Reviews
This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review. Also my tags may have spoilers in them so be forewarned before checking out full review.
Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔
Heroine:🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨
First Impressions
Blood Bound is the second book in the "Mercy Thompson" series and I have been reading this whole world in order alongside with the "Alpha and Omega" series with it which has definitely had more positives than negatives. I really found it interesting but it did have less romance in it than even the first book did. I didn't really understand Sam living with her when she hasn't truly decided on what is happening with Adam, but hopefully that will all get figured out in Iron Kissed (crossing fingers) I did enjoy the plot with the vampires and the sorcerer and very curious to see how the events that happen in this book will reflect in Iron Kissed.
First Line
Like most people who own their own businesses, I work long hours that start early in the morning.
Summary
This is the story that continues a bit the connection that Mercy has with Adam who has claimed her as her mate but she has yet to accept that claim, and then her childhood friend who once broke her heart, Sam who is a pack doctor. We have a mystery involving a dangerous sorcerer and some vampire politics happening that Mercy is dragged into and caught into a conflict that brings the packs into the fray. But will Mercy be able to defeat a danger that no one else has been able to?
What I Loved
Honestly....the plot of the story was the best part of this book. It kept me on edge and was packed with danger and mystery. And when the villain attacks her in her home....LITERAL CHILLS! It was so so spooky! I can see this one being the perfect read for Halloween or October reading haha
I did enjoy seeing the growth and action that we get from Mercy. You can definitely feel the build up in the relationships that she has with both characters even though there was little attention to it in this book here. I am curious to see how this conflict between the three of them will be resolved in the end though.
What I Struggled With
LACK OF ROMANCE .....it just felt so much lower than the first book so I am craving more heart and feels with her relationships with these two men. I kinda know who she ends up but I was hoping for more happenings between these three that what was reflected in the story and y'all know how much I need a good romance element in my story.
Narration
BRILLIANT! This narrator really brings out the story and especially Mercy so well. I am loving her character quite a bit. Probably one of my more favorite UF heroines, she just is so real and normal haha
Overall View
Blood Bound is an action packed, leaves you with thrills and chills and delivers a well satisfying ending that only gives you a true gem of a read.
Favorite Quote(s)
“We’d spent years as adversaries, two predators sharing territory and a certain, unwelcome attraction. Somehow, during all those years I spent outwardly acquiescing to his demands while making sure I held my own, I’d won his respect. I’d had werewolves love me and hate me, but I’d never had one respect me before. Not even Samuel. Adam respected me enough to act on my suspicions. It meant a lot.”
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Urban Fantasy
Character Types: Blue Collar Heroine, Alpha Males, Shape Shifter-Werewolves
Themes: Danger/Suspense Elements
Tropes: Love Triangle
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
More plot than relationship being focused on
If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Nalini Singh
Ilona Andrews
Kira Brady
Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes I would recommend reading these books in order
Steam/Spice Explanations
Simmering cup of tea---soft warm touches and light intimacy
Narrators:
Lorelei King
** spoiler alert ** Rating: 4 The second book in the Mercy Thompson series was great! I love Mercy so much! As the story continues, we see Mercy's personality shine through the pages. She is by far one of my favorite protagonists that I've read. I love the attention Briggs gives to the secondary characters. I absolutely adore Stefan and the role he played in this book. I loved the plot and in comparison to the first book, the plot moved a lot more fluidly (in my opinion). The character development continues in this book as we see more of Adam's character and personality grow. I love Adam so much, more than Samuel by far. Samuel is a great character, however, I feel that he is tied and far too attracted to who Mercy used to be, at 16, rather than who she is now. Adam accepts her as who she is and I believe he even loves the defiance she has, something that most females do not have towards him being as he is an alpha. And I also love the tension and the mixed feelings Mercy has in regards to her two love interests. And Briggs possibly creating an interest between Stefan and Mercy?! I love. Like my review of the first book, I feel that Blood Bound could have really excelled with about 5 more chapters. It's not that it was rushed, it just seemed that the ending could have been presented better with extra chapters. Briggs is an excellent writer, but sometimes I get lost in her quick shifts during the chapter, bouncing from one setting to another sometimes. Overall, this book was excellent and the plot developed quite nicely. I cannot wait to continue the series and watch Mercy grow as a character and chose her love interest!!
This is the second Mercy the Walker series. The mechanic has gotten herself into a mess this time doing a favour for her friend, the vampire. I liked this book because you saw more werewolf politics as well as vampire politics. I enjoyed the hunt and learning a little more about the mystery surrounding Mercy and exactly who/what she is.
