Villere House (Blood of My Blood #1) in The Indie Bookshelf

Feb 10, 2014 Christy rated it it was amazing

5 Voodoo stars!!!

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Anyone who knows me, knows I don’t do scary. I like dark and twisted reads with broken people, but anything spooky you can count me out. It’s safe to say anything about ghosts, spirits, voodoo etc. wouldn’t be my type of book. Normally, I wouldn’t give this type of book a go, but I’m so glad I did. Full of suspense, mystery, romance and all kinds of paranormal things. Was it a little creepy? Yes. But it wasn’t too scary for me. I would classify it more like a paranormal/susp ...more

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Aug 01, 2013 Beth rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, must-read-next-in-series, best-of-2013

I received an ARC of the book for an honest review.

4.5 Love That VooDoo That You Do So Well Stars

New Orleans. Beads. Cajun. Creole. Hurricanes (the drinks not the weather). Funky Bars. VooDoo. It's all there and here too. In this book...The VooDoo. The Mystic. The Cemetery Tours. Vampire Bars. Hot Guys and Ghosts. All right here. You don't even have to get on a plane to experience the fun, mystery and romance of New Orleans.

Lottie is a college sophomore. She is on her own having lived most of h ...more

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Jan 26, 2014 Jill rated it really liked it

***4.5 Stars***
This is not a book I'd normally read. I loved it! I I couldn't put it down! Can't wait for more books in this series! Oh, and there is NO cliffhanger ;-) ...more

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Aug 14, 2013 Kathy rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc

I love books that create wonderment in my mind and make me think is it possible? Could it happen? That is what Villere House was for me....that special book that reaches beyond this earthly realm and touches that possibility of contact with those who have gone on centuries before. Villere House is a beautifully written novel combining Historical Romance, Contemporary Romance, and Paranormal Romance. It is laced with voodoo, ghosts, and vampires while set in one of the most haunted cities in Amer I love books that create wonderment in my mind and make me think is it possible? Could it happen? That is what Villere House was for me....that special book that reaches beyond this earthly realm and touches that possibility of contact with those who have gone on centuries before. Villere House is a beautifully written novel combining Historical Romance, Contemporary Romance, and Paranormal Romance. It is laced with voodoo, ghosts, and vampires while set in one of the most haunted cities in America.

The book begins with a scene from the 19th century in which a young widowed mother is rushing home with medicine for her deathly ill three-year old daughter. Add in the dark streets of the French Quarter with ritualistic drums and chanting from a voodoo ritual, along with a very handsome and mysterious man, and the tone is set for a haunting experience. This haunting experience just happens to be the first of many sequential dreams that Lottie is experiencing since arriving in New Orleans with her two friends on school break.

Shaken by the authentic feel of the dreams, Lottie becomes curious as to why she is having such an experience and what it could mean. While walking through the Quarter, she is drawn into a Voodoo shop, Villere House, where she hopes she will find answers to some of her questions. There she meets Xavier Villere, the handsome Creole shop owner. Lottie and Xavier are immediately drawn to each other, but neither understand the depth of the attraction...or strange pull to one another.

The dreams continue and Lottie begins to think she is going crazy. She can't confide in her friends who already view her as the fun sponge and treat her as though she were different. The connection she feels with Xavier affords her the opportunity to share her dreams and experiences with him. Xavier is very versed in voodoo rituals and supernatural, but he is also very skeptical in the power of his family's history with voodoo. He thinks the supernatural is all just a bunch of hocus pocus, so he has a rebuttal for every claim Lottie makes. Of course, Xavier has secrets of his own that could help Lottie, but he isn't willing to share those just yet.

As Xavier and Lottie discover that Lottie's dreams are warnings and clues to a greater mystery, malevolent forces come into play that threaten Lottie's life. Xavier and Lottie work together to solve they mystery and save Lottie's life, drawing Lottie and Xavier closer. Where sleep began as Lottie's nemesis, sleep soon became her craving as she wanted to learn more of the woman in her dreams and in search for the next clue. There are twists, secrets, and betrayals to be revealed as you journey with Lottie and Xavier in their quest to solve the mystery of Lottie's dreams.

