Pierced

PARANORMAL ROMANCE

Title: Pierced
Author: Keira Blackwood
Publication date: 03/12/2017
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: No
Rating: 4 out of 5

Amazon blurb
Late-night hunts for a crazed serial killer, a vampire-obsessed best friend, and a mountain of classwork is enough for any woman to juggle. But Hannah Lewis isn't just any coed. She happens to make the best microwaved brownies in Scarlet Harbor. Plus, she's a wolf shifter.

On a mission to investigate reports of zombie-like monsters terrorizing the masses, vampire Bennet Pierce is prepared for anything—except for the blue-eyed vixen that changes everything. How can he protect her from harm if he himself is a threat?

My Review
I’ll admit right up front that I’m a fan of this author. I thought her Riverwood series was great, and I even included her on our list of 9 crazy-talented paranormal romance indie authors that everyone should be reading. But when I found out she had a new paranormal series starter, even I was skeptical. I’ve read so many bad paranormal romances lately that I was almost starting to feel like the genre was dead (or dying) and there just weren’t any good ones anymore. I even considered starting to rate paranormal romances on a curve. Fortunately, the author managed to restore my faith in the genre. (And our rating scale will remain in tact)     

One thing this author does right consistently throughout all of her books is create strong, intelligent heroines. TSTL (too stupid to live) moments just don’t exist in her worlds. And refreshingly enough, Hannah was free of the usual oh-woe-is-me crap that so many female werewolves seem to suffer from. (I’m looking at you, Elena Michaels)

I liked Hannah’s relationship with Bennet, as well. I enjoyed that even though their kind (werewolves and vampires) didn’t typically live in harmony together, they didn’t let preconceived notions and old teachings derail their budding relationship. There wasn’t any angsty oh-I-love-you-but-can’t-have-you-because-of-what-you-are nonsense. (I HATE that kind of nonsense)

And I’ve made it clear in my reviews that plot twists rarely fool me. I knew Darth Vader was Luke’s father WAY before Luke did. I knew Bruce Willis’s character in The Sixth Sense was dead well before the end of the film. But what happened at the end of this book? I was surprised. I totally hadn’t seen THAT one coming. (And yes, I’m intentionally being vague. This is a spoiler free zone!) 

If I was to complain (which, let’s face it, I always do), I’d say that I felt like Hannah’s best friend, Ashley, was a little too quirky and over-the-top to be realistic. And I know that “realistic” is kind of a joke in paranormal romances, but I felt like Ashley was dangerously close to venturing into caricature territory. It was a minor thing that didn’t hurt my overall enjoyment of the story, but it irked me just a tiny little bit.

But, all in all, this was a great series starter that all fans of paranormal romance should treat themselves to. I’d recommend it to fans of Team Jacob and Team Edward alike. (Not that I’m really on either team. I kind of hated both of them. But I digress...)   
      
Does this book contribute to or help crush the romance stigma?
Crushes it! This one is clean and sober. No rehab needed!

Other reading suggestions
For reads from other talented indie authors, try LE Wilson for darker paranormal stories, and Isabel Jordan for lighter, funnier reads.

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