Book Review: My Love Lies Bleeding (AKA Hearts at Stake) by Alyxandra Harvey

Review: My Love Lies Bleeding

AKA: Hearts at Stake

Series: Drake Chronicles – Book 1

Author: Alyxandra Harvey

No. Of Pages: 248

Release Date: 7 January 2010

“They’re close,” she murmured. “Watching.”

“Run?” I suggested. “Like right now?”

She shook her head.

“If we act like prey, they will act like predators,”

Solange has always known she was a vampire. And as the only female vampire ever born, not initiated, she is surrounded by danger on all sides – from other vampire tribes who want to take her blood into their lineage, and from the bounty hunters who are set on destroying her and her family.

When she is kidnapped, it’s up to her elder brother, Nicholas, and best friend, Lucy, to save her.

But can Lucy save herself from Nicholas, who tempts her with every look – what will be her own fate if she surrenders her heart to a vampire?

My Thoughts:

What is it with synopsises and lying lately. This sounded like a really promising action packed and suspenseful book from what you just read right?

It’s a complete tease, it’s like looking at a mouth watering buffet after not eating for a week then tucking in and realising that everything is only half cooked. It fills you up sure enough, but you’re left completely unsatisfied.

It’s like we read through 250 pages and nothing much happens, yes it’s about vampire’s yes she is a chick who was born a vampire who is being hunted. And yes her best friend and brother try and save her. That is the entire story summed up. Notice I said try well they tried, and funnily enough being sixteen year old failed miserably. It was her parents that cleaned up the mess.

It’s so promising to read about potential banter between Lucy and Nicholas, and it’s there a bit and it’s funny. But it’s extremely repetitive the only thing they do is call each other Nicky and Lucky. Wow.

There is so much potential in this budding romance, which goes from the same thing throughout the entire book: “Hmmm, I think I like him, eww, that’s gross it’s Nicholas.” To right at the end when they think they’re about to die so she tries to sneak a peek at him getting changed. Then all of sudden he calls her his girlfriend and kisses her. Big Whoop.

So much potential in these fight scenes with all of these hunters. There’s three, and the entire time whichever protagonist we’re reading the POV of is thinking about themselves and the fact that they are too weak to fight.

Which brings me to the changing POV’s, that’s all well and good and it was pulled off. But I still didn’t like it, because there was a change every chapter except for right at the end.

The two POV’s we read through are Solange (the Vampire) and Lucy (the best friend).

Lucy causes all the trouble and Solange whinges through it. Yes they are strong characters, but they are also stupid. They are in essence teenagers who think they know best and it causes a lot of problems. Which is fair and realistic, but annoying.

I was morbidly interested in what happened though, I will say that the story does have a way of keeping us hooked which is very clever.

I don’t agree with the whole vampires being born crap though, I think that Harvey could have picked a different supernatural creature to play with, in my opinion she went with vampires because everyone else did, that’s all.

There is a second book in this series that I know of to date. I will read it, because I do want to know what happens, although I know it will probably put me in a foul mood like the last one did because of the sheer stupidity. One thing I won’t be doing though is buying the next book (like I did this one), I will be getting it out at the library or borrowing it from a friend.

I think others might like it, might. So this book is a take it or leave it, if you are stuck for something to read it wouldn’t hurt because it is a pretty good storyline.

2/5