Review: Kiss of the Rose by Kate Pearce

Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
Format: Paperback
Pages: 320
Source: Bought from BookDepository












"First in a sexy new series that takes a bite out of the court of King Henry VIII

Desperate to defeat King Richard III and gain the crown, Henry Tudor made a pact with the Druids binding him and his heirs to the Druids' struggle against vampires. Ever since, the Llewellyns, a vampire- slaying family, have been in the king's employ. Now Henry VIII reigns, and his father's bargain has been almost forgotten-until bloodless corpses turn up in the king's bedchamber. To save the king, Vampire hunter Rosalind Llewellyn must form an uneasy alliance with Druid slayer Sir Christopher Ellis. But soon, Rosalind must face an unthinkable truth: that her sworn enemy may be her soulmate..."
(Description from Amazon)

Background:
"Kiss of the Rose" is the first in a new series called the Tudor Vampire Chronicles. This is a historical paranormal romance series. The basic premise of the series, according to the author, is to focus on one of King Henry VIII's wives in each book. The first book is about Katherine of Aragon.

Story:
To secure the crown of England, king Henry Duke of Richmond, turn to the Druids for help. The Druids agree to help him as long as he agrees to help aid them in their fight against the vampires. And Henry agrees. 44 years later, bodies drained of blood starts showing up and it becomes apparent that King Henry VIII, who now reigns, and his wife. Queen Katherine, may be in danger. Vampire hunter, Rosaling Llewellyn, must form an alliance with Sir Christopher Ellis - a man who comes from a family that has protected the vampires for centuries and Rhys Williams to help protect the king.


Main Character:
Rosalind Llewellyn is a great character. She is the first woman to be born with the mark of Awen, which means that she is entitled to be a vampire slayer. She is strong, has a will of her own and do not need to be dependent on a male. But she is also a lady who knows how to behave. She is fun, energetic and a great protagonist. I liked her very much.

The Book:
I have been looking forward to reading this book. I love vampires and I love Tudor - England, so a book that combines these two sounded like a great read. And I love the cover. It is so hot and sexy.

I loved the beginning of this book, when King Henry forms the bargain with the druids. I was instantly propelled into the story, and I had a hard time putting the book away. I could easily have read the whole thing in one sitting, if I hadn't been so busy lately. I think Kate Pearce has come up with some great and interesting characters and I loved the triangle between Rhys, Christopher and Rosalind. And the love story is of course the main focus in this book, a book that is steaming with passion and sensuality.

Kate Pearce has come up with a original and interesting plot, and with just a little more history and vampire action, this could be really, really great. She is good at greating an atmosphere that draws you in, and you just want to stay in the book untill it is finished. Vampires in the tudortime really worked for me.


Remember to enter my giveaway to win your copy of Kiss of the Rose here.
Read an excerpt here.

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