Tempted by Blood (Sweetblood, #3)

Mar 05, 2012 Hbeebti rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: won

Ugh I hate when I write a review and it doesn't go through. I cant remember what I wrote last time so here we go again..

Goodreads First reads winner!

Third book in this series and I think its the best one so far. Alfonso will always have a special place but Jackson is my new favorite. Jackson in the previous books has been the sweet, lovable, loyal and just a goof. But in this book you see him struggling with himself. He thinks he is reverting. Poor guy is getting messed up in the head over it....more

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May 20, 2012 Laura the Highland Hussy rated it 4 of 5 stars

http://www.demonloversbooksandmore.co...

I really love how easy it is to slip into Laurie London’s writing. Her Sweetblood series is easy to pick up in the middle of the series. I’ve read all of her other books, but I don’t feel anyone would feel lost at all by reading them as stand-alones. That includes this one, Tempted by Blood.

In Tempted by Blood, we read about Jackson, the agent who thinks he’s on the edge of reverting. That means he thinks he’s getting closer and closer to becoming what the...more

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Apr 23, 2012 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

When Arianna Wells was a small child she saw shadows turn into two men who took her Mom away from their home, leaving Arianna an orphan. Being such a small child no one believed her story of the shadow men. Now Arianna is grown and is out one evening picking up her young cousin, when the foggy shadows turn into men trying to kidnap her cousin, she screams her head off and takes pictures trying to get a shot of their licence plate. What she does catch on film is a Vampire warrior taking down the...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, paranormal-romance, read-in-2012

I always love when authors take a character that comes across as shallow *cough*and man whore-ish*cough* and gives them a great reason for doing the things that they do. In this case, Jackson is a lady killer. His fellow Guardians see him as a womanizing playboy who can score a new lady (or three) every night. What they don't know is that he has off the charts energy needs and he seeks out these women to keep those needs in check.

I guess I'm trying to say that Jackson never really pinged my rada...more

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Jun 05, 2012 Joelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-shelf, paranormal, paranormal-romance, romance, series, supernatural, suspense, vampire, vampires, vampires-paranormal

Tempted by Blood (Sweetblood #3)
by Laurie London
5 stars

Deep within the forests of the Pacific Northwest, the battle for supremacy rages on between two Vampire coalitions:Guardian enforcers sworn to protect humanity, and Darkbloods, rogues who kill like their ancient ancestors.He might be known for his effortless charm, but Guardian Jackson Foss is hiding a terrible secret. For months, he has battled the emergence of his dark nature—deadly urges that threaten to consume him. And those craving...more Tempted by Blood (Sweetblood #3)
by Laurie London
5 stars

Deep within the forests of the Pacific Northwest, the battle for supremacy rages on between two Vampire coalitions:Guardian enforcers sworn to protect humanity, and Darkbloods, rogues who kill like their ancient ancestors.He might be known for his effortless charm, but Guardian Jackson Foss is hiding a terrible secret. For months, he has battled the emergence of his dark nature—deadly urges that threaten to consume him. And those cravings only intensify when he meets Arianna Wells, the human he's been assigned to protect. Smart and perceptive, Arianna doesn't seem like a dangerous temptress. Yet she awakens in Jackson an unstoppable need that, if left unchecked, will brand him a traitora crime punishable by death.But soon their bond may be Arianna's only hope. For stalking her in the shadows is a merciless enemy—one who will stop at nothing to claim her completely.

My Thoughts and Review

Standing in at the Library I saw the cover of this book and picked it up without reading what it was about.Ever do that?Well glad I did. This is my first book by Laurie and hope to read more of her books it was a fabulous read right from the first page.The book had tons to keep you interested in. A story plot of good Guardian vampires protecting the Sweetbloods from Rogue vampires.Something about a Sweetblood's blood is additive like crack.The characters of the book were engaging and lots of fun to read about.

Jackson and Arianna were the main characters of the book the were quirky and fun.The two developed a romance after he goes to protect her from her own miss deeds.She runs a paranormal blog and she writes about paranormal activities.She witnessed a kidnapping of her cousin and got it on camera and reported all of this on her blog exposing herself and vampires to the whole world creating tons of danger.

The two develop and light fun romance and of course filled with tons danger but, it seems that Arianna will turn out to be his savior and maybe not the other way around.The book was action packed from beginning to the end with all kinds of things going on and a mystery to solve as well.It was a light fun read that I finished in a couple of hours and would recommended it to all readers.(less)

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Mar 06, 2012 VampireNovelFan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires, urban-fantasy, paranormal-romance, net-galley, arc

A Good Read

Tempted by Blood is book 3 in Laurie London's Sweetblood series. The war continues between Guardians, the evolved race of vampires who choose to protect humans, and Darkbloods, the more primitive vampires who want to maintain their heritage and culture, remaining at the top of the food chain. The focus of this book is on one special Guardian, Jackson. He takes pride in his work and finds himself protecting a teen girl who is the Darkblood's target. She is in the custody of her cousin...more A Good Read

Tempted by Blood is book 3 in Laurie London's Sweetblood series. The war continues between Guardians, the evolved race of vampires who choose to protect humans, and Darkbloods, the more primitive vampires who want to maintain their heritage and culture, remaining at the top of the food chain. The focus of this book is on one special Guardian, Jackson. He takes pride in his work and finds himself protecting a teen girl who is the Darkblood's target. She is in the custody of her cousin, Arianna. Arianna works for a gaming company while maintaining a secret paranormal blog. Having always suspected that supernatural activity existed, she and Jackson cross paths trying to keep her cousin safe, and what she witnesses may expose them all.

