Review: Blood Slave
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 20, 2013
Okay, it is official, I am a slave for Travis Luede. Ah, let me clarify, I am a slave for his Nightlife series, whew, that is better! :)First off, if there is ever a case for covers wanting you to swipe a book off the shelf to read what it is about, then Blood Slave is the book. From the moment I saw the beautiful, elegant woman wrapped in fur,  with blood trickling down her neck, I thought it was one of the most beautiful covers I had seen and with a title like Blood Slave, who could resist?From the very first word, I was dragged into the world of of Esperanza de Salvador, or Hope, a Columbian Cartel escort, I was hooked.Hope tells her story in her own words, tells us the story of her pain, and horrible abuse from the time her father sold her to the Cartel at the age of 14, when he could no longer deal with her special abilities, of reading a person's thoughts, until she is forced from the slums by a unstable client by gun point when she freaks out at the discovery that Hope could read her mind.Oh, did I mention that the unstable client was a vampire who got a little annoyed when she could not compel Hope?The client brings Hope to her master, a wealthy, handsome and influential tycoon/vampire who is furious with his assistant, Lia for bringing Hope into his home. The vampire master, Enrique makes the best of the situation and keeps Hope tucked away in a bedroom where he takes care of her every need, ensuring her health and safety. Soon they have sex and after he bites her to ease the pain of their lovemaking, Hope becomes addicted to his bite, becoming his blood slave.Over time Hope falls in love with Enrique, as he showers her with luxury  his bite, and his care, keeping the viciously jealous Lia from killing her.  She feels that, though she cannot read his mind, she can trust him as he is the first man to truly care for her, she just wished he loved her back.When Lia goes to Spain on a business trip, Hope enjoys her blissful time alone with Enrique and her new job as his mental spy, but her bliss quickly evaporates when Lia returns.  Upon her return, Lia now seems to like Hope and they call a truce. But not all is as it seems, as Lia horribly betrays Hope and Hope once again must fight for life by using her wits and street smarts without Enrique's protection.I love Hope because she is strong and ballsy, surviving and coping with the horrors she had endured during her young life with pure grit and determination.  What she endures is graphic, abusive and sometimes hard to swallow because it is so gut wrenching and raw, but unfortunately, though fictionalized, this happens in real life. Travis does not sugar coat it, as he should not.Esperanza de Salvador - Hope for Salvation, is a real modern female role model.