First Drop of Crimson (Night Huntress World, #1)

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First Drop of Crimson (Night Huntress World #1)

by Jeaniene Frost (Goodreads Author)

4.15 of 5 stars 4.15 · rating details · 23,753 ratings · 1,416 reviews

The night is not safe for mortals.

Denise MacGregor knows all too well what lurks in the shadows – her best friend is half-vampire Cat Crawfield – and she has already lost more than the average human could bear. But her family’s dark past is wrapped in secrets and shrouded in darkness – and a demon shapeshifter has marked Denise as prey. Now her survival depends on an immor...more

Mass Market Paperback, 371 pages

Published February 9th 2010 by Avon

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Jun 24, 2010 Mel rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: total-waste-of-my-time, pnr

I’m sorry to say but: this was NOT good. I gave this 2,5 stars and I'm still wondering whether it isn’t too generous.
Was this really Jeaniene Frost? What happened to the woman who wrote such a fresh and exciting book with Halfway to the Grave?
Granted: I wasn’t the biggest Night Huntress series fan. So many nice ideas but nothing really fleshed out (minimal world building, thin plot, flat secondaries, etc.) But I came into these spin off series expecting a PNR novel. The only thing important to...more

32 likes · like · see review

May 09, 2010 Elizabeth rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: RBRS

Shelves: 2010, in-by-of-the-americas, hem-steppers-and-bodice-rippers, reviewed, vamps-and-other-mythical-beasts, fantasy-sci-fi, the-knights-who-say-meh

This book didn't suck!

Well, there is some sucking; it is a vampire romance; we'd all be disappointed otherwise, but you know what I mean. There were no "kitten-like tongues" or petals opening or splaying fingers or viking-inspired cuddling or impaling or (almost) any of the other of the really fucking lame let's-all-pretend-that-we're-not-reading-a-romance-novel-for-what-it-really-is euphemisms that I have come to expect from my recent, and albeit limited, foray into romance novel territory. Je ...more This book didn't suck!

Well, there is some sucking; it is a vampire romance; we'd all be disappointed otherwise, but you know what I mean. There were no "kitten-like tongues" or petals opening or splaying fingers or viking-inspired cuddling or impaling or (almost) any of the other of the really fucking lame let's-all-pretend-that-we're-not-reading-a-romance-novel-for-what-it-really-is euphemisms that I have come to expect from my recent, and albeit limited, foray into romance novel territory. Jeaniene Frost knows how to spell clitoris and she isn't afraid to use it. And, yes, there is an honest-to-god bodice and it gets ripped.

I've really lost all perspective here. What I did like about this book is that Denise, the pale women holding her hair away from her neck on the cover, isn't a total idiot. She's is sometimes, as is apparently required in all romance novels, and I must say, at times she compared unfavorably to Bella Swan for sheer insecurity and desire for self-sacrifice, but she has more independence and courage than some of the other insipid heroines I've come across recently. She doesn't just get rescued. She doesn't just go along with everything because someone more assured (e.g. some guy with hypnotic eyes) says she should. She isn't cool because the author tells us so, the author also shows us so.

That said, this isn't a great book. I read it in a few hours. It's perfect for that moment on an airplane after a long week of twelve-hour days and not enough sleep and emotional exhaustion when you want to turn off your brain and just read. There's no challenge. It didn't make me think differently about anything. In fact, writing this review a whole twenty-four hours later I'm struggling to come up with some of the details. It's not memorable, but it didn't suck, and it's been a long time since I could say that.

I do have some comments for the author though, should she wish to consider them:

1. In sex scenes, use of the word sensual should be limited to no more than once per page. Using it twice in the same paragraph is overkill.

2. Globes. Here's a working definition, "A body with the shape of a sphere." Please don't use it to refer to body parts that are not actually spheres.

3. I get that misunderstandings happen between people in new relationships and that it is almost required in this type of novel that it happens a few times just so they can make up afterwards, but do you think that you could please make it a little less obvious that it is being done just so you can get them to have make-up sex on the floor later? The whole storming out thing, was that really necessary?

4. I didn't read any of the Night Huntress books. This is the first book by Frost that I've read. So bringing characters in that might have been well developed in other books and kind of dumping them into this one without any development really didn't work for me. "Cat" (her name is really Cat? Not Catherine or anything?) is just a blob with sparkly hands and some heard of but not manifest attitude as far as I can tell. Even if she is the hero of a series of her own, blob probably isn't the impression I should have here.

5. People who fight against overwhelming odds usually get hurt; maybe they are making too much money for you to get killed but Star Trek employed the red shirts for a reason, so it didn't look like the bad guys were just stupid. Just saying.

As I said, it wasn't great, but it didn't suck, and that was really all I was asking for. The Atlanta airport bookstores have finally come through. Go ATL!(less)

15 likes · like · see review

Mar 30, 2010 Shawna rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of JF Night Huntress series, sexy vampires, and paranormal romance

Shelves: jeaniene-frost, pnr-angeldemon-fae-magic-witch-misc, pnr-vampires, favorite-romance-series, series-night-huntress-nh-world, pnr-weres-cats-wolves-shifters, favorites, hero-abused-scarred-tortured-angst, heroine-abused-traumatic-past-rape, hero-stalk-me-baby-possessive, i-read-own-faves-keepers, 2010-reads, best-top-favorites, favorite-romance-couple-hh-pairings, hero-addict-excon-lawtrouble-thief, hero-i-wanna-marry, hero-im-gaga-over, hero-mix-of-alpha-beta, hero-stud-mantel-hall-of-fame, humorous-at-times-or-fluffy-fun, marry-me-bones, tattoos-piercings-body-art, hh-widow-or-widower, hero-expert-skilled-voracious-lover, hero-attractive-handsome-heartthrob, 5-stars-or-higher, paranormal-romance, best-snarkasm-humor, a-all-time-fave-hero, pnr-occult-magic, pnr-dragons-raptors-shifters

5+ stars – Vampire/Paranormal Romance

If I’m ever stuck on a deserted island or in a remote, isolated castle somewhere, my three survival fantasy essentials would be Bones, Spade, and a Twister Board Game ‘cause I think the possibilities would be endless...certainly enough to last for a wicked eternity. *Bones and Spade high-pitched fan girl squeal and naughty grin!*

This is a devilishly sexy, witty, fun, and smokin’ hot addition to the awesome Night Huntress series, and I loved it, loved it, love...more

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Feb 09, 2010 Auntee rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of the author; Fans of paranormal romances like the IAD or BDB

Shelves: paranormal-romance, 2010_reads

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Feb 11, 2010 Beanbag Love rated it 4 of 5 stars

I wrote out a whole review and then my computer froze. Gah!

Anyway, 4.5 stars for this one. This is the first "off-shoot" book of Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series and it features Spade and Denise, two characters introduced in earlier books of the series.

I've been a Spade fangirl since the moment of his introduction in the first book of the series, Halfway to the Grave. *pauses review to high five Rane* He's a wonderful character, incredibly loyal and sexily charming. Chivalrous as only a tw...more

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Feb 21, 2013 Brenna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: audible, kindle

Watch out, Bones! Spade is heeeerrre! <3 <3

First Drop of Crimson is the first book in the Night Huntress World (NHW) series. Although it is technically a different series, these books are meant to be read in order of the publication date, meaning there is some back and forth between this series and the Night Huntress (NH) series. This is supposed to be read after NH #4. The focus is on two secondary characters from the NH series, Spade, Bones’ best friend & Denise, Cat’s best friend...more

8 likes · like · see review

Feb 03, 2010 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews, urban-fantasy

It has been a year since Denise lost her husband by paranormal means. It's only normal that she wouldn't want to have anything to do with that world after such a loss. But when evil rears its ugly head, she'll have no say in the matter. With Cat and Bones on the other side of the world, Denise's only help comes from Spade, master vampire. Ever since meeting they've always felt a pull towards each other. Plus there's definitely an attraction on both sides, and at the same time neither of them wil...more

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Jul 01, 2010 Laurie (Bitten by Paranormal Romance) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, keepers, favorites, vampire

First off let me say this, I have only read a little over half of the first Night Huntress Novel, so I really know nothing about Cat and Bones. In saying this I will not be comparing between them. I’m one that prefers PNR over UF. So, I was very pleased with First Drop of Crimson.