Hauntings, possessions, vampires, seances, and voodoo curses all play a part in this novel that defies one genre and fits into several. There is plenty of romance happening as it time warps and span of centuries, and the erotic heat of the 21st century is just as exotic when written as these co-authors have done. Sometimes with two authors, you can tell the shift from one mindset to the next. However, from chapter to chapter, the shift in authors is seamless, helping the story to flow beautifully. The dream sequences are extremely well done and allow the reader to partake of two stories in one.

I was once a frequent visitor to the Big Easy, and especially throughout the French Quarter. These authors have certainly done their homework, writing a very accurate account of perimeters, landmarks, and capturing the feel of the crescent city and its citizens. Villere House is not just a novel, but a movie that will play in the readers' heads. Once I began Villere House, I had a very hard time putting it down. I recommend Villere House to fans of paranormal romance and mystery/suspense novels that will stretch the imagination to look beyond this plane that we live on. I look forward to the next installment in the Blood of My Blood Series. ...more

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Aug 01, 2013 Anne OK rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2014-reads

I am not, nor have I ever been, a big fan of fantasy or paranormal stories. Every once in a while a situation comes along that drags me kicking and screaming into the foray (and I mean that literally). Once it was under the power of a challenge, another time it came clothed in a friendly buddy read, and then like here, an author piqued my curiosity period. I never say never but . . . even good writing and a very intriguing storyline, along with authors who did a commendable job in bringing New O ...more

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Aug 01, 2013 Melissa Brown rated it really liked it

I enjoyed this book VERY much and am looking forward to the next book in the series. The plot was really unique and different. I had trouble putting the book down and the authors did a great job of writing seamlessly. I didn't see a different in writing styles between chapters, etc.

I adored Xavier---he was wonderful. I would have liked to know more about Lottie, I feel like I had the basics about her, but just wanted to connect with her on a deeper level so that I could "get" her.

The flashbacks ...more

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Oct 27, 2013 Erica Alyson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: paranomal

This cover drew me in. I am obsessed with skulls and the color pink so I knew I had to read it. Then I read the back of the book and I was hooked. I really liked this book a lot. The plot and the story line. I love NOLA books. The setting and vibe was great. Can't wait for the follow up book! ...more

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Aug 01, 2013 Shannon McCrimmon rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

This book first got my attention when it was initially released. From the title to the original book cover, (which was a skull with roses) how could I not be drawn to this wonderful story? And let's not forget that Leslie Fear is one of the authors. I've been following Fear on The Indie Bookshelf and love that she always tells it like it is. And let's just say that after reading this book, I am in awe of her writing ability.

My first compliment to this unique and well-written story is to the aut ...more

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Aug 04, 2013 Laura rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

I had the honor of beta-reading this book. To say that this is a 5 star book isn't even doing it justice. I want to preface this by saying, I am NOT a paranormal reader. It's usually just too cheesy for me and well, it just doesn't interest me. I want to read about people I can relate to. Leslie and C. D. do just that.

This story begins as a bunch of friends going to New Orleans for Spring Break. Typical, right? Wrong! The dreams that Charlotte (Lottie) starts having are just...well, they're not ...more

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Aug 29, 2013 Tosha rated it it was amazing

I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked this book knowing it was going to be different from my typical read. We all have theory's on what goes on in New Orleans and this story fits perfectly. The authors did a fantastic job explaining and keeping our attention throughout the book. Especially, going back and forth from the dreams and the present. I can't wait to read more from these authors. Well done! ...more

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Aug 04, 2013 Tashia Brandenburg rated it it was amazing

My biggest complaint is the story wasn't longer!! It didn't take long for me to be drawn in and hungry for more! So much so that I pretty much spent my Saturday reading and read the book in one day! ...more

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