Chosen By Blood (Para-Ops, #1)

May 19, 2011 Catherine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads-arcs-won-a-copy, fiction-vixen-reviews, contemporary, crime-police-mystery-private-invest, fantasy-paranormal-sci-fi, fated-mate, gods, halfbreed, magic-mystical-ability, read-2011, romance, series, were-shifter, wraith

*3.5 Stars*

The prologue of this book made me blink a few times and wonder if I was comfortable with the romance setup. [Don’t worry, the following isn’t really a spoiler. It’s all explained in the prologue.] When Knox and Felicia first met, they both knew that they were soulmates (literally). The only problem was that Felicia's best friend, Noelle, was married to Knox at the time. They both tried to resist it. Felicia even stayed away for years at a time and visited rarely. When she did visit, s...more

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Jan 28, 2012 Melindeeloo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance-vampire

It is years after the treaty which ended the vamp/human war but the vampires are in decline as a result of a vaccine which made human blood useless as food.

Half human/half vampire and leader to his clan, Knox, believes in soul mates, but he was already set to be married when he mets his. Not that it would have mattered, since his duty demands that he breeds with a full vampire mate and not the very mortal Felicia. Marriage wouldn't have kept him from Felicia however, if not for the fact that sh...more It is years after the treaty which ended the vamp/human war but the vampires are in decline as a result of a vaccine which made human blood useless as food.

Half human/half vampire and leader to his clan, Knox, believes in soul mates, but he was already set to be married when he mets his. Not that it would have mattered, since his duty demands that he breeds with a full vampire mate and not the very mortal Felicia. Marriage wouldn't have kept him from Felicia however, if not for the fact that she is burdened with that irritating human morality which makes her foolishly value fidelity over the passion that clearly sizzles between them. But when Knox is asked to lead a newly forming para-ops team, he demands that Felicia be on the team. And since their first mission is to retrieve what just maybe antidote to the vaccine which has left his people on the verge of extinction, Knox is determined to succeed - and he is just as determined to break through Felicia's defenses and claim her once and for all.

The setup to Chosen by Blood is excellent - the conflict between the hero and heroine is complicated and the para-ops idea was appealing as well. The composition of the team was very interesting: a human shaman, a wraith, a lone wolf half were, and a half mage. All of these side characters were fairly well developed and the equally interesting interrelations between the members hold promise for future books.

While I ended up really like the para-ops parts of the book, I did have a few nits with the romance. I was actually mad at both of the leads at different points in the story. I was angry with Knox for pushing for a relationship when he is dismissive of Felicias beliefs and feelings. He is determined to have 'everything' from her, even though he isn't willing to give her what she needs, and even though he knows that a relationship between them will ultimately end up hurting her. At times I was just as mad at Felicia for caving in and allowing Knox to hurt her and for letting him make her feel like she was less than the 'everything' she should be as his soul mate. Felicia started out being a very strong character but once she rationalized her surrender to her desire, her victim-ish self-talk irked me.

And I should mention that, even though there was enough story in the story/sex balance to keep Chosen by Blood from being classified as an erotic romance, the sensuality still wandered over the erotic side of the line - in frequency and language.

The bottom line was that despite a few nits that kept the final result from being as excellent as the setup, Chosen by Blood was well worth a read and I will be on the look out for the next Para-Ops offering. (less)

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Oct 04, 2011 Paranormal Haven rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-read-by-athenna, reviewed-read-by-stephanie

Half-breed vampire Knox Devereaux's life belongs to his clan, that is dying slowly from an anti-vampire vaccine that was given to all human after the war. Knox has to step up to lead the clan and is expected to marry a vampire to have children and populate their community. The only problem is his heart belongs to a human female his clan would never accept.

When Knox is asked to lead a team of others to retrieve the antidote for the vaccine of course he says yes. This could be a win, win for him....more Half-breed vampire Knox Devereaux's life belongs to his clan, that is dying slowly from an anti-vampire vaccine that was given to all human after the war. Knox has to step up to lead the clan and is expected to marry a vampire to have children and populate their community. The only problem is his heart belongs to a human female his clan would never accept.

When Knox is asked to lead a team of others to retrieve the antidote for the vaccine of course he says yes. This could be a win, win for him. This would give him the opportunity to save his people and claim the human who had hunted his heart since the moment he set eyes on her.

Felicia Locke is a strong willed level headed FBI hostage negotiator, but the moment Knox walks in a room all reasoning goes out the door. She must find a way to work with hum without allowing her heart to get in the way.
Felicia knows Knox is honor bound to marry a vampire, but she will not be the woman on the side; even if it is an arranged joining for the purpose of children. Felicia is unable to share Knox it would eventually kill her inside.

The team will have to learn to work together and learn who they can trust and who will eventually betray them, some lesson they will not learn till it is too late.

I loved Knox he's sexy honorable and strong. He wants Felicia so bad it hurts him but he's too worried about upholding the respect he's gained with his people to throw caution to the wind and take her and only her.

Felicia wants Knox with a heat that is equal to his but she is too smart to want to be second best. Even when he promises to be hers and hers alone only to stray for the purpose of making children with other vampires. She is too strong enough to say no that's not enough for me! I think she is strong willed and likable

This is a great debut novel. Once you meet Knox and Felicia you are drawn into their passion for each other, you can't help but yearn to know what will happen next. The team of others that is formed consist of, a wraith whom as lost her memories of herself before she died, a human who has visions and a bit of a cocky mouth, a were who is carrying a load of baggage inside, And a hard on for pushing Knox’ buttons, lastly a mage who has a super crush on the human who is too busy lusting after the wraith to notice her.

There are lots of likable characters In chosen By Blood this book will keep you on your toes. I thought they could have had a little more action since this is what they were brought together for but it was still good the way it was. I can't wait to see what will happen in the next installment and I wonder who will be in it, there are several good ones to pick from.

**Athenna**(less)

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Aug 21, 2011 Dren rated it 5 of 5 stars

Full review posted on Dren's B-Spot

DePaul takes the time to build a fantastic world where Vamps and "others" coexist (not under the best circumstances) with humans. I loved the different twist of "tainted blood" for the vampires and the complications that arise with locating the antidote.

