If you’re craving a paranormal romance with bite, Embraced by Blood by Laurie London turns the heat up and refuses to let go. The Sweetblood series gets a major boost here, pairing a kick-ass heroine with a dangerously devoted hero in a second-chance romance tangled up in vampire wars, assassin hunts, and a plot twist that’ll have you grinning like a fang fiend.

Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This post contains affiliate links. That means we receive a small commission at no cost to you from any purchases you make through these links.

What is Embraced by Blood by Laurie London all about?

In Embraced by Blood by Laurie London, Alfonso Serrano has been on the run from the deadly Darkbloods, but nothing tempts him more than Lily DeGraff, the Guardian Tracker he’s loved for years. When Lily becomes a target, Alfonso must protect her, while battling an assassin, vampire politics, and their unresolved history. Passion and danger are about to collide.

Embraced by Blood by Laurie London Book Review

This was such a turnaround, in my opinion, of the Sweetbloods series! I’m actually so excited! Embraced by Blood by Laurie London was amazing!!! I actually think my feelings on this have a lot to do with the fact that I liked the heroine, Lily, a lot. She was one of my 2 favorite characters from the first book, and I really felt for her then and now! And, well, Alfonso helped matters a lot. The sexy Spaniard with longish blond hair and piercing Paul Newman blue eyes with sexy dimples. What can I say? I’m sucker for a hot bad boy! And this one was so in love with Lily he was willing to sacrifice everything to keep her safe.

They have a history together, they were first together 10 years ago, before Alfonso turned bad boy for Pavlos. And neither one of them has been able to forget the other. When Alfonso comes in during Bonded by Blood as a secret informer so that they can bring down Pavlos and their sweetblood operation, they rekindled their romance. And the few, very brief moments we got then left me intrigued. But then Alfonso had to “fake” his own death, and Lily found out only to believe he didn’t want anything else to do with her. Which has left her in a bad state. Her abilities are diminishing, she used to be the best Tracker, and now she has to rely more on the trainees with her.

But when the DarkBloods are kidnapping Trackers in order for them to find sweetbloods, Alfonso comes in to protect and guard Lily. Which she may have a bit of a problem with.

Lily is kick ass, independent, calls it as she sees it, and doesn’t take shit from anyone. Alfonso is still head over heels in love with her, but having a blood assassin on his back trying to kill him, he decides to stay away from Lily to protect her.

There was so much happening in Embraced by Blood by Laurie London! Not only the trackers are being kidnapped and Alfonso has a blood assassin after him, but the DarkBloods are using a video game to promote a sort of “vampire feeding rave”.

I enjoyed all the supporting stories as well, Jackson was amazing, I can’t wait to read his book. Alfonso was adorable with Lily’s daughter Zoe, and there’s a wonderful twist there. But… what is up Dom’s butt about his brother? I understand he played a part, involuntarily, in the death’s of their parents, but I think he’s been punished enough, and has tried to redeem himself. Give the guy a chance! In the end, see what a difference a book without MacKenzie can make!?!?!?!

I’m anxiously waiting the next installment in this series.

Embraced by Blood by Laurie London proves that the Sweetblood series is more than just steam, it’s packed with heart, high stakes, and characters you can’t stop rooting for.

About the Sweetblood series by Laurie London

The Sweetblood series is set in the misty forests of the Pacific Northwest, where Guardians protect humans and each other from the Darkbloods, rogue vampires addicted to rare sweetblood. Each book delivers a standalone romance packed with action, suspense, and the deep bonds of a found family of vampire warriors.

Pin it for later

Read More

• Next in the series: Tempted by Blood by Laurie London
• Find the perfect book for your mood