I'm really picky about what paranormal stories I pick up these days since I was burned out during the vampire craze a few years ago, but trust Megan Erickson to get me hooked on her sexy, snarky, scary vampire clans! I'm glad I managed to score a copy of the prequel novella, Bite the Hand that Bleeds, because I had some context for the Mission world before I started Blood Guard, but I think readers who skip it will do fine.

What Megan does best is create characters with amazing chemistry. I could really feel the connection between Tendra and Athan thanks to both their actions and their great dialogue.

Parts of the story, certain plot twists, were not the surprises I think they were meant to be, but I still found the overall plot to be compelling, especially since it was combined with complex characters, marked character growth, fantastic dialogue that was both sexy and witty, intriguing settings, and really great worldbuilding overall. I can't wait to read Blood Veil!

Wow, I loved this book . I can't wait to read more books from this author.

Tendra was a leading lady in the true sense of the word. Strong, thoughtful and ready to kick ass when needed. She wasn’t afraid to get down and dirty or cry when she needed to but her empathy to all around her made her irresistible. Athan, Athan, Athan. Where do I start with this leading man who is a giant of a man in stature as well as in heart. Emotionless in duty but around Ten he shows his sweet and supportive side as well. A vampire? Seriously? Yes, seriously. Throw out any preconceived notions about the fanged ones as Athan is going to throw out the dictionary!
“He was a vampire, and he’d just communicated and empathized with me better than most humans.”
Put these two together and their sparks and chemistry explode as they join to fulfill their destiny, the jobs they were born to do…
A slow burn? Sort of. Hot, sexy passion? That too. A quest? A fateful journey? An “I’ve got your back” adventure? Oh yes and so much more! These characters and all that crossed their paths had me hanging on every word. They were funny and loyal and prepared to face everything with a united front. Whether a bestie that stocks the right kind of junk food or one that lends only his best ammo, each one had their own voices to share…
This is only the start of this series and it’s shaping up to be a favourite already as it sneakily dropped onto my ‘must read’ shelf!Blood, vampires and all the feels… Really!
I just finished this story and I want to read it all over again! I love a good vampire, burn in the sun, drinking blood yarn and this fit the bill and more – all the way around.
“…and then the night started to get weird.”
~Diane

I have read Megan Erickson books in the past and have loved them, specifically her M/M PNR and her new Hacker series. For that reason I was very excited to read this story. Furthermore, anyone who knows me knows that I loveeee vampire PNR and the world building associated with a new series. Ans honestly- this book was fantastic! I was lost in the story and never wanted it to end!

When Vampire Athan enter's Bartender Tenra's life saying she is the lifeblood of his clan, her whole world changes. Gahh!! This novel was great. Tenra and Athan were amazing and I could not get enough of their connection, her sass and his protectiveness! Bravo! 4 stars!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review. ~Ratula

Ok so this one I did a straight through read. My only complaints where that some plots should have been tightened up and the cave scene dragged a bit for me. I kept wondering when they will get the heck out of Mission city! Overall, I liked this one and it did keep me entertained and I'll be sure to come back and read Idris' story.

Reviews shared on Amazon, V's Reads, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads: https://vsreads.com/2017/10/27/cephalopod-coffeehouse-october-2017-fates-align-blood-guard-a-review/

This is an interesting twist on the “fated mates” trope and I really enjoyed this rich new world.

Tendra is a 20-something young woman newly-alone as her mother had just died in a car wreck, leaving her adrift in Mission City, New Jersey. She’s a cocktail waitress and deeply unsettled by a swarthy customer one evening. She’s even more unsettled when he kidnaps her and tells her she must come with him if she wants to live! At least he’s packed her most precious belongings from her barren apartment, including her cat, Brex. Even more unbelievable is what this dude, Alain, tells her: her blood has mystic properties and will help transform his brother Idris, sworn king of the Gregorie clan…of vampires. In their prophesy, they’ve been waiting ten generations for a Sanguivita–Tendra–and with the powers her blood holds Idris will be able to effectively combat the warring Valerian clan.