In the beginning -- I didn't understand why Knox was sooooo insistent on marrying his own kind. I also didn't stand behind Felicia's issue of "monogamy or bust." But as I got deeper into the story - I learned mo...more

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Jan 28, 2012 Felicia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-read, kindlepurchase2011

Bought for myself
Overall Rating 4.25
Story Rating 4.50
Central "Romance" Characters 4.00

Note: I initially bought this book because the lead character shares my name. I stayed with the story because it was richly detailed and fantastically written.

What I Loved: This is going to be one of those rare occurrences where the side characters are really who made me love Chosen by Blood: O'Flare, Dex, Wraith, Lucy, and Mahone were all fantastically written. I felt they were all a nice combo of tortured sou...more

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Oct 21, 2011 Christi Snow rated it 5 of 5 stars

My Review:
This book was seriously fabulous with an incredible group of characters. Humans and otherborn are still trying to figure out how to live in this world together after the otherborn have been outed and the resulting civil war has ended. As a result, the US government is developing a new Para-Ops team made up of 6 people.

1. At the lead is Knox Devereaux who is half vampire. The vampires are dying so he has a huge stake in this first mission for a vampire antidote. He has recognized Felic...more My Review:
This book was seriously fabulous with an incredible group of characters. Humans and otherborn are still trying to figure out how to live in this world together after the otherborn have been outed and the resulting civil war has ended. As a result, the US government is developing a new Para-Ops team made up of 6 people.

1. At the lead is Knox Devereaux who is half vampire. The vampires are dying so he has a huge stake in this first mission for a vampire antidote. He has recognized Felicia as his soulmate for years, but she has never accepted that...mainly because she is married to one of her best friends and she would never be anything more than a mistress, although his wife has given them her blessing for such a union.

2. Caleb O'Flare is the team doc...he's a Shaman. He has the ability to heal and also has visions. He has the ability to read other people really well and tends to have insight into most the team members mentalities and issues.

3. Dex Hunt is a half werebeast. He comes off as a cocky, jerk who doesn't care for anyone, but that's really all an act.

4. Felicia Locke is the human FBI agent. She's in love with Knox, but refuses to act on it, because she knows that she will never win in a competition for Knox's loyalty between her and the vampire clan.

5. Wraith is a wraith. She has been dead for 10 years, and like all wraiths, she has no recollection of her life before she died. She feels pain whenever anyone touches her, so she lives a very solitary life and has built up barriers around her as a result. She is in-your-face brash and harsh and makes no apologies for that.

6. Lucy is a Mage. She's the quietest of the group, although she has the power to enchant people and hold them with her magic.

Everything about this story was highly entertaining. I loved the mix of characters and how they all interact as they are learning to work together. None of them are necessarily easy to get along with, but they do manage to grow as a team and that absolutely was the best part of this book...watching this team to develop as a team.

I also really enjoyed the romance between Felicia and Knox. There is a lot of history between them. Although they have never crossed that romantic line, it is always there between them anytime that they are together. It's an immediate reaction to each other and there is no ignoring it.

There is a lot going on in the background of this story... The vampires' urgent need for a vaccine; The politics within the vampire realm and within the government; The team learning to trust and count on each other. There is a ton of action, suspense, underlying emotions, and romance. If the story had just relied upon the romance, I don't think that I would have liked it as much, but the whole team dynamic of the Para-Ops team made this book for me. It was just a really fabulous read!! I cannot wait to read the second book with Wraith and O'Flare's romance...the chemistry was sizzling between the two of them in this book!(less)

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Oct 10, 2011 Tarran rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have been a bit over paranormal series's for a bit as they were all starting to sound the same. Chosen By Blood was different enough to keep me interested, The plot was well thought out, there was no confusing twists and the characters were realistic. Basic premise is that the 'Otherborn' Vampire's, Were's and other paranormal creatures in America all 'came out' to the humans and not long after a war was started. Well the war has ended and we are introduced to Knox Deveraux, Leader of the larg...more

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Sep 22, 2011 Kale rated it 1 of 5 stars

Chosen By Blood (A Para-Ops Novel) is set in a world where the paranormal are tentatively accepted by human society after a civil war between the two factions. But the cost was great to the vampires, their numbers dwindling from starvation due to a vaccine developed by humans that have contaminated the blood supply, during the unrest. Enter Knox a half human half vampire hybrid unaffected by the tainted blood and leader of his dying race. Knox will stop at nothing to save his people, putting dut...more Chosen By Blood (A Para-Ops Novel) is set in a world where the paranormal are tentatively accepted by human society after a civil war between the two factions. But the cost was great to the vampires, their numbers dwindling from starvation due to a vaccine developed by humans that have contaminated the blood supply, during the unrest. Enter Knox a half human half vampire hybrid unaffected by the tainted blood and leader of his dying race. Knox will stop at nothing to save his people, putting duty above all else. Even his heart. Felicia is a negotiator for the FBI, and Knox's only weakness. She has been denying his advances for years because of his marriage to her best friend, and her own morals.

But Felicia is about to lose the luxury of running away from the strong attraction she has for Knox. Because they are about to join an elite team of paranormals, and their first mission is to retrieve the antidote to the vaccine that is destroying the vampire's food supply.

This book needed a better editor. There were quite a few typos, and grammar errors. Mostly it needed someone to find a way to fix the confusing beginning. The whole book was set up poorly. Actually I think the story would have been better without the already established, overly complicated lead relationship. The book opens up two years prior to the story's main timeline and thrusts the readers into the middle of Knox's, his wife's, and Felicia's weird relationship. I found this disorienting because the threesome has a long history better suited for a book of it's own, and while I get that DePaul is trying to set up the love interest we aren't getting much of anything about the actual book. It comes off messy and forced. It would have been better to scrap the whole thing and change the relationship structure or at least not make it so rigid.

Another problem with the story is how unlikeable Knox is. It seems like DePaul took her vampire straight out of a carpathian novel by Feehan, but the writing was way more crass. Throughout the book he was mostly concerned with only what he wanted completely disregarding Felicia's wishes. There was no building of a romantic relationship. No getting to know one another. No foundation for their professed feelings. It was nothing but lust in the guise of love.

Most of all I am surprised that Chosen by Blood was so graphic. I'm no prude but most writer's try to find interesting ways to describe sexual content. Not DePaul, she was not creative at all in her descriptions. She was so glaringly blunt and to the point with her writing, that it just didn't fit well, like a puzzle piece jabbed into the wrong slot. And there was a lot of naughty scenes. It seemed like there was something steamy going down in every chapter. This book could be re-shelved in the erotica section instead of paranormal romance. Normally I like this kind of thing but I just don't think it was done very well.

