Outtakes From the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Cat and Bones fans, sink your teeth into this new outtakes compilation from New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost!

Indulge your love of paranormal super couple Cat and Bones with this ultimate “director’s cut” collection of deleted scenes and alternate versions from the first four novels in the Night Huntress series, complete with author commentary on each selection. Includes: the original beginnings of Halfway to the Grave, One Foot in the Grave, At Grave’s End, and Destined for an Early Grave: a chapter written in Bones’s point of view; alternate versions of sections of Halfway to the Grave, One Foot in the Grave, and Destined for an Early Grave; the “white wedding” scene between Cat and Bones that never made it into the final books…and much more!




Where to Buy

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks
Audible

This is an interesting collection of deleted scenes from the first four Night Huntress books. It will, of course, mostly appeal to those who have read the series (and the related series), and really probably wouldn't be very recommended for those who haven't read at least the first four books due to spoilers and potential confusion later with the official published version of events and scenes. Equally interesting are Jeaniene Frost's author's notes introducing each snippet, as they help not only to place the scenes in context but also give insight into why they ended up being cut from the final published versions. Overall it's definitely worth the price of admission as they say.

Up From the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

There's always one more grave to dig.

Lately, life has been unnaturally calm for vampires Cat Crawfield and her husband, Bones. They should have known better than to relax their guard, because a shocking revelation sends them back into action to stop an all-out war....

A rogue CIA agent is involved in horrifying secret activities that threaten to raise tensions between humans and the undead to dangerous heights. Now Cat and Bones are in a race against time to save their friends from a fate worse than death...because the more secrets they unravel, the deadlier the consequences. And if they fail, their lives - and those of everyone they hold dear - will be hovering on the edge of the grave.




 
Where to Buy

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks
Audible

I am very conflicted about this book. The writing is Frost's usual stellar quality and the story progression from what has happened before now is understandable and makes sense. In many ways I suppose it could be argued that we should have seen this coming. Still, I can't say I particularly like where she went with the story or how she wrapped up the long, tumultuous saga of Cat and Bones' love story. Despite the fact that much of this had been building for longer than anyone realized, I still think there are other paths that could have been taken with it so that things didn't have to end they way they do here.

Home for the Holidays by Jeaniene Frost

Originally appeared in the print anthology The Bite Before Christmas.

'Tis the season to join Cat and Bones for some holiday cheer in this Night Huntress novella by USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost.

They were looking forward to a normal holiday—at least as "normal" as it gets for vampires Cat and Bones and their otherworldly friends and family. But their yuletide plans are shattered when a mysterious stranger shows up and reveals long-buried secrets that threaten to take a bite out of their holiday cheer … and lives.







Where to Buy

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks
Audible

Thanksgiving and Christmas seem to be cursed holidays for Cat and Bones. I don't think they've managed to have a quiet, completely normal holiday season yet because their enemies always seem to pick that time to start crap. This time is no different, with the stuff starting to hit the fan even before all of their guests have arrived. What follows is a fun, action-packed story that's fully in the spirit of the earlier Night Huntress novels. Cat is shown at her butt-kicking best, and in a somewhat surprising and interesting turn of events, Ian gets to play the hero helping to pull his friends' fat out of the proverbial fire instead of being the irritating and self-serving jerk we're more used to with him.

One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost

The grave is one wrong step away.

Having narrowly averted an (under)world war, Cat Crawfield wants nothing more than a little downtime with her vampire husband, Bones. Unfortunately, her gift from New Orleans' voodoo queen just keeps on giving - leading to a personal favor that sends them into battle once again, this time against a villainous spirit.

Centuries ago, Heinrich Kramer was a witch hunter. Now, every All Hallows Eve, he takes physical form to torture innocent women before burning them alive. This year, however, a determined Cat and Bones must risk all to send him back to the other side of eternity - forever. But how do you kill a killer who's already long dead?




Where to Buy

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks
Audible

** Warning: This review contains some possible mild spoilers, primarily regarding the ending. **

After hitting a lull in This Side of the Grave (in my opinion at least), this series found the energy it had in the first books again in this one. Once again Cat and Bones and their friends are facing a truly evil adversary, and this time their vampire powers won't necessarily help them all that much. True, they do still have a few handy tricks up their sleeves they can use, but how do you catch the wind much less fight and destroy it? It's a question that they don't really have a real answer for up until the very end almost, and the struggle is real as they do their best with trying to beat the clock and outwit Kramer. Add in another serious growing problem with regards to changes with Cat's former team since the game changing event there in the last book, and life is very "interesting" indeed for them now.

