The Emerald Lily by Juliette Cross was a bittersweet ending to The Vampire Blood Series. The Fourth and final book focuses on Princess Vilhelmina and the vampire warrior that wakes her form her slumber, Mikhail Romanov.

"Captain of the Bloodguard, slayer of rogues, leader of mercenaries, hardened, battle-ready warrior was afraid…of love.”

Mikhail's desire is to extract vengeance on his enemies, and protect the princess. Bring peace back to the land. But as time goes on, he develops feelings for the princess.

What a fast paced, thrilling romance. From start to finish, I was so invested in this story I couldn't put it down.

This is the fourth book in The Vampire Blood series and this one is by far my personal favorite in the series so far! Every one of these amazing books can be read as standalones with no problem at all, but I do recommend reading them all because they're just that good!

This one is Mina and Mikhail's story and I literally couldn't get enough of these two together! I am a huge fan of the forbidden lovers stories where the two start off with everything against them, including themselves, and still find a way and this is one of the best I've read in quite a while.

I highly recommend not only this story, but this entire series to anyone to read.

SPECTACULAR BOOK, FABULOUS SERIES, ALL THE STARS!!!

I have nothing but mad love for this series!

Ms. Juliette Cross is my go-to when I’m in the mood for a dark, twisted fairytale with hot-as-hell vampires and intense action with nail-biting suspense. This journey was epic, and The Emerald Lily pulled out all the stops. The fact that it’s the last in the series makes me so sad, but I’m eagerly anticipating anything else this author will write next.

The Emerald Lily is a play on Sleeping Beauty, and I was instantly transported into passion and adventure and lust.

Mina’s been patient, biding her time until she can take her throne. Being captured and put into a bloodless sleep to be used by an evil Vampire Queen is not the wake-up call Mina had in mind. But she’s not willing to wait around and see what happens. Waking up in the arms of the ever-serious Mikhail and sharing a Blood Kiss is only the first step. Although…good God, was that one heckuva step…

Mina’s discovering herself—her own strengths, her own future—while accepting and reveling in her appeal and appetites and desires all at the same time. The pace is ridiculously fast as she races to discover a prophesy and defeat the enemy. Her attraction to Mikhail, however, is only compounded by the tight quarters and nonstop action.

These two lit up the pages.

Mikhail’s storyline here is swoontastic. He’s got it bad for Mina, but there’s this secret he’s hiding…Oh, my gosh! I seriously clapped my hands multiple times while reading, giddy with anticipation, as everything was revealed. Gah, so good!

But this was also tough to read in some parts, too. This one hit me hard and pulled my emotions right out of me. Then there were the many twists. Every time I thought I had it all figured out…yeah, I so didn’t. I loved that I was completely surprised.

Honestly, I don’t know why you wouldn’t read this series. This whole series doesn’t pull its punches. You’ll laugh and cry, want to take up the battle, all the while you’ll get the happy feels. What a wonderful, engaging series.

And as a last thought (and maybe plea…) I’m desperately crossing my fingers for a spinoff involving some of these secondary characters…

5+ stars!

A continuation to the Lilly series.
Good characters, plot,story,drama,action,angst and romance.
Like seeing some of the other character which helps with the story.
Enjoyed reading.

I'm overly invested into this series. Since vampires aren't really my thing I attribute my love of this series to above excellent writing and the creation of male characters I'm obsessed with who just happen to be vampires. No spoilers here except to say that Mina knows her heart and Mikhail knows his purpose which makes for great sexual chemistry. Things come to a head in this book but I'm crossing fingers and toes that there is another story in there somewhere. She had me at dragons and now vampires I can't wait to see what's next.

Whooeee!!! This was an amazing ending to Juliette Cross’ Vampire Blood series!!!
Princess Vilhelmina Dragomir is lost in a bloodless sleep. During her time spent locked away in tortured slumber, war rages across the land. And then the most amazing thing happens. A kiss. More specifically, a blood kiss.
Mