Review for Desire By Blood by Melissa Schroeder

A man with a secret.

Nicodemus Blackburn has seen the best and worst of mankind. Five hundred years of dealing with them teaches the vampire to be very wary of the creatures. Unfortunately, alarming events leave him no choice but to enter the world of the ton to hunt a villain. He must find a rogue vampire, one who is making his own army of bloodthirsty vampires. Searching for the villain is not the worst of his troubles. That can be laid at the feet of bluestocking Lady Cordelia Collingsworth.

A woman on a mission.

Cordelia has always been an outcast, even in her own family. She has forged her way in the world with her ability to write, and Nico Blackburn is the focus of her next article. Before she can obtain any information about the mysterious man, she is pulled headlong into a scandal that leaves her with no choice but to marry Nico—a man with dangerous secrets.

A passion that consumes them both. 

Thrust into a world she knows nothing of, Cordelia finds herself falling in love with a man who claims to be a vampire. As their passion grows, so does the danger around them and Nico will have to call on all of his powers to protect the one thing he has realized he cannot live without: his opinionated, infuriating, and thoroughly delectable wife.

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Melissa Schroeder has brought a new spin to the vampire genre with her new release, Desire By Blood.  Her vamps are male and fall into two categories, Made and Born, with those that are Made going insane if they're not helped in making their transition.  Women are Carriers and greatly sought after for their ability to birth new vamps and their blood that is also highly valued.  

Unbeknownst to Cordelia she's a Carrier, and an unexpected encounter leads to a dramatic change in her circumstances as she becomes Mate to the mysterious Nico Blackburn.  Cordelia has always felt alone and had to rely on herself to make ends meet, so the intense attraction and connection to Nico catches her off guard.  She's now surrounded by outspoken in-laws who want to protect her as opposed to her real family who have taken everything from her.  Cordelia is strong-willed and intelligent and accepts the changes to her life calmly.  Even with her life in jeopardy from a man from Nico's past she's no wilting flower and keeps up a brave front.  She's an admirable and likable heroine who's a perfect match for Nico.

Nico's been busy chasing after a madman making one new vamp after another when he stumbles upon Cordelia and is instantly drawn to her and can't wait to claim her.  His claiming of her brings the madman closer and for the first time he feels real fear of losing her.  Nico is strong and sexy and even though he's somewhat overbearing his charm still makes him likable.  There's a constant slow and sensual burn to their relationship that culminates in super steamy sexual interludes.

The mystery of the madman adds an exciting element to the story.  We're given clues early on as to his identity but don't fully realize the ramifications until the heartpounding conclusion.  The hunt for this madman brings out an intriguing and eclectic cast of secondary characters whose unique backgrounds are just hinted at and have me dying to learn more about.  Each of these vamps are sexy with backgrounds that have left them emotionally scarred with me hoping that they'll find mates to ease their unspoken pain.

This is an exciting and well-written start to a promising series that sets some tried and true vampire myths on end.  With a memorable cast of characters and its rollercoaster ride of suspense that completely drew me in I have high hopes for what Ms. Schroeder has planned next and I highly recommend this book to fans of the paranormal.

My rating for this is an A.

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.