Erickson, Megan. Blood Veil. Loveswept: Random. (Mission, Bk. 2). Apr. 2018. 224p. ebk. ISBN 9780399180934. $4.99. SF ROMANCE
Blood Veil recaptures the feel of J.R. Ward’s early “Black Dagger Brotherhood” novels while still exploring a new world of vampire clans and politics with humans caught in the crosshairs. In this second book in the “Mission” series (after Blood Guard), Idris, the brother of a vampire king, discovers his true mate while stalking the half-human daughter of the king of a rival vampire clan; Celia has no knowledge of her heritage, or that it makes her a pawn of the opposing factions. Forced to kidnap Celia to protect her from a vampire hit squad, Idris can’t help falling in love with the daughter of his greatest enemy. Neither does he abandon his plan to use Celia as bait ultimately to kill that enemy, the vampire Idris believes turned his father away from him and the peace with the humans his clan holds dear. When they are both captured, Idris and Celia use their newly forged bond to fight their way to freedom and happiness.
Verdict Readers who are searching for something to tide them over until the next “Black Dagger” book comes out should look no further than this series. Recommended for fans of vampire romance, particularly of Susannah Sandlin’s “Penton Legacy.”—Marlene Harris, Reading Reality, Duluth, GA

Yes!!! This is the 2nd installment in the Mission series and I could not wait to get my juicy hands on this one, especially after the way book 1 ended. So we now have Idris who is tasked to go after the Valarian King's hybrid daughter. He is told to keep a watch on her and not to move unless told to. Celia has no clue as to her real heritage and is just a quiet, keep to herself girl, who works as a Nurse. Celia was raised in foster care, so she really does not know, even though Idris thinks she does. (pfft) Idris is called upon to rescue Celia and then the plot thickens, as truths are revealed and plots exploited, Idris and Celia find true love and get their HEA. Kudos foe the Athan and Tendra (I still love that name) cameos. 4 solid stars!!!

I was a bit hesitant to continue reading this series because the first book didn’t blow me away but I figured I would give it another shot. The world Ms. Erickson has created and how she’s set up the vampires seems interesting and I wanted to know more.

BLOOD VEIL is the story about the brother of the hero in the first book. We briefly met him, but knew he had been groomed from birth with the understanding that he would be King and lead his clan. After the events of the first book, he is looking for revenge and the way to do that is through the still human (not turned) daughter of his known enemy.

I found this book interesting for the same reasons I came back to read this series. There’s something dark and edgy about the world these vampires live in. And I like the characters good enough as well. But it’s still missing that spark that makes me fall in love with a rich paranormal story. I think there are many things that could be explored and I felt we are not going far enough into that for my taste.

The romance aspect was great, there is chemistry between Idris and Celia felt real and not rushed even though their feelings develop quickly. Celia as a character was so lovable and I think in the end they were both just looking for love and someone to care for them. I thought it was a nice pairing.

If you are looking for a paranormal romance without the heavy weight of the background story arc and the world building then this is probably a great one for you. I wish it had more layers and depth into the world so I could lose myself into it a bit more. But I think there’s a chance I’ll pick up the next one anyway.

These books were so great! I loved this take on vampires and the stories about these couples were just so great to read! The full length stories are for the royal brothers, but the short story is of the head of security at Bite! I'm really glad that he got his story!

I felt bad for Tendra, she's had it rough, just her and her mom constantly on the go. Then her mom dies and she's left alone. Then she's kidnapped and told that she was born to be this power source for the elder brother, something that's been fated. Being torn from her world like that, that was pretty brutal!

I loved being in all of these guys's heads, because on one had, you have the brother who is thought to be younger and meant to protect Tendra. On the other, you have the brother thought to be king, and then he wasn't the older brother. So we got both of their stories and that was really great!

Celia had it rough, too, given that she thinks that she's an orphan. But she gets pulled into this world because her dad is the leader of the bad vampires who don't care about human life. I really enjoyed her and Idris's story, and how they fell in love! Such a great read!

I enjoyed reading these books so much, and I really hope that we get more!

steamy, sexy vampire romance, well written, good characters that will keep many reading.

