatsoever. When the girl shifts into a huge wolf right before Tara¿s eyes, some hidden instinct kicks in and Tara manages to kill the wolf-girl, sustaining some minor injuries. Insert hot, mysterious guy who helps Tara clean up the mess and temporarily forget the evening even happened. When he shows up in her bedroom the following day, Tara is suddenly thrust into a world she never imagined existed and learns she is a born and bred Werewolf Hunter.There is some inexplicable magnetism between Tara and her new pal Wes, but more than that, it seems it is Tara¿s destiny to be the powerful new leader of The Cause ¿ a society of werewolves and Hunters that are working together to bring peace between all such beings around the world. The opposition has other ideas about the relationship between the shifters and those that wish them dead, and Tara is soon to be caught right smack in the middle. Overall, I liked Dirty Blood. I liked the storyline. I liked the characters. I liked the secrets. I liked the action. I did have a moment, when Tara meets Wes, where I thought, 'Oh Lord, here we go again. She¿s falling for this guy she knows nothing about.' And, here we have another less-than-self-sufficient heroine on our hands. Granted, Tara doesn¿t know that she is a Hunter, and she has obviously never trained before, but I am almost sick of seeing the damsel-in-distress protagonists that all these female authors keep throwing at us! It used to bother me less. Heck, I¿ve even written one myself. But the more I read and the more I discuss books with other people, the more it irks me. Tara does toughen up and fight for herself as the plot moves on, but it still bothers me that she doesn¿t put up more of a fight for all the decisions everyone else is making for her. If she is supposed to be a leader, shouldn¿t she be standing up for herself in a big way?That really is a minor complaint, however. I can totally live with love at first sight and weak girls. If I turn off my critical side, I absolutely get the attraction she has to Wes. I can see how she can so easily trust the other members of The Cause. I even understand why she can¿t quite let poor ol¿ George go. Lord knows the last thing on my mind when I was her age was being able to kick werewolf butt, much less thinking rationally about who I was and was not attracted to.If you like YA fantasy/paranormal, especially werewolves, you¿ll definitely like Dirty Blood. I¿m looking forward to checking out Heather¿s other books and the next in the Dirty Blood series, Cold Blood!
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I was hooked on this book after the first chapter. The main character, Tara, ends up in a fight to the death with a crazed girl who turns into a wolf right before her eyes. As quick as that, she's initiated into the world of Werewolves - and that's all in just the first chapter! I always preach about how important characters are, and the author really nailed it with Dirty Blood. I was able to connect with all of the characters in this book, and very easily. They were all so well written that by the last page I felt like I knew them all personally. As I said, Tara is the main character and she definitely has a lot to deal with throughout the course of the story. First with learning that Werewolves are not just legend and then discovering who/what she really is, along with plenty of other revelations (which I won't be discussing because I don't want to give away anything!). She can certainly be stubborn at times, but she's also strong, independent, and confident. I liked her because she wasn't playing the damsel-in-distress, wanting someone to solve all of her problems for her; she preferred to take matters into her own hands. Wes arrives on the scene early on, helping Tara out immediately after her fight with the Werewolf in the first chapter. He's extremely patient and is dedicated to protecting her, not to mention extremely handsome. I absolutely hate when I fall for fictional characters, it is such a let down when you finally remember they aren't real, but with Wes it was impossible not to. He was just a really down-to-earth, genuine, nice guy, and who doesn't want one of those? All of the secondary characters were great as well; I especially liked Jack and Fee, who were like Wes' surrogate parents. Jack was this tough guy who has a way of making everyone feel safe, like he would not hesitate to take a bullet for you, and Fee is one of those women who welcomes everybody with open arms, just very motherly and genuinely concerned about both Wes and Tara's welfare. There's an obvious connection between Tara and Wes from the beginning, but they have ups and downs throughout the book. Their personalities clash at times and they butt heads, neither one wanting to concede defeat. They were so sweet together though, and despite the differences they balanced each other out rather nicely. Here's one of my favorite parts:"I wasn't even sure who leaned in first, but by the time our lips met, it was completely mutual. His kiss was soft at first but his touch brought with it a heat that I'd never felt before. It radiated out and spread into the rest of my body, like wildfire. He tasted like apple cider and the woods in summer, and all I could think was that I'd never tasted anything so delicious."(pg. 81 of eBook)See what I mean? Steamy, sweet, beautiful - I just love them together. I found this book to be fairly unique. Of course the Werewolf theme has been covered many times over, but this novel managed not to feel like all of the other ones I have read. For example, in this one humans can't be changed by a Werewolf bite; instead, the bites are very deadly. I was able to connect with these characters on a deeper level than most other books I have read, also, which was unexpected but a very much welcome surprise.The interesting story, multi-faceted characters, action, mystery, and suspense all add up to an amazing read. I'm reading back over my review and I just can't do this one justice; it seems like the more I like a book, the harder it is to express it in words. All I can really say is this YA novel is in my top 10, if not top 5, books I have read this year. In case you didn't get the hint already, I loved Dirty Blood! I definitely recommend it to everyone (I promise you won't be disappointed) and I will be eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series!