I honestly didn't know this was a part of a series because the author does a really good job at providing back story. Jackson is indeed hott, but every time I think about him I imagine Taylor Kitsch. The cover doesn't really match him at all, especially when it comes to his multi-colored hair. Arianna is his love interest and she comes off as fairly ordinary in appearance, but Jackson loves that about her.

While this can be classified as paranormal romance, there's a good deal of action, plot and tension that keeps things very interesting. I actually felt as if this book balanced the elements really well. No, it's not the most original, but it's still an entertaining read. I think fans of the Black Dagger Brotherhood would like this; I myself particularly appreciated normal names and villains that are actually intimidating.

Feel free to skip this paragraph because this may be considered a spoiler, but I was fine with the book up until the ending. In all honesty it was way too "Happily Ever After" for my tastes. I was hoping for a little more grit and I felt like this book could have taken a more interesting route. Tieing everything up into a perfectly neat bow was just cringe-worthy for me.

So aside from that one gripe, I recommend this book if you're searching for a new series. I was engaged all throughout, so that's a sign of a good read for me.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

*Review also posted to Amazon
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Mar 29, 2012 MoonGlitter rated it 4 of 5 stars

Tempted by blood is the 3rd book in Laurie London's 'Sweetblood' series. I have not read the other books in this series yet but I had no problem with reading this as a stand alone.

Jackson is our Hero. He's an agent who feels that he may be reverting back to his darker side. To the way of his ancestors. Reverting back to the old ways would mean drinking from and killing his human hosts instead of taking sips from them and using some of their energies he needs to survive. He can feel himself losin...more Tempted by blood is the 3rd book in Laurie London's 'Sweetblood' series. I have not read the other books in this series yet but I had no problem with reading this as a stand alone.

Jackson is our Hero. He's an agent who feels that he may be reverting back to his darker side. To the way of his ancestors. Reverting back to the old ways would mean drinking from and killing his human hosts instead of taking sips from them and using some of their energies he needs to survive. He can feel himself losing control and he doesn't know how much longer he can hold out. Lately he needs to feed far too often. He hides this from his peers by making it look like he's using his many hosts for sex. He's got quite the reputation ;)

Arianna secretly runs a blog called paranormalish. She started this blog to find and relate to others who believe in supernatural things. It's a way for her validate the things she's seen. It's comforting to know that she's not the only one who has experienced things that are not normal. She really cares about her readers and can relate to them and their stories.

All Guardians are assigned to protect humans who are considered 'sweetbloods.' Arianna's cousin, Krystal happens to be on Jackson's list. He's saved her before and she reminds him of his little sister. When she is abducted right off the street by Darkbloods in front of Arianna, Jackson is their to save the night.

Jackson and Arianna are very much drawn to each other. But each have their own reservations for wanting to hold back. Jackson finds himself feeling emotions that he never thought he'd feel. He becomes very protective and possessive of Arianna. To the point where he can't seem to control his temper in front of others.
There is a lot of action, a little mystery and a bit of betrayal as Jackson and Arianna try to keep her cousin safe. They also need to find out who is leading the Darkbloods advances to revert all vampires to the old ways. The trust and romance build up beautifully throughout the book. The sex is passionate and H-O-T!! I will definitely be picking up the rest of the books in this series to read!

This book was given to me by NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher for an honest review.

Reviewer for WereVampsRomance. werevampsromance.blogspot.com/(less)

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Mar 11, 2012 Jenni Ebba rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this book. After reading a novella in this series, Hidden By Blood , I didn't care much for the story line, but having borrowed this one from a friend, I change my mind. I really liked how you could read this book and it could act as a stand alone or you could read the series in order. This novel is honestly not original enough for me, but with only that against it- I still liked it. The novel is about Guardian Vampires (yeah I know) and a certain amount of the human population c...more

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Feb 07, 2012 Claudia Mcdaniel rated it 4 of 5 stars

I received this book earlier in the month after the author asked for reviewers. I responded and within a couple of days received the book in the mail. I wondered if I would be lost since this is the 3rd book in the series but another friend said that it could stand alone, so I began reading without worrying about what may have happened prior to this book.

I'm a vampire lover, so I'm a sucker (no pun intended) for any book that has such a great vampire cover and whose blurb foretells a troubled h...more I received this book earlier in the month after the author asked for reviewers. I responded and within a couple of days received the book in the mail. I wondered if I would be lost since this is the 3rd book in the series but another friend said that it could stand alone, so I began reading without worrying about what may have happened prior to this book.

I'm a vampire lover, so I'm a sucker (no pun intended) for any book that has such a great vampire cover and whose blurb foretells a troubled hero. This book delivered all of it!

This book is the story of Jackson Foss, a Guardian vampire who is assigned to protect Arianna Wells and her niece Krystal from the Darkblood vampires. Jackson is starting to feel overwhelming urges for blood and energy beyond what he should and so he's sure that his dark nature will overtake him and he will have to be killed before he becomes like his enemies. Arianna is a human who has always believed that something dark and dangerous was the cause of her mother's death but no one has ever believed her. Then one night she sees the bad vampires attempt to take her niece and then watches as Jackson comes out of nowhere and fights them off. The fact that she can see the vampires moves as shadows and then when she's unaffected by the mind swipe means she's something special in the vampire world.

Arianna and Jackson have a natural sexual tension that brings them closer together while Jackson has her and her niece hidden from the Darkbloods. During that time, they come to know one another and you can see the relationship grow quickly as they share some of their secrets. They seem to understand what the other has suffered and it creates a connection that neither wants to let go. Even though Arianna lost her mother and could lose her niece to vampires, she accepts Jackson and his world as she comes to discover that not all vampires are bad vampires.