I love a book with a bad gorgeous vampire, Spide fit that bill for me. This book has just about all the elements for a good PNR, it has lots blood fighting action, adventure, some humor, traveling, family, friends and...more

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Apr 11, 2011 DarienMoya rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-reads, vampires, rrrc-challenge-a-to-z-2011

^^HEY SPADE, I AM WILLING TO SHOW YOU MY ACES!^^

I really enjoyed this continuation of the Night Huntress world, even though it lacked the charm of the previous series; it still brought quite an entertaining story.

We have the best-friends of Cat and Bones in this one. Good ole Denise and Spade, even though I barely tolerated Denise and I am all kinds of obsessed with Spade. We get a vampire versus demon clash, and the transformation of human Denise into something different.

Denise’s whole family...more ^^HEY SPADE, I AM WILLING TO SHOW YOU MY ACES!^^

I really enjoyed this continuation of the Night Huntress world, even though it lacked the charm of the previous series; it still brought quite an entertaining story.

We have the best-friends of Cat and Bones in this one. Good ole Denise and Spade, even though I barely tolerated Denise and I am all kinds of obsessed with Spade. We get a vampire versus demon clash, and the transformation of human Denise into something different.

Denise’s whole family is dying and it’s a little suspicious to Denise, being aware of the things that go bump in the night. It just too odd for healthy people to be dying of heart attacks and other natural causes and she has a sneaking suspicion that she is next. When a little girl comes a knocking at her door one night, and then transforms right before her eyes into a man. Seems all the things she feared becomes true, it seems she is a descendent of someone who made a deal with a demon, and he wants the whole family to pay up. Marked with demon marks, Denise has to go to the very things she’s been trying to keep away from, vampires. Being a part of their world has brought her nothing but pain, but it seems that depending on one vamp in particular might end up saving her life.

Spade is a master vampire, ruling over his people, until he gets a call from a woman, he’s been trying to forget, a very human woman. Relationship with humans always ends badly, and Spade knows this first-hand. He gets a call from Denise, and it becomes a job to keep her alive, while trying to avoid his lusty feelings in his pants. It becomes quite predictable actually.

Well I liked it, I really did enjoy Spade. He makes me want eat him alive and spit out his belt afterwards. For those who have read the Cat and Bones series, you will know Ian. He makes this book shine with the very little scenes he has, and I can’t wait to see the woman who lands him; GOOD LUCK GIRL.

THE COVER!! Seriously, what happened here? This is one creepy looking dude, and it no way does it resemble Spade. Spade is sex on legs; this cover guy is one look away from being a pervert or Bram Stokers Dracula (in other words un-sexy). Next time just throw some abs or a sexy back on there; you see we readers don’t really ask for much. If your aim was to not make people read the book, then you have SUCCESS!

So I enjoyed book, wanna do Spade and all that.
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Jul 24, 2012 Kelly22 rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Jeaniene Frost, Night Huntress series/ Fans of vampire romance, shape shifters.

Shelves: alpha-hero, brooding-dangerous-hero, fantasy-magic-sci-fi, gorgeous-handsome-attractive-hero, hero-accomplished-lover, jeaniene-frost, paranormal-romance, previous-ties, urban-fantasy, vampires, werewolf-shapeshifter, widow-widower-divorcee, witty-humerous-funny-comedy, 5-stars, beloved-favorites, beta-hero, favorite-hero, favorite-couple, favorite-heroine, favorite-story, ghosts-ghouls, hottest-love-scenes-ever, opposites-attract, overtly-possessive-jealous-hero, powerful-endings-epilogues, powerful-secondaries, sadistic-villain, tortured-hero, favorite-series, hh-superhuman-ability-special-power

5.00 Stars - Paranormal Romance/ Urban Fantasy/ Vampires

After reading the previous four amazing books of the Night Huntress series, and exposing myself to the likes of the supremely enigmatic and viciously charismatic Vampire BONES, and hence falling in love with him in the process, when I finally think I have read it all and that I am provisionally immune to the charms and enigma of a new fictional hero, and not likely to fall in love AGAIN with another vampire any time soon, THIS ONE SHAMELESS...more

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Mar 17, 2012 ☪ℒiℱ ☚☠☛ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Son sayfalara bayıldım süperdi.Spade&Denise güzel bir çift olmuş ayrıca iblis Raum bana korkunç değil de daha çok komik geldi:) ve İan çok şekerdi.Bones`un Cat`ini/Spade`in Denise`sini kiskandi yaa yazık:D iyi bi hikaye de ondan çıkar diye tahmin ediyorum