This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Danger waits on both sides of the grave.

Half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her vampire husband Bones have fought for their lives, as well as for their relationship. But just when they've triumphed over the latest battle, Cat's new and unexpected abilities threaten to upset a long-standing balance . . .

With the mysterious disappearance of vampires, rumors abound that a species war is brewing. A zealot is inciting tensions between the vampires and ghouls, and if these two powerful groups clash, innocent mortals could become collateral damage. Now Cat and Bones are forced to seek help from a dangerous "ally"—the ghoul queen of New Orleans herself. But the price of her assistance may prove more treacherous than even the threat of a supernatural war . . . to say nothing of the repercussions Cat never imagined.



Where to Buy

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks
Audible

After the high energy and edge-of-your-seat suspense in the previous novels of this series, this one came as a bit of a disappointment to me. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy it, or I didn't think it was good, for I did and I do, but it just didn't seem to be quite up to the level I'd come to expect. Overall this one seems to be more about character building and refining some of the relationships more than it is about fighting the bad guy(s). Worthwhile and entertaining reading to be sure, just don't expect to be wow'd as much as with the previous books in the series.

Magic Graves by Jeaniene Frost and Ilona Andrews

New York Times bestselling authors Jeaniene Frost and Ilona Andrews bring you two short stories of paranormal.

Jeaniene Frost's story, One for the Money, features vampires Cat and Bones trying to protect a spoiled heiress with a price on her head and an undead hitman on her trail. Previously published in Death's Excellent Vacation. Also includes the first three chapters from Jeaniene's story in The Bite Before Christmas anthology, as well as a sneak peek at ONCE BURNED, the first novel in the new Night Prince series.

Ilona Andrews' story, A Questionable Client, is a prequel to her award-winning Kate Daniels series. In a world beset by magic waves, Kate Daniels works as a mercenary. She is tired, hungry, and there is foul-smelling blood on her boots. All she wants to do is to go home, but when Mercenary Guild offers her a job she can't refuse, she finds herself protecting a man against Russian wizards. Previously published in Dark and Stormy Knights. Also includes first two chapters of FATE'S EDGE, book 3 in the Edge series, and first two chapters of Magic Grieves, a Kate Daniels novella.

Where to Buy

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks

I picked this book up primarily for the Night Huntress short story in it, so I could read it in order as I work my way through that series. While I enjoyed the short stories that come earlier in the series (chronologically speaking), this one was rather a disappointment. I haven't yet read any of the Kate Daniels books, so I don't really have any frame of reference for that story. Taking it on its own merits, it was ok, I thought. Likely those who are already familiar with that series would get more out of it than I did. Overall I'm not sure this anthology is entirely worth it, but my opinion may change when I get more familiar with the two series in question. Read on past the jump to see my brief individual reviews of the stories.

Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Her deadly dreams leave her in grave danger

Since half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her undead lover Bones met six years ago, they've fought against the rogue undead, battled a vengeful Master vampire, and pledged their devotion with a blood bond. Now it's time for a vacation. But their hopes for a perfect Paris holiday are dashed when Cat awakes one night in terror. She's having visions of a vampire named Gregor who's more powerful than Bones and has ties to her past that even Cat herself didn't know about.

Gregor believes Cat is his and he won't stop until he has her. As the battle begins between the vamp who haunts her nightmares and the one who holds her heart, only Cat can break Gregor's hold over her. She'll need all the power she can summon in order to bring down the baddest bloodsucker she's ever faced . . . even if getting that power will result in an early grave.
 

Where to Buy

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks
Audible

Wow. That one word fairly well sums up my reaction to this book. I'd thought At Grave's End was an emotional ride, but this one surpassed it and then some. I'm sure there were at least a few scenes here that weren't emotionally loaded in one way or another, but I'm not recalling very many if any offhand right now. There's not even much of a rest at the end, for the intensity keeps driving hard nearly to the last page. By the end, many things have changed, some for the good and some for the bad, and many things remain uncertain and up in the air. All the more incentive to grab the next book and keep going.

At Grave's End by Jeaniene Frost

Some things won't stay buried . . . at grave's end

It should be the best time of half-vampire Cat Crawfield's life. With her undead lover Bones at her side, she's successfully protected mortals from the rogue undead. But though Cat's worn disguise after disguise to keep her true identity a secret from the brazen bloodsuckers, her cover's finally been blown, placing her in terrible danger.

As if that wasn't enough, a woman from Bones's past is determined to bury him once and for all. Caught in the crosshairs of a vengeful vamp, yet determined to help Bones stop a lethal magic from being unleashed, Cat's about to learn the true meaning of bad blood. And the tricks she's learned as a special agent won't help her. She will need to fully embrace her vampire instincts in order to save herself—and Bones—from a fate worse than the grave.