One of my favorite scenes comes when they are together and she reveals the beginning of her feeling for him:
" 'Damn you, Jackson. You're everything I ran from all my life, and yet, you're everything I seem to need.'
With an arm on either side of his head, she eased herself down and he slid into heaven. Soft moans and a few loud ones filled the room. It wasn't until they finished making love that he realized he'd forgotten all about his rules and had kissed her over and over."

I enjoyed the book for a variety of reasons. 1. Jackson is one hot vampire, and he knows it, and I like that he knows it! He's got a bad boy reputation but it's just to keep people at a distance so that he doesn't let them down. He really just wants to find love and have a family and be a good person. 2. It was easy enough to follow along and understand what was going on without having to read the previous books. Since Arianna was new to the vampire world, I got to learn about it along with her. 3. The story progressed nicely without any slow spots. The action, both between the vampires and between Jackson and Arianna, kept moving along. 4. And in the end, Jackson got his happy ending.(less)

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Feb 03, 2012 Kimba (Caffeinated Book Reviewer) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-challenge-shelf

In this installment we learn about Guardian Jackson Foss. Known as a playboy by the team, we learn he is hiding a terrible secret. He has been having intense cravings from his dark side and he worries that he will lose control. These cravings only intensify when he meets spunky, Adrianna Wells. Jackson needs to protect her and her cousin from the Darkbloods. I loved Jackson, despite presenting as a player, he really has a heart of gold and deep seeded fears and feelings that torment him. Arianna...more

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Mar 14, 2012 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Let me start by saying that this is my favorite story so far from the Sweetblood series. Its hero is Jackson, the hot man-whore vamp who played a support role as one of the Guardians in earlier stories. Known best for his sexual conquests and devil-may-care attitude, you'd never know there is more to him than meets the eye. But there is.

Jackson fears he is on the edge of reverting to the dangerous and violent ways of his ancestors. He needs to feed on blood and energy in staggering amounts and h...more Let me start by saying that this is my favorite story so far from the Sweetblood series. Its hero is Jackson, the hot man-whore vamp who played a support role as one of the Guardians in earlier stories. Known best for his sexual conquests and devil-may-care attitude, you'd never know there is more to him than meets the eye. But there is.

Jackson fears he is on the edge of reverting to the dangerous and violent ways of his ancestors. He needs to feed on blood and energy in staggering amounts and he can barely control himself at times. He hides his needs from those around him, cloaking them under his party-boy persona. If the council so much as catches wind he is reverting, it would mean a death sentence.

Arianna has believed in vampires since she saw them kill her mother as a child. But no one believed her. Now she anonymously runs a blog devoted to exposing the paranormal. Her cousin, who she is caring for, was among the sweetbloods kidnapped and almost auctioned away in the events of the last book. Jackson is now monitoring the girl's safety --and that is what puts him in Arianna's orbit.

The short version is that Jackson is there to save the day when Darkbloods try to kidnap the girl again. And his attempts to make Arianna forget the incident ultimately fail. He ends up protecting her and her cousin from the persistent Darkblood threat and in the process, they end up falling for each other.

Women have always fallen at Jackson's feet, but I like the fact that nothing really happens between him and Arriana until she knows and cares for the man he is beneath his smooth exterior. I love that he is vulnerable and insecure. And she is so patient and understanding of his needs.

There is solid thread of danger that runs throughout, regarding the Darkbloods and their plans, but this book focuses more on the love story than anything else. It's one of the things I enjoyed so much about it. Oh yeah... and the sex was smokin-hot too. --Plus I liked the way that the couples from the previous books are woven into the story. It felt germane to what was happening... not like useless cameos.

Well done. 4 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley(less)

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Feb 22, 2012 Jess rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: for_review, paranormal

Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: 3.5/5

Jackson is on the verge of reverting. He’s on the downward spiral of blood lust and needs high amounts of energy from humans to survive and he needs all this frequently. Being a Guardian and reverting means very simply - execution. Jackson is estranged from his parents and he blames himself for his little sister’s death. As a result, he lives like he has nothing to lose. He’s a risk taker and takes chances with his work by throwing himse...more Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: 3.5/5

Jackson is on the verge of reverting. He’s on the downward spiral of blood lust and needs high amounts of energy from humans to survive and he needs all this frequently. Being a Guardian and reverting means very simply - execution. Jackson is estranged from his parents and he blames himself for his little sister’s death. As a result, he lives like he has nothing to lose. He’s a risk taker and takes chances with his work by throwing himself into the middle of it all, knowing that his days are numbered.

Arianna works for a gaming software company and runs a paranormal blog on the side. She watched her mom die when she was a little girl, watching as the dark shadows take her mom away. No one believed her, so her heart is into running Paranormalish, her blog dedicated to the weird and unexplained things that humans can’t understand. She’s watching out for her younger cousin, Krystal, but can’t stop the shadows when they come for her one night. Krystal is a Sweetblood, a blood type that’s irresistible to vampires and the Darkbloods want to gather all the sweets and move back to how vampires used to live; taking blood freely from humans, with no concern for their lives. Krystal was in a group of sweets that were captured in the previous book, Embraced By Blood, that were to be sold to the highest bidder. One of the master minds behind that idea is back and she wants the sweets that got away.

Jackson is in the right place at the right time as he helps Krystal and Arianna get away from the Darkbloods and takes them to Alfonso and Lily’s home to regroup and get a plan of attack together. We get to see plenty of the Guardians, including Kip who’s still struggling to get back into his life and work. I loved seeing a little more of Alfonso in the role of Dad, it was something that I wanted more of in his own book.

