One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress #2) by Jeaniene Frost

Another action and fun packed Urban Fantasy / Paranormal Romance of our Cat & Bones. The last book ended with Cat and Bones being separated, but you didn't really think it would mean they are over now did you? It did take them time to find one another, in "real life" as well as in the book.

We start off with Cat being working in Don's operation for the past 4 years. No Bones in sight. But a non typical assignment by Don brings her to someone from Bone's past and through him she sort of send him a message bringing him closer to her than he has been able to get the past 4 years. 

I want to say "once together all is forgotten and forgiven" but naturally it takes time for CAT to put aside her fears and worries in order for her to trust Bones. Once she does that all she has to deal with is a very persistent killer no one knows who sent after her. 

Before I move to the plot, I want to say that I'm giving this book 4.5 stars and not 5 because of Cat's behavior, both in the way she never seems to truly trust Bones or even give him the benefit of the doubt. She somehow thinks she's the one who has all the answers or know of all the possibilities leaving Bones' decisions irrelevant. I don't like that. Especially since Bones' life experience puts him in a "superior" position that she is about dealing with all the staff they tend to deal with.. I don't think he should BE superior to her, but I do think that she should start giving him credit for being alive this long.. Secondly, there are too many jealousy scenes in the book. Tate is simply being impossible (and the voice our Narrator does for him is truly annoying!), he has his moments when I think in the end he remembers who he is and his "duties" but when it's about Cat (and Bones) he is annoying just as he sounds.. There is also one hell of a scene with Cat and someone very important from Bones' past. It was over the top excessive. I really wish she would "rein it down" a bit, just a little tiny bit because she comes off as the childish teenager who can't handle her temper. Not that the other woman was behaving herself, but for someone HER age it was excessive as well.. 

BTW, since this is a re-read for me, I could probably copy-paste the entire previous paragraph into all the next ones as well. Also removing this half star from my review. I LOVE this series, I DO. I just have these two issues with Cat - Immature jealousy and being unable to trust Bones or give him the benefit of the doubt and trying his way. 

Going back to the plot line :) Though Cat hasn't been looking for her father the last 4 years (she HAS been busy) Bones has been doing his research - trying to find both her as well as her father. In this book he finds them both and what he discovers shocks him but shocks Cat even more! There is also a lot things to learn about vampire rules as it seems since getting her father is not just about killing him off. 

The operation Cat works in is quite impressive though we only get to meet her close team - Tate, Dave, Juan and Cooper. Besides that there is Don.. Don oh Don oh Don. I didn't like him from the first moment and I kept my dislike for him for all eternity.. I never COULD trust him and it's apparent that Cat shouldn't as well, there is always secrets and things he "forgets" mentioning or doesn't think is relevant for her to know. [I don't know why whenever the Narrator says Don I hear Dawn, took me awhile to get over that..]
Oh, and there is a double upgrade to the operation in this book. Pretty cool :)

We get to see a little bit of Rodney the Ghoul who is such a sweet character, hope will see more of him soon (he has his visits in the books but I don't think we EVER got to see enough of him). Charles / Spade has a short appearance and we have another new character - Cat's friend Denise [I must say I don't like the voice the Narrator chose for her but well.. She DOES do an amazing job with most of everything else so].. Another very important character we get to meet - Mencheres who is Bone's Grandsire (the sire of HIS sire, kind of grandpa when you think about it ;)) one POWERFUL motherfucker!! As well as Bones' own Sire who is a very interesting (though maniacal....) character. Unfortunately no one got to kill Cat's mother.. GOD DAMN this woman is ANNOYING! and I really think she should open a dictionary and study the phrase "motherly love" I'm sure she'd be enlightened...

All in all a fun read. As the previous one, full of action and Cat and Bones kicking ass and enjoying some relaxing time together once in a while ;) 

Additional Details: Audiobook, 9:47 Hours, 27-29 July 2014 / On GoodReads

 

 

ABOUT THIS SERIES

 

The Night Huntress is a great, action packed, funny and romantic Urban Fantasy Series by Jeaniene Frost. The Series follows Cat the half breed Vampire and Bones her Vampire lover. Together they fight humans as well as mythological creatures (like other Vampires, Ghouls, Ghosts and more). The Series contains a total of 7 full novels and one short novella finishing their story line. Besides these, there are also 2 more short novellas, one of Bones before he met Cat and another of the both of them with no real connection to the main plot line (published after the 4th novel). There is no significant to the series in reading these two. After the series was finished another book was published - Outtakes from the Grave containing a "Director's Cut" of deleted scenes and alternate versions. 

There are a few more outside novels listed as "Night Huntress World". Two short novellas of outside characters (Happily Ever After & Devil to Pay) with no significant or relevant to the Night Huntress series as well as two full length novels of Charles and Denise - First Drop of Crimson / Mencheres and Kira - Eternal Kiss of Darkness. I inserted those books in the right reading / publishing order in the list bellow. Even though you don't have to read them to understand Cat and Bones' series, the two full length novels explain how the two couples came together and mind you, both of them are GREAT! :) They have a different feel to them since they have alternation POV of the MC and also, naturally they are not Cat and Bones, yet it is in their world and there are "guest appearances" of our favorite characters. 

There are two spin-off series to the Night Huntress World. First "Night Prince" of Vlad the Impaler finding his HEA with Kira which is currently my absolutely FAVORITE PNR / UF books! Second is "Night Rebel" of Ian and Veritas these are superb as well! While these two sub-series can totally be read as "stand alone" series, just bare in mind, characters from all over the Night Huntress World at times make an appearance. I don't think it's necessary to read them if you don't feel like it though. 

  

I really recommend this series to all PNR and UF lovers. Though Cat CAN be a overly stubborn and sometimes childish she is one hell of a Grim Reaper (with red hair :)). She kicks ass, and it's always fun reading of a strong woman who can handle her opponents as well as hold her liquor. I enjoyed the extra "Night Huntress World" novellas but mostly loved the two full length novels of Cat and Bone's friends as well as Ian and Veritas' spin-off. The absolute joy, the cream and the cherry as well as the chocolate cake and banana muffins are the Night Prince novels. MY GOD I don't know how I lived before reading them..

 

Books:

-- Reckoning (Short- Bones) (published 29 November 2011) ★★★½
1. Halfway to the Grave (published 30 October 2007) ★★★★½
-- Happily Ever After (Short- Chance & Isa) (published 19 July 2011) ★★★★★
2. One Foot in the Grave (published 29 April 2008) ★★★★½
3. At Grave's End (published 1 January 2009) ★★★★★
-- Devil to Pay (Short- Mencheres, Elis & Blake) (published 23 August 2011) ★★★★★
4. Destined for an Early Grave (+ deleted alternate sub plot August 2014) (published 28 July 2009) ★★★★½
4.5 Magic Graves: One for the Money (published 1 September 2011) ★★★
-- NH World 1. First Drop of Crimson (Charles & Denise) (published 9 February 2010) ★★★★★
-- NH World 2. Eternal Kiss of Darkness (Mencheres & Kira) (published 27 July 2010) ★★★★★
5. This Side Of The Grave (published 22 February 2011) ★★★½
6. One Grave at a Time (published 30 August 2011) ★★ 
[ Night Prince 1 + 2 ]
6.5 Home for the Holidays (published 5 November 2013) ★★★★★
7. Up From the Grave (published 28 January 2014) ★★★½
7.5 Outtakes from the Grave (published 22 December 2015)
[ Night Prince 3 + 4-> Night Rebel Series ]