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Mar 13, 2010 I ♥ Bookie Nookie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: genre-pnr-uf, species-vampires, 2010-read-in, zz-reviewed, genre-paranormal

As a hugh fan of the Night Huntress series, I was very excited about this new spinoff series. I had heard less than favorable reviews about this first book of the new series and I have to say, it put me off from reading it right away. In my opinion, this first book was a great series starter and a nice change of pace from the Night Huntress books--this series is definitely PNR as opposed to the Night Huntress series which is UFR.

We got a glimpse of all our favorite characters from the original...more

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Feb 10, 2010 Jan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: red

Well, I'm pretty disappointed. I enjoyed the book for the most part, but it just wasn't what I expected or wanted. I knew it was PNR. I just didn't know it was generic PNR. I liked reading more about Spade and enjoyed his character. It was nice to see Cat and Bones and Mencheres and Ian (who I have a new perspective on).
And then there was Denise. Oh, Denise, how you vex me. Denise is a TSTL heroine. She is either being way too stubborn and unable to use her brain, or she is being a simpering ins...more

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Oct 24, 2011 Arlene rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Arlene by: Buddy read - Crystal

Shelves: paranormal, read-2011, romance, urban-fantasy, vampires, weres-shifters, adult

First Drop of Crimson is an entertaining spin-off to the Night Huntress series. We get to dive into Spade and Denise’s story as they come together in this installment to kickoff their adventure in the undead world. It was fun and engaging, but not quite as stimulating as Cat and Bones.

There were a few elements I struggled with in this book. I found Denise nowhere near as strong as Cat in character. Her insecurities and decisions proved to me that she doesn’t come close to what Cat has to offer....more

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Feb 27, 2010 Sabrina rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 3 stars. Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress worlds is one of my all time favorites in this genre. With that being said, while this was a pleasant read, it was not my favorite Frost book. This is a spin off of the Night Huntress series which up until now has been centered around two dynamic characters, Cat and Bones. I was not expecting them to show up in this book at all, and I was pleasantly surprised when they did - until I realized that Frost had written them devoid of their sparkling personalit...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Judith (Judith'sChoiceReads) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: good-reads, favorites, books-i-want-to-own, heroines-with-spunk, hunks-of-the-world

Goodreads Summary

The night is not safe for mortals. Denise MacGregor knows all too well what lurks in the shadows - her best friend is half-vampire Cat Crawfield - and she has already lost more than the average human could bear. But her family's dark past is wrapped in secrets and shrouded in darkness - and a demon shapeshifter has marked Denise as prey. Now her survival depends on an immortal who craves a taste of her.

He is Spade, a powerful, mysterious vampire who has walked the earth for cent

...more

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Feb 13, 2010 Shannon C. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires

This book picks up after Destined for an Early Grave (Night Huntress, Book 4) leaves off. It's a good idea to read the four Night Huntress books before this one, because a lot of the character development occurs throughout the earlier books and you won't know the backstory otherwise.

After the death of her husband Randy a year ago during an undead war, Denise has pulled away from her best friend Cat (a vampire). She's distancing herself from vampires and ghouls, in an effort to keep herself safe...more This book picks up after Destined for an Early Grave (Night Huntress, Book 4) leaves off. It's a good idea to read the four Night Huntress books before this one, because a lot of the character development occurs throughout the earlier books and you won't know the backstory otherwise.

After the death of her husband Randy a year ago during an undead war, Denise has pulled away from her best friend Cat (a vampire). She's distancing herself from vampires and ghouls, in an effort to keep herself safe and away from the violence of their world. But she's unable to stay away from it, because a demon is killing members of her family.

When he was only 19 years old, Nathanial, a distant relative, made the mistake of making a deal with that demon. The demon wants him found so he can punish him, but Nathanial is with the vampires where the demon cannot go. He's going to continue to murder all members of Denise's family if Denise can't track down Nathanial. The demon painfully brands Denise, which results in some odd changes in her body. The brands also work as a GPS for the demon to easily locate her.

