I’m forced to choose between life and death in two hells that I can’t escape.Facing a prison sentence on a mysterious, unknown island with my infant daughter, I try to lay low and fly under the radar during my term, but Officer Matthew Kent has his sights locked in on me from the moment we have our first encounter. I find myself trapped in his private lair where my worst nightmare begins.… worst nightmare begins.
Handsome, obsessed, and haunted by his past, he’ll never let me go. Confined with my captor, love is no longer a choice because without him, I might not live long enough to make it out of here alive. My only instinct is to survive. There’s just one problem with our forbidden relationship: people are watching––and talking about it. Someone will die. Someone must die. But who will it be first?
Read this dark prison romance novel to find out who will make it out alive.
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4.5 Fantastic story !! Victoria Easton was convicted of theft for stealing food for her family cause her husband Henry was out of work. Henry was convicted also because he was with her. Victoria Easton & her infant daughter Lizzy were on a ship bound for a penal colony on Botony Bay that is to take 8 months to get there. They are down in the hulk of the ship with several convicts. Victoria tries to find her husband Henry aboard the ship. She can’t find him. She asks a Marine officer for help to find him, he can’t find him either. She has to deal with the death of her Henry on a ship full of strangers. This story was filled with plenty of intrigue, anger, darkness, love, sadness, and plenty of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. I highly recommend this book and I can’t wait til the next comes out. I received an arc of this book and this is my own personal opinion.
Victoria trying to save her family, is arrested for stealing food. After being jailed, with her husband and baby, they were then moved onto a ship heading for Brisbane. Henry and Victoria were separated at the docks. After trying to find him, she was told he died. Living in the hull of the ship with her baby is hard. No food, no beds, no blankets, and only the clothes on their backs. Lizzy is not thriving, and Victoria would do anything for her baby to survive and grow. She had a run in with a Marine at the docks, so she tried to avoid him, but it wasn’t meant to be. With her husband dead, she needed someone to protect her and help her save her baby. This book is a complete departure, from what Vivian normally writes, but I loved it! The ending was a surprise, but it was a peasant one!
I liked this story. It was a bit different from what I read earlier by Vivian Ward. You felt that it wasn’t a story of today, but you couldn’t tell from when it was.
A slow paced story, sometimes a little too slow. It felt genuine – real characters and emotions.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book
Victoria steals some food for her family because her husband is out of work and they have a baby. They get caught and even though its just Victoria that stole her husband is convicted also. They are on a ship being sent to an island designated for convicts. However they end up separated because men and women can’t be together. A guard on the ship takes a liking to her and at first she is against it because she wants to remain faithful to her husband. yet when she is told he is dead she loses hope and when the same guard starts taking extra care of her and her daughter she starts falling for him. Soon she ends up pregnant by him but before she can do more than tell him about the baby trouble breaks out during a storm and she loses Matthew. What does this mean life on the island will be fore Victoria and her children? Will they be able to survive?
This is a very emotional story that will draw you in and have you rooting for Victoria to find her place. This is a well written and very entertaining story. I would recommend this book to any book lover.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The good storyline and the well detailed characters kept me turning the pages until the very last page! I always enjoy reading what this author writes!
This book had me on the edge wanting to know what is gonna happen next. This dark and twisted read will have your emotions all over the place and will leave you breathless and not wanting it to end. Amazing read that will bring tears to yours eyes and break your heart. Can’t wait to read what she has next.
I have loved all of Vivian’s words prior to this but this book was unlike anything I’ve read before and was not what I was expecting at all, in a good way! I wasn’t expecting this story to go the direction it did, again, it just wasn’t my typical Vivian read. The unexpected twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat- where I stayed until I finished the book in one sitting. There are more than enough reviews that do a great job of giving details of the story, so I will let that alone but I will say for those who were confused, it seems that the author did a TON of research on how Australia was inhabited and based her story off that research. I might be wrong but that’s just my assumption. I was a tiny bit disappointed in the “dark” label on this book. It did have some darker points and it absolutely was dark compared to what I usually read of this author’s but I was expecting it to be much darker. All in all, I still absolutely loved how it unfolded and highly recommend it to other readers!
I was pulled into this book as soon as I started reading it. I had to keep reading just to see what happened.
