Swear by Amanda Hocking
Series: My Blood Approves #5
Published by Indie
Published on: November 9, 2016
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 335
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
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In the final book of the My Blood Approves series...
Alice has moved on and is settling into a new country with a new career as a vampire hunter. Finally, she's created a stable, happy life for herself and her family, including her boyfriend Jack. Or at least as stable as her life can be, especially with a dangerous vampire cult resurfacing.
But everything she’s worked for is put in jeopardy when she receives a disturbing message - one that sends her on a quest that delves into a tragic mystery that has haunted Peter for years.
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Two years ago I spent less than a week reading the My Blood Approves series by Amanda Hocking. I had to buy the fourth book on Smashwords because that’s the only place I could find it.(It’s on Amazon now) When I was done with that, I realized that she hadn’t really ended the series and these books had been out for several years with no end in sight. I did my research and found that she probably wasn’t going to end it. To be honest, I was a bit mad. So when I saw that she had written the ending finally, I knew I had to jump back in, and I ended up being very glad I did-well, for the most part anyway.
Alice was just a teenager when she met vampire, Jack, and they fell in love. Of course, it’s not that simple. She gets pulled into a supernatural world that she hadn’t even dreamed existed. When she meets his brother Peter, things really ramp up, and that’s because Alice and Peter are seemingly blood mates or blood approved mates-not sure what it was actually called. They are immediately drawn to each other. Peter lost his mate Elise about a hundred years back. He has never gotten over her, so meeting Alice knocked him for a loop, and that’s because there is only one mate for a vampire. So yes, this was a love triangle, not usually my thing, but I couldn’t put these books down. If you plan on trying the series, you might not want to read the next part of my review because there will be spoilers-can’t be helped.
It’s sic years later and Alice and Jack live in Amsterdam. They’ve built a life there and now Alice is a vampire and is also a vampire hunter. She hunts with her best friend Bobby, who is also her brother Milo’s mate. He is human, and Milo isn’t. A vampire hunting vampires kind of shocked me, but it’s more of a policing thing through an agency that keeps the supernatural world in check. When strange things start happening in Alice and Jack’s world, Alice realizes that something sinister is starting to stalk both her and Jack. Has and ancient evil been let loose again on the streets of Amsterdam?
While Jack is handsome and charming, Peter is brooding and dark. Jack is outgoing and endearing and Peter says little and keeps to himself. Complete exact opposites. Of course, me being me, I was drawn to Peter from the beginning, but I also enjoyed Jack as a character as well. Alice has really grown the most over the books. She has made her choice and now just wants Peter to be happy and to that end will do anything to help him. She’s pretty fearless when hunting vampires and pretty much is a kick ass and take names fighter.
This was the last book in the series. And after the ending, I totally see why.I am not that upset that it’s the end and that’s because all the loose ends got wrapped up and after the wait, I was happy to have a conclusion. However, there were times that it felt like the author was throwing in all kinds of things that weren’t that necessary to the plot and it bothered me a bit. It has to be mentioned because while the other books were non-stop reads, this one wasn’t that for me. And while the ending wasn’t my favorite, it did make sense. Enough said.
This started out as YA and really still is, except now there is mentions of sex scenes between the mated pair. Noting explicit at all, the reader just knows what’s about to take place or did take place. There’s also a fair amount of violence as well. I would recommend these books to ages 15-16 plus.
FYI-This book does need another editing. Words out of order, or used wrong, etc.
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My Blood Approves
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I’m Lorna and I live in Maryland. Since retiring, I spend my time mostly reading and reviewing books. My favorite reads are Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, and Young Adult. I read a lot of indie books in addition to traditionally published books. Favorite paranormal creature? Vampires, but I am really liking werewolves more everyday.
This is an author I have been meaning to try but haven’t, I should put her on my list to try. 🙂
Stormi Johnson recently posted…Review of Twelve Days of Christmas
After what happened with this one I chose not to read anything else by her, although somewhere along the line I did get a freebie from another of her series. Still unread.
Lorna recently posted…Review: Swear by Amanda Hocking (@Mollykatie112, @amanda_hocking)
Will the love triangle drive me crazy? This sounds really good.
Joy // Joyousreads recently posted…[686]: Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood
I don’t think so? But then I was intrigued by it due to it being his brother and the whole is she really my mate thing. Some of it is really dark.