She tensed. Was this the part where he was going to bite her? She was so completely and utterly enthralled by him that she hasn’t thought about it ahead of time, but the man was a vampire. At least she could’ve mentally prepared herself. Would it hurt? Would he -

“Shh, little minx. I will not hurt you.”

“You…you won’t”

He stroked a finger along her throat. Her pulse quickened in response as if encouraging him to drink from her.

“As much as I want this from you, I will not take anything that you don’t freely give to me.” He hesitated and it felt as if he was going to say something more. She held her breath, but he stayed silent.

He wouldn’t bite her unless she told him he could. Slowly, she relaxed.

“There we go,” he murmured. “That’s it.”

The romance between Jackson and Arianna was sweet, but a little slow in building. I do like how Laurie London has created a connection between the vampire/human couples in that when they meet their “one”, the human’s blood unlocks a dormant power in the vampire. It’s a nice connection for the couples to have and in the case of Jackson it causes a bit more angst since his new talent is often a side effect of reverting. I kept waiting and waiting for their romance to heat up, and while it took until around the midway point for them to get together, the first part of the book had a nice build up. It set the story up for Krystal, being the sought after Sweetblood and Arianna and Jackson trying to figure out ways to protect her. I liked following this trio as they run from the Darkbloods and connect with Lily and Alfonso. Jackson feels especially protective of Krystal as she reminds him so much of his sister.

The suspense plot is driven by the Sweetbloods and the Guardians trying to find ways to help keep them safe, it builds to a fight at the end with a group of Darkbloods behind the latest plot to take them. I wasn’t so attracted to this plot line as I was the little moments that came out of it for our hero and heroine – like Arianna’s blog coming in handy and giving clues to the Guardian’s when it came to missing people and Jackson struggling to believe in himself when he’s so convinced that he’s going to fall on the wrong side of the line he’s trying to straddle between being a Guardian and becoming too addicted to blood and energy. It was the little things that came out along the way to final fight that I was more interested in than the actual fight itself, which was resolved fairly quickly.

This was an overall nice story for Jackson and Arianna and I always enjoy the addition of the side characters both from past books and characters that we need to know more about before they take center stage in their own books.(less)

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Mar 04, 2012 Alexia Chantel rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

You may take a look at Jackson and see an incredibly alluring man very adept at womanizing. From his multicolored hair to piercings everything about him screams bad boy, the kind you have fun with once but not the kind you keep.

It takes a talented author to transform a character that has been portrayed as a hard core player who parties too much into an honorable one-girl kind of man. But London did that and more with Jackson.

From the moment Jackson meets Ariana you feel for him. You can...more

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Feb 25, 2012 Carmel (Rabid Reads) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

Laurie London has built-up her reputation as a red hot vampire fiction writer with her Sweetblood series and Tempted by Blood is the hottest book yet! Even though it’s been months since I finished reading Embraced by Blood; once I dove in to this third installment it felt like no time had passed at all. Even though the overall premise of this series is hard to forget, Laurie does a great job of bringing the details to the forefront and then expanding upon them even furthe...more Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

Laurie London has built-up her reputation as a red hot vampire fiction writer with her Sweetblood series and Tempted by Blood is the hottest book yet! Even though it’s been months since I finished reading Embraced by Blood; once I dove in to this third installment it felt like no time had passed at all. Even though the overall premise of this series is hard to forget, Laurie does a great job of bringing the details to the forefront and then expanding upon them even further. I didn’t find that the characters were as engaging this time around and the plot didn’t have that sense of do-or-die about it. As a result, this was my least favorite novel out of the three.

I really liked the fact that Arianna is a blogger. Granted, this aspect probably doesn’t appeal to everyone but for me, it’s what allowed me to form that initial connection to her. We bonded over our geekiness so to speak. There are a number of instances where I found myself nodding in agreement because her reaction was exactly what mine would have been. Plus her blog’s called Paranormalish, how cool is that? A girl after my own heart! Unfortunately, that’s where the synchronicity ended. I had a hard time connecting with Arianna on any other level. She’s not a bad heroine per say but she’s not on the same level as MacKenzie and Lily from the first two books either.

A guardian’s biggest fear is reverting back to their feral nature and becoming the very thing that they hunt, Darkbloods. Jackson fears that this is what’s happening to him and feels trapped in his own skin. He can’t tell anyone because it’s an automatic death sentence so instead he hides his urges by playing up his whole man whore persona. I enjoyed witnessing his internal battle of wills. Laurie does a great job of conveying how close he is to breaking. I felt genuinely stressed out for him! Jackson is just barely holding on and then in walks Arianna. Talk about adding fuel to the fire!

I found the plot line of Tempted by Blood to be a little on the slow side. The first two books have a real sense of urgency to them that’s somewhat lacking this time around. The story is interesting but it’s not a page turner. Maybe that was London’s plan. She’s moved the action from the battlefield to the bedroom so instead of it being go-go-go it’s hot-hot-hot! I think it was a fair trade because I’m definitely not complaining.

Tempted by Blood achieves a nice balance of blood, sex and violence which are the key elements to writing good vampire fiction. Unlike its predecessors, it’s heavier on the nookie side of things and lighter on the action side. I’m giving this book a three but it’s a high three. I’ll definitely be back for more in July when Seduced by Blood releases.