Denise tries to contact Cat but Cat is out of the country. She finds Spade's number in her cell phone and calls him for help. Although they fight the attraction, eventually Denise and Spade come together. We see many of our favorite characters from the Night Huntress books -- Bones, Cat, Mencheres, Ian. And there are surprises as the fast moving plot unfolds.

The Night Huntress series is one of my favorite paranormal romance series. It follows Cat and Bones through the first four books. This book is a spin off set in the same world with the same characters, but it focuses on the romantic relationship between Spade, one of Bones' best friends (aka Charles), and Denise, one of Cat's best friends. Like the earlier books, First Drop of Crimson was full of action, suspense, drama and romance. I like Spade as a lead character and felt like I already knew him from the earlier books, but I didn't really connect with Denise. There just wasn't enough character development for her. But all in all, it was a good, entertaining read. I'm hoping Frost will decide to give us Vlad's story in the future. I like his character and he didn't show up in this book.

If you are on the hunt for more books like this, check out my list of paranormal romance favorites...

http://www.amazon.com/Paranormal-acti...

(copy and paste into your browser window)(less)

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Mar 30, 2010 Kristen "Kirby" rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: march-2010, reviews

2.5/ 5 stars
Hoping for another action packed, kick-butt version of the Cat's and Bone's series? Don't get your hopes up. First Drop of Crimson was a totally different sort of book with Denise and Spade, just not in a good way.

Denise is branded by an awakened demon searching for a past ancestor who double crossed him centuries ago. This demon, Raum, wants her to do his dirty work and bring Nathanial, his double crosser, her relative, back home to him. If she doesn't, he'll wipe out the rest of he...more 2.5/ 5 stars
Hoping for another action packed, kick-butt version of the Cat's and Bone's series? Don't get your hopes up. First Drop of Crimson was a totally different sort of book with Denise and Spade, just not in a good way.

Denise is branded by an awakened demon searching for a past ancestor who double crossed him centuries ago. This demon, Raum, wants her to do his dirty work and bring Nathanial, his double crosser, her relative, back home to him. If she doesn't, he'll wipe out the rest of her family and she'll forever suffer his mark and presence. And the demon can find her at any time, any place. Her bands suffice as a tracking device. So, What's poor Denise to do?

Denise isn't the kick-butt, go-and-get-that-vampire character that Cat was. She's a damsel in distress nurturing her wounds after Randy's demise, and trying to fight off her Post Traumatic stress disorder. She doesn't go straight to the trouble, she has a bad, or good depending on the way you see it, habit of hiding out and letting her buds take care of it. Seeing as Cat and Bones are already busy handling some business, Spade the not-so-willing is there to help.

So, Spade.. The gentlemanly, yet fiery vampire with a heart of ice when it comes to vengeance. He feels a reluctant pull towards Denise, and tries to keep his distance, mentally and physically. His gentlemanly quality gets in the way however, so he ends up consenting his help to find Nathanial. And giving Denise his heart.

Spade and Denise spend the first 200 pages (ish) battling their desire for the other. They have their reasons for not falling in love. Spade had a past human lover who's life was snuffed very easily. His heart isn't capable of taking the blow if the same was to happen to Denise. Denise is still torn apart with her guilt over Randy's passing and points her finger at the supernatural world. Even though they slowly danced into love, the romance still felt forced to me. I'm not one for "I felt a pull to ....". That just feels like lust, not love. I want chemistry, more reasons. I simply wasn't sold.

The major issue of the story, throwing Nathanial to the demon for freedom,was kind of silly in an unintentional way. And kind of been there, done that, too. I bet I could grab 5 books in the paranormal section of the bookstore, and find at least one like this.

The only thing that shined true Frost quality was the pace. No story speed bumps here. I easily read it in a day.

Oh and for those of you who are wondering, Cat and Bones DO show up later on in the story, near the end. But they don't really seem authentic. Their dialog was kind of blah and they had a flat personality.

So- Not bad, yet similar to everything else out there with a slightly unbelievable train of romance. I'll probably pick up her next Night Huntress World twist.

