Love Bleeds by Maggie James - Book Review

Title: Love Bleeds (Only After Dark #1)

Author: Maggie James

Publication Date: March 2011

Format: E-Book - PDF

Pages: 310

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Source: Review Copy from Author/Bewitching Book Tours




There’s no such thing as vampires…
Straight-laced Katarina Renót is well educated, logical and doesn’t believe vampires truly exist. But when a well deserved holiday in Europe turns into a torrid game of cat and mouse with a handsome stranger and her best friend is exhibiting signs of being allergic to daylight-Kat doesn’t think her life can get any stranger.
Every man has a weakness…Even an immortal…
Joseph Markus is an arrogant, wealthy entrepreneur who spends his free time as the raspy lead singer for the rock band “Slang” and seducing beautiful women. After decades of mourning the tragic death of the only woman he ever loved, vying to save his best friend from an unrelenting death wish- now he is accused of being a murderer.
An undeniable twist of fate…
Kat learns her Prince Charming is actually the “Prince of Darkness” and though she can’t resist falling for this sultry vampire, she still lives in denial. But when the lines are drawn, and Kat finds herself caught in the middle of a deadly plot for revenge she has only one choice--trust the seductive vampire who has captured her heart.
Despite his own arrogance, Joe finds himself inexplicably drawn to Kat. Her stubborn will to resist his seductive charms coupled with her endearing naiveté prove to be more than he bargained for and Joe soon realizes he is in way over his head.
But will love be enough to save their immortal souls from the grips of a twisted obsession? (Goodreads Synopsis)


This was a fairly pleasant read and I enjoyed the fact that the setting was different from some other vampire books I have read lately, even though the sense of place didn't come across as strongly as I would have liked. On the whole, I found the plot captured my attention and I wanted to know how things would work out for the characters.

The characters themselves were OK, if a little stereotypical. Joe was suitably brooding as the male lead, as most male vampires seem to be these days. Katarina started out fiesty, but seemed to lose her spark as the story went on, which was unfortunate as she began to become bland towards the end.

My main concern with the book was the POV. I did find it seemed to change suddenly mid-scene, which was a little disconcerting as it made you double take and have to reread to be sure whose head you were in. This happened several times and did start to grate a little.

It took a while for the action to build as the first chunk of the book was dedicated to the romance between the two pairs. These early scenes were often very sexy, but I would have liked more build up to the action and the danger earlier on as well. It also wasn't clear whether vampires were still living in secret or out of the coffin. Nina seemed to know they existed, but it is unclear if this was just her or if the world in general suspected. A number of other characters do not seem surprised by their presence, so it is hard to tell.

In conclusion, this was an OK book; fine if you have a free afternoon and the inclination. I'm giving it three stars. I received this book as a review copy from the author via Bewitching Book Tours.