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May 06, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

AGAIN!!! I did it again. I started a series on the third book. I don't know why or how I manage to do this so often...I guess I like 3. Let's get to my thoughts For beginning with the third book, it was not confusing. I really do love when authors write a series with books that can be independent of each other.
Jackson Foss is a Guardian, sworn to protect the humans that the Dark Blood would drain of every last drop. He is a tortured, chiseled, handsome, male who is on edge of turning bad - my f...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Nocturne Romance Reads rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sweetbloods are the hottest commodity on the black market for vampires.With blood so intoxicating, vampires, known as Darkbloods, will stop at nothing to kidnap one. Jackson Foss, a Guardian vampire, protects Sweetbloods even though their blood calls to him. However, Jackson harbors a secret, his need for blood increases everyday. As his secret begins showing itself the moment he saves Arianna and her niece Krystal from Darkbloods, Jackson struggles to maintain control as well as hide his feelin...more

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Apr 18, 2012 Lisa Annesley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, pnr, vampire

Jackson Foss is a Guardian vampire, sworn to protect humans against Darkblood vampires who deal in "sweet" (blood), which is like a drug. Arianna Wells is a paranormal blogger who gets caught up in the world of vampires because her cousin is a sweetblood. Soon, not only is her cousin in danger but she is as well. Jackson is tasked with protecting them both. But Jackson thinks he's reverting to a Darkblood, which is punishable by death. And Arianna won't be allowed to live if they can't wipe her...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Jamie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: epubs

OMG I believe this was one of the sweetest stories I have ever read. While at first I believed that Arianna was just a little too accepting of the whole situation I guess that her whole need for confirmation and the receipt of it offered her more of a relief than regret. I loved how endearing she was and she was also a fighter. She found really hard for Foss Jackson and in the end she got him, body, mind, and soul. The ending was a very tearful moment. Right when I didn’t think things could get...more

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Mar 15, 2012 Mandi Schreiner rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: pnr

Arianna Wells works for a software company by day, but at night she devotes her time to her blog, Paranormalish. When her mother was kidnapped when Arianna was 5, she quickly learned that no one believed her when she said shadows, not a real person, took her mother away. Since then, she has devoted her life to researching the paranormal or odd situations that people can't explain. One night when Arianna is out picking up her cousin, two men come out of the shadows and attempt to kidnap her cousi...more Arianna Wells works for a software company by day, but at night she devotes her time to her blog, Paranormalish. When her mother was kidnapped when Arianna was 5, she quickly learned that no one believed her when she said shadows, not a real person, took her mother away. Since then, she has devoted her life to researching the paranormal or odd situations that people can't explain. One night when Arianna is out picking up her cousin, two men come out of the shadows and attempt to kidnap her cousin. But lucky for Arianna, she has her own Guardian vampire lurking nearby.

Jackson Foss is a vampire and a Guardian. In this world, there are vampires called Darkbloods, who prey on humans who have an addictive, rare type of blood called Sweetbloods. However, the Guardians have sworn to protect these Sweetbloods and have been waging a war with the Darkbloods for a long time. Humans are not to find out that vampires exist, so after Jackson fends off the Darkbloods who try to kidnap Arianna's cousin, he erases the events from their memories. But unfortunately for Jackson, Arianna's mind-erase doesn't keep. Lately, Jackson has needed to feed (both on blood and energy) more and more. He is afraid this is the beginning stages of reverting to the dark side. The failed mind-erase worries him even more.

I've been excited to get Jackson's story — he has always been the more laidback, sarcastic guy of the group in Laurie London's Sweetblood series. Known for his playboy ways, he easily can get any woman he wants. But we come to learn more recently that he is not necessarily sleeping with all of these women — he just needs their energy. He fears his dark side might be taking over. The very people he fights, those who drain Sweetbloods dry, might one day be him. So we get a Jackson that on the inside is kind of scared and unsure where his life is headed. He wants to fight the good fight, but his body is screaming for something else.

I enjoyed our heroine, Arianna, as well. A very curious woman who knows deep down that she was not crazy when she saw two shadows kidnap her mother all those years ago. So when Jackson comes to her rescue in his shadow form, and she also sees fangs, it is not a big leap for her to understand that vampires exist. When she documents the rescue with her phone, it complicates things for Jackson. Unfortunately for her, the Darkbloods learn where she and her cousin live, making it impossible to go home. So she ends up spending a lot of time with Jackson, who refuses to let them be hurt.

I enjoyed how Arianna and Jackson go from strangers to friends. It was well paced and believable. I wasn't as convinced with them going from friends to lovers. That scenario felt a little more rushed. While it takes a long while for the physical intimacy to start, I still don't know if I was 100% convinced Arianna would have sex with a vampire. All of a sudden, Arianna, who is still unsure about vampires, is falling into bed with one? That made me take pause. To me, they felt more like best friends, rather than intimate lovers. Not to say I didn't enjoy their friendship. I just wasn't convinced of their intimacy at first. By the end though they made me smile.

Tempted by Blood is a fun, easy read and can be read as a stand-alone.(less)

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Dec 02, 2012 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-romance, vampire, sensuous

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Setting: Devil’s Backbone; Arianna’s apartment, Guardian Headquarters, Xtark Software offices, Seattle;
Casa en las Colinas

Theme: doing right; hiding truth to protect self and others; truth; operating in a world that does not know the truth; finding a love that empowers

Characters:

Arianna Wells – aka Icy Shadows; Dark Seer (can see the shadows that vampires make themselves into to hide); when a child, saw shadows kill her mother – but no one believed her; now works at Xtark working on computer ga...more

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Jul 24, 2012 Lori {Romancing the Dark Side} rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley-reviews, my-reviews, books-read-in-2012, my-favorites, paranormal-romance, vampires

It's impossible not to love these dark and sexy Guardian vampires!

