Crave by Laura J. Burns Melinda Metz

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Genre: Paranormal

Release Date: 9/21/2010

Add to Goodreads

About the Book: Shay has always been the 'sick girl' due to a rare blood disorder. Shay has to have blood transfusions to help through her day and all she longs for is to be a normal girl. Her step-father and doctor Martin has a new type of blood that he's trying that makes Shay feel better than she's ever felt-she can run, swim and has more energy than she's ever had. But the blood that Martin is giving her isn't human and Shay begins to have visions of a life as a vampire named Gabriel-and Gabriel just might be closer than she thinks.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: OK, for full disclosure and fair warning and all, I am a HUGE Melinda Metz fangirl. I read her series Roswell High in high school and was obsessed and I loved Fingerprints when I was in college. So when I received an ARC of Crave I did the biggest happy dance possible. But I was also nervous about reading this one. I knew Melinda and Laura had written together on the TV version of Roswell, which I also loved, but what if I didn't end up liking this one? What if my fond memories of those previous series were set too high for me to enjoy Crave?

I didn't have to worry-Crave won me over and transported me back to sixteen. (And I mean that in a good way!) My teen self took over and I was fangirling all over again. Vampires and paranormal stories are showing up everywhere so I really liked that Crave had a fresh take to it. Shay needs Gabriel's blood to live and I really liked the dynamic that created between the characters. It does take awhile for the story to really get going-you know as the reader that Gabriel is going to come into play more, but it takes a good amount of the book to get there as the author's are setting up Shay's life and backstory. I would have liked a little less about her school life, but that might be due to the fact that the back of the book gave away too much of the plot so I knew what was coming.

I loved the flashbacks to Gabriel's vampire life and family and liked how we got to know him before we met him. It did take awhile for Gabriel to actually come into the story but the flashbacks helped develop his character and I really liked reading about him. I also loved his family and the vampire backstory and how his family was created. I have conflicting feelings about his father figure, Ernst, and I'm interested to find out more about him. I want to know more about Gabriel's vampire family!

Shay on the other hand would alternately drive me crazy and make me like her. I understood her motivations, she'd never been able to do anything and always had to be the 'sick girl' but man she mad some stupid decisions! I think part of my frustration with Shay was my adult self yelling at her for not being smart. But I understood why she did what she did and I felt it made her realistic. She wanted to live her life fully because she'd never had the opportunity to before. Even though there were times I wanted to yell at her, Shay also had moments where she really shined and I really did like reading about her. She's sensitive and thoughtful but also flawed and frustrating and that's what makes her a great character to read about.

The romance has a great push and pull to it-they want to be together but they don't and that makes for a great romance. Plus it has enough love/hate dynamics and build up that it makes the romance aspect pretty hot.

The whole story kind of read like something that could easily be turned into a TV show or movie, and I think that comes from the author's TV writing background. The ending felt fast and rushed and ends on a terrible cliffhanger, so I'm needing the next book ASAP! But even though there's more story to tell, I liked what I read in Crave that I wasn't terribly frustrated about the setting up for a sequel. Crave is an addicting read with great characters and fresh approach to the vampire genre that is sure to win readers over. I can't wait to read more-I'm so glad these writers are back!

Book Pairings: Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey, Echoes by Melinda Metz (previously Fingerprints, now re-published), Boys that Bite by Marianne Mancusi

Full Disclosure: Reviewed from ARC sent by author for review (and yes, I fangirled when she sent it to me!)