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Feb 09, 2010 Jess the Romanceaholic rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-read, alpha-male, angsty-read, contemporary, convict, favorite-heroes, favorite-heroines, magick, angels-and-or-demons, on-the-run, paranormal-romance, physically-imperfect-or-scarred, psychic, second-or-more-marriage, too-stupid-to-live-moment, vampires, werewolves-or-other-shape-shifters

While this book is technically the first in a series, it seems to be very prudent to have read the Night Huntress Series (Halfway to the Grave, One Foot in the Grave,At Grave's End, and Destined for an Early Grave) in order to delve more deeply into both the characters' backstory and the history of that world itself. However, having never read any of those books, I have to say that it did a fantastic job of standing on its own. I was only left with a few questions (such as, what the heck are "gh...more

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Feb 14, 2010 Carrie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: pnr, read-2010, urban-fantasy

3.5*

First: I really enjoyed the book. I love the world Frost has created and it was great to revisit it. I enjoyed catching up with Bones, Cat and the gang, and was thrilled with a Spade/Denise story. Spade is a wonderful hero. Frost's storytelling and writing are great as usual. The romance was wonderful and the action scenes were exciting.

Which leads me to my second thought. When I read the first Night Huntress book, I would have categorized it more urban fiction than PNR. Sure, there was plen...more

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Jun 20, 2012 Pete rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: jf

I am a huge fan of Cat & Bones, but this was even better

Denise is yet another powerful heroine whose character evolves very eloquently in a story with a human to demonic character. Spade, the vampire, was less charismatic than Bones from the first series, but was definitely Denise's choice. The story was intriguing and the sub plots were well woven to make this a great read.

I would strongly recommend this book to adult readers of PNR and would suggest reading the Night Huntress series first...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Büşra Bal rated it 3 of 5 stars

Haniften bugün çarptım kitapları,para vermiycem yan seriye demiştim ve vermedim :D :D sinir oluyorum bizi okumaya mecbur bırakmalarına,edebinle yaz yan seriyi niye okumaya mecbur bırakıyosun uyuz kızıl :D

Efenim gene hızlı başladık,zaten bu kadının kitapları su gibi akıp gidiyor,Spade ve Denise pek bayıldığım karakterler değil,Denise daha önce evli olduğundan sanırım aklıma hep ''eh kocası ölmemiş olmasaydı bu adamı farketmeyecekti bile '' sorusu geliyor,o sebepten ısınma zorluğu yaşıyorum.Zaten...more

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Jul 16, 2011 Mrs.Norman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, jeaniene-frost, nh-world, vampires, paranormal-romance, lycans-shifters-etc, angels-demons-and-incubi-ohmy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

4 likes · like · see review

Mar 18, 2011 Alexx rated it 4 of 5 stars

Third-person narrative takes some getting used to since the other books in the series are told from the main character's perspective. But, so far, so good.

I think the narrative perspective shift was necessary to encompass the various character's points of view, but the shifting also made it harder to connect with the characters. I was too used to hearing the stories told from a character's first person "Here's what's happening to me" perspective.

All in all, still a worthwhile read. I don't go...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Samadrita rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: creepy-crawlies-of-the-night, deliciously-mushy, light-breezy-reads, paranormal-urban-fantasy, romance, for-teh-ladies, erotica

Here's the deal with Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress novels and me. I hate the books in comparison to other better paranormal romances I've read but then she conjures up these very British, mouth-wateringly sexy male protagonists out of thin air and her imagination and I get over my misgivings and potential blunting of my intellect in a jiffy.
Even though I currently like this book, I'm sure I'll start hating myself for reading it in about a few hours. It's like eating a pound of Black Forest ca...more Here's the deal with Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress novels and me. I hate the books in comparison to other better paranormal romances I've read but then she conjures up these very British, mouth-wateringly sexy male protagonists out of thin air and her imagination and I get over my misgivings and potential blunting of my intellect in a jiffy.
Even though I currently like this book, I'm sure I'll start hating myself for reading it in about a few hours. It's like eating a pound of Black Forest cake because you couldn't resist temptation and then cursing yourself for it, thinking of the impending weight gain.

So this is a spin-off novel based on the Cat-Bones Night Huntress series, focusing on the story of Denise McGregor, Cat's best friend and her romance with His Royal Hotness, Spade or Charles DeMortimer, a former Baron and present vampire buddy to Bones.
Don't expect this book to actually have a story or to be free from cliches because if you do, you'll be in for severe disappointment.

