Rating: 2⭐️

And I’m out. Honestly I tried so hard to like this series and main character because it had so much potential, but in the end,  the story, plotting, and overall poor character development just sunk it.

I’ll take it issue by issue, starting with the least interesting part , that of the plot elements and total story reveal early on.  

I guessed at how all the various elements of this story came together to point to the main villain and his nefarious plan at around the 45 percentage point.  But the author herself gets several characters to actually tell a small group the exact details of the storyline, the mystery, the villain, at the halfway point. So it’s a done deal. Just a matter of bringing him down. 

For the rest of the book. Mystery solved.

Next. The biggest problem is the characters. Most are of the cardboard type. One dimensional. No layers , no history and very little details or any real reason to care for them. That’s the majority of the cast. One gets hurt or killed. It’s not a big deal because they are, for the most part, underwhelming and interchangeable.   Only a few stick out, and that’s due to how often they appear throughout the book and their names. Like Dog, the werewolf bartender.  But that’s all you really know about him. 

The main character, Charley, is problematic is multiple ways. For me she’s a prime example of a TSTL character. She’s constantly doing things that are highly “stupid” , that is the word used in the book, in that both she, her circle of friends, and the reader know are traps, running into scenes where she’s outnumbered, or the villains or baddies are waiting for her. She’s either told herself it’s a ‘dumb or stupid” idea, her friends or even frenemies have told her it’s a bad idea. So, over and over, she goes through and does it. And yes, gets hurt , needs to be saved, and often gets others hurt too.  Watch her repeat this pattern while asking yourself why you are still reading this book.

TSTL.  Extremely frustrating to read about. And gives me little reason to invest in the character. 

The magic and her lack of training, the nasty coven and that entire aspect of the story is full of flags and issues. But I’ll table those because the main character has so many herself. 

Finally the romance.  We don’t have much of any relationship history or romance development between Charley and the vampire Samuel. But instantly they are in love, committed and Dog is so happy for them. After a few minutes in the alley and a couple of times where he steps in and helps her out?  Where is the relationship dynamic? Even instant love romances have more of a connection than this one does. 

Add everything above and I barely got through the book. It was a struggle.  So I’m definitely not going forward .

If you’re a fan of the author, then you might want to consider reading this. 

I’ll leave it up to you. 

Cover design Damonza.com”

The Charley Underwood series -complete 

Bloodlust Blues 

Bloodlust Bites 

Bloodlust Curse 

Bloodlust Shadows

Buy link

        Bloodlust Bites: An addictive and action-packed urban fantasy (Charley Underwood Book 2)

Blurb 

Welcome to Crimson, Georgia. I’m Charley Underwood—witch, bar owner, and accidental demon hunter.

Crimson isn’t a regular town. With vampires, shifters, and humans living side by side, tensions always run high. I try to keep the peace, and most of the time nobody gets hurt. Most of the time.

Right now, Crimson is one bite away from all-out chaos.

A dangerous new wolf is stirring up trouble. A sexy vampire is on the hunt, with a gun full of sunlight bullets. And thugs from Atlanta are threatening my friends.

As if that wasn’t enough, my magic is running wild. One second it’s throwing bad guys through windows, the next it fizzles out to nothing. There’s only one way to get it under control—by taking lessons from Crimson’s terrifying old-school coven of witches.

I need to get a handle on it fast. Way out in the woods, someone is attacking young women, leaving them bitten and bloody. Is it a stranger or one of our own?

When police pin the attacks on one of my bartenders, it’s clear that none of this is random. Someone is coming after me and the people I love.

I’ll do anything to protect my crew. Even strike a deal with a vicious old enemy.

Because when I see what I’m fighting against, it’s clear I need all the help I can get.

• Publisher: Second Sky (August 9, 2024)
• Publication date: August 9, 2024
• Language: English
• Print length: 300 pages