Yeah, she’s not buying it. But, she has little choice but to accept Athan’s aid when the bad guys come calling. Learning about the hidden vampire culture lurking just below Mission City has Tendra mixed up–and aroused. Those vamps are some seriously kinky folk. Plus, the more time she spends with Athan, the more she admires and desires him. And the feeling is very mutual. Their escape to the Gregorie compound is complicated by several attacks, some of which are thwarted by Brex the wonder cat. There is a good mix of danger, intimacy and downright delicious sexytimes. Athan falls hard for Tendra, yet holds back on tasting her blood, knowing that to drink from her could void the prophesy and Idris’ expected boon. Unfortunately, it’s not in his hands when the treachery extends far beyond what had been expected.

I liked Tendra, who is a take-no-shit kinda gal. Her life has been weird, and she finally realizes why once she meets Athan and learns about her place in their world. Honorable Athan’s confused by his compulsion toward Tendra; shouldn’t he not be attracted to his brother’s promised? But, the more he puzzles over it, the more he knows deep down: it doesn’t matter. He will do anything to have Tendra for his own. While this might seem cavalier, he knows his brother has no interest for Tendra beyond the desire for her blood to transform him for battle. And, neither he nor Idris expected the depth of their own father’s manipulation. There’s a lot more going here than clan clashes, the entire human race is at stake, literally, as the Valerians have plans to reveal themselves and take control of the populace to feed and frenzy. Together, Athan and Tendra have the ability to stop it. And, while the war isn’t over, a key battle is won before the end. I’m expecting Idris to find his fated mate in the next book, and I look forward to it!

This was a quick entertaining read but the romance went from zero to sixty faster than I usually prefer in a romance.

Tendra is main female lead and she is okay, she has spirit and personality and adapts well to what is in her path. She has recently lost her mother and is on her own, she doesn't have many acquaintances or friends as they have always been on the move - at the start of the story she finds out why she has always moved around

Athan is a vampire, his strong and on a mission to protect his people, he just happens to be a prince but he is also the Blood Guard, he is destined to bring the precious cargo home to be a saviour for the vamps.

The world building is interesting and there is plenty of scope to build the world as the journey back to vampires stronghold is a major part of the story. Some of the characthers are very interesting and the nightclub sounds fun, if you know what you're in for when visiting it lol. There are of course baddies and twists here and there.

Athan and Ten develop a relationship on the journey back and I loved them as a couple, they didn't rush right in, they got to know each other over a few days before the heat turns up.

For a first in series it's a winner and I will happily read more in this series.

3.75 stars strong start to a series

Enter a world of immortal danger and desire—and discover an incredible fate borne of blood.

Tendra:
One minute, I’m a bartender in gritty Mission City; the next, I’m whisked away by a vampire named Athan who tells me that I’m the lifeblood of his clan. It sounds unbelievable, but he’s got evidence I can’t deny. Turns out, Athan belongs to an underground society of vampires who feed only on humans with their consent. Their enemies have no such qualms, and they want me dead. The only thing standing in their way is strong, sexy Athan. And the closer we get, the more tempted I am to let Athan feed. . . .

Athan:
How could I have known when I snatched this snarky, beautiful human off the streets that she would change my destiny? As a loyal soldier, I must deliver Tendra to our future king—my brother. Empowered with the blood of ten generations of the Gregorie breed, she is fated to rule as our queen. But there’s something between us that’s so intoxicating, so carnal, I can’t help wanting Tendra for myself . . . even if it’s treason.



* * * * *



I wasn't expecting much from this book since I found a few editing errors in the first couple chapters. However I didn't take into account Ms. Erickson's magic with characters. I became so invested in Tendra's story that I couldn't put the book down until the very end. And now I am waiting impatiently for the next book in this series.



I really think that my readers who enjoy hot paranormal romance will love this book. I do want to give out a gentle warning that there are explicit sex scenes and violence. If those things are not things that you prefer to avoid in your books, I recommend picking up this very enjoyable book.



