by Kate Pearce
Signet, $6.99, 310 pages
Rosalind Llewellyn, famous female Vampire Slayer, has been summoned back to the court of King Henry VIII. She is reunited with her fiancé, Christopher, from whom she hasn’t heard in one year. Queen Katherine, Henry’s first wife, has been replaced by the King’s new mistress, Anne Boleyn. Anne is suspected of being a vampire with a plot to win over the King to the vampire cause. If Henry does not willingly support Anne, the realm will be in grave danger. Kate Pearce’s Blood of the Rose takes place one year after the events of Kiss of the Rose, Pearce’s first book in the series. She masterfully combines the historical, fantasy, and romance genres to create an entertaining, suspenseful read. To learn the entire background of the series, it is best to read the first book as Pearce spends little time in the second book catching up new readers; she dives right into the adventure. But the plot is new so it can be read as a standalone book. To be together, Rosalind and Christopher face many challenges. Fall in love with a couple who must face death itself to be together.
Reviewed by Kathryn Franklin