I think the Para-Ops concept is a great and an original idea, but I think the book didn't focus on that idea enough. The supporting characters were awesome and under utilized. DePaul had an interesting take on the undead, mages, and half borns. Plus her world building is lacking. She spent way too much time creating a vampire society that came off aloof and pretentious. Along with an overly complicated one dimensional relationship and then used sex to cover up her short comings.

Chosen by Blood could have been a killer book with the potential for an equally amazing series. But DePaul is stalled by the tired and stale romantic standards of barbaric bloodsucker stereotypes. Choosing to highlight her stories weaknesses instead of developing it's strengths and originality. I think she could benefit by focusing on the missions, moving her minor characters into equally major roles, and putting as much effort into her post-apocalyptic world building as her sexual content.(less)

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Sep 17, 2011 Jessie Potts rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

I think that a lot of readers (myself included) tend to give human characteristics to paranormal creatures. And why shouldn't we? They look human, sometimes act human and often.... teehee... fornicate with humans. The problem is that these lead characters often aren't human. The perfect example of this is Knox. I can tell you through the first third of the book he ticked me off. Here is this immortal creature who has a beautiful wife (prologue only), runs a clan, and will live forever attempting...more I think that a lot of readers (myself included) tend to give human characteristics to paranormal creatures. And why shouldn't we? They look human, sometimes act human and often.... teehee... fornicate with humans. The problem is that these lead characters often aren't human. The perfect example of this is Knox. I can tell you through the first third of the book he ticked me off. Here is this immortal creature who has a beautiful wife (prologue only), runs a clan, and will live forever attempting to seduce his wife's best friend. Then the a** is chasing after Felicia after Noelle (wife) dies, even saying that Noelle wanted them to be together. I was so so pleased that Felicia kept him off despite her obvious desire. When I told my husband he asked me 'well are vampires in this book monogamous?' huh? Um no they weren't. In fact Noelle had lovers on the side before she died, and had indeed given Felecia and Knox her blessing. It seems that Knox met Noelle, who convinced him to marry her, even though he had said he didn't feel the 'soul mate' connection. He later met Felecia and knew right away that she was his. Then after Noelle dies it's his duty to sire vampire children, so he would have Felecia and then sleep with another vampiress only to procreate.

Suddenly Knox didn't look so bad, it seemed he was an excellent specimen of his own culture. The only thing that would have kept Knox from being 100% faithful to Felicia was the fact that he was clan leader and needed to have pure blood vampire children. Coming from a leadership role I even understood why he didn't throw everything away for Felicia, his clan was dying and as a half breed himself, he was one of the few strong males left. I also completely understood why Knox didn't leave her alone. If my husband spurned my advances and I felt inexplicably drawn to him, and I knew he desired me??? You bet your butt I would have kept after him until I made him mine. Throw in the fact that Knox is part of a species that is more primal than humans, and I understand even better. Which also in turn led to great steamy bedroom scenes that had my cheeks turning pink.

All in all the premise was fantastic, I loved all the secondary characters and hope they are featured in future books. I loved how you really didn't know who the bad guy was, and in the end still was left wondering what was true and what was subterfuge. There was also violence (my favorite!) and enough blood and body bits to satisfy the hard core trigger happy girl in me. The steamy scenes weren't overpowering either. I don't believe they even got together until a third of the way through the book. Even after they had tasted one another the plot and ultimate goal (finding a cure for the dying clan) never took a backseat. All in all I recommend this book and urge readers to look at Knox and all paranormals with a different mind set. They aren't human and won't always act it.

**also on amazon(less)

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Feb 26, 2012 Carolyn F. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-book, paranormal-romance

I was kind of leery about this book from a couple of my Goodfriends reviews, while others thought this book was fantastic. I love it when I start reading a book with low expectations and then end up enjoying it. Yes, the heroine takes forever to make a commitment to the hero, but I would to faced with what would happen. She keeps flip flopping on the real reason, seems convinced it's finally this one, and then says nope all along it was this other reason why she couldn't commit to the hero. That...more

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Dec 30, 2011 Suzanne the Mighty ~Satin Seductress~ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-adventure, hero-i-want-to-hurt, lover-the-cover, mad-bad-and-dangerous-to-know, mages-witches-magic-users, mythology-gods-and-goddesses, paranormal-creature-menagerie, paranormal-romance, pdf-kindle, romantic-suspense, smexy-shifters-and-werewolves, va-va-voom-vampires, zombies

I have such mixed feelings on this book. Some parts I thought were really good, others seemed a little confused and under developed and some bits just annoyed the bloody hell out of me.

Knox is one of the few healthy vampires around. During the civil war between humans and vampires the humans released a vaccine that renders human blood void inedible to vampires. But with Knox being a dhampire, half human half vampire, starvation doesn't effect him as quickly as his pure blood kin. Now the civil...more I have such mixed feelings on this book. Some parts I thought were really good, others seemed a little confused and under developed and some bits just annoyed the bloody hell out of me.

Knox is one of the few healthy vampires around. During the civil war between humans and vampires the humans released a vaccine that renders human blood void inedible to vampires. But with Knox being a dhampire, half human half vampire, starvation doesn't effect him as quickly as his pure blood kin. Now the civil war is over and he is clan leader of his group of vampires and he will do anything to get an antidote for the anti-vamp vaccine which is slowly killing off his family, his race, even agree to head a new Para Ops team, a mixture of hand picked Others and humans. There first mission, find the antidote.

Agent Felicia Locke has been in love with Knox since she first saw him and he has felt the same way, however, he was married to her best friend. However, her friend has died and they are now working together on the Para Ops team, but Knox, as clan leader, still has the duty to marry a vampire bride so help repopulate his race, a duty he can not put aside even for Felicia

This was a brand new experience for me, I liked the general story, the world being created and even most the characters, but what I didn't like? The romance. Knox and Felicia's romance just managed to annoy me, I complete understood why Felicia wouldn't be with Knox, he was going to marry someone else for the express purpose of knocking her up, all in a very honorable and selfless way ofcourse, and then she would be his bit on the side. Clearly in the hundreds of years the Knox has been alive he hasn't gotten to know human women very well. Unfortunately this didn't endear me to him, and despite him obviously being crazy in love with Felicia and her with him, I just didn't feel any enthusiasm for their HEA.