Lorna recently posted…Review: Swear by Amanda Hocking (@Mollykatie112, @amanda_hocking)
I remember absolutely loving this series as well but it’s been so long since I’ve read it, I’ve forgotten quite a bit now it seems. I don’t know if I will bother reading this, more than likely not but I’m glad you did and for the most part liked it.
kindlemom1 recently posted…WoW Pick of the Week!
I worried that I would be hopelessly lost and for the most part things came back to me. But for me it’s only been two years, I am sure for many it’s been several years. If you are ever curious let me know and I will tell you the end. It’s a bit of a shocker.
Lorna recently posted…Review: Swear by Amanda Hocking (@Mollykatie112, @amanda_hocking)
How frustrating that you got into the series and it ended without the finish, but glad she finally gave you some closure. Sounds like an interesting vampire world. I’ve seen her other series and want to try her books eventually.
Great review, Lorna. You did great about not spoiling things.
Sophia Rose recently posted…A Cowboy Christmas Miracle by Carolyn Brown #HolidayDelight
Thanks, it was a bit hard since things had changed so much over the course of th he books and years. I couldn’t write the review without spilling a few secrets. But I tried to keep it to a minimum. And you are right, it was beyond frustrating.
Lorna recently posted…Review: Swear by Amanda Hocking (@Mollykatie112, @amanda_hocking)
And I still have not tried her books
blodeuedd recently posted…Mistletoe, mischief and the marquis – Amelia Grey
This is the only one I have read. It was her debut series and indie. Now she’s traditionally published due to all her success with this series, at least that’s how I understood it.
Lorna recently posted…Review: Swear by Amanda Hocking (@Mollykatie112, @amanda_hocking)
I was stoked to hear that Amanda had written the final book to this series! I still haven’t picked it up yet, because I KNOW I’m going to need to do a series re-read…which I haven’t done in eons! I plan to do this eventually though…something that gets said a LOT for me! LOL! But glad to hear it got a nice roundabout ending! Am just now recalling how the love triangle was resolved and I am remembering my shock again too! LOL! Can’t wait to re-read this series and then finally, THIS one! Great review!
I didn’t do a reread and I really think I would have benefited from one. Especially because now I am not sure what you mean about the resolved love triangle and why it was shocking? And thanks!
I read her other series and enjoyed it. Glad you finally got your ending!
kimbacaffeinate recently posted…When All The Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz
Me too! It was a really long time coming! Thanks 🙂
Lorna recently posted…Review: Swear by Amanda Hocking (@Mollykatie112, @amanda_hocking)
Yea, ending books are rarely my favorite. At least it made sense and gave you some closure! 🙂
Melissa (Books and Things) recently posted…Congress of Secrets by Stephanie Burgis
In this case her readers had waited too long for this ending. It made sense but still not my favorite ending to a series!
Lorna recently posted…Review: Swear by Amanda Hocking (@Mollykatie112, @amanda_hocking)
I think I read the first 3 books in this series, but never continued beyond that so far. I don’t remember much of the books, but I can remember I found the series quite addictive back then. It does seem a bit weird she only wrote or published the last book by now. But it must be nice to finally have the last things wrapped up. Great review!
Lola recently posted…Sunday Post #207
That’s the word, it was addictive, which is why I was upset she hadn’t finished it. I was happy to get an ending. And thank you!
Lorna recently posted…Fresh Meat: December 4 to December 10 — 31 Speculative Fiction Releases
I’m glad you finally get the ending you were waiting for. I’m always drawn to the darker, broody guys myself, so I want to know more about Peter!
Naomi Hop recently posted…Waiting On Wednesday #222 – Mr. Match / Bad Boy (@JAHuss , @ElliotWake)
Yes, I was happy to finally get an ending 😉 And Peter was veryyyy broody!
You know, I grabbed quite a few from Hocking when I first got my nook – because they were free, for the most part. But I still haven’t read them. I’m happy that you got your ending even if it wasn’t quite the page turner the other books in the series were. I get what you’re saying about the author throwing all sorts of things in…like she wasn’t sure where to take the story? Oh, and I laughed when you said you were drawn to Peter because you had me in has camp at “broody”. 😉
Bookworm Brandee recently posted…Books & Crafts #8 ~ #BookBlogger #CraftCircle
Yes, the first one of these may have been free way back when, not sure. They certainly kept me reading non-stop! Yes, throwing stuff in because there just needed to be more story I guess and she wasn’t sure where to take the story next. I dunno for sure. And Peter was always my favorite but I did like Jack a lot 🙂