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Cross Your Heart by Michele Bardsley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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I finished my work book at lunch today. It was Cross Your Heart by Michele Bardsley, and it’s the 7th part of the “Broken Heart” series of paranormal romance. The main character in this one is Elizabeth Bretton, who’s been turned into a vampire and now dwells in the para-friendly town of Broken Heart.

As if being a vampire isn’t bad enough, now Elizabeth has a vengeful ghost trying to kill her. Not long after, a handsome were-jaguar, Tez, arrives in Broken Heart and immediately gravitates to Elizabeth. As other established couples in town begin bickering, Elizabeth has reason to believe that the legendary curse of Broken Heart has been unleashed upon the residents once again. Worse, it may have been her own ancestor who put the curse in motion. Now it’s up to Elizabeth, with Tez at her side, to get to the bottom of the curse and break it once and for all.

I’ve read and enjoyed other books in this series. They’re mostly lighthearted fun, but there’s just enough of a creepy factor involved to prevent the stories from being all fluff. I enjoyed the pace of the plot and the pacing of the romance between Elizabeth and Tez.

Favorite lines:
♦ “Just thinking about how to solve this mystery.” // “Okay, Velma.”
♦ “I have no intention of bringing a donkey into our bedroom.”
♦ I was a vampire. I had speed, strength, the ability to control minds, and I could make beautiful jewelry.
♦ “Not even Oprah could fix this.”

Fun story, four stars

My work book got so intense on Friday that I was compelled to bring it home to finish, rather than leaving it at the office all weekend and finishing it at work.

:D

The book was Over My Dead Body by Michelle Bardsley. It's one of her "Broken Heart" stories about single-parents-turned-vampires in Broken Heart, OK.

First off, the book began with a prologue of the ending. For the record, I don't like it when books "open at the close". It annoys me. I find it ruins some of the suspense, and I catch myself looking for clues throughout as to what led to the beginning/ending. Guh.

That aside, this was a good story. It was centered around Simone Sweet, the town's mechanic, and widowed mother of Glory. Simone is surprised with Brady Hayes begins courting her. She's also anxious, because her husband was abusive, up until the night that Simone killed him in self-defense. No one in town knows her secret. When people around Simone end up missing or dead, she finds herself under suspicion, and the truth behind the mysterious happenings is more horrible than she could have imagined.

These stories are typically "paranormal-lite", but this one was darker than the others. The underlying theme of domestic abuse made it an uncomfortable read for me. Nevertheless, it was a satisfying read, in spite of the prologue.

Four stars:

★★★★

This evening, I brought home my "work" book to finish. It was Because Your Vampire Said So by Michele Bardsley. It's the third in her "Vampires of Broken Heart" series.

This is Patsy's story. She's the town beautician, even though she was one of several Broken Heart residents who were Turned into vampires to save them after they were attacked by a rogue vampire. Patsy has bigger problems, however. Her teenage son is acting up. When Patsy's home and business are attacked, she learns she is the one foretold in prophecy to unite vampires and lycans. She also meets Gabriel, and is immediately drawn to him.

These books are what I refer to as paranormal lite. They're fun and fluffy, although there's enough tension to keep them from being silly. I have several more books in this series, and I am looking forward to reading them.

Four stars
★★★★

I've been remiss in my book reports, alas.

Book 8 was Soulless by Gail Carriger. It's the first in the "Parasol Protectorate" series, featuring the soulless preternatural Alexia Tarabotti. Her soulless state allows Alexia to cancel the supernatural abilities of such creatures as vampires and werewolves, making her a rarity and a curiosity.

When werewolves and vampires begin disappearing around London, Alexia wants to find out why. Together with Lord Maccon, she does some investigating and becomes a target of those who are behind the mysterious disappearances.

The book was a lot of fun, and I loved the budding, bickering romance between Alexia and Lord Maccon. I can't wait to read the others in the series!

Book 9 was I'm the Vampire, That's Why by Michele Bardsley. Single mom Jessica is taking out the trash when she is attacked by a savage beast. She is saved by being Turned by vampire Patrick O'Halloran. Jessica struggles with coming to terms with her new reality and abilities, as well as how to break the news to her children. But, she wasn't the only person in town who was turned that night, and all of them are drawn into a struggle between vampire factions. Overall, the book was lighthearted and funny, but it had enough sobering moments to keep it from being a comedy fest. Again, I have other books in this series.

Finally, Book 10 is one I finished on the weekend. Dark Obsession by Amanda Stevens finds Erin Ramsey returning to New York only to find her sister's body. Megan has been killed by a vampire, but Erin doesn't believe in them. Ultimately, as she retraces Megan's steps and delves into her own memories, Erin is forced to realize the truth. Vampires exist, and one is after her. But, is it dashing detective Nick Slade, or the enigmatic playwright Roman Gerard?

This was a creepy book that gave me the chills. I enjoyed it for the most part, but certain aspects were vexing.