Graced

Graced by Amanda Pillar is a wonderful paranormal romance book.  I stayed up until 2 a.m. to finish this book.  Graced is a complicated book.  I will try and summarize it without giving away any spoilers.

Graced is set in a time where advancements have come and then gone.  They use coal, sodium lamps, carriages pulled by horses.  However, they do have a sewage system (thank goodness)!  The different types of citizens are vampires, werewolves, humans with colored eyes (graced), humans with brown-eyes (non), and the slaves (yes, slaves).  Most of the vampires are aristos and are considered the upper class (rich and have titles).  The vampires have an elitist attitude.  They believe they are the best and that humans all want to be vampires.  The Honorable Dante Kipling is the son of a rich aristo and he believes that there is something different about the humans with colored eyes.  He wants to find out what is different about them. 

Clay Lovett is a very old werewolf (but looks young).   He was summoned to town by Olive Brown (more on her below).  While in town he meets Elle (see below) and is fascinated by her.  Clay goes out of his way to find her, get to know her, and flirt (which leads to them getting to know each other much better).

Eleanor “Elle” Brown is a city guard with red hair and hazel eyes.  Her one goal is to protect her kid sister, Emmie (Esmerelda).  Emmie is seven years old and has bright teal eyes.  The humans with colored eyes do have special gifts and they want it kept a secret.  Elle and Emmie’s grandmother, Olive Brown has green eyes and can read minds.  She also runs an agency that supplies servants and slaves to the rich and aristos.   Someone has killed two graced girls recently and Olive sends Elle into the Kipling household to investigate.

Unfortunately for Elle things do not go well in the Kipling household.  Elle ends up in a coffin and about to be cremated.  Clay and Emmie rescue Elle from the coffin and then Clay tries to keep her safe (and hidden from her grandmother).  What happens next is very funny!  Dante is forced to get married after attacking Elle without her permission, Clay tries to keep Elle safe, Clay and Elle want to get custody of Emmie (to protect her and keep her secret), and Elle has to adjust to being a vampire (and not attack the humans in the household for food).

I give Graced 4.5 out of 5 stars.  I really enjoyed this book, but there is a lot of sex in this book.  Sex seems to be very commonplace.  Evidently sex with servants and slaves is normal (and they cannot object) as well as sleeping your way through the town’s populace (as well as three ways, four ways, sleeping with men and women).  I do not think that the book needed so much of this element.  The story is great without all the sex.  I found Graced to a delight to read and look forward to reading more books by Amanda Pillar.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley (courtesy of the publisher) in exchange for an honest review.

Graced will be out on Thursday, February 26, 2015.  You can purchase it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.   

If you are looking for a great paranormal book to read, try Of Shadow and Stone by Michelle Muto.  Thank you for checking out my recent review!  I am currently reading The Woman in the Movie Star Dress which will be out on February 28, 2015.    

Have a great evening and Happy Reading!

Kris