Excellent. Excellent. Excellent. The character of Mercedes Thompson is exactly right. Strong without being obnoxious, humble without being cloying, strong sense of self, firm moral centre, stubborn and bloodyminded. Fun. And can I tell you, two wolves and a vampire (which traumatizes her completely, by the way) in love with her? Totally enjoying this series. On to Iron Kissed!
Loved it
3,5
✘ Now You See Me Now You Don't Express Buddy Read (NYSMNYDEBR™) with Nafeeza, Layla and Ange ✘ 💀 DNF at 21% *pats her little self on the exoskeleton for making it that far* Okay, I was going to do the Cut the Crap Thing (CtCT™), but I just noticed the cover for this book and am consequently slightly pissed off, so this might take longer than originally planned. You're welcome. That bloody shrimping cover! What the bloody shrimping fish?! Why the holy barnacle does Mercy have to display her boobs like that?! Because her being a mechanic makes her less feminine, and she has to reassert her womanly womanhood by flaunting her freaking assets?! Just in case the readers have a doubt as to whether she is male of female? Or is it just that is it super HAWT (both literally and figuratively) in Washington State and our dear girl just NEEDS to keep her work coveralls open at all times? You know, for the sake of ventilation and stuff? Right. I'm sure that's what this is about. Damn I hate that kind of crap. The cover would have been just as hot way hotter, had Mercy shown just a little cleavage. Because, YES, a chick can look hot in coveralls even when she is NOT showing off her boobs! This probably comes as a shock, I know. I'm sorry I had to break it to you so brutally, my Little Barnacles, but you couldn't be left in the dark any longer. Your mental sanity was at stake here, whether you realize it or not. Someone had to do something about it! Why you're very welcome, my dears. I absolutely lurve that cute kitty, by the way. You know my tastes so well, it's touching, really (view spoiler)[*summons Fleet Admiral DaShrimp* "DaShrimp, nuke those Silly Barnacles NOW! No one throws cute kitties at me and gets away with it unscathed!" (hide spoiler)] Anyway, I know exactly what happened here. This was yet an evilly cunning plan to demolish a book by its cover, courtesy of the lovely people at Ace. They've been doing such a wonderful job of it with Ilona Andrews' books, they just couldn't resist the temptation here! They just had to try and ruin yet another series via (choose all that apply) pathetic/ridiculous/eyeroll-worthy/worthless book cover! The problem is, Ms Briggs (view spoiler)[bless her little heart for being such a devoted Kate Daniels fan (hide spoiler)] is no Ilona Andrews, which means Immutable Law of the Universe #1 (ILotU1™) doesn't apply to her. Yeah, life sucks, I know. Sorry? What? "What is ILotU1™," you ask? Simply this: the crappier the cover, the gloriouser the book. The Andrews recently passed the Blue Abs From Hell Cover Test (BAFHCT™) with flying colors, by the way. And if that isn't the proof that ILotU1™ was created just for them, I don't know what is. Okayyyyy, I seem to vaguely recall that there was originally a point to this paragraph. There must have been something, right? Because everything I say always has a point, right? Right. So glad we blissfully agree, my Little Barnacles. Oh yes, I remember now! The point to this paragraph, I mean! Here it is: Patricia Briggs is no Ilona Andrews and this book sucks just as much as its cover! As you Lovely Decapods very well know, I am quite the special snowflake dedicated masochist. Yes, it is true, I love to read crap stuff I know I will want to kill dead not necessarily enjoy. But what happened here is not my fault. Oh no, absolutely not. Because you see, I loved book 1 in this series SO much, I decided to do the Pre Emptive DNFing Thing (PEDT™) on this one. Which loosely translates to: "I'd rather die at the hands of a thousand lethally ferocious dinoflagellates than continue with this series." More or less. But then Deviously Cunning Angela (DCA™) happened. She put a gun to my lovely little head and made me read this thing book, or else... Horrific thing to do, is it not? Such lowly, disrespectful behavior coming from someone with such despicable book taste wouldn't have been tolerated back in the good old days of my lovely dictatorship. This is pretty disgraceful, if you ask me. I'm telling you, my Tiny Athropods, it is no wonder that this world is going to hell, and that some of you chose to vote for Trumpy instead of electing Craig Schaefer is Slightly Awesome as POTUS #45 *shakes head in desperation* But I ever so slightly digress. So I found myself in the despicable position of having to DNF read this thing book against my better judgement. And here we are. [This is were the supposedly crap-cutting review supposedly begins] Sooooooo, I only read three chapters of this fascinatingly delightful little book because: ① It's boring to death. And it's boring to death. Yeah, that too. 3 chapters = 21% of this book = 61 pages in Briggs world = 1,225,586 pages in the real world. Give or take a few hundred thousand pages. ② The blah blah