Review: Cold Blood

 

Title: Cold Blood (Dirty Blood #2)

Author: Heather Hildenbrand

Format: Paperback, E-Book

ISBN13: 2940013473843

Published: November 2011 by Accendo Press

 

Tara has been given the opportunity of a lifetime. She is accepted into Wood Pointe Academy – an exclusive school for werewolf hunters. So she should be thrilled, right?

Nope.

But Tara doesn’t get a say in the matter. Her grandmother and mother have decided for her and she doesn’t have a choice. They think since her pyscho cousin Miles is on the loose, people have tried to kill her, and she’s dating a super hot werewolf (mommy is very disturbed by this) that Wood Pointe will be a safe haven for her and she can train with awesome fighters and learn how to defend herself.

Talk about going from the frying pan and into the fire.

Turns out this time, mother might not know best.

Wood Pointe might be beautiful, but the people leave little to be desired. Apparently, a “dirty” blood isn’t welcome and they do everything in their power to let Tara know it. And the walls of the academy? They don’t keep out phone calls from certain stalkers.

Not to mention that Wes isn’t there. He’s miles away where she can’t see his fury hotness (a serious injustice), but… there is another hottie – I mean bossy, opinionated guy there that has been assigned to teach Tara how to fight.

But Tara can only do one thing… navigate the hunter-infested waters and try to stay alive.

So before we get on with the review I feel that I must divulge some impertinent information.

#1 I won a blog contest that got me a character in the book. The Cambria that you read about among the pages of Cold Blood, you know the one with the sexy bangs and kind of Goth-but-hot look? That’s me. Uh –huh.

Clearly I might be biased.

#2 I howl at the moon every chance I get and wait for my meat eating, stubborn-snarling, big, hairy piece of HAWT to come get me.

Clearly, I am good judge of werewolf books.

Now that we have cleared up that little matter, I will get on with my review.

This book is a really great read!!! I loved it. Heather has a great writing style that is easy to follow and makes the reader anxious to turn the page. Tara is a great character that I liked before and I still like now. She is really strong despite all the stuff that life keeps throwing at her. I admire they way she just keeps moving, keeps going and doesn’t let the bad things that happen hold her back from what she has to do.

I enjoyed the new characters that came into this book. Obviously Cambria is a favorite of mine (I admit it was a little jarring to see my name across the pages at times. They would say “Cambria,” and I would want to answer, lol). I also found it amusing that my alter ego in this book is a werewolf hunter because come on y’all you know that if a hawt were came at me, I’d throw myself at him. LOL.

Anyway, the other new characters, like Logan, were awesome as well. And then there was Alex…

Can I just say it is a true testament to an author’s writing that she had me – the self-proclaimed werewolf-loving woman – swaying in the direction of a werewolf hunter… or maybe swooning in the direction of a hunter is a more accurate statement. This is guy is HOT. I mean seriously. The way I picture him:

   He was tall and moved with a quickness that made him appear much leaner than he was because when he was still— when all movement ceased—his shoulders were far wider than I imagined. His blond hair was too long to be considered neat, but not so long that it looked unkempt, and his eyes—he had the kind of stare that made you uncomfortable, but so intense that you found yourself fidgeting in your shoes.

So, yeah. You know he has to be hot if I like him and he isn’t a werewolf, but he kills werewolves…

Anyway, he has a dangerous air about him but he is also very perceptive. He knows Tara; it’s like he sees right into her and he always shows up when he needs too…. Sigh.

But enough about the werewolf killer. Let’s talk about Wes.

The resident Werewolf Hottie.

He wasn’t in the book enough for my taste. I completely understood why he wasn’t there most the time, but it was still hard to swallow. He’s got that macho, stubborn, protector thing down pat and I freaking love it. I wished he was on every single page of the book. Wes and Tara make a great couple; they are attracted to one another in ways that I think the reader doesn’t quite understand yet. I hope that their connection stays strong even with el werewolf hunter on the loose.

But hey, if Tara decides that Alex is the one who makes her heart sing, then Cambria will be right there to help Wes forget all about Tara….. he he he he.

(hint, hint, hint Heather….)

But in all seriousness, the plot was great and the surprises and twists and turns at the end were unexpected, which makes for a fantastic read. At first, I was a little worried when I read the synopsis and saw that Tara would be going off to basically an elite boarding school. I have seen this plot many times in books and it usually has left something to be desired for me. Not this time. The school was different and fresh and the action and scenes moved along never leaving the reader to falter.

I highly recommend this book, this entire series. It is one of the best Indie books I have ever read. It IS the best werewolf Indie book I have ever read. It’s a unique take on an old classic character and that is what sets it apart.

If you haven’t read this book I would say “What the heck are you waiting for?” Just remember… Wes is mine….

So there you have it. My opinion.