Blood Veil is the stunning continuation of the Mission series. Loyalties become divided as Idris seeks vengeance and decides to use Celia as a pawn in this deadly game. Only, he wasn't counting on the fact that Celia would find her way into his heart and change his plans entirely.
I didn't think I would love Idris as much as I loved Athan because Idris was angry, impulsive and bent on revenge. He was one pissed off vampires. But he was also kind and noble and protective. I loved that Celia confused him and divided his loyalties. That she opened him up to more in life than duty and vengeance. When something happens to Celia, watching Idris' grief broke my heart. That and subsequent scenes had me in tears but then, I'm also a sucker for situations like what happened to Celia. That sort of stuff is like my romance catnip. It gets me in the heart every time. And I grew to love Idris. Underneath all the pissed off, vengeance seeking vampire, he was really a sweet guy. Well done, Ms Erickson.
"“Idris,” Athan’s voice rumbled in my ear. “You didn’t call today.” Right. I was supposed to check in, because he still didn’t trust me not to fuck this up. He was mostly right not to trust me, so I didn’t fault him. I had a penchant for acting before thinking. Also, I wasn’t going to do what he said. He didn’t know that, though."
Celia is an innocent in many ways. Abandoned as a baby, not knowing who her parents are, she's truly a pawn in the chess game of power between two warring vampire clans. And she doesn't know what's going on. Not until she gets kidnapped by a surly, brooding, sexy vampire. Despite her innocence, Celia is a survivor, and she's brave and strong. I admired her tremendously for her calm under pressure and her willingness to sacrifice herself for those she loved. All in all, she was a great heroine. I also loved that she brought out a softer side in Idris. He so needed that in his life. Celia was good for him.
"...we were still going to Charlie’s because Idris knew how much I wanted to go. Why did that make my stomach clench with want? I knew the reason—it was because Idris didn’t have to do this. He didn’t have to keep me happy. He only had to keep me alive. This? Going to see Charlie? It wasn’t necessary and it was dangerous. Yet Idris was making it happen. And no one had ever done that for me before. No one in my life had ever been there for me, helped me, and Idris doing so meant a lot."
In many ways, Celia and Idris are kindred spirits. They are both loners and both feel isolated from the people around them. It made me happy to see them find themselves as they discovered each other, and the fact that they completed each other. For Celia and Idris, living for one another became their purpose in life. That made me so happy for them.
"I was used to feeling lost. I’d felt lost all my life, but it was nothing compared to how I felt now. Like I had no anchor, no sense of self. Everything that I thought I had been was washed away in a downpour of Idris’s words and his hands. So I floated. I squeezed my eyes shut as they burned with tears. The mattress was my boat and I was without a life preserver in this strange new world. My face was wet as the tears fell from my eyes. Then I felt arms around me, a warm body pressed to my own. “Celia,” Idris whispered. “Don’t cry.” “I don’t understand what’s going on!” I cried. “I don’t know who I am, or how I’m supposed to feel..."
"“I have a lot on my mind. I needed some time away because I was worried if I stayed, I’d take out my anger on you. It’s what I do. One of my flaws.” “Well, we all have them.” “Flaws?” “Yeah.” He looked me square in the eye, dark eyes like telescopes viewing my soul. “And what are yours, Celia Valerie?” I had so many. Where did I start? “I don’t get close to people. Emotionally or physically. It’s like I don’t know how to. I grew up perfecting how to blend into the background, not draw attention to myself. I fear all I’ve done is make myself invisible. And if someone does show me attention—like Landon—I don’t want it.” “For some of us, even if we grow up surrounded by family, we can still feel like a very lonely outcast.”"
I loved the fact that both Blood Guard and Blood Veil both has their premise set against vampire legend and myth. This made the story seem a bit more mystical and magical to me. I like seeing legend come of life in stories that I read and Ms Erickson did great with these.
The blurb for Blood Veil says that it can be read as a standalone story. That's probably true. Ms Erickson provides excellent back story to Athan, why he's king, the vampire life and the reason for the animosity between the Valarian and Gregorian clans. But Blood Guard still provides a lot of the world building for the vampire world that the Mission series is set in. I enjoyed reading Blood Guard first because I got to know Athan and everything that happened to him, and loved seeing him reappear frequently in this story along with Tendra. However, that said, you don't need to read Blood Guard first. You just might want to because I think you'd enjoy both stories more for it.
I don't know if there's going to be more books in the series but I hope so. I'm enjoying these books tremendously.