blah crap is strong in that one. Most of the above mentioned three chapters 1,225,586 pages are filled to the brim with 1/useless dialogues, 2/pointless ramblings and 3/meaningless descriptions of meaningless things. Such a treat. ③ The Gloriously Captivating Relationship Crap Extravaganza (GCRCE™), aka the stuff I liked best: ➽ There are no Love Triangles of Doom and Destruction (LToDaD™) in this world, oh no, that would be way too lame. Ms Briggs has Love Quadrangles of Annihilation and Obliteration (LQoAaO™) instead. It is much, MUCH cooler. ➽ Mercy Thompson is such a cool, independent young woman that she is very logically defined by her exponentially multiplying suitors. All she does, all she is, seems to be dictated by the dull, boring, flat douchebags delicious males in her life. And that is just SO cool. Go feminism! Go! ➽ The LQoAaO™ thing is super exciting. Which is logical. There are, after all, three lacklustre losers hot dudes lusting after Mercy Dear here: one is a doctor (wow) who wants Mercy Dear for her reproductive organs (how positively charming), another is her neighbour who takes her on hot dates with his teenage daughter tagging along (thrilling) and the last one is a vamp with a Mystery Machine à la Scooby Doo (how exquisitely modern of him), who likes to play dead sleep in Mercy Dear's bedroom closet once in a while (riveting). What can I say? I'm jealous. I'd gladly give up all the sex slaves cultural attachés in my harem if it meant having just one go at one of these cardboard-like idiots luscious babes. Yes, absolutely, this is the truthful truth. These uninteresting fools most edible guys here are that irresistibly irresistible. Is it really? Strange. Have you had your bullshit-o-meter checked like I told you the other day, Spidey dear? I personally smell no BS in a 12,000 mile radius from this review. The End. » And the moral of this I Have Done the Patricia Briggs Thing FOUR FREAKING TIMES Now even Subaquatic Masochists Have their Limits I am Done Done Done Crappy Non Review (IHDtPBTFFTNeSMHtLIaDDDCNR™) is: Ange is getting a penance read for putting me through two successive pieces of crap slightly unenjoyable books. She will therefore be held at gunpoint shrimp pincers until she turns the last page of The Long Way Down. I have the weird feeling I got somewhat ripped off here, and that she got the better part of the deal. Don't know why. · Book 1: Moon Called ★★ [Pre-review nonsense] You Silly Barnacles pretty much all love this series, don't you? Right. That's what I thought. Wait. No. Why the shrimping fish would I deprive the world of my most glorious persona when YOU are the ones who keep reading books wrong?! I shall therefore stay right here and continue to graciously enlighten you Tiny Arthropods of the Despicable Book Taste (TAotDBT™) one crappy read at a time. You are very much welcome. ►► Not so full My Dear Ms Briggs I Am Sure You Are a Wonderful Person But I am Officially Done Done Done with your Books Yay Go Me Crappy Mini Non Review (MDMBIASYAaWPBIaODDDwyBYGMCMNR™) to come. ✉ A very private message to my friendly neighbourhood trolls: don't even think about it. Unless you want to die a slow, horrible, painful death, that is.
After reading the first book it was obvious to me that I was going to enjoy the second. It had mystery, romance, conflict, drama and a whole heap of sass and humour to make this a fun read. Were there things I disliked about it? Very much so, but those things I disliked didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book as a whole. I loved Mercy just as much in the second book as the first. I loved that she recognised her weaknesses when it came to the whole vampire mystery, and then chose to ignore all common sense when it was necessary to help those closest to her. Mercy is a strong, sensible woman who recognises where her strengths lie, but then doesn't let her weaknesses rule her and stop her from doing what she knows to be right. That is exactly the kind of heroine you want to be reading about. Not one who continually waits around to be rescued and gets herself into trouble because she doesn't know better. She gets herself into trouble despite the fact she knows better. I will say the thing which annoys me most in the book, though. It is the same thing which annoyed me in Moon Called, why does there have to be a love triangle? Why does there have to be conflict created around multiple love interests? This bothers me a lot in this book with the various potential love interests Mercy has. I like a lot of these characters and don't want to end up hating them because they at the wrong end of the romance triangle (do triangles have wrong ends?). I will persevere. I've already begun eyeing up the third book. I am optimistic things will get better as the books go on and gets onto surer footing, but until then I'm enjoying it despite my annoyances.
I love this series!!
Liked the story a bit more than the first one. Pack hierarchy is boring to read about, especially in such amounts and when it all repeats itself. Wish there was a bit more info about the sorcerers and demons. I need a break from the series...
