Anita,YOU HAVE DONE IT AGAIN!
354071
I feel this is in the ranks of earlier classics.  It was for me a very fast read that I enjoyed from beginning to end. I found Olympia a very strong young lady that at the turn of the century was not so unbelievable;  unlike today.  Mature beyond her years she faces terrible dilimas.  Shreve  shows this character as a senitive person that has to make a very diffcult  decision that she will have to live with the rest of her life.  I don't  know who could not like this book. I only wish there would have been more  development at the end of the story. Read it, you'll love it.
4786163
Anita Blake is one of my all-time-favorite series and this book does not disappoint. She gets a little repetitive about the angst, like in past novels, but the story is reminiscent of her older novels. She reminds us that family is All. And of course, lots of pulse-pounding action, laced with gut-twists, dark humor, and a great plot! Can't wait for the next one.
313225
And she's done it again! Terri Anne, that was superb! Loved Drake and Lana's story.  So far they're my favorite couple.  Cant wait to read the next book!
2486867
I loved this book! Adele never ceases to write a great story! I love how she keeps you hooked throughout the whole book. And I loved following the story of Liz and Bryan. I can't wait to keep following Adele on her writing journey because I will never be disappointed and I will be guaranteed a page turner! If you haven't picked up the other series she rights you are missing out!
3208148
In the 11th installment of the Anita Blake series, Belle Morte, a member of the Vampire Council has sent her second in command, Musette, unexpectedly, to scout out the situation in St. Louis.  At the same time, a rogue shapeshifter is slaughtering women in the area.  Jean Claude and Anita have to deal with Musette and her entourage, while the third member of the triumvirate, the werewolf Ulffric, Richard is on a self destructive downslide.  The only question is, will he destroy himself or them all.  To make matters worse, the oldest vampire of them all is waking from a thousand year sleep, and noone knows what that will bring.
This is a very intense novel, even more so than the last.  The characters become more and more interesting as time goes on.  Anita's character is vastly different from the first book, but she has grown in a natural(supernatural) manner with the development of her necromancer powers and just her life experiences in general.  There is so much action here that it is difficult to put the novel down and I will definitely read it again very soon.  This series keeps getting better and better and the first book was outstanding.
2383977
I know a lot of people said (bad) things about this book and they're entitled to their opinions, but I just have to say that I absolutely LOVED this newest addition to the Anita Blake series. I've been reading since the beginning and have salivated while waiting for each latest book. LKH is the author who got me turned on to the preternatural, and I owe her a great debt for that. Some can say Bram Stoker or any other great authors, but no, for me it's Laurell K. Hamilton.
First of all, I thought it was great that Laurell finally got Anita to almost come to terms with what she is. I mean, come on, people are complaining about the sex? It's been like that from the beginning. Every one of the books has been very sensual and focused on Anita's sexuality. AND, people keep on saying she's changed so much from the beginnging. Hello? It's called growth. Her character's been through a lot of (stuff). Of course she's not going to be the same 3 years later. I say way to go Laurell. And reviewers keep on saying that she let go of her morals or something for sleeping with Micah so fast after she met him. She had a very good reason for jumping into bed with him. He's her MATE!! Duh. Speaking of him, I thought it was great though that she finally found her true partner in Micah, because I really like his character, but whether she'll follow that path is anyone's guess. Although, I was a little disappointed that she didn't turn furry at the end. I thought Anita would make an excellent wereleopard. I have to say I'm glad she gave Richard his walking papers. Finally. By the end of the book he sounded like a whiny little boy, when he's supposed to be Ulfric and responsible for a lot of people's safety! I just wanted to clock him over the head. I can't wait for the next installment, and I'm hoping to see more of good ol' boy Edward. But, for now, I'm just going to have to settle for reading the first 9 over again. Keep up the good work, Laurell!!
2832178
In this book Anita is working again as an U.S Marshall and the Executioner with St. Louis police department and a SWAT team trying to catch a rebel group or kiss of vampires. This vampire kiss is also targeting Anita and her loved ones and she has conflict of interest between duty and protecting her "people". It's great to see how she and Dolph trust each other again and her bantering "guy" frienship with Zerbrowski. There is also a lot happeninng relationshipwise in her life.

This book had me staying up till three in the morning with only the occasional snack breaks in between. I waited for a month because of the bad ratings hoping the price would go down so it would be worth the risk. I couldn't resist anymore after reading some of the reviews people had written.

No, they weren't the praises but actually the bad reviews that made the difference. Somebody remarked how the series had worsened since the early books and many people agreed in their own reviews.

I think the opposite. To me the series has gotten better since the beginning. The first book I read from LKH was actually Narcissus in Chains. It gripped my imagination. After reading it I bought the earlier books and was disappointed by them. They were okay but only Obsidian Butterfly was great. If I had read Guilty Pleasures first I wouldn't be fan of the series and LKH wouldn't be one of my favourite authors. Every book from LKH since Obsidian Butterfly has made stay up later than I should just to know what happens next.

I don't read this series just for the interesting plot but also to see how Anita grows emotionally in each book. When You think how judgemental and afraid of emotions and differences Anita was in the beginning and see her now I at least am amazed. Yes there is a lot of sex in this series but often it highlights Anita's emotional growth or beginning a change in her personal life that doesn't actually all happen in one particular book but during several books. I don't know why LKH writes most of Anita's epiphanies happen during sex but hey that works for me. They have to happen sometime otherwise You wouldn't be interested in the characters if their personalities stayed exactly the same without learning from past experiences.