I have to say I did not love this as much as book one. Bottom line, it was predictable. Idris was a hard character to get a read on. He had too many conflicting emotions. One minute he raged and the next he sweet with Celia. Due to the predictability and the insta-love, this just was not a winner for me.

* * * Copy provided via Netgalley for an honest review * * *

Celia Valerie is the half-human, half-vampire, daughter of the Valarian king, enemy of the Gregorie Clan. But she has no clue who she is or where she came from. Raised in the human world, abandoned by her parents, she made her way through the system and works as a nurse at Mission Hospital.

Idris, the once future king of the Gregorie Clan, feels more comfortable in his roll as military leader now that the truth of his father's betrayals is out. He wants revenge on the Valarian king, the vampire who turned his own father, the former Gregorie king, into a traitor to his clan. Watching Celia for weeks, waiting for the best time to take her in and use her to draw out her father, his plans change when an assassin breed of vampires attacks Celia.

Blood Veil is the second, action-packed vampire adventure in Ms. Erickson’s Mission series. Overall, I enjoyed the tale, but felt it held too many echos of the first story. Once again, the story centers on a female who grew up without knowledge of the vampire community, although she's strongly tied to the community. And once again, even though she's a bit horrified, she's oddly okay with the whole vampire thing. She's attracted to her captor. It's a bit redundant and I wish it had been a bit fresher. I also feel like it's just too easy... how well Celia accepts she's part vampire.

Even with the similarities with the first title, I found myself engaged in Celia and Idris’s journey. Idris is bent on revenge and I enjoyed watching him mature and grow as he experienced the world through Celia’s eyes. For a tough and fierce warrior, he’s kind, considerate, and remorseful of his actions. And it’s Celia’s gentle nature that allows room for Idris to forgive himself.

I struggled a bit with some of the descriptions in the story. For example: “… his body was the sun and I needed to feel his warmth on my face.” YET… exposure to the sun would kill Idris, so I found that to be an odd comparison. And then there is “But Idris’s seed-reached everywhere inside me,-from fingertip to fingertip, to the top of my head and the bottoms of my feet” That’s not sexy; it’s weird.

In the end, all works out for Celia and Idris, but they made some poor choices along their journey to HEA. I found that even though I was engaged in the story, I was rolling my eyes at the action.


My Rating: C+ Liked It, but I had issues

Blood Veil felt a little tame in comparison to the high voltage action and romance within Blood Guard. However, it does present a completely different side to Idris, making him easier to relate to and offer a degree of compassion for the way in which he has spent his life up to this point.

Idris is struggling with his new position in life, although he is not disappointed to be king his confidence has taken a blow by the callous treatment of his father. Imagine you discover you have been lied to your entire life by the person you trust the most. Placing yourself in Idris' position makes it easier to understand his current dilemma. Especially as he feels strangely drawn to the person he is currently watching and planning on using as a pawn in his quest for revenge.

Celia is a wonderful character, having grown up in foster care she knows nothing of her vampire heritage and the prophecy surrounding a certain type of half-blood. Devoting herself to helping others, Celia fills her life with her work as a nurse, trying to avoid the gaping hole she has always felt in her life. A hole that is filled as soon as she interacts with Idris.

The action escalates with a plot to kill Celia and Idris coming to the rescue. From there the couple bond on an emotional as well as a physical level, despite the divide in their heritage, Celia and Idris instinctively trust one another.

Revelations cast a whole new light on the war brewing between the vampire clans and the role both Idris and Celia play within the conspiracy. It was great to catch up with Tendra and Athan through Blood Veil and there is also a cameo appearance by Roxy and Dru. 

The romance is at an all-time high in Blood Veil with the added bonus of va-va-voom. Unfortunately, parts of the plot and the outcome felt a little too convenient, if you know what I mean.

Thanks Netgalley for a copy to read and review.

Sexy cover alert!


Fence book....first read by this author but obviously not her first book. Second book in this series and sorry I hadn't read the first. It may or may not have helped boost my understanding of this series. I'm guessing it wouldn't have helped. I was just bored. I guess for the better part, lack of worldbuilding maybe...... I just don't know. Idris seemed like a strong character at first but then he kind of wilted for me. Celia pretty much did the same, all those horrible nightmares and then she stabs that thing in the eye. Maybe it's me, it's been awhile since I read a really good book.
His brother though seemed to be rightfully king, Athan seemed like a strong character when all Idris wanted was revenge. The action scenes were just bland, I just wanted someone to be kick ass. Then her father gets killed and she finds a sister. Entertainment here was pretty low. Three stars.