Tormented vampire with a sobstory of a past human life - check
Tormented heroine with a sobstory of a present life - check
Heroine turning into a lethal paranormal being from just a plain human - check
Hot romance - check
More than just perfect, absolutely yummilicious hero- check

Well what else do you need? If you were looking for life lessons, philosophy, history, mythology or a story with emotional depth, you wouldn't be reading a paranormal romance right?

Why I liked this book over the Night Huntress novels :- Spade is much better a hero than Bones in my opinion. As initially Bones was quite rough with Cat whereas Spade reminds you of the word 'chivalry' which seems to have vanished from use due its lack of relevance in the present day.
Also I liked the fact that Spade and Denise's story ends in one book without carrying on forever like Cat and Bones'.

True rating :- 3 stars
Very biased rating because of the very gorgeous model masquerading as Spade on the cover:- 4 stars
Yes, I've a tendency to be shallow sometimes.(less)

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Dec 13, 2012 Mariana rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Paranormal romance aficionados; People who like a good and innovative plot

Shelves: author-jeaniene-frost, paranormal-romance, urban-fantasy, romance, you-rocked-my-world, multiple-swoons, real-steamy

Amaziiing!!!

I've run out of things to say about Jeaniene Frost's books. They're always excellent, and I have complimented the woman everytime. But here goes again: Jeaniene, you are one of the best writers I know.

"First Drop of Crimson" was a fast-paced and romantic book that led me to spending almost all of my free time reading it.

When Denise is marked by a demon, she has to seek help from Spade, a vampire she remembers from a very traumatic time of her life.
Her husband, Randy, was killed in...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: jeaniene-frost

Denise MacGregor & Spade (Baron Charles DeMortimer) . . .

This is spin-off from Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress Series. I've really liked Spade from the first time he was introduced in the series - so it was fun reading about him.

Denise is Cat's BFF - whose husband, Randy, died on that New Year's eve battle - attempting to help all the undead with their war. With that traumatic experience, Denise has tried to remove herself from the vampire world - even avoiding Cat. But unbe-knownst to her,...more

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Feb 07, 2011 Lisa O. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, with-smut, uf-or-pnr, adult-fiction, vampires

As I was afraid, this book holds no comparison with Cat and Bones.
It's a companion book for the Night Huntress series and follows Spade's and Denise's story (Bones' best friend and Cat's best friend). Cat and Bones also appear in this book with a marginal role, as well as Ian and Mencheres.

I didn't particularly like Denise, for starters. She is a helpless, disturbed, whiny character who gets saved by the hunk. I like female characters who stand their ground, while Denise is rather a waiting-for-...more

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Dec 13, 2010 Paula Bascur rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance

veamos, pues bien,estoy bastante decepcionada. Me gusto el libro en su mayor parte, pero no era lo que yo esperaba o quería. yo ya sabia que era Romance paranormal, lo que no sabia era que era genérico Me ha gustado leer más acerca de Spade y disfrute de su personaje. Es lindo volver con Cat, Bones, Mencheres e Ian (quien es malditamente caliente, solo quisiera poder confiar un poco mas en el)

Y luego.... Denise, Denise que me inflija, una heroína demasiado estúpida para merecer serlo Ella estaba...more

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Aug 07, 2010 Gene rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of Night Huntress series, paranormal romance

Shelves: paranormal-romance, urban-fantasy, vampires

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

1 like · like · see review

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About Jeaniene Frost

Jeaniene Frost is the New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author of the Night Huntress series, the Night Prince series and the Night Huntress World novels. To date, foreign rights for her novels have sold to nineteen different countries. Jeaniene lives in North Carolina with her husband Matthew, who long ago accepted that she rarely cooks and always sleeps in on the weekends....more

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Books by Jeaniene Frost

Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress, #1)

One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress, #2)

Destined for an Early Grave (Night Huntress, #4)

This Side of the Grave (Night Huntress, #5)

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“I wanted you to watch, so I stomped around the room to wake you before I got in the shower. Didn't you wonder why the light was on? It wasn't for me, I can see in the dark. And then I kept the water cold so the glass wouldn't fog.” — 165 people liked it

“A vibrator can last all night, too, vampire! - Denise” — 158 people liked it

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First Drop of Crimson (Night Huntress World #1)

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