A small price to pay – Not your regular, sweet little shipboard romance
—>>> Review Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars – This was not your regular, sweet little shipboard romance. Labeled as convicts and then jailed, Victoria “Vic” Easton was separated from her husband Henry when she was loaded onto a ship bound to Botany Bay. Forced to care for their infant under horrific conditions, Vic befriends a fellow female convict, who whispers of opportunities above deck. Unbeknownst to Vic, however, someone has already got his eye on her, and Officer Matthew Kent bides his time to get what he wants – the delectable woman he had noticed before boarding with the other Marines and guards. An uneasy but genuine care gradually develops between them, but Vic is still pining for her missing husband and feeling torn about her emotions, trying to survive the trials and tribulations coming their way.
Victoria’s story is a twisted yet interesting one. I will admit I was a bit confused at times while reading Convict Blood because as I read the book I thought it was taking place in the future. Other than my confusion the storyline was intriguing, the characters were interesting and the ending good.
Grim reality…The blurb & previous reviewers have outlined the story itself. Dark & brutal, survival of the fittest prisoners on their tortuous journey to a prison colony island. Underlying the ugliness there were some friendships formed, some tender moments from the most unlikely source & then with their numbers severely depleted they arrive in their rags to try & make the best of their prison sentences. Savage & raw with a few rays of hope. I received an arc & this is my honest & voluntary review.
3.5 stars **** odd sort of book. Penal colony in the making at Botany Bay. There was an intense buildup with the Marine guard on the ship and then not. It was well written but I found it longer than it is because I was becoming lost in it. The ending came on quick and it was over. Victoria has most of the POV dialogue and does a good job of it. Australian and historicals are not my first choice. If that is attractive for you, don’t discount this book, it was well done.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book
Victoria was in a tough spot and had to decide between life and death. Now she’s been convicted along with her husband, she’s on a boat headed toward her prison. Matthew is a marine whose job is to guard the convicts until they get to final destination but he notices Victoria, will he ignore the attraction or act on it? Will Victoria and other convicts survive?
I could not read this dark and twisted tale fast enough to find out what happens next and how it all ends. What a woman can do and endure for survival always amazes me how strong and capable the fairer sex can be. I do not want to write any spoiling moments, that being said, if you enjoy reading a great story, a story with a darker theme and a story that will draw you in and captivate you, this is your next read. Enjoy!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
3 1/2 Stars
Victoria was forced to fight for her survival and did whatever she could to protect her young daughter Lizzy.
Separated from her husband Henry as they boarded their prison ship heading for Botany Bay, Victoria was quite desperate.
This dark, painful account of her survival was bleak and emotional. While she did develop feelings for one of the marines in charge of the prisoners, there was very little romance in this storyline.
Moderately paced, I thought the author did a good job showing the desperation Victoria faced being a single mother, unprotected on a prison ship.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Dark, Twisted and so much more! This book had me glued to my kindle. I did not want to put it down at all. I had to know what was going to happen next. Who needs to sleep anyway. Captivated from the start. The characters pull you in and mess not only with your heart but your mind. Just when you think you know what will happen next you don’t. Can love win agaisnt all odds? Can you discover love for yourself and someone else when you are in a horrible dark place/ situation? This book will keep you on edge. There are some dark, taboo subjects touched on so be sure to read the blurb and info provided by the author. Having said that I loved this book. You will think about it long after you have finished. Fantastic book!
I thoroughly enjoyed this original, dark and twisted tale. I was enthralled from the beginning till the end. I highly recommend this 5 star must read!
Interesting story.
Boats filled with convicts travel months Cross the ocean to live on an island.
Marines who’s job to be their prison guard.
A love story so forbidden between a marine and a married convict.
A dark plot at first.
But then turn to survival and finding connection in the darkest place.
And end with unexpected ending.
A new author for me, Ms. Ward served me an interesting story
I really enjoyed this new addition by Vivian Ward. This story is fairly unique and one that I have not really come across before. Once I started reading I had a hard time putting it down. I was very engrossed in the story and what was going to happen next! Convict Blood is classified as a Dark Romance and has a lot of dark themes throughout the plot. There are also a lot of sweet and romantic moments that catch you by surprise, along with a major plot twist that I really didn’t see coming. This twist ended up redeeming itself in the end and the story ultimately ended up the way it was supposed to. All in all this was an excellent read.
I thought that this book was quite different. The story is dark, intense and suspenseful. I can’t say I loved it but there is no denying that this was a compelling read that will hold your attention.