Celia worked as an ER nurse at Mission Hospital . She was the head of intake and there was a new strain of flu . Celia prayed she didn’t get sick , she couldn’t afford to take the time off. Celia learned early on she was the only one she could trust she had learned that early on as she had been in the foster care system all her life. Celia always assumed the worst of everyone but celia also knew why she odd this. Celia had developed an uncanny knack for blending into the background. Celia was a perpetual extra in life and she ;liked it that way.Celia had been having dreams that scared the the hell out of her so she wasn’t sleeping that well and told Landon who had brought her down to the cafe to grab something to eat and bought it for her as she had gotten dizzy when she stood up as she skipped lunch. Then Landon offered to cook her a meal and bring some wine so maybe she would get a better night’s sleep. It had always been hard for celia to make friends as she seemed to sabotage any starting friendships. She is used to being a loner. Celia working with her patients filled her up, made her happy and gave her the small human interaction that kept her sane. But Monica was different and was her friend. Celia had been in the foster care system all her life. Indris was a member of the ruling Gregori family. It had been three weeks since Idris had started watching Celia and one week since he had been at the club Bite- where humans went to have blood drank from them by a vampire and often had sex and the vampire came for blood-when his brother Athan had met him and questioned his motives. Celia’s father was head of the Vallerin vampire family who had managed to convince Athan and Idris’s father to go against everything Idris and his brother had been raised to believe in. Indris wanted to hate Celia , to loathe her but he didn’t. Landon wanted Celia Idris could tell by how Landon looked at her and that idris want to slit landon’s throat. The protectiveness and ownership of her had risen inside of Idris like a tidal wave. Celia was a vampire princess- Vallerin’s daughter and therefore a bargaining chip and why Indris was watching that nothing bad happened to her- a dhamper- half human half vampire and they are turned to a full vampire usually by eighteen. Athan and Indris didn’t know if Celia knew about her parentage and she hadn’t. Idris had a penchant for acting before thinking things through and that was why Athan was checking on him. When Indris looked at Celia he felt he had a purpose, what worried him was he didn’t know where that purpose would lead him or Celia. Acelia is attacked and idris saves her and takes her to his underground home to keep her safe. Idris is strongly attracted to Celia and she to him.
I loved this book. I loved how Celia instantly trusted Idris after he saved her life even though he was a vampire. I loved how Celia and Indris interacted with each other.I loved how celia was willing and did sacrifice herself for Indris and her sister Amelia. I loved the plot of this book. It kept my interest from beginning to end. I felt so bad when Idris thought Celia was dead when he was forced to drain her. I loved the ending. I loved the action and was glad that Keno got what was coming to him. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I highly recommend.

ARC given by publisher/Netgalley in exchange for honest review

I really enjoyed the first in this series, Blood Guard, and instantly become curious about the next book lined up in this series, so I had to get my hands on it as fast as I was possibly able. (Only reason this is up late is due to a week of hell due to really bad ear infection) Anyway...

Unlike the first book, which had me turning pages, making it hard for me to put down, this one....sadly, not so much.

Maybe I went in with high expectations since I have yet to really dislike what I have read of hers. Though, to be fair, I haven't read enough of her solo work, but I am looking to change that. I will say that I do love the instant connection the characters in her books have, and I really like the interesting twist Erickson makes of vampire lore in this series. It works well, but for some reason, these characters just didn't click for me like in the first book. I found I had to keep coming back to this after having to put it down because I couldn't stay in the story. But, again, to be fair, I think more of that is on me.

Though, I still enjoyed it. It had a great story line, and a fair amount of action that does keep you enthralled in some places. I look forward to more from Erickson.

Blood Veil is the second book in a contemporary adult paranormal romance; but can be enjoyed on its own merits. This book is about Idris Gregorie - second in command of his clan, and Celia Valarie - a nurse completely unaware of her vampire DNA. Their families are ancient enemies and Idris is planning revenge by kidnapping and using Celia - but first he has to save her!
There are a number of twists as their relationship develops; which I found entertaining. The story is told from dual points of view, the world and characters are well developed; and your interest is captured from the start. I did find Celia's rapid acceptance of her vampire sire questionable, but explanations are there.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I read both books in the series and enjoyed them both. I would recommend the book to others.

