Nikki St. Crowe

Secrets Drenched in Blood is the complete Midnight Harbor series containing books 1-5 of Hot Vampire Next-door.

Jess is a mortal living in a town full of supernatural beings. She thinks her future is set. She can either pledge her allegiance to one of the super natural houses or run away from Midnight Harbor. All her life she was brought up to think she would pledge herself to be a human blood bag for the Loke Vampire House, like all the women in her family before her.

One day , nearing her Pledge day (her 21st birthday) , she was taken by surprise as her neighbor, Bran Duval ( Her very hot vampire neighbor) told her that his brother will be putting in the bid for her pledge, all because her older sister Kelly made a deal with him.

Bran tells her this, gives her this warning, but even he has no idea why. They both feel like something more is going on, and they are determined to find out what that is.

While they unbury secrets , there is an undeniable chemistry between the two of them. Jess and Bran are both hesitant to act on at first. However, when they do, that’s when the story really picks up. More secrets, Mystery, Supernatural mischief, and answers that lead to more questions.

The dual POV between Jess and Bran is done so well. You don’t feel like your missing out on any of the story line as you are switching between the two of them, and seeing the character development between both if them really enhances the story. You can feel the impact they are both having on each other , in ways they wouldn’t have if they didn’t begin this journey together.

This is a spicy story, and id not recommend it for anyone under the age of 18. The self discovery isn’t just accomplished during the two of them solving the mystery of Midnight harbor, but a good chunk of it is done between the two of them, if you get my drift.

The plot moves at a good pace, at no time did any of the twists feel like they came so out of left field that they didn’t make sense or fit in with the story. Any time something big happens you can go back and see where the hints were laid out, but not in such a obvious way , you feel like you can see them all coming a mile away.

Also, lets give a nice round of applause for writing a healthy established female friendship. The bond between Jess and Sam is heart warming. Jess having Sam as some one who completely understands and supports her was wonderful to read.

Speaking of Sam, none of the “side” characters felt unnecessary. They all had a role and were well written. Additionally, the dynamics between the Humans, Shifters, Vampires, and Fae were all drawn out really well. You didn’t need more information and the world building happened naturally and flowed well with the story.

Go grab yourself a nice toasty grilled cheese, salty french fries, and a root beer to get ready to dive in to the world of Midnight Harbor. This is a story worth biting into.