*** I received this book at no charge from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed within are my own.

With Blood Guard, there was a lot of I like this, but... going on in my head--really, that about sums it up. Still here's some specifics:

The worldbuilding is interesting, and I'll definitely keep my eye out for the next book in the series, which will feature Idris, Anthan's brother, and the half-vampire, half-human daughter of a higher-up in a rival vampire clan. Tons of potential there, and we saw just enough of the brother here (not a lot, but what I saw I liked) to stoke my interest. There are still some questions about this world, though, and a big ol' oh really??? still ringing in my head at how quickly Tendra's human BFF accepted the existence of vampires in the world. I just think that most people wouldn't quite be so quick to believe it, at least not without prior clues and/or proof.

A definite plus: shapeshifters exist here, and we didn't see any...yet. Probably. Maybe? There is a question about one of the characters being something more than they seem which isn't answered definitively by the book's end. Fingers crossed that shifters come up later in the series...

I liked Ten and Anthan, and thought they were good together. The reason why they could get to an HEA even though for most of the book they think they can't I thought was pretty obvious. There was a bit of a twist with exactly who was behind everything that was going on, but really, even that wasn't a huge shock...we pretty much knew that that particular individual wasn't going to be winning any awards for their benevolence, well, ever.

Though I chuckled every time Ten made a modern pop reference (especially a Disney one, which most of them were--as they should be) and Anthan gave her a blank look, there really wasn't a whole heck of a lot of evidence of him and the other vampires being 40+ years older than they appeared to be...it felt like opportunities were missed to make more of a case of their otherness like we usually see in books with characters who are supernaturally older than they seem. Instead, they came off as just slightly different guys who drink stuff that frequently tints their teeth red.

One of the best parts of the book is the relationships between characters--Ten and Anthan, Anthan and Idris, Idris and Ten, Brex the cat and pretty much everybody--and I look forward to seeing more of this in future books.

Rating: 3 1/2 stars / B

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Tendra Parrish and her mother moved frequently and she never understood why. After her mother dies in an accident, she is confronted by Athan Gregorie and told she is the "Sanguivita" for his brother the prince. Athan needs to get her to his brother where her blood will provide life changing powers. Only problem, their rival clan the Valerians have hired killing bounty hunters . The race is on! The author has some very creative twists and turns in an already engaging story. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to others.

It was my first m/f romance by Megan Erickson and It was a good surprise! Everything I loved in her m/m books is in this one.

It was addictive, I was surprised by some twists I didn't see coming!

This is a paranormal romance with vampires, the story has some surprises that give us the need to read the next page and to know what will happen!

The characters Athan & Tendra are interesting, their relationship is funny, swoony, the chemistry is crazy!

I'm curious to read the next book and to know more about Idris and Zeb too.

Blood Guard is the best of all paranormal romance worlds. You get vampires (super hot, alpha, warrior vampires) and a slight hint of the fated mates trope that pervades shifter romances. A unique, but awesome, combination.

I read Blood Guard in a day while working full-time and taking care of my toddler. This equates to me staying up WAY too late and diving into some serious Athan and Tendra goodness. I can’t even get over how engrossing this book was; this book was completely and totally captivating from start to finish!

I loved the premise of this story. It's a unique spin on vamps. I also love a heroine who is tough, snarky and ready to kick butt. It was a fun read. I'm a tad torn on my rating. The copy I read had some conflicting details that a beta reader should catch but I also read an arc and realize that it could have been changed in the published version. That being said, the reason I mentioned this at all is that I was distracted by it.
 
Assuming any detail errors that caught me up, were caught, then I would totally recommend this book if you're a Paranormal lover. It's such an interesting story. I truly enjoyed it. I just needed my copy to have more finesse.

3.5 Stars

What to Expect: Plucky heroine falls for hot, hardass vampire when she’s supposed to be ‘destined’ for his brother…but, you know… hardass vampire is right here, tomorrow may never come, and instant gratification is so instant.


Review: When I sit down with a Megan Erickson book, I feel like she’s right here, personally materialized in my living room, complete with glass in hand, has curled up on the sofa, and tells me her story, waving hands and all. “Oh, this guy—OMG, he’s so wrong, you will not BELIEVE what he’s done now. Like…it’s horrible but it’s incredible…can you believe he did that?”

And just like that, I’m going along with it.