In the midst of supernatural chaos, worlds and hearts collide.

Celia: Having never known my parents, I’ve always felt like an orphan. All I want is a normal life. But after I’m attacked in my bedroom by one vampire—and rescued by another—it’s about time to give up on “normal” once and for all. Idris, the second in command of the Gregorie vampire clan, has come to my aid, but his motives for saving me are unclear. And what surprises me most is my attraction to his heated gaze. . . .
Idris: Terror. Curiosity. Arousal. These are the natural impulses of a human female, not the spawn of the ruthless Valarian king. Is it possible that Celia is unaware of her bloodline—and the power coursing through her veins? As the daughter of my archenemy, she was supposed to be my ransom. But how quickly the heat of desire changes everything. Now the family Celia has always craved is trying to kill her, and it’s up to me to save her again—when all I really want to do is make her mine.

Review:
This is the second book in this series and I found I enjoyed this story just as much as the first book.

If you have read the first book in the series, you will recognize Idris as the son who was to be King, but betrayed and lied to by his father. Now, he is on a mission to get revenge and spy on Celia. Celia is the daughter of his enemy, but has no idea she is a princess. As the story ensues, there is a ton of action and suspense as Celia learns who and what she is. Idris and Celia grow closer as they are thrown together to fight a common enemy. There is lots of action, romance, sexiness and some surprises in this story.

Totally engrossing story, I stayed up half the night wanting to finish it.

4Stars
*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book provided by the publisher.*

I didn’t read the first book but this one is terrific. Well written, fast paced action about warring vampire clans and a sexy romance between hunky hothead vampire Idris and a clueless hybrid nurse Celia. Loved this couple. Loved it! I voluntarily reviewed a NetGalley ARC.

A vampire full of desire for revenge and a dhampire who could turn him around, a legend, a clan feud...the premise of the story sounded super interesting. The story was fairly interesting, and delivered on all of what was described. I just couldn't connect with the characters and into the story. The characters were little one-dimensional and the story felt just a little contrived. It might be that I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the first book in the series.

Megan Erickson has put her own spin on vampires and their culture/world and I liked reading about them. The different clans and their approach to humans was interesting. The blood veil was also a nice twist I didn’t see coming but really enjoyed.

What didn’t work for me was the insta-love that sprang between Idris and Celia. Not that I don’t enjoy a love at first sight romance but I do need to see that transition from hatred to love to buy into their romance. Idris and Celia’s interactions were way to disjointed with few one on one moments. Their dialogue seemed hesitant and didn’t really convey the depth of yheir emotions (other than lust). The MCs had potential but the pacing of the story didn’t really give them enough opportunity to make a believable and lasting couple out of them.

Blood Veil is a thrilling read with some sexy characters that will take your breath away!

First, let me tell you that I have not read the 1st book in the series as I somehow missed it (I will be rectifying that asap) and I still really enjoyed Blood Veil but I think that Blood Guard should probably been read first to achieve maximum understanding of Megan Erickson’s very intriguing world. But like I said, it didn’t stop me from enjoying the book without reading it, I just think that the events leading up to this character’s book would have helped to get a more complete picture the world and to fully understand what drives the characters.

Now on to my opinion of Blood Veil – Celia and Idris are strong, captivating characters with sizzling chemistry and a heavy-duty attraction that readers can practically feel vibrating from every page, their romance rocky due to some seemingly unresolvable issues and of course the fear of the unknown which draws readers in and keeps them focused on the events throughout the book. The fast paced plot keeps readers on the edge of their seats throughout the book with suspense and thrills and surprising twists that keeps readers guessing and the supporting characters are lively and compelling with some bad guys that makes readers want to shoot them themselves.

Megan Erickson brings her very intriguing world of vampires to life with vivid imagery, fascinating characters and some unique elements that add spice and intrigue to her world which means that I will definitely be coming back for more as I was completely enthralled with this Mission novel.

I'll be honest, I'm just sort of struggling to read Megan Erickson since the Santino Hassell reveal. I'm just going to pass on this book for now.

My 4 star review is posted on Goodreads : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2101785406?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

It will go live on blog and social media links at 5:40 cst on April 3, 2018 release day. More links and Amazon will be added after live.. ALL LINKS UPDATED and LIVE 4/3/18