However, I did like the other guys in the team, especially Wraith the wraith, I really can't wait to read more about her, she kick ass and invulnrable to death, yet the most vulnrable person on the team, I loved watching the sparks fly with her and O'Flare. This was another great aspect of the book, I loved seeing all the team together and fuse into a unit, I don't think they all entirely trust eachother yet and I can't wait to see what happens next with all of them.

The world building was also interesting and one of the things I liked about this book. Others are basically all paranormal creatures, so weres, vampires, wraiths and mages, and they have recently "come out" in America, and this has caused a few civil wars. The civil wars mentioned was one of the things I thought weren't explained very well, was the civil war between humans and vamps or humans and all Others, or was it every race against every race? This wasn't fully explained, or if it was I didn't catch it.

But, one part that was explained very well, and in juicy detail? The sex. It was hot! Ms DePaul writes some great erotic scecnes, Knox may have annoyed me, but I reckon he could screw that right outta me, the dhampire has skills! What did bug me was when they got all hot and bothered at such silly times! Picture it. You are sat in the freezing cold, on hostile terriotry, you hear an enemy vehicle approaching, what do you do? Do you make out like teenagers, or do you keep your eyes on the road looking out for the people with big guns? Well if you are Knox and Felicia, clearly it is option one and you have a quick tonsil tennis session. *rolls eyes*

Despite my seemingly endless complaints about this book, I did enjoy the story and the characters, even if the romance wasn't as good as I hoped it will be. I will definitely be reading the next book to see what happens with my favourite Para Ops team! (less)

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Jun 24, 2011 ALPHAreader rated it 2 of 5 stars

In an alternate history the US Second Civil War has all but wiped vampires out of existence, and in the aftermath of peace they are on the brink of extinction. A vaccine was invented that tainted human blood, ruining it as a food source for the vampire population. As a result, the number of fanged are dwindling.

Now the US vampire population live in a sanctuary called ‘The Dome’, and are led by Knox Devereaux – a dharmire human/vampire hybrid, and among the last few unaffected by the vaccine.

Kno...more

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May 29, 2011 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Chosen By Blood is the first book in the Para-Ops series by Virna DePaul and a Paranormal Romance from Berkley Sensation.

Book Blurb:

Five years after the Second Civil War ends, humans and Otherborn - humanlike creatures with superhuman DNA - still struggle for peace. To ensure the continued rights of both, the FBI forms a para-Ops team with a unique set of skills...

Leader of an Otherborn clan, half-breed vampire Knox Devereaux would do anything to find a cure for the anti-vamp vaccine slowly star...more Chosen By Blood is the first book in the Para-Ops series by Virna DePaul and a Paranormal Romance from Berkley Sensation.

Book Blurb:

Five years after the Second Civil War ends, humans and Otherborn - humanlike creatures with superhuman DNA - still struggle for peace. To ensure the continued rights of both, the FBI forms a para-Ops team with a unique set of skills...

Leader of an Otherborn clan, half-breed vampire Knox Devereaux would do anything to find a cure for the anti-vamp vaccine slowly starving his people into extinction. When the FBI contacts him about leading a team of hand-selected Others on a mission to reclaim the stolen antidote, Knox accepts. His new assignment places him in direct contact with Special Agent Felicia Locke, the beautiful human he’s craved since their very first meeting.

Felicia’s experience as a hostage negotiator makes her a natural asset to a team divided by suspicion and prejudice. While being in close contact with Knox makes the desire she feels for him difficult to deny, Knox must marry a vampire, and she’s not about to be his human lover on the side.

As the team embarks on its dangerous mission, Knox is determined to convince Felicia that the passion that connects them is enough to transcend both race and her human idea of morality. But Felicia is intent on teaching Knox that complete trust and love are the only forces strong enough to unite human and Other, once and forever.

My thoughts:

Felicia Locke is a human FBI agent who has struggled for years with the knowledge that she is in love with her best friends husband. She has hidden her feelings well - even from beings who are capable of reading ones mind.

Knox Devereaux is the leader of his clan - despite his half-breed blood line. It is because of his half-breed existence that enables him to survive for longer periods of time without the fresh blood a full-blooded vampire needs.

In Knox’s world, nothing comes before his clan - to that end, Knox has agreed to work with the FBI’s Para-Ops Division to retrieve an antidote to the vaccine given to humans years ago. The vaccine that prevents vampires from receiving the nourishment they need to survive. This antidote is the only thing that can prevent the already dwindling vampire race from complete extinction.

Chosen By Blood is the first book I have read by Virna DePaul and I completely enjoyed it.

I give Chosen By Blood 4 out of 5 stars.(less)

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May 31, 2011 Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review posted at Happily Ever After - Reads

What an exciting first book to a new Para-Ops series by Virna DePaul. It’s an interesting world, a great set up for future books with a solid supporting cast, and a main story following Knox and Felicia as they try to overcome obstacles to find their way together.

We’re first introduced to Knox Devereaux, the leader of his vampire clan, and in love with human Felicia Locke. He knows she’s his mate, but because of his vampire clan’s ailing health he’s exp...more Review posted at Happily Ever After - Reads

What an exciting first book to a new Para-Ops series by Virna DePaul. It’s an interesting world, a great set up for future books with a solid supporting cast, and a main story following Knox and Felicia as they try to overcome obstacles to find their way together.

We’re first introduced to Knox Devereaux, the leader of his vampire clan, and in love with human Felicia Locke. He knows she’s his mate, but because of his vampire clan’s ailing health he’s expected to marry another vampire and have kids, to increase and strengthen their clan’s population. The health of vampires everywhere is going downhill fast due to a vaccine given to humans to make their blood useless to vampires. With very limited ways to get nourishment, vampires are slowly weakening and Knox, being a dharmire (half vamp/half human) isn’t impacted to the extent his family is and is trying desperately to find a way to help his people.

Felicia has loved Knox from the first time she saw him. Like Knox, she sensed that they were soul mates, but while Knox wanted to commit his love to her, he still felt he had a duty to marry a vampire, this was something Felicia just couldn’t accept. She wouldn’t be his human on the side and wanted complete fidelity. Knox wanted to give that to her but he felt the weight of needing to do everything he could to help his people.