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After calling things off with boyfriend Tara is stranded and decides to walk home. Before she can get too far she finds a girl and unbelievable to Tara she shifts into a wolf. The wolf attacks and minutes later Tara is in shock that she killed the wolf/girl. Her reality instantly changes. She literally bumps into Wes, a guy that seems to have the answers to all the questions.Good read! This story might seem similar to any other YA stories but, it's well written with interesting characters that make it an enjoyable. I have read many stories with vampire hunters, but I think this is a first for a werewolf hunter. I found Dirty Blood to be fascinating story. With enough action, danger and romance to keep you immersed in the story.
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I think I’m calling this something like 4 stars.
Reading it, I had a little trouble working out the number of stars my rating would be.
Addictivity is totally 5 stars - after about 40% of the way through, once it really got going, I could not put it down.
However there isn’t much originality, and every single aspect, small or big, I predicted. I do predict everything, unfortunately and almost nothing is original these days. So while I can’t give 5 stars, I think the way it hooked me in so well is deserving of four.
The cover appears somewhere in between amateur and professional and the editing/proofing are about the same. There were occurrences of poor grammar and a few typos, but not to the point they ruined the reading experience. (Therefore, I think not enough to deduct another star.)
The way the book ended left me wanting more, but wrapped up most of the immediate problems so I could get on with my life at least. So I’d say addictive, but not super life-interrupting overall.
I’ll be reading on into this series, and also checking out the rest of Hildebrand’s catalog. While more professionalism is desired, I’ve seen enough to know she’s got a knack for storytelling and creating addictive characters. Also I’d like to note that there were times I could feel the characters’ feelings - I’m always impressed when an author can pull that off.
I do recommend this book/series, so far!
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My Disclaimer: I was provided a free copy of this book by the author's representative. I am providing an honest review for which I am receiving no compensation of any kind. All opinions are fully my own.
~ Judi E. Easley for Blue Cat Review
My Review:
What an exciting story line! I've read books that bring the weres and the hunters together before, but this one does it so well. Here's this young woman just trying to get home after a trying evening, and she's attacked because of how she smells by another young woman. I think I'd hit her with a steel pipe, too!
Well, that's a bit of a simplification, but in essence, that's what happens in the first part. That's how the weres and hunters come together. But that sets off explosions in Tara's world, or what is to become her world. Because with that one action, hitting Liliana with the pipe and killing her, she has put herself into the spotlight. And it has nothing to do with police or being arrested. Nope. This is more like entering the Twilight Zone. Let me give you a hint: no one writes a series about a normal young woman.
It's all very exciting and scary at the same time. She meets the cutest guy and he really just wants to take care of her and protect her. And he introduces her to his friends, who know all sorts of things, including things about her. And her family, living and dead. But life seems to be getting more dangerous. More attacks!
