Review: Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey

Title: Hearts at Stake

Series: The Drake Chronicles

Book #: 1

Author: Alyxandra Harvey

Pages: 248

Publisher: Walker

Reading Level: Young-Adult

Spotlight: Plot

Rating:.8

"Being a Vampire Princess Really Bites"

On Solange’s sixteenth birthday, she is going to wake up dead. As if that’s not bad enough, she also has to outwit her seven overprotective older brothers, avoid the politics involved with being the only daughter born to an ancient vampire dynasty, and elude Kieran Black—agent of an anti-vampire league who is searching for his father’s killer and is intent on staking Solange and her entire family.

Luckily she has her own secret weapon—her human best friend Lucy—who is willing to defend Solange’s right to a normal life, whether she’s being smothered by her well-intentioned brothers or abducted by a power-hungry queen. Two unlikely alliances are formed in a race to save Solange’s eternal life—Lucy and Solange’s brother Nicholas, and Solange and Kieran Black—in a dual romance that is guaranteed to jump start any romance-lover’s heart. Even fans of the genre who’ve seen it all will find a fresh read with kick-butt characters and family dynamics that ring true for all brothers and sisters—vampire or otherwise.

Taschima's POV:

Don't you love it when you pick up a book with little to no expectations and get blown away? That's how I feel about this book.

Lucy and Solange are best friends. Only Lucy is a human and Solange is a to-be-vampire. Solange is a different vampire though. In her family whenever a son or daughter turn 16 the change occurs and they turn into vampires. Which doesn't happen that often. Oh another thing she is the first female born vampire in 800 years. Add this to a Prophecy talking about her as being the next big Vamp Queen and you got a very stressed 15 year old. Oh and she can die in the process of becoming a vampire.

When I saw the title I thought cheesy, and kind of the same with the cover. Hey I'm not proud. But this book surprised me a lot! I just loved it by the end. Even though I thought some things could go better it has a story that gets you hooked... and the romance was hot.

The thing is that it's complicated, because I love the plot but I thought the author could have gone a little deeper with the characters. I liked them though. Solange and Lucy have a Rose/Lissa from Vampire Academy relationship. Lucy is the tough one with the attitude (Rose) and Solange is the vampire "princess" (Lissa) but the difference is Solange knows how to fiiight unlike Lissa. It is written in both their POV's, which made the story better.

There are a lot of characters. Solange has seven brother, SEVEN. They are very protective and they all have a special quality. Nicholas, Logan, Quinn, Connor, Sebastian, Marcus and Duncan. I loves Nicholas, because he can be dark, protective and annoying all at the same time in his own way. Logan was so fun, I like him too. Also there is Liam and Helen, the parents. This are cool parents. Liam is the calm one, the collected one. Helen is the FIGHTER. I just love her! She can glare at you to death, and that's hot.

I think the same with the romance. It just went too quickly and the characters didn't even talk about it that much but it still worked! You had the background, but the talk was nowhere! A lot is going on at the same time to talk, true. Oh yes, there is a lot going on at the same time. A lot of information to absorb, a lot of characters and a lot of history in just 248 pages! This book could have easily been 400 pages. I so would have read it.

So yeah, it was fast paced, no no no, it was VERY fast paced but I still loved it. Which is why I give it a 4.8, not because it has wrongs but because it could have been even better.

Now the second book to this one is called Blood Feud and it's about Logan one of Solange's brothers. I don't know about changing characters for the second book, but if they keep giving me glances of the other people I think I would be happy enough to continue. I don't think I really got closure with the characters of this book and I was expecting to see more of them in the second. Because so much was happening that It was like pow-pow-pow and I didn't get alone time with them. But This is a good author so I expect the second one to be even better in every way.

But no matter what people read it, it's so worth your money. Alyxandra created a jewel, and it's only going to get better.