Knox is approached to lead a new Para-Ops team, Team Red, made up of humans, a mage, wraith, and a werebeast. The key to getting him to agree to lead the team is evidence that there’s an antidote to reverse the vaccine. The team’s first mission is to find the antidote and when additional evidence surfaces that Others are being captured and tortured for experiments, they go in to rescue them as well. The mission uncovers more than just Others being held captive, with a few twists at the end that had me trying to guess who the real bad guys were, the ending was action packed and left us with a great set up for book 2.

One of the things that stood out most for me was how Knox was always trying to do the right thing. He loved Felicia, but he wanted to do right by his clan, his mother the Queen, his 2 children and further into the story his team members. He was an easy hero to feel for and while he wanted everyone around him to be well and safe, I wanted that same thing for him.

"Felicia was his. His mate. His woman. His soul."

The relationship between Knox and Felicia was initially so bittersweet with neither one being able to fully commit for their own reasons. Watching these two love each other so much and slowly move over all the barriers in their way to be together, turned into something so sweet. I loved the combo of Knox being the total alpha male (I’m a complete sucker for his “mine” attitude) and Felicia more then held her own against him. They worked well as a team and I hope we see more of them together in future books.

Knox’s team played a big role in the book, and I can’t wait for each of their stories. We get to see each team member use their own special power and learn to work together as a solid team at the end. Wraith and Caleb (the team’s psychic) burned up the pages when they were on, and even though they fought like crazy through the whole book, it was clear they were both feeling so much more for the other. It will be exciting to see where their story and the rest of the series goes - great book 1!(less)

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Oct 31, 2011 Kristina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Knox is a vampire, also the leader of his clan in his moms stead. He is totally in love with FBi agent Felicia...but she has been avoiding it since he married her Best friend. Knox finds himself asked by the FBi to lead a special team to find the vampire antidote. Now dont be thinking its a cure for the vampire because it isnt! i wont tell you what it is an antidote for because i'm not into spoilers but it's not what you think :)This team is a combination of a were, a vamp, a mage, a psychic, an...more

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Sep 20, 2011 Kt from A Book Obsession.. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: hardcopy

The war between Humans and the Otherborn may have been over for five years now, but that doesn't mean there is a real peace. There is plenty of distrust between the races, so the FBI forms a Para-Ops team with a blend of both humans and supernaturals. Heading this team is Dharmire (half-vampire/half-human) Knox. The rest of his team each has their own set of skills, but only one holds his heart, Felicia, the only human member of the team without any paranormal skills. Yet, she doesn't want him w...more The war between Humans and the Otherborn may have been over for five years now, but that doesn't mean there is a real peace. There is plenty of distrust between the races, so the FBI forms a Para-Ops team with a blend of both humans and supernaturals. Heading this team is Dharmire (half-vampire/half-human) Knox. The rest of his team each has their own set of skills, but only one holds his heart, Felicia, the only human member of the team without any paranormal skills. Yet, she doesn't want him without a commitment, something he just cannot give. Things will be tricky for him to balance his duty to his team, his clan, and most of all, his heart.

I was really engrossed in Chosen by Blood for about the first half, to the point where I almost couldn't put it down, but then my enjoyment started to lessen dramatically. I'll get into what was so intriguing in a moment, but first I want to talk about why things went down hill for the second half, right up until almost the end. Knox was married to Felicia's best friend out of duty despite the fact that Felicia is his soul mate. So of course, Felicia avoids the pull to him in order to not betray her friend. Flash forward two years, and his wife is long gone having been murdered, but still Felicia resists as she knows he cannot give her what she needs, a full commitment. Knox hates his human half, to the point of extremity, so he tries to overcompensate by going above and beyond for duty. Felicia being human, is not good enough for his clan to accept as an exclusive mate. Yet he still burns for her with a thousand passions, and wants her. At first I enjoyed reading the inner struggle both of them were going though as they both fought for what they wanted while trying to hold onto their own beliefs. However, after a while the constant conflict became quite monotonous, and quite frustrating to be honest. I think a very large part of their struggles could have been condensed to keep things from dragging so much. At least things didn't move ridiculously fast, to look on the brighter side of things.

Now, onto why I was so engrossed in Chosen by Blood. The set up is quite unique with an open world that is recovering from a terrible war, but things are really no where near being resolved. The supernaturals are still very distrusted and there is plenty of hatred towards the humans for their actions to try and irradiate anything not like them. In fact, the vampires are greatly suffering due to a vaccine that has rendered almost all humans undrinkable, leaving the race literally wasting away due to starvation, leaving them quite weak, something you rarely see from vampires. Another interesting aspect of the book was the formation of the Para-ops team. I really liked seeing this hodge-podge of characters come together in order to work for a better cause. The friction between them was amusing at times, and it was fun to see them going through the growing pains.

In Chosen by Blood, almost as much time is spent on world building as well as the formation of the para-ops team as was the focus on the relationship, making for a good blend of genres. It definitely was a paranormal romance, but did lean towards urban fantasy at times, do to the very developed plot outside of the romance. I've always loved books that can blend those two genres together well, as it makes for a very enriching read. I am eager to read the next installment as the stage was set for the next couple, and I can't wait to see where things go. (less)

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May 15, 2011 Vanessa theJeepDiva rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, paranormal-romance, shifter

This is a great start to a new series. I love the worlds where the human and paranormal beings or in this book the Otherborn live amongst each other knowingly. Humans living among the Otherborn adds another tension to the book that allows for plenty of conflict from multiple places and just good reading material. I enjoyed all the characters. I am looking forward to the future book in this series. I loved the concept of the FBI putting together the Para-Ops team consisting of various Otherborn b...more This is a great start to a new series. I love the worlds where the human and paranormal beings or in this book the Otherborn live amongst each other knowingly. Humans living among the Otherborn adds another tension to the book that allows for plenty of conflict from multiple places and just good reading material. I enjoyed all the characters. I am looking forward to the future book in this series. I loved the concept of the FBI putting together the Para-Ops team consisting of various Otherborn beings and humans for the better good of the world. The combination of all of these elements allows for action, fighting, conspiracy, and turmoil on many fronts. Once you take into consideration that there are sexy vamps, weres and humans about to add to the romance of the book this is an all-around great book.