In a world with feral vampires called Darkbloods who prey on humans (nicknamed Sweetbloods) there exists a league of Guardian vampires whose mission is to protect the innocent. Jackson Foss is one of those guardians but his dark urges have him walking a dangerous line that if crossed would change his life forever. When he rescues two young women from a Darkblood attack, his struggle with his personal demons and blood lust becomes...more It's impossible not to love these dark and sexy Guardian vampires!

In a world with feral vampires called Darkbloods who prey on humans (nicknamed Sweetbloods) there exists a league of Guardian vampires whose mission is to protect the innocent. Jackson Foss is one of those guardians but his dark urges have him walking a dangerous line that if crossed would change his life forever. When he rescues two young women from a Darkblood attack, his struggle with his personal demons and blood lust becomes unbearable. Jackson's mission is to keep Arianna and her cousin safe from the Darkbloods, but the temptation of having her soon takes over, making him the biggest threat to the woman he's sworn to protect.

Laurie London works her writing magic in Tempted by Blood. When we are first introduced to Jackson, he's portrayed as a sexy bad boy with a love for women...many women. We soon learn there's more than meets the eye with this tortured hero. He's conflicted, torn between his urges and beliefs, but underneath all those layers we see a man who is vulnerable and caring. In Arianna he finds a challenge. She's a strong willed blogger (which I love) who threatens to expose the truth of the paranormal and doesn't exactly fall at Jackson's feet, even with his incredible magnetism. Arianna isn't a stranger to the supernatural which explains how she handles the situation she's thrown into with little hysteria (the girl's pretty tough).

This romance isn't love at first sight and slowly develops which is a great element to the story. There's plenty of sass and chemistry between Arianna and Jackson which leads to some hot and heavy action when it finally happens. These two characters complement each other perfectly, he's an Alpha with a sarcastic tone and she's independent and not afraid to put him in his place!

Don't be fooled into thinking this is just another paranormal romance story...it's a little more. The world building is imaginative, new and there's plenty of suspense with the addition of a dark, female villain you'll love to hate. There's a great balance of elements in Tempted by Blood that blend effortlessly in delivering an engaging story. Ms. London's attention to detail makes it easy to jump into her vampire world even if you haven't followed the series. While there's a bit more action between the sheets than on the streets in this installment, you won't want to miss out on meeting the tempting vampire Guardian Jackson!

{ebook courtesy of NetGalley for an honest review.}

Original Romancing the Darkside Review:
http://romancingthedarkside.blogspot....(less)

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Oct 01, 2012 Pat rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, always-worth-re-reading, favorites, naughty-bits, romance, series, series-r-us, urban-fantasy

4.5stars! Oh So Tantalizing! One of my favorites of the series.

Sweet Blood guardian Jackson meets blogger Arianna Welles while saving her niece from the Dark Bloods who have special plans for her. In the third full length novel of this exciting series we get another great entry and Jacks is definitely ready for his star turn. Fans of the series get glimpses of familiar faces and those new to the series will be able to follow along without getting lost.

Jacks and Arianna are great together as he...more

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Feb 24, 2012 Debbie (at) I Heart YA Books rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love the Sweetblood series by Laurie London, and I have been waiting for London to tell Jackson Foss’ story from when he stole my heart in the first book, Bonded by Blood. Laurie London, who is a fantastic writer, answered all the mystery around Jackson. I always knew Jackson was really a sweetheart of a guy, even if he was the no commitment, playboy type. It just took the right woman, who wouldn't put up with Jackson's bad boy ways.

Arianna Wells is haunted by her mother's death. When she was...more

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Mar 27, 2012 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires

“Tempted by Blood” by Laurie London is the third book in the Sweetblood series and I have to say that I enjoyed it very much! The author has create a very unique and interesting vampire world and in combination with the great characters, the result is great. I love her writing style, because it makes the book very easy to read and the story is fast-paced so the reader never gets bored!

In this story, we learn about Jackson a vampire agent and Arianna a human blogger. Jackson believes that he soon...more

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Feb 22, 2012 Danielle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: review

Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick

I really enjoyed this book. Jackson was such a delightful surprise. I honestly wasn't sure what to expect from him going into Tempted By Blood. In the previous books he was portrayed pretty much as a man-whore who didn't have seem to have a care in the world. That was definitely not the case. Yes he's charming, funny and a man-whore but it's all a front. Jackson believes he is reverting which is a big no no, especially if you are a guardian. S...more Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick

I really enjoyed this book. Jackson was such a delightful surprise. I honestly wasn't sure what to expect from him going into Tempted By Blood. In the previous books he was portrayed pretty much as a man-whore who didn't have seem to have a care in the world. That was definitely not the case. Yes he's charming, funny and a man-whore but it's all a front. Jackson believes he is reverting which is a big no no, especially if you are a guardian. So because of this he uses the persona he's created as a man-whore to cover up the fact that he's actually using these woman for their energy and blood. Despite the fact that Jackson is reverting, I still found him to be kind and considerate and very caring. He takes such good care of the ones he feel responsible for and yet he still houses tremendous guilt for things that happened in his past. There were a few times I just wanted to give a hug and let him know things were going to be alright.

I loved Arianna and I thought she was a perfect match for Jackson. She is open and honest. I love that she is also loyal and willing to do anything to take care of the ones she loves. Arianna has had a rough childhood. After watching her mom get taken away by "shadows" when she was just a kid an no one believing her, she has grown up trying to learn everything she can about the paranormal world. She now runs a blog called Paranormalish dedicated to all things that go bump in the night. When Arianna posts pictures on her blog of an attempted attack on her and her cousin she immediately draws the attention of Guardians and the Darkbloods. When Jackson is sent to erase Arianna's memory of the attack he ends up staying and getting to know her. He is definitely attracted to her and he finds she is easy to talk to.