Half the time Tara was cool, but then there were the times I thought she was acting like a spoiled child. She takes the news about what she is fairly well. But then she wasn't taking any responsibility for her actions. She blamed Wes for things that he had no control over. And poor Wes was just a werewolf following the orders of his Alpha. Plus he had duties and couldn't be at her beck and call all the time. There were a couple of times I just wanted to slap her. Sure, she was in a tough situation and finding out all this stuff about her family. But she was dilly-dallying making decisions that needed making now about things that really didn't need to be thought about. You want to be safe, you do this. You want to be dead, you do this. Playtime is over little girl.
Everything was going along like gangbusters with the fast pace through the whole book, then it just sort of fizzled out and ended. I wasn't real happy with that.
I am happy about the fact that book two, Cold Blood, is already out and I can read that when I have some time. And for some reason I expect it to be even better than the first book! Maybe because of some of Tara's relatives that were introduced. Watch out for that older generation. They can surprise you! I'm hoping Tara is a surprise, too.
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This is actually the second time I have read Dirty Blood by Ms. Hildenbrand, and I enjoyed it just as much this time as I did the first!
Tara is thrust into a new world full of werewolves and those that hunt them. She has no idea how she fits into this crazy world, but for some reason she finds herself in the center of it. There are those that are after her, but she is not alone. She has a hunky protector that just keeps popping up. Personally, I would be okay with a hunky protector.....however, Tara is not one to sit idly by.
Tara wants to be active in this new world. She wants to stand up for herself and not just have her battles fought for her. In the midst of all of her new world drama, she still has to go to High School. And, if you remember High School, then you know it is no picnic....
Hildenbrand does a fantastic job of introducing us to Tara's world in the first installment of the Dirty Blood Series! Oh, and I just love the sleek silver Aston Martin.....and its driver. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book, Cold Blood!!
Some Pretty Good Quotes:
"This just figured. the hottest guy I'd ever seen, alone with me in my room, and he was completely whacked."
"Seat warmer? Wow, my mom's Taurus had two vents on my side of the car, and I thought that was luxury."
"I cranked the volume on the stereo and sang at the top of my lungs to an old Britney Spears song, my possession and enjoyment of which, I hoped, would remain a secret between me and my car."
"Do you ever feel like you've been waiting your entire life for a specific moment when it'll all make sense?"
*Have truer words ever been spoken?*
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First it starts off with tara breaking it off with george then shes in an ally fighting off a girl who just turned into a wolf.she also finds out that the dreamy hunk of guy who saved her from going into shock is a werewolf and she is a hunter and she loves him she just doesnt know it yet. throw in the crazed werewolf whos trying to kill her and hunky dreamy wes and you have one very messed up life.with what i just told you you decide if you want to read it .i highly reccomend it and you would be silly not to.
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Very enjoyable story. There're a few things that didn't quite make sense to me in the mythology of the werewolves vs. hunters, but I'm hoping these get worked out or explained in future books. Overall, I really enjoyed the characters and the action-packed storyline. Recommended.
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I first read Dirty Blood when it came out and immediately fell in love with it, well this time it was no different. I fell in love with it all over again.
We are thrown into the action pretty much straight away. Tara is on a date with her boyfriend George. He turns up late, as usual, and Tara says, enough is enough, and breaks up with him. She leaves by herself and ends up traveling through an alley. One second Tara is walking, the next she is facing down the unbelievable. A girl starts charging at her but then it's a wolf. Tara is stunned but her body reacts to the danger. She ends up picking up a pipe and killing the girl/wolf. Tara is in shock when a boy turns up. Who is he? What is going on? From that second on Tara's life changes forever!
I loved Tara. She is spunky, brave and kick ass but is still a normal girl. Her life is like any other teenagers until the moment the wolf attacks. She learns what she is and I loved that she struggled at first with everything. It took her time to believe and jump on board. Her whole attitude and demeanor is relateable and she was easy to connect to.
Then we have Wes. *Sigh* Wes!!! Tara has no idea what to make of him at the start because he is so standoffish, add in the fact that she is a Hunter and he is a Werewolf and immediately you have a forbidden romance. I loved Wes. He is stubborn, strong, brave and kind. He is definitely the strong silent type.