Felicia and Knox have a very complicated history. Vampires and humans have very different beliefs and live very different lives, this just adds to the tension and conflict between these two characters. The readers know from the beginning of the book that they are very much in love with each other, although some of the why’s is left unanswered. (That brought down the rating a little for me) For them to be together happily they will both have to sacrifice some of their beliefs and personal wants. Once Felicia finally caves to her and Knox’s desire for one another they heat up the pages. Between the steamy sex and the action and fighting the pages move rather quickly from one to the next.

I was left with a couple of unanswered questions. I am going to believe that they will be answered in the following books, as this is an ongoing series. The ending did feel just a tiny bit rushed to me. Some of the who are involved pieces seemed a little predictable. Although at the end the readers are given a glimpse of the big evil, the Quorum and some of what their motives are. The readers are also given the knowledge that someone who is close to our main characters is involved with the Quorum. I do hope he is trying to learn more about them and not a part of them. I, along with everyone else will have to wait for the next book to find out the details.

I am also very excited about this being one of the numerous fabulous authors that I will have the opportunity to meet at the Readers and Authors Get Together in Cincinnati Ohio on June 3, 4, and 5.

(less)

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May 05, 2013 MissM rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-borrow, read-2013

I really hated this book. Even when I don't like the writing or the characters, I often like the idea. This book didn't even have that going for it. I just didn't like a single thing about it.

It felt like entering a story already in progress. I actually read a dozen pages, stopped, and Googled to see if I had mistakenly gotten a second or third book in a series. Nope, this is supposed to be the first. Except that it starts off after a civil war of sorts between humans and non-human others. Probl...more I really hated this book. Even when I don't like the writing or the characters, I often like the idea. This book didn't even have that going for it. I just didn't like a single thing about it.

It felt like entering a story already in progress. I actually read a dozen pages, stopped, and Googled to see if I had mistakenly gotten a second or third book in a series. Nope, this is supposed to be the first. Except that it starts off after a civil war of sorts between humans and non-human others. Problem is, it's written like you're supposed to just know all about it. Even though it wasn't clear how long it went on for, what started it, how bad it was (casualties? destruction of cities? Who knows!) or even if it was just isolated to the US or North America or the world...? No clue.

Then they don't bother telling you anything about what all the other races are - again, it's like you're just supposed to know. More then halfway through the book, there's a shape shifter. Oh, well, thanks for telling me randomly now. I went half the book not even knowing it was a type. And, even the ones they do show you - a vampire, a werewolf, a mage, and a wraith - none are really explained or explored at all. Why is the mage bald for example? It was made to sound like there was a reason behind it but you didn't bother telling us the reason.

The only race that gets even the slightest info is the vampires of course. And even then, it doesn't make sense. They're immortal. And yet, they're dying? Um, how exactly does that work? And it was like every time the author couldn't figure out where to go next, there would just conveniently be a new power or trick to a power. Like, oh, by the way, apparently gold suppresses mind-reading ability? But don't ask questions because we not only won't get into the details of the telepathy, we certainly won't get into the gold issue either. And, need a plot twist? Now I've just randomly decided that one vampire can't teleport another vampire (oh, did I mention they can fucking teleport too??) because you know, brainwaves. Um, yeah.

If all that weren't bad enough, the book is dry and blunt as hell. Even the sex scenes are just awful in a very blunt, vulgar and utterly unflattering manner. It was all (view spoiler) and (view spoiler) that. Lovely. It's like reading a sex-scene written by a very dull biologist. Technical and crude with no grace or style. I'm not a romance reader by any stretch of the imagination but a lot of Urban Fantasy stories these days have Paranormal Romance overlays so I've read my fair share of sex scenes as a result. I'd take repetitive and flowery over dry and crude any day.

The book just ends. Practically in mid-sentence. Nothing is resolved and yet there's no interesting cliffhanger. It's like the author just stopped typing once a certain word count was reached. In fact, that's the entire feel of this book: just enough to get it technically into a story, but no heart, no soul, no passion. It has the right number of pages and time passes and things happen but no story is told. No journey is undertaken. You feel no accomplishment for having gone through it other then the relief that the damned thing is finally over.

In short, this book was just awful.(less)

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Jun 04, 2011 Ellie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Chosen by Blood is a great first book in Virna DePaul's new Para-Ops series. I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book at first and to be honest it took a couple of chapters for me to get involved in the story and care about what was going to happen. What I really liked about this book is that yes the two main characters are in love and fighting it and seem to be in a no win situation but there is so much other great characters and side stories developing thru the book. I would say only a o...more

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May 17, 2011 Heather Wiese rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Kinda can't decide between 3.5/4.0 but whatever, I rounded up.

Interesting story line involving humans, vampires, weres, shape shifters and mages. It centers around a special ops team chosen from different species to work together to retrieve a cure for the vaccine against vampires (they are slowly starving to death from a vaccine developed to make human blood no longer nutritious to them).

This is clearly the first in a planned series, this one dealing with the relationship between the vampire (...more

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Apr 30, 2011 Danielle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Chosen by Blood is the first book in the Para-ops series. This new world that Virna DePaul has created is very similar to the real world with a paranormal twist that will take you on a exciting roller coaster ride. Put on your seat belts because I couldn't get enough of this dark, different and hot read!

The story takes place 5 years after the war has ended. Humans and otherborn- humanlike are having a hard time finding peace. The FBI has been working on finding an antidote for the vampire popu...more
Chosen by Blood is the first book in the Para-ops series. This new world that Virna DePaul has created is very similar to the real world with a paranormal twist that will take you on a exciting roller coaster ride. Put on your seat belts because I couldn't get enough of this dark, different and hot read!

The story takes place 5 years after the war has ended. Humans and otherborn- humanlike are having a hard time finding peace. The FBI has been working on finding an antidote for the vampire population that just happens to be killing them off. Will they be able to find it in time or will the death toll continue to rise?

Knox Deveraux is not only the leader for his clan, but is now in charge of heading the para-ops to find the antidote and bring it back to the United States. Felicia Locke is a FBI agent who just so happens to be the only human working on this paranormal team.

Knox and Felicia have had a history for years. They also have been in love for years but do to other issues regarding Knox's clan they have never acted on any feelings. Hell, Felicia has tried to avoid him time and time again. Avoiding him isn't very easy to do especially now the tension will rise when they are set up on the same time. Will they finally give into there every desire?