I loved the relationship between Jackson and Arianna. They both were just so open and honest with each other and they didn't play games with one another and I loved that. I loved watching their relationship progress. Their connection was a slow build and I found that I enjoyed that. I liked watching them interact with one another while getting to know each other. But believe me, when these two did finally get hot and heavy my oh my was it hot! I had to put the book down quite a few times and fan my face after some of their encounters. Jackson sure is one sexy beast!

Like I said before, I really enjoyed this book. The overall storyline was just okay for me but I loved being able to catch up with past characters. I love the world Laurie London has created with her Sweetblood series and she just has a way with creating super sexy heroes. I can't wait to read her next book.(less)

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Feb 28, 2012 Lindsey ( United By Books Reviews) rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the third installment in the “Sweetblood” series. We delve more into Guardian Jackson Foss, known as the funny man-whore of the group. He has put a lot of effort into letting people think he is a man whore to cover up the fact that his energy and blood consuming is getting more persistent. Jackson was checking in on the Sweetbloods that he watches over when he runs into Arianna. Arianna's cousin, Krystal, is a sweetblood he saved a few months before. Krystal reminds him of his sister, so...more This is the third installment in the “Sweetblood” series. We delve more into Guardian Jackson Foss, known as the funny man-whore of the group. He has put a lot of effort into letting people think he is a man whore to cover up the fact that his energy and blood consuming is getting more persistent. Jackson was checking in on the Sweetbloods that he watches over when he runs into Arianna. Arianna's cousin, Krystal, is a sweetblood he saved a few months before. Krystal reminds him of his sister, so he is drawn to her in that aspect. What Jackson doesn't expect is Arianna and the feelings she evokes in him. Arianna can see shadows walking which just happens to be the Darkbloods, who kidnap her cousin and reminds her of a time when she was younger and her mother. Jackson is there and saves her cousin. They wind up hiding out in the country and things steam up between Jackson and Arianna.

I was worried when I got this book that I might be lost since it’s the third installment. Even though I have the first two, I haven’t been able to read them yet. In reality, this book can be read by itself, but it will make you want to read the previous ones. Jackson was super sexy alpha male with a troubled side as well as the vulnerable and insecure side. He had me swooning so hard all through the book. Arianna was perfect for him. She has sass and called him on his stuff. She wasn't afraid to see what others didn’t. The attraction between them went from a building sizzle to a burning house fire. Seriously, the passion on the pages and in the sex scenes was steamy as hell. I gasped and sighed Jackson's name a few times. I have to say I really loved this book. Laurie London did a great job with “Tempted By Blood“. It’s a definite read. I will be reading the first two in my pile in the near future and I’m already craving “Seduced By Blood” coming out in July. London has a twist on vamps and brings something new and different. I loved seeing how a vampire/human relationship can cause dormant traits to unleash with a taste of the human’s blood and the bond between them. London's "Sweetblood" series is one to add to your book pile. I would also like to thank Laurie London for sending this book and letting me review it. (less)

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Mar 04, 2012 Angela the Fair ~Lusty Lace~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

Review also posted at link: Under The Covers Book Blog

Laurie London delivered another great installment of the Sweet Blood Series. Ms. London’s world of the Vampire Guardians vs. the Dark Bloods continues and this book is no different from the rest, outright addictive.

Jackson Foss has been one of my most anticipated characters. From the first time I met him in Book 1, Bonded by Blood, I knew there was more to him then just a plain brute. I remember him specifically when he helped Dom set up som...more
Review also posted at link: Under The Covers Book Blog

Laurie London delivered another great installment of the Sweet Blood Series. Ms. London’s world of the Vampire Guardians vs. the Dark Bloods continues and this book is no different from the rest, outright addictive.

Jackson Foss has been one of my most anticipated characters. From the first time I met him in Book 1, Bonded by Blood, I knew there was more to him then just a plain brute. I remember him specifically when he helped Dom set up some road signs for Mckenzie and when he was flirting with Lilly in the Gym flexing his muscles. Jackson is a bad boy; this guy is very hot (hence the cover, whom I pictured the whole time reading this book), inked, well endowed and well accessorized.*cough*. Unfortunately, Jackson has gone to a point of reverting (blood addiction) and well, sh*t around him is falling apart. One of the Sweet Bloods he protected has somehow fallen into more danger than usual. Do you remember “Krystal with a K" from the previous book? She is one of the Sweet Bloods Jacks had rescued. I actually expected her to be our heroine. Boy, was I wrong.

Arianna Wells is Krystal's cousin and guardian. She is also our hard headed, smart and very independent heroine. I like her. She's a straight shooter. She figures out what she wants and tries very hard to achieve or acquire it. She'a good for Jackson, someone who is not a push-over and will keep our hero in check.

They meet in an unfortunate incident as both Arianna and Krystal were being attacked by Dark Bloods. Jackson protects them but his protection would need to go beyond his usual task.
Their attraction was strong from the get go. But both had trust issues, not quite a love-hate relationship but hurdles with a "should-I-stay-should-I-go" syndrome. Although it was frustrating, it makes their love scenes super intense and leave you wanting more! And the ending was a tear jerking surprise.

My only complain and note that this is a personal opinion; I felt certain parts of the book were a bit wordy and the parts I wanted more of were cut short. Nevertheless, I look forward to the next installment of this series.