I like that she finds complex characters to write about, that none are perfect, that she can take one guy who is completely unlikeable in one moment and make him star in the next. Here, that guy is Athan. And he’s paired with Tendra, a woman who’s trained all her life to defend herself, one who has learned to watch her back and to survive at all costs. So, effectively, you’ve got two people who are totally devoted to her survival more than all else.

Then comes the why. Which takes me right into…

What you may not like: The premise is not… hm… well anytime an abduction results in a love story, it’s problematic, even there were some moves toward giving the abductee choice and even when I have fully engaged my suspension of disbelief. Stockholm syndrome was mentioned I *think* in jest or, at the very least, as a way of showing how, in comparison, it wouldn’t really pertain to this particular situation. Ultimately, Tendra agreed to come along but not because she truly had a choice. This briefly brought up questions about duty and free will but the core of this issue—how quickly Tendra gave up that choice—was never really addressed and for sake of all strong, willful, smart women everywhere, I really needed it be.

What you will love: Erickson’s got the pacing exactly right in this book and keeps the tension high, providing exactly the right amount of resolution to keep the pages turning.

Another nice thing, Tendra is totally unapologetic in owning her sex drive and her love life, whether or not those two things happen to coincide. No sex shaming here, nor should there be. Just saying, when you need sex-positive romance, Megan Erickson is an author one who delivers.

This is a quick read and will fill the craving for PNR with sexy times. The story involves hidden vampires and the heroine is pulled from her life to be taken to be the blood provider for the future king. Her blood guard is his younger brother. I enjoyed their banter and this quick paced story.

Tendra is coming home from work when she finds out that not only are vampires real, they are set into factions and at war, and she is the prophesied one whose blood will change everything.

Megan Erickson's Blood Guard is the first in the Mission Series and revolves around Tendra and her body guard, Althan. Athan is the brother of the next king and has known from birth what his place his. That is until Tendra and the immediate connection they share.

The world building of the underground vampire society within our own is well structured and clear. As Athan explains to Tendra, the reader gets the lay if the land without it feeling cumbersome. Mr Erickson's characters are larger than life as is needed when creating a paranormal world.

The story itself is magical with otherworldly good and bad guys, tense action and a very steamy romance rounding everything out.

I'm afraid this book didn't do it for me. I was bored and didn't complete it. A tired story-line.

"Blood Guard" was my first paranormal romance in a while and Ms Erickson did not dissapoint.
She delivered a smart sassy young heroine in Tendra and a sexy hot alpha hero in Athan.

Tendra is alone in the world having recently lost her mother with very few freinds having moved many times, but mission city has been a home she has stayed the longest in years,so when the almost seven for hulk of a man Athan abducts her on her way home from work she fights like the devil, but it does not help her.
She awakens tied to a hair in and abandoned apartment ; with her abducter across form her and for some reason her cat Brex is in the apartment also.
Turns out that Athan has been stalking her for a little bit, knew where her home was, her job and her routine, he is insisting that he is not going to hurt her, that he is there to collect her . Tendra is apparently a prophecied savior for his vampire clan, The Sanguivita sure this sounds a bit nuts ; especially since there is no such thing as a vampire, but there is.
Athan succeeds in convincing Tendra and explains the vampire politics, three clans , his the Gregorie ebbing the only clan that respects humans. And one feeds from willing blood providers .
However, their journey too the Gregorie clan home will be fraught with danger and added to the danger the underlying attraction these two hve for each other, one that Athan fights hard to ignore, he is an honorable vampire and wants to do his duty and deliver Tndra to his brother the Prince of the clan , for Idris to claim and grow stronger for the clan well being.

The story line is engrossing , the vampire politics intresting and the sweet sexy romance and occasionally hot romance , makes the pages fly by.

Looking foward to the next book in the series,
Arc graciously supplied via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review .

My complete review is attached in the link,. Blood Guard covers all of the things I look for in a great romance, and it's paranormal which is even better! The heroine is strong and smart and resourceful. The hero is alpha without the asshole. The world build doesn't feel like a data dump and the twist is like woah! I loved it, couldn't put it down and I can't wait for more!