I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked Ravenous. I don’t want that to sound like an insult, far from it. Since there is a surplus of books involving vampires of every shape and size, it takes a lot to stand out from the crowd. It takes a unique story, believable characters, smooth dialogue, and seemingly effortless description. It also doesn’t hurt to have slipped in a sense of humor. Ms. Ashwood has all this in spades.

 

We first meet Holly Carter when she arrives at a haunted house to meet a client. That is when she discovers that it isn’t a simple ghost clean up as she was led to believe but something much more dangerous. Luckily, she has back up in the form of a vampire named Alessandro Caravelli. She can trust him, he always has her back. Holly wishes he also had her front and all parts in between. Much as she would like to walk away from this dangerous job, she needs the money for her tuition. Once inside the house, things get hairy. Holly survives as does Alessandro. Too bad the same can’t be said for the college girl that Alessandro finds hidden in the house. She was killed in the exact manner that several other girls in town have been. What does a possessed house; dead girls, a demon, the vampire queen, and a war among the supernatural community have to do with a young witch trying to go back to college to get her business degree? Well, pick up this fascinating book and you will find out for yourself.

 

This was a very detailed world that Ms. Ashwood has created and yet it is still easy to step into. Holly is a great character. I so want to be friends with her, she is that likeable. Alessandro is a wonderfully atypical vampire. All the other characters, including Holly’s grandmother are wonderful, three dimensional people. I was honestly surprised several times as the story took twists that I could not have anticipated. I made myself read this book slowly as I didn’t want it to end, I wanted to savor it. I urge anyone who is a fan of urban fantasy and paranormal romance to put Sharon Ashwood at the top of their list!