Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Halfway to the Grave.


Title/Author: Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost.

Genre: Paranormal Romance.

Publisher:  Harper-Collins.

Source: Purchased. 

Favorite character: Cat.

Synopsis
Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father—the one responsible for ruining her mother’s life. Then she’s captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership.
In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She’s amazed she doesn’t end up as his dinner—are there actually good vampires?

Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn’t have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her newfound status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side... and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat. ~Goodreads.

My Thoughts:
Cat and Bones this! Cat and Bones that!  Seems that's all I ever hear about!  Favorite couple, favorite paranormal couple, favorite smexy scenes, favorite bad-ass couple, favorite series.  Well I finally met them in their first book Halfway to the Grave which sets the stage for an epic adventure spanning many books. 

Cat is totally not what I expected.  I didn't think she'd be so young first of all.  I also didn't expect her to be quite as naive and I didn't expect her to be such a loner.  However, this wasn't a deterrant, I just readjusted my thinking a bit.  I found her very relatable in many ways and her voice is easy to follow.  There are other elements of her personality, however, that are contradictory and that kind of stopped me in my tracks. 

"But lots of people are contradictory." A friend of mine argued.  Yes, sure, I can certaintly see that.  However, this is MY reading experience and not everything makes sense to me.  In some ways she acts very immature in my mind and I have to say it irritates me and then when she is tough and brave it's hard for me to believe.

My friend sputtered at me. "But.  But.  That's her character.  She's brave when it counts and sensitive at other times."  I told my friend that we're going to have to agree to disagree.  I see that Cat is brave, but I needed something behind it.  Maybe her first experience at killing a vamp, where she realizes that she is strong and fast and can actually do it.   An epiphany that this is her birthright.  Or something like that.  I do like that she usually thought about others before herself, which made her sacrifices more realistic and honorable.  I also do love her clever subterfuges which I won't give away. 

I had to get used to Bones at first.  With the whole English accent, I envisioned him in a button up oxford and loafers with a very high class tone.  (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)  Then I realized that he isn't quite so proper and started picturing him talking like Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  Yeah, that's a little better.

There are a few things about the plot that I feel are put in just for fun but for the most part I did enjoy it and there is some great action.  I appreciate how Bones trained Cat so her fighting forays are more believable.  I also really like the vampire mythology.   The story line is interesting and kept me engrossed when I picked up the book. 

The sex scenes were plentiful and while there was nothing trashy about them, they still made me blush a little and simply want to get back to the story.  My favorite romantic scene was when they were in the Club, their first kiss.  Obviously true fans of Paranormal Romance who like their books heavy on the Romance, will enjoy this.  For those who are more into Urban Fantasy, this may not quite be what you are looking for.

It's not that Cat and Bones disappointed me, I just went into the book with a vision of them that is not the same as the author's vision.  So yes, I do intend to continue with a few more books.  I do have to say though, even with some issues I have with the characters and plot, I *did* enjoy this book and found it a  very fun and fast read. 

Other editions:




Challenges:













5 comments:

Karen said...

Good review Pam. Sometimes a character clicks for you and sometimes they don't.
I really loved Cat at first but I find her more irritating in the later books even though she grows up a lot. If you continue with the series it will be interesting to see how you feel about her.
FYI - the sex gets more blush worthy in the next book but then kind of simmers down to first book levels after that. :-)

Jenny said...

Awwww sorry Cat and Bones didn't quite live (ha!) up to your expectations, but I'm glad you enjoyed them for the most part:) Do you think you'll continue the series?

Midnyte Reader said...

@Karen-I still enjoyed the book. Thanks for the warning about the smut in the next book!

@Jenny- I just got a different impression from what everyone spoke about. I will continue the series as I still liked the book. Excellent escapism.

Kate @Midnight Book Girl said...

I don't know if this is the book for me, but I like the idea of a absent vampire dad- it gives deadbeat dad a great new spin. Great review!

Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer said...

Super review..i am on book three of this series..and i know exactly what you mean about Cat. She can be so tough and then a total brat.

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