 
Where to Buy

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks

Audible

As the blurb suggests, this book begins to show us the truth of matters for Cat and Bones -- they aren't likely to get to have a true happily ever after, for there will probably always be someone else waiting in the wings for a turn to make their lives hell. Though for all that they have some powerful enemies, they also apparently have many powerful allies, not to mention some freaky phenomenal luck for being able to save things from the jaws of disaster at the last minute, or seemingly so. They come out of these trials irrevocably changed, yet it wouldn't be a very interesting story if they didn't, would it?

One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

You can run from the grave, but you can’t hide…

Half-vampire Cat Crawfield is now Special Agent Cat Crawfield, working for the government to rid the world of the rogue undead. She’s still using everything Bones, her sexy and dangerous ex, taught her, but when Cat is targeted for assassination, the only man who can help her is the vampire she left behind.

Being around Bones awakens all her emotions, from the adrenaline rush of slaying vamps side by side to the reckless passion that consumed them. But a price on her head—wanted: dead or half-alive—means her survival depends on teaming up with Bones. And no matter how hard Cat tries to keep things professional between them, she’ll find that desire lasts forever…and Bones won’t let her get away again. Original.



Where to Buy

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Audible

I have heard about this book for a few years now, particularly the infamous Chapter 32, and I have to say that it was well worth the wait. I read book one in the series, Halfway to the Grave, pretty much 2 years ago exactly but haven't managed to continue it aside from a couple short stories since then. Now that I'm finally able to I'm quite excited to finally be reading them (well, listening to them on audiobook) and so far am not a bit disappointed. The only thing I'm really worried about is that my ratings for them will likely get rather repetitive if they all live up to the quality of the first two books.

Happily Never After by Jeaniene Frost

Isabella Spaga is about to reluctantly walk down the aisle with Mr. Dangerously Wrong...but not if dashing vampire Chance has anything to say about it. As a favor to Bones, Chance has come to derail this wedding of beauty to the beast. Now if only he can keep his hands off the bride. From "New York Times" bestselling author Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress world, it's the wedding of the season...that everyone wants to miss. (Originally appeared in Weddings from Hell anthology)

Where to Buy

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks
Audible

Note: In the event it proves relevant, at the time I write this review I have only read Halfway to the Grave and Reckoning in this series, thus I only have knowledge of characters that appear in those books.

As someone who is still fairly new to the Night Huntress universe, I thoroughly enjoyed this short story even though it seems to be only minimally connected to the main book that proceeds it. We only get a few glimpses of Bones here, and he seems somehow a bit different, though perhaps his behavior will seem less odd once I've seen more of him in later books. Cat isn't seen at all and isn't even mentioned by name though Bones does make a comment at one point that alludes to her. For the most part, I think this story could be read and understood on its own even if you haven't read the books that proceed it on the timeline.

Reckoning by Jeaniene Frost

In New Orleans, a pair of undead serial killers is about to turn Mardi Gras into a horror show - unless the immortal hitman Bones can hunt them down first. From Jeaniene Frost comes a thrilling novella featuring characters from her New York Times bestselling Night Huntress series. Originally appeared in the anthology Unbound.

Where to Buy

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
OmniLit
Audible

In case it is relevant to anyone, I'll note that I've read this story after having only read Halfway to the Grave in this series.

An interesting story that gives us a little bit of background on Bones. While I'm not sure if we really learn much about him that isn't in Halfway to the Grave, we at least get to see him on his own, completely himself, and not entirely invulnerable. It will be interesting to see if any of the tidbits of info and occurrences from this story will prove relevant in future books or stories in the series. I imagine that reading this story is probably totally optional to understanding the storyline in the main books, but it does add a nice bit of color, and fans of Bones will enjoy getting the chance to see him in action.

• Reckoning on Goodreads
• Jeaniene Frost's website

Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father...the one responsible for ruining her mother's life. Then she's captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership.

In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She's amazed she doesn't end up as his dinner...are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn't have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her newfound status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side . . . and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.



Where to Buy

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks Audible

This is an excellent story that will take you on an emotional journey and shines a harsh light on things like the nature of prejudice that might have you seeing it in a different light. Readers should probably be warned that this book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger that will leave you a bit slackjawed perhaps that it could end that way, so you might want to have the second book handy by the time you finish this one if cliffhangers bother you. Whether the questions get answered in the next book or not, you'll most likely be wanting the answers at the end of this one.