Today I'm hosting a stop on Lori Sjoberg's Grave Vengeance book tour. I'm very excited to participate in this paranormal romance's tour - the blurb really appealed to me! Paranormal in the 'death walks among us' vein, former spies, romance despite a past full of conflict - it all sounds like a recipe for a fun and exciting book!
For other stops on the tour, check out Tasty Book Tours.
The Book
Handsome and haunted, he's a reaper who prefers to work alone. But Fate has other plans for him and the sassy secret agent who shot him in another life—if their pasts don't catch up with them first.Dmitri Stavitsky has never played well with others—a Soviet KGB spy in life turned reaper after death, his work of bringing souls to the other side is best done alone. But orders from the top soon place him alongside fellow reaper Gwen Peterson, the American counter intelligence agent who took his life so many years ago.
Now, as a ghost from Gwen's past resurfaces with the power to steal reapers' souls, the two have no choice but to set aside their differences and apprehend the rogue together. But their cross-country mission soon ignites feelings Dmitri thought he was no longer capable of—for the woman who helped destroy him. With an ancient force and a small army against them, he'll have to let go of old grudges or risk his future with Gwen...as Fate hangs dangerously in the balance.
Grave Vengeance is available from Lyrical Press now!
My Review
Grave Vengeance is the third book in the Grave series, and I haven't read the first two books. Fortunately, I never felt as though this put me at a disadvantage - so I can happily recommend jumping into the series with this book.
There is never a dull moment in this action-packed story. Whether their dodging bullets, memories of the past or the chemistry they share, Dmitri and Gwen have their hands full from the very start of the book.
One of Grave Vengeance's strengths is that the past that Dmitri and Gwen share is not simply window dressing or flavour text. It has a very real impact on their present, and getting both sides of that particular part of the story really made me appreciate the complexities of their relationship. I also loved that Dmitri struck me as very true to his Russian roots - his post-death years haven't Americanized him too much, and while I'm definitely a novice when it comes to anything Russian, I felt convinced by the details dropped here and there.
The only area that I felt was lacking was that Grave Vengeance doesn't really include much of the 'reaping' portion of the reapers' job. That Dmitri and Gwen were both reapers felt almost superfluous as they investigated the rogue reaper - they could have been reaper police or some kind of special paranormal/undead/beyond-the-grave unit. It seems plausible to me that earlier books in the series may have had a stronger focus on this element of the universe in the Grave series so perhaps if I had read these, I wouldn't have found the lack of reaping to be so significant?
There is never a dull moment in this action-packed story. Whether their dodging bullets, memories of the past or the chemistry they share, Dmitri and Gwen have their hands full from the very start of the book.
One of Grave Vengeance's strengths is that the past that Dmitri and Gwen share is not simply window dressing or flavour text. It has a very real impact on their present, and getting both sides of that particular part of the story really made me appreciate the complexities of their relationship. I also loved that Dmitri struck me as very true to his Russian roots - his post-death years haven't Americanized him too much, and while I'm definitely a novice when it comes to anything Russian, I felt convinced by the details dropped here and there.
The only area that I felt was lacking was that Grave Vengeance doesn't really include much of the 'reaping' portion of the reapers' job. That Dmitri and Gwen were both reapers felt almost superfluous as they investigated the rogue reaper - they could have been reaper police or some kind of special paranormal/undead/beyond-the-grave unit. It seems plausible to me that earlier books in the series may have had a stronger focus on this element of the universe in the Grave series so perhaps if I had read these, I wouldn't have found the lack of reaping to be so significant?
I'm a huge fan of urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and Grave Vengeance did not let me down! With lots of action (of the gun-toting *and* between the sheets varieties) and a really nifty post-death concept, I was quite pleased with this book!
4.5 stars
For fans of paranormal romance, spies, action-based romances.
About the Author
Lori was a born a coal miner’s daughter. No wait, that’s not
right. Actually, she was born a
carpenter’s daughter. Her mother was a housewife/homemaker/stay-at-home mom –
whatever the politically correct term is these days. Basically, she made sure Lori didn’t get into
too much trouble, a task easier said than done.
Growing up the youngest of three girls, Lori never had
control of the remote. (Not that she’s bitter about that. Really. Okay, maybe a
little, but it’s not like she’s scarred for life or anything.) That meant a
steady diet of science fiction and fantasy. Star Trek, Star Wars, Twilight
Zone, Outer Limits – you name it, she watched it. It fed her imagination, and
that came in handy when the hormones kicked in and she needed a creative excuse
for being out past curfew.
After completing her first manuscript, she joined the
Romance Writers of America and Central Florida Romance Writers. Now she
exercises the analytical half of her brain at work, and the creative half
writing paranormal romance. When she’s not doing either one of those, she’s
usually spending time with her husband and children of the four-legged variety.
Find her on the web:
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Thank you for hosting today!
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