LKH is one of my favourite and most trusted authors. The difference between the rating and how I actually felt about the book is enormous. It made me question how I check the rating before trying books from new authors. So now on sample chapters are my new best friends ;)
4828954
I have been a DEVOTED Anita follower since before book six came out. I have even at this point gone back and reread the entire series more than once because I just love it that much, but (isn't there always a but?) the last book before this one (Kiss the Dead) shook my faith in the series. The last three or four books had been shaky but Kiss the Dead made me not want to read this one. Boy am I glad I did! This book was everything I love about the series! There was death, zombies, killer rotting vamps, Edward, sex, Jean-Claude, sex, violence, more death, sex, Micah & Nathaniel...I could go on! It was bloody and gory with a healthy dose of mystery and although there was sex, it didn't dominate the book (not that I would have minded, btw), the plot did. It was strong and well worth the read.

I said this book should have been called "How Hamilton Got Her Groove Back" and I really mean it. I thought she had lost her passion and commitment to the characters and their development, but this book was just GREAT! (I feel like Tony the Tiger) If you are on the fence about the book based on the past few, give this one a chance, you won't be sorry. I know I wasn't and can't wait for next years. Maybe Anita will finally get that fourth mark. Here's hoping! ;-)
1286393
I have been one of the harshest critics of the Anita Blake series. The first 8 books are my all time favorites but somebody must have told LKH that sex sells because we were bombarded with sex sex sex and no plot in a long line of books that followed. This book, however, had Anita off her back (or knees or floor, etc.) and out looking for bad vampires. I applauded the return of Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter and executioner. I can count the number of sex scenes on one hand with fingers left over! I even read them because I wasn't being force fed sex in every paragraph. Edward was back, too, and I felt like it was old home week. Edward is still Mr. Death but he is a kinder, gentler Mr. Death than he was in the first few books. That's not to say he is a good guy, because he isn't.

So now that Anita is back to fighting vampires, could we please have JC back, too? I'm tired of him being a voice over the telephone. He used to be so sexy and a major character. I loved the interaction between him and Anita. Now it seems he is more into men and letting Anita run the show. I'd like to see his manhood returned to him along with his status as a sex symbol.

All in all, I did like the book. It had more action than sex, which suited me just fine. The Anitaverse was so original and addicting that it was a shame to throw it all away and turn Anita into a slut. Let's just hope LKH continues in this direction and makes the series as fabulous as it once was.
374441
I started late with the Anita Blake series. While I've read everything from "The Harlequin" on forward, I'm just now going back and reading the initial books.  Wow.  While I love and devour every Anita Blake book, I have to say, I really do prefer the early books without the pornography and the endless talk, talk, talk about the telenovella that is Anita's personal life.  Excellent!
1001539
I have read all of the Anita Blake books.  I have watched them go from what amounted to detective fiction all the way to erotica, then back again.

For me, the last few books have returned to the earlier style, with Anita now as a Federal Marshal hunting the bad guys.  I love the stories, and I love the characters.  I can agree that perhaps this one had a little too much detail about her guys' appearance, but that's liveable.

As to the sex, I just skip over it--if you like it, read it, if not, it's not essential to the plot.

I really enjoyed this one.  I like the interaction between Anita and Micah's family, between Edward and Anita, and Anita and Nicky.  I like that the ardeur is more and more about love and less and less about lust.

And I even enjoyed the zombies.

Folks, Laurell doesn't pretend to write great literature.  But in the urban fiction/horror/fantasy genre, noone writes better.  I read a lot of authors in this group, yet I wait with bated breath for the new Anita Blake books.  There's a reason they come out in the summer; they are escapist novels.  Why do so many of the readers feel it necessary to deconstruct every iota of the books?  Did the 583 or so pages entertain you and make you forget your humdrum life?  If so, the book's a success.

Doesn't an author have the right to write what she chooses?  Of course!  So if you don't like the books anymore, don't read them!

Just let the rest of us enjoy them without so much carrying on!!
2903008
I can't wait for the next one to come out!!! Ivy,  you're amazing! I can't get enough of your books!
1906667
Torquing you did it again!  You kept me up all night reading your latest book. It is interesting how the rest of the team worked together without Anita. In your next book will she have better relations with her colleagues at the station? ...with her family?
727246
She did it again! Bella Andre, you are a phenomenal writer!  I just finished All I Ever Need Is You.  I did not want to put it down, but I wanted it to last.  I kept making myself put it down and I only lasted 3 days!  I could not help myself this morning I finished it!  How soon is Drake Sullivan's story coming out (frown)?  Not soon enough!!!  I just cannot get enough of the Sullivan's and Bella Andre's books.  Another great title for this book I found in Chapter 25. "Until I met you"!  So profound, and just as appropriate.
Famous last words: "Cupid's arrow would be skipping this Sullivan".  Adam was soooo determined he would not be falling in love.  Kerry was just as determined to not fall in love with someone she considered a "player"!  They were both wrong.
This book will take you thru all the emotions with Kerry and Adam.  Ms. Andre writes so that you can actually see in your mind the places and people she is writing about.  I absolutely love her books.  I have not read one that I have not loved.
Thank you Jennifer D for the reverse birthday gift, it was and is greatly appreciated!
Thank you for reading my review.  Read this book you will definitely not be disappointed!
2326695
Was so happy to finally see another chapter in this series. Love this one as much as her Anita Blake series. Takes up right where the last book "Devine Misdemeanors" ends. Please, please, Ms. Hamilton write another one without a 5 year gap!
58505
Anita's story is so powerful and lovely.!!! For me it's a message about not being afraid to LIVE, even more than being afraid of dying!!!
4562359
Love Anita Blake and I can not wait another year or two for the next book. They always leave me wanting more.