Review: By Blood

By Blood by Tracy E. Banghart

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow – this was a really fantastic read! The writing was excellent, the characters were well thought out and engaging, and the story had me on the edge of my seat the entire time! This was YA goodness at its best!

The main character is Emma, a teenager being raised by her father in the US. Her mother, in an attempt to spend some quality time, invites her to spend the summer in England with her, her new husband, and their infant. Despite her begging and pleading, Emma still ends up on the long plane ride overseas. While moping and fighting every step of the way, she discovers that she’s not the only houseguest. Josh, her stepfather’s research assistant, has been chosen to stay with them for the summer as well. The hot, young American is a great distraction from Emma’s plan to be miserable. I really loved the relationship and banter between the two of them. Something about their interactions just seemed really genuine. A simple love story is never as entertaining as a complicated one, though, so Emma had to find a way to mess up this good thing with Josh. It came in the form of a group of “druids”, led by the mysterious and sexy Simon.

I was firmly on team Josh, but I have to say that Simon was awfully tempting. He’s a complete mystery for most of the book and really had me guessing at his motivations. I’m still not quite sure what really drove him throughout the book. Of course Emma was caught in this horrible love triangle and it was a little frustrating to watch. Josh was clearly the good guy while Simon was the sexy bad boy. I guess I can’t blame her for wanting a little bit of both on her seemingly horrible summer abroad.

This was a truly amazing read that I couldn’t put down. The story and writing had me flipping pages quickly and eagerly. The ultimate payoff was a great wrap-up that made this book stand alone as a winner for me. If you’re interested in a YA paranormal romance, you won’t be disappointed by this one.




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