133) Blood Heat by Maria Lima

The Blurb -

Texas is heating up. . . .The summer heat wave that’s hit Rio Seco, Texas, has even the vampires complaining, but now that Keira—the Kelly Heir—is home from Vancouver, the weather isn’t the only thing too hot to handle. Keira should be setting up her court and planning the big reception at which she and her consort, vampire ruler Adam Walker, will receive the magical leaders from the local area, but pomp and circumstance just aren’t Keira’s thing, especially not with trouble smoldering in her domain.

A werewolf couple has mysteriously gone missing from a local pack, and when Keira is asked by their leader to investigate, she finds that some dissatisfied neighbors may have been taking, well, strong action against the wer community—action that could be repeated and could involve Keira and those she loves. With the reception looming and danger fast blazing out of control, the pressure is on Keira to keep Texas safe for supernaturals. Sometimes, it’s just not that great to be Heir. . . .

My Review -

Was this only book #4 in the Blood Lines series? So much has happened in such a short time and it feels like I have known Keira for eons! Getting back into this series didn't take long and it was like meeting up with an old friend. While I caught up with Keira over a game of football *smile* things started to get interesting. The story developed into a fast and furious urban paranormal mystery with some nice little surprises along the way.

Within a few chapters I was glued to the story and found it hard to drag myself away to take a break. As the story progressed I was pretty sure I knew what was happening before it happened but in reality I was wrong. The plot kept me guessing and I definitely didn't see some of the twists and turns coming along. Quite a bit of politics came into play this time around and it was fascinating to see what kind of role Keira has taken over and how she has started to deal with things as the Heir.

Keira has grown and changed a lot but she is still the kind of girl you would pick as a best friend. Reliable and strong she is a family gal with a clan made up of not just blood relatives but also close friends. Now that Keira is the Heir there are quite a few things that are expected of her. However she is trying to put her own mark on things and be a little more relaxed. I can't wait to see how that goes for her. Although I am sure she will run into a few problems and learn from her mistakes along the way.

There was only one thing that I didn't like about this book. The cliffhanger ending! It made me wonder if the author had forgotten a few more pages, maybe even a couple of chapters. No! It seems we will have to wait for Blood Sacrifice, #5 in the series, to find out what comes next! Don't you just hate it when that happens?

All in all another brilliant book in a well thought out series. Not only is there a strong paranormal element but the mystery it is wrapped up in keeps you guessing to the very end. The depth and knowledge included in these books, such as the history and language, makes this series just that little bit more well defined. Lots of thought and care has gone into Blood Lines and it shows.

If you haven't already tried the books then I can only highly recommend them. If you are already a fan then mark your diary. My local Amazon says Blood Heat is due out on the 26th of October so take a trip to the book store that day. Better yet, pre-order it!