Bleeding Hearts

by Ash Krafton

[littleread1]

This book is broken up into 3 sections, so I think talking about each section on its own makes the most sense for me. I really liked the first part. It takes you through the life of Sophie Galen, and really helps you get to know her. Krafton does a great job making her relate-able. The way that Sophie meets Marek is adorable as well. In a museum? I love it. There is definitely instant attraction.

I wish there was more to the week Marek kept coming to Sophie's apartment every night. There was much that was implied as far as what was told about the history of Vamps and Demi Vamps, but we don't get to be privy to those conversations. I felt like I was missing out some.

And then of course there is her best friend, the Priest ex-boyfriend Jared. I love him. He kind of drops out of the second part of the book and makes a grand re-appearance in the third part, but I am getting ahead of myself. I don't know about you, but I would love a friend like him. Someone who knows me that well, but there is no pressure for *anything* to happen, and who won't judge anything I do or say. That would be lovely.

So, section one gets a solid 4 stars from me.

Section two, on the other hand, opens up just a week or two later, but Sophie is already a part of the DV's lives. Lounging in the office, joking with Marek's brother like they have known each other for years ... it all seemed rushed. Maybe if more time had passed it would have grated on my nerves less. It just was too fast. It was too close to "insta-love" for comfort.

This is also when you get a better idea of vamp politics and who runs what. As well as find out more about the Sophia. I thought that was a good try to put a new spin on the vampire mythology, but it just didn't work for me. I don't want to ruin the story for you, just suffice it to say it made them all seem a bit too whiny.

Section two winds down with some bad stuff, a nice evening, and then Sophie doing the dumb heroine thing and not listening to what Marek tells her to do. Section two drops the story to 3 stars.

Section three ... well there isn't a whole lot I can say without spoiling the book. I found parts to be very predictable, not that that is a bad thing. I was just reading along and thought to myself, "I bet _____ happens" and I was right. There were some things I didn't understand, such as someone being excluded from the group. There were definitely some loose ends that I am hoping will be tied up in a second installment. Section three gets 3 1/2 stars.

Overall, I give this 3 1/2 stars. It was a good read and there were parts where I had a hard time putting it down, but I thought some parts of the story were a bit weak, and could have possibly been helped by further explanation. I still recommend you read this if you want a new spin on vampires, and I will be looking forward to a book 2.