Now I have tried to break away a bit from paranormal romance of late only because a few books I recently read have been lacking for me but Virna DePaul brought back all the fun with a whole new world that I had no problem getting lost in. This book has me more than intrigued but ready to follow the series to the end. But I hope that wont be anytime soon. To be completely honest putting this book down a serious problem for me. This fast paced debut did not only keep my attention but has me dying for more.

DePaul brings an awesome plot that captures you from the beginning. The characters aren't only interesting , but the way she brings them to life is phenomenal. They are witty, strong, and so well written. Everything flows so wonderfully together. Even the secondary characters will peak your interest. The romance was well written. The sex scenes were super hot! Knox and Felicia both had that " I don't give a shit" attitude ,but even when they were together they had there soft spots and DePaul brought that out perfectly.

I want to thank Virna DePaul for bringing me back to the paranormal romance world. Now I am super excited to get my hands on the second book in the series, Chosen by Fate, which is set to be released on October 4, 2011. This wait will not be a easy one, but I am sure it will be very well worth in the end. Welcome to my auto buy list Virna DePaul. (less)

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May 25, 2011 VampFanGirl rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, paranormal-romance, best-of-2011, favorites

5 STARS!!!

My Review:

The Plot:

When the secret was unveiled that the creatures of nightmares and legends did in fact exist, humans immediately enacted every force in their arsenal to protect themselves from the new unknown. Now, five years after the Second Civil War has ended, a thin precarious coat of civility exists between humans and Otherborn. In fact, war may once again be upon the horizon as the world watches the vampire population starve into extinction after a man-made vaccine inoculated h...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Kristin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I liked the mix of romance with the action. There was a lot of action considering they are a special ops team made of "Others". You have a Mage (Lucy), werebeast (Hunt), Wraith, dharmire (Knox), a human with psychic abilities (O'Flare), and Felicia who is just a FBI agent. They didn't all get along and there is sexual tension buzzing all over the place which of course made for good reading.

I liked all the team members and how much they played a role in the first book. The author did such a grea...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Colette rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, pnr-vampires

Posted originally at A Buckeye Girl Reads This book was brought to my attention at the Lori Foster Reader/Author Get Together I went to.While I was waiting in line to by another book, an author came by just to get this book because she had heard such great things about it. I went to buy it, but it was sold out-luckily for me, my library had it and I was able to finally get it. :)

Chosen by Blood has a little bit of everything in it-love, betrayal, honor, and well you name it and it's in here. Thi...more Posted originally at A Buckeye Girl Reads This book was brought to my attention at the Lori Foster Reader/Author Get Together I went to.While I was waiting in line to by another book, an author came by just to get this book because she had heard such great things about it. I went to buy it, but it was sold out-luckily for me, my library had it and I was able to finally get it. :)

Chosen by Blood has a little bit of everything in it-love, betrayal, honor, and well you name it and it's in here. This is one of those books where there is a lot of information brought to us in the first half of the book, and it should have been confusing-but it wasn't. The world building was excellent-I felt like I was living in the world that the characters were in.

This book takes place 5 years after the Second Civil War in which the Otherborn (think vampires and the like) came out of hiding. The government was scared and created a vaccine that made humans blood icky for vampires to taste. In doing so though, they created havoc in the vampire world because now they have almost no way of eating, so they are slowly starving to death. To right their wrong, the government decides to fix their mistake and come up with a vaccine to reverse the other one. There's just one problem: the vaccine was stolen and the government wants it back.

They form a Para Ops team that has two humans, a wraith, a shape shifter, a mage and is lead by a vampire-Knox. I just loved everyone on the team-they are smart asses, and can hold their own in a fight. The women are just as strong as the men are-each one though has a problem they are dealing with that made me be able to relate to all of them.

While Felicia and Knox made a great couple-this book read more like an Urban Fantasy then a Paranormal Romance (which is how my library has it marked) to me because while there is a romance, it's not all consuming. A large part of the book is about the team finding the cure, but I liked how it all intertwined to make a very good story-and one that touched on a lot of different topics, like how the members of the team felt like they didn't quite belong in society and were trying to find a place in it for themselves.

The only problem I had was that at the end of the book Felicia just seemed to be very different from the beginning and I can't exactly pinpoint why. She was still strong, but it was like she was trying to do too much (I can't say what because I don't want to spoil it) with little regard to herself. I thought I would really have a problem with the fact that Knox's wife who died was Felicia's best friend, but I didn't. I really liked that part of the story because it showed the internal struggle of both Felicia and Knox and made them that much more likable.

I thought that this was a really great start to a new series, and liked how the characters of future stories were introduced but didn't take over the entire story-we were given just enough to leave us (or at least me) wanting more of all them. I can't wait to see how this series progresses!

Barrons Hero Hotness Meter: Medium
Curran Crush Meter: Medium
Martini Sigh Meter: Medium
Rhiannon Kick Ass Heroine Meter: Medium
Finn Sidekick Meter: High
Ethan/Merit Sizzle Meter: Medium(less)

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May 03, 2011 Tara Clegg rated it 5 of 5 stars

Brava! Virna DePaul has knocked my socks off with her debut novel Chosen by Blood. In an increasingly popular genre, DePaul manages a fresh approach to the paranormal that will satisfy even the most die-hard fans. Filled with an exceptionally strong cast, the secondary characters stand out every bit as much as the leads and will have you longing to hear their stories as well.

Knox was the definition of loyalty, but it is also that loyalty that makes him such a controversial character. His love fo...more

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May 27, 2011 Lea rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, 2011-favorites

In a post civil war society a fragile peace has been forged and treaties signed between humans and otherkind. Unfortunately prejudice born of fear and hatred remains prevalent on both sides. Kyle Mahone, the director of the FBI’s Special Ops Tactical Division, gets approval to form a new Para-Ops team to assist in stabilizing relations between humans and Otherborn races which include a variety of paranormal beings. Mahone approaches vampire leader Knox Devereaux to command this elite and unusual...more In a post civil war society a fragile peace has been forged and treaties signed between humans and otherkind. Unfortunately prejudice born of fear and hatred remains prevalent on both sides. Kyle Mahone, the director of the FBI’s Special Ops Tactical Division, gets approval to form a new Para-Ops team to assist in stabilizing relations between humans and Otherborn races which include a variety of paranormal beings. Mahone approaches vampire leader Knox Devereaux to command this elite and unusual team.

