Blood Reunited releases 1/28
Book links:
Amazon
Synopsis:
Book Three in the Blood Vine Series.
Brooding vampire halfling and biologist Bel Maras is determined to create a cure for the wasting disease that plagues his vampire family. His work becomes essential as the Hunters intensify their global and bloody campaign. When Bel’s cure fails, only his ancient and estranged godmother Uta Ilirije can help. But seeing the ice-cold Uta reveals something shocking–she is his bonded mate.
She may be a dangerous warrior, but Uta feels her failures acutely. She has been unable to protect her kind from Hunters, and vampires are dying out. Worse, she tied Bel to her long ago in an accident of blood, then abandoned him for his own good–a choice he has never forgiven. Many days, she is convinced Bel and the vampires would be better off if she just walked into the sun.
Biology has fated them to be mates. Now these old enemies must overcome their past to save the vampires and come to peace with the bond they never chose.
My review:
Blood Reunited is the third and final installment of author Amber Belldene’s Blood Vine Series, a series that I have loved from the very beginning. As sad as I am to see the end to this series I must say that I am equally happy with how it did end. It was absolutely perfect.
Blood Reunited picks up where the second book, Blood Entangled, left off and to say things are a mess for the Kastle Estate Winery would be a gross understatement. The situation with the Hunters and the wasting disease are at the most dire points and things have never looked bleaker.
But vampire Halfling, Bel, still has hope that he can cure the wasting disease and in turn save the vampire race. He has been working non-stop on in his lab and believes he’s isolated what makes the wine so important. He also believes he’s figured out the same thing about the Hunter blood. It’s all right there, practically in his grasp but alas, it keeps eluding him. To throw another monkey wrench into things, Uta is at the winery. Uta, Bel’s childhood friend, one of the oldest vampires in existence, and his blood mate. As if he needed this kind of distraction. Her presence has awoken a need in him he has never felt before and also has brought back all his childhood feelings of hurt when she pushed him away all those years ago. He still had no idea why she sent him away when he needed her most after his mother’s suicide and he certainly didn’t have time to worry about it now. He needed to focus on his work and saving vampires. Easier said than done.
Vampire Uta Ilirije has stayed away from Bel for as long as she could. Now, being forced to head to his family’s winery with the council so they could work on saving the vampires and stopping the Hunters, she would be forced to see him…and ignite the blood bond. A blood bond she had formed by accident. No matter what the circumstances though, she loved Bel. Always had. And seeing his distaste for her was crushing her. But she was a warrior and would do what it took to stop this war with the Hunters and in the end she hoped one day Bel could forgive her. Dare she hope along with his forgiveness he could learn to love her?
Adding to this storyline was Ethan Bennett and his new plaything, Gwen. Whoa, talk about one effed up relationship! Amber did one hell of a job portraying them as the uncaring, soulless fiends they are…or shall I say were.
We also learned more about the vampire race and their ancient relationship with the Hunters. Seeing all the pieces fit into place was pretty amazing and again, Amber did one hell of a job weaving their historic tale throughout the series with the culmination in Blood Reunited.
While reading this story the saying “it’s going to get worse before it can get better” kept rolling around in my head…because never had it been truer. Things with the Maras clan and the winery are a devastated mess and I was heartbroken for all they had to endure. Bel and Uta go through so much in terms of emotion and rehashing their personal history. Bel being stubborn and angry while Uta is broken and tired of feeling all the guilt she has carried over their blood bond. All of that being said, it made the ending ever sweeter. I had such a sense of contentment when I read “The End” and I finished this book with a smile. You know I won’t give anything away so you’ll have to red it for yourself to find out.
Amber, thank you for one of the most amazing series endings I have ever had the pleasure of reading and for giving us the Blood Vine Series. All you vampire lovers out there really need to read this series…you won’t be disappointed!
Five Loves
About the author:
Amber Belldene grew up on the Florida panhandle, swimming with alligators, climbing oak trees and diving for scallops…when she could pull herself away from a book. As a child, she hid her Nancy Drew novels inside the church bulletin and read mysteries during sermons—an irony that is not lost on her when she preaches these days.
Amber is an Episcopal Priest and student of religion. She believes stories are the best way to explore human truths. Some people think it is strange for a minister to write romance, but it is perfectly natural to her, because the human desire for love is at the heart of every romance novel and God made people with that desire. She lives with her husband and two children in San Francisco
Jillian, thank you SO much for this review. It makes me so happy to hear you found the ending so satisfying. Thanks for being there with me and this series from the beginning. You probably feel like Andre is an old friend as much as I do!
Glad you loved it! 🙂