I loved the romance in Dirty Blood. It takes time for Wes and Tara to hit it off, despite the pull Tara feels toward him. There's no insta love here and despite George being in the picture at the start, there's no love triangle, which is always a plus!!
Dirty Blood is an action packed, edge of your seat read. Right from the start it pulls you in and won't let go, even after you have read the last page. Heather Hildenbrand weaves a fantastic story that will leave you breathless and turning the pages as quickly as you can to see what happens. Everything about this book is amazing, from the breathtaking plot to the phenomenal writing, Dirty Blood is a must read.
This is one series that everyone should check out. Dirty Blood is a phenomenal first book and believe me when I say that every book is just as good. This is one of my all time favourite series and I can't recommend them highly enough. Go get this book NOW, you wont be sorry!!
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I honestly thought this book was really good . I couldn't put it down so don't understand why it was free but defiantly a page turner .
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I really enjoyed this book… it’s always a nice change when a paranormal book isn’t about vampires and I liked the world Hildenbrand created between the werewolves and hunters… the hunters themselves are also something paranormal which allows them to be strong enough to hunt… and it isn’t like it’s “oh all werewolves are just misunderstood” sort of thing either… Plus my favorite part is Tara… it is so wonderful to finally have a hero that doesn’t spend half the book complaining about suddenly not being just a normal person… Tara realizes right off the bat there’s no reason to fight who she is and dives right into this new world she discovers… The only thing I didn’t like about this book is whenever it would flash to her high school… that part was a bit cliche and her friends were such cookie cutter characters… ones the slut that has entranced every guy in school… and of course there’s the dorky shy girl who has to wear glasses and they called librarian because we all know librarians aren’t sexxy at all… talk about a stereotype that needs to be punched in the face… but luckily those scenes were fleeting and all the rest of the characters felt more like real people with genuine personalities… I can’t wait to read the next book…
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I am giving this review for author Heather Hildenbrand and Mark My Words. This is book 1 of the 4 book series by the author.
Tara Godfrey is a typical school girl until she learns that her goosebumps that she gets is a warning sign that something is close by. Wesley St. John knows all about the conflict between the hunters and the werewolves but after coming up on Tara and her situation their life changes for the both of them.
I was really impressed with how the story had me in the first chapter and I had a hard time putting it down. The characters work well together in the book and there was no drag or dead ends in the flow of the story.
This is a must read for any paranormal romance book lover and the start to a book series you will want in your library.
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It is funny to consider an urban fantasy to be “charming” but that is just what Dirty Blood is – blood, guts, gore, murder and all. Without looking up how it is placed on the genre ladder, I would say that this qualifies as young adult, or new adult, but I found it extremely readable as an adult urban fantasy novel as well. Tara is 17-years-old, but she seems more mature, while still throwing the occasional temper tantrum. Of course, if I were her, I would have thrown a fit and fallen down in it at the way she is treated by those around her.
You see, Tara thinks that she is just a normal girl, with a normal boyfriend she has been friends with most of her life. Well, until he turned into the football obsessed moron who ditches their dates for recruiters, agents and interviews. But nevertheless, normal school, normal activities, normal life. That is, until a girl turns into a wolf right in front of her and proceeds to try her best to rip Tara’s throat out. From that point on, you can toss ‘normal’ straight out the window and go for spectacularly weird all the way around. For Tara is a Hunter, from a long line of Hunters. Genetic killers, born to kill werewolves.
As Tara’s life becomes more and more surreal, she begins to realize that her whole life has been a lie, and that she has been left open to the perils of her blooming talents and the scent of Hunter that the wolves can sense, with no training to help her survive. While her mother may have been ‘protecting’ her, she has also left her open to attack with no defense.