Ms. DePaul’s vampires have extraordinary powers, they are able teleport to a familiar destination, they have telepathic ability and extreme strength, and, these vamps are immortal, potently sexual beings. During the civil war the humans developed a vaccine that contaminated their blood making it unfit for vampire consumption. Knox is a dharmire or half breed human/vampire, he is a warrior, the arrogant and charismatic ruler of his clan. He has built a special Dome to shield and protect his people who are vulnerable and dwindling in numbers. You see, Knox is faced with a crisis situation as the vampire race, particularly the pure bloods are literally starving to death because there are so few immaculates or humans to donate pure blood. Dharmire’s aren’t as affected because of their mixed breed heritage, but they too require nourishment. In essence chemical warfare was waged against the vampires which has resulted in a slow, painful, post-war annihilation that threatens to shatter the fragile peace. Malone offers Knox something he cannot refuse if he takes command of the Para-Ops team, an antidote to reverse the vaccine’s effects. The catch? The antidote has been stolen from a top secret US laboratory and it must be found first before it can be retrieved.

Special Agent Felicia Locke of the FBI is best friends with Knox's wife Noella, a lovely pure blood vampire. Knox became besotted with Felicia from the first moment he saw her and believes she is his soul mate. He wants to take her as his mistress which is perfectly acceptable in vampire society. However, Felicia is a human woman with integrity and a high moral ethic and despite being drawn to Knox like a moth to a flame she has resisted the attraction tooth and nail. Felicia therefore decides to avoid him completely, refusing to visit Noella and Knox, and their two young children. Two years pass and with the formation of the Para Ops team, Knox and Felicia are reunited. Noella has been killed, but the barriers between Knox and Felicia remain miles wide as he is duty bound to marry a pure blood vampire and perpetuate his race. For Felicia a relationship with Knox remains untenable.

Her scent hit him like a sledgehammer and was followed by a wave of longing so intense it almost felled him. His skin prickled and his fangs ached as he fought to keep them sheathed. He couldn’t stop the hardening of his dick, however, or the urge he had to grab her and transport her to the Dome. To his bed. To someplace where duty and time dissolved and he could just be with her.

Chosen By Blood © Virna DePaul

At it heart Chosen By Blood is a hot erotic, dark paranormal romance, however Ms. DePaul deftly blends elements of suspense and spy thriller into a very fast paced narrative. This isn’t just a vampire story, Mahone has carefully selected a fascinating cross section of Others and humans to man his team under Knox’s command. Dex Hunt, a werebeast with a variety of lethal talents. Lucy Talbot, a powerful mage who has a dark secret. Caleb OFlare a human with psychic & shamanic abilities, as well as special ops training. Then, there is Wraith, whose biology is a mystery. She, like her name is a wraith with a variety of lethal powers, a truckload of major issues, and a mouth like a guttersnipe. Finally, much to Knox’s chagrin, Felicia is also assigned to the team. An extremely capable Agent, Felicia has own set of special talents, one being verbal judo - which rocks!

The team's first assignment is a life and death mission to find and retrieve the antidote to the vampire vaccine. Knox therefore has a very personal stake in the success of the mission but as strong personalities clash and the Para-Op's team members deal with subterfuge and betrayal, chances of isolating the location and reclaiming the antidote seem bleak. Ms. DePaul kept me entranced from the first page of Chosen By Blood with exhilarating non-stop action scenes and an intense, conflicted, at times heartbreaking - scorching hot interspecies romance woven into a plot full of twists and turns as well as surprising revelations.

I’ve been very fortunate to read a number of excellent novels lately and Chosen By Blood ranks as another favorite. What impressed me about this novel along with it's intricate unique storyline, is the world building, stellar characterization and a witty dialogue which at times is laced with sarcasm. The next book in Ms. DePaul’s Para-Ops series is Chosen By Fate, Wraith and Caleb’s story - like fire and ice those two! I can’t wait! (less)

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Apr 13, 2012 Valkery rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: immortal, kick-ass, mixed-magical-beings, vampire, werewolf

Even though I loved this book I still felt it just hit below the mark. Everytime I really started to get into it the author would go into a huge scene where she would just decide to describe random things which then distracted me from the charaacters. Random describing wanders aside, this book was pretty good, as I was reading it I thought I had the whole ending and betrails figured out but as I went on the plot just got thicker and thicker. I liked the dept of the characters but I wish she had...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Lady Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Kick-Ass female lead lovers

Shelves: 1st-in-a-series, adult, adventure, fantasy, fiction, magic, paranormal-romance, romance, shape-shifters, urban-fantasy, vampires, virna-depaul, favorites, best-series, kindle, kick-ass-female-leads, love-the-author-a-must-buy, military-black-ops, werewolves, witches

All I can say is WOW!!
This was such an amazing surprise.
I loved the author's writing, storyline, and characters.
The story takes place in a world where Vampires, Weres, Wraiths, Psychics, and Mages are know among the human race.
There is a lot of prejudice, and a vaccine has been developed against the Vampires, so that Vampires can't feed from humans anymore. As a result the Vampire race is starving to death.
The US Government has developed an antidote to counter the vaccine and make human blood p...more

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Jul 28, 2012 Veri rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian-post-apocalyptic, bored-to-tears, vampires-that-don-t-sparkle, shifter

Took a gamble and lost ... The premise sounded great and the first few chapters were promising but then things fell apart. I didn't like the hero or heroine. They were two dimensional characters that I had a hard time picturing. The whole we're soul mates thing wasnt explained , it was as if author tried to do the whole "she's my mate" but it didnt work. I saw no proof that they wanted to be with each other other than to sleep together. There were too many holes in their story for me to enjoy, m...more

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May 30, 2011 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: army-special-forces-etc, dramatic-traumatic, magical, law-enforcement, paranormal, read-in-2011, vampires, shifters, psychic-connection-romance, a-frequent-rereads

This one was very, very good. I wasn't a fan of how it ended, to me, it wasn't a happy ending, or at least not as happy as it could/should have been. I know it's nitpicky but c'est la vie. The emotions were so strong you could feel them. There were times where I was gasping or choking back tears. Felicia was a woman of her convictions, and I appreciated that, and Knox was uber sexy. Will I read the others in the series? Probably not, but that's only because I do not like series where I start off...more

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Chosen By Blood (Para-Ops #1)

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