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Mar 16, 2012 Megan Riverina Romantics/Meggerfly~TS rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-book, nookbook, paranormal-romance, vampires

Tempted by Blood, the third book in Laurie London's Sweetblood series, is Jackson Foss's story. Jackson, a Guardian for the Seattle Field office is known to be quite the ladies man. His reputation was well earned and he used it to his advantage. If people thought he was constantly getting busy then they wouldn't guess that he was actually using that 1 - on - 1 time to get the extra energies and blood that his body needed. He was afraid that he was reverting to the old ways and hated it.

Arianna W...more Tempted by Blood, the third book in Laurie London's Sweetblood series, is Jackson Foss's story. Jackson, a Guardian for the Seattle Field office is known to be quite the ladies man. His reputation was well earned and he used it to his advantage. If people thought he was constantly getting busy then they wouldn't guess that he was actually using that 1 - on - 1 time to get the extra energies and blood that his body needed. He was afraid that he was reverting to the old ways and hated it.

Arianna Wells had two jobs. She worked for Xtark, a computer gaming company, and also wrote a blog. You cold basically call her a parajournalist. On top of that, she was taking care of her cousin while her aunt was in rehab. She wasn't doing the best job of it though. Her cousin had disappeared for a few days right after she had arrived in Seattle. Though she had returned safely, she had retained no memory of where she'd been or of what had happened to her. What Ari didn't know was that her cousin, Krystal with a "K", was a Sweetblood that had been kidnapped by Darkbloods only be saved a few days later by Jackson.

Tempted was a really enjoyable read. I had been waiting for a while to read Jackson's story and Laurie London didn't disappoint. Jackson first caught my eye in Bonded by Blood. He was handsome, big & bad, and had a great sense of humor. All these things are pluses in a guy but it was wonderful getting to know the man beneath the glossy cover. Within the pretty package lay a heart of gold. His charm and consideration were both a natural part of him. He honestly cared about doing the right thing when he found out that Krystal was still on danger from the DB's.

I really liked that the Big Bad in this continued to be Xtark and the DB's behind the company. The whole recruitment through a video game is a fantastic idea of London's that is easily plausible in Today's world. So isn't Ventra the sector mistress. What kind of villain would she be if she wasn't both power hungry and brilliant? All rising stars in the business world need the chance to shine. You can totally see Laurie London's business past in the way that Ventra's mind worked.

Another cool thing about Tempted was that it was a big shout out to bloggers everywhere from Laurie. It was great that she created a character that was a blogger. As a blogger myself I think it's cool that an author took the time to recognize the effort and devotion that we put into our work.

~Awesome hero & heroine: Check
~Devious villain: Check
~Betrayal:Check
~Intrigue: Check
~Secret message to readers: Check
~Steamy sex: Check

Tempted by Blood has all that you need in a PNR and more! If you haven't tried Sweet then you haven't lived!
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May 21, 2012 Sandra rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, vampy-stuff, net-galley-harlequin

ARC recieved from Harlequin HQN on NetGalley

This series is consistent for me. A typical but enjoyable paranormal romance, there are some variations of vampire lore that make this series unique such as the sweetbloods and the ancient abilities that are cropping up in our heroes. It is a little cheesy at times for me but that sort of comes with the territory. I do have to say I teared up at the end when they were talking about her mom.

I'm glad this book finally addressed the issue of saving a swee...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Danielle rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love the Sweetblood series by Laurie London. From the very first book the series tends to suck you into a world that can be a tad dark, but there is light at the end of the tunnel for each and every character. I was super excited to find out this book was about bad boy Jackson, who I absolutely loved from the moment he was introduced in the first book. The way that Laurie made Jackson so mysterious was of pure genius. Even though he is portrayed as the playboy type you can tell that there is s...more I love the Sweetblood series by Laurie London. From the very first book the series tends to suck you into a world that can be a tad dark, but there is light at the end of the tunnel for each and every character. I was super excited to find out this book was about bad boy Jackson, who I absolutely loved from the moment he was introduced in the first book. The way that Laurie made Jackson so mysterious was of pure genius. Even though he is portrayed as the playboy type you can tell that there is so much more to him than meets the eye. It honestly just took the right woman to bring him out of his shell.

When Arianna was a young girl she watched her mother die, but no one believes her that her mother was killed by a “shadow”. After staring a blog Arianna comes to find out the truth of what really had happened. It’s up to her to be the voice of the past and present. Now she has to guard her cousin Krystal (with a K) after she is kidnapped by the Darkbloods . Now Jackson is the Guardian to protect her against the wrong. Now that he is thrown into the mix who is going to save Jackson from falling in love? This one woman will bring this playboy to his knees and there will be no back tracking when things start to come together.

Every single guy in this series had a bad edge until the woman come and show them how it is going to be. What I like most about this series is that there are strong females who tend to bring in the story full force. They are a forced to be reckoned with. Sure the men are a major turn on but a strong woman is well worth the read. It makes It not only more exciting, but the level of heat and tension has a major rise on every scene.

Jackson’s story was not only worth it in the end but a fantastic addiction to this series. I am really excited to see what Laurie will come up come with next for this series. It is enough that I never want to put it down. I am truly interested to see where this is headed. Every part of this book made me want more and more.

Again Laurie had not only brought the fire but has brought you an edge that you just can’t help fall in love with. You are going to want to read about each guardian and how their story will turn out. Overall, it is fantastic series that is detailed. I adored it from the first page to the end. *dreamy sigh* Jackson is the man!!
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Tempted by Blood (Sweetblood #3)

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