This is a very fast paced read. Tara is thrown into the metaphorical deep end of the pool, left to struggle to learn to fight and kill with the help of member of “The Cause” a group of Hunters and Werewolves who are trying to stop the fighting between the breeds - to create peace from the ashes of war. It is a lot for a 17-year-old to take in – especially when her mother is determined to bury her head in the sand and pretend that Tara can simply spend her life on the run, hiding from those who would kill her. Or would use her for their own ends. For Tara is something more than a Hunter, and what she is puts her at odds with both sides.
There is a love interest in the story, and it is incredibly well done. Her new boyfriend, Wes, is very special himself, a “Dirty Blood,” a hybrid of Wolf and Hunter, an abomination to those who would keep the war going to appease their own hatreds and superstitions. With a small group of friends around them, Wes and Tara have a hard job ahead of them, Tara’s harder than anyone’s as she tries to overcome the ‘protection’ of those around her which actually does more harm than good.
Overall, I would recommend this for any UF fan, male or female. Tara is a great hero – she is strong and brave while still showing her lack of training and the shock and fear that such a tremendous change to her life, along with her fear for the safety of those she loves engenders. Of course, my favorite part of the book is during “the” big battle scene (there are several in the book) when her grandmother walks into a building full of warring Wolves and Hunters and commences to staking Wolves as if she is picking daisies. Awesome.
I received this book from the publisher in return for a realistic review. All thoughts are my own. The next book in the series is Cold Blood. Tara has been shipped off to Hunter Boarding School, where she will be safe and cozy and well-trained. Well, the well-trained thing might happen. The rest of it? Well, that is highly doubtful….
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Witty and smart Tara is a wonderful character. She was immediately my favorite and I was hoping that she lived to find out what she was. At the beginning she was stubborn and at every turn almost getting herself killed. As the story continues you can see her coming to terms with what she is and what is expected of her. The Hunter in her comes out little by little and I grew to look forward to seeing the aggressive side of her. Her other side, the romantic side, had me worried. She had fallen for a boy/werewolf who didn’t seem to return her feelings. Her feelings were portrayed as a teenager, which is what she is, and were over board at times, childish at other times, and other times very adult like and understanding. I enjoyed the romance and hoped that it would be a happy pairing.
Wes is yummy. His only job is to keep Tara safe and he throws himself into this 100%. He is protective and strong with a soft side. He would die to keep her from harm. The connection between them was electric and felt almost immediately. Although, he was so stubborn that he didn’t want to give in to those feelings and fought them throughout almost the entire story. The struggle within himself was fun to watch but I was really hoping he would show her how much she meant to him and quickly.
The plot was fast and fun. Once I started reading I did not want to put it down. I am thrilled that the book is set up to have follow ups. I highly recommend Heather Hildenbrand and Dirty Blood.
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I killed a girl last night. I did it with my bare hands and a rusty pipe I found lying behind the dumpster. But that wasn't the part that got me. The part that shook me to my core, that scared me more than anything...was the fact that she went from being a girl, to a wolf, and once I killed her; Back to being a girl again. As I stood there, he showed up. In this moment I found two things to be true: werewolves exists, and I was born to kill them.
Okay, God's honest truth I am not sure what to rate this. At first I didn't like it, but I soldiered on, and then out of no where the excitement begins! I became more interested and more intrigued and finally couldn't look away. Yet there was something still bugging me and it might be, because I am old school when it comes to werewolves...the shouldn't talk. I just didn't like the fact they talked while they were in their wolf forms. It could be some genetic mutation farther into the future, but I wasn't diggin the talking. That is the only complaint I can conjure up. Yes some reviews say its a twilight rip off. To some extent I agree I did see some twilight references but nothing extreme. There were some other questions I had but I am not gonna say because I don't wanna ruin anything for other readers.
*Reviewer for Paranormal Romance & Authors That Rock
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I absolutely loved this story. What a new way of telling the werewolf/hunter story. I’ve always been a fan of shifter stories and this one didn’t let me down.
This story has it all…sarcasm, love, struggles, action, etc etc. I couldn’t put it down. A big thumbs up to Heather for this story. I’m looking forward to reading more from her.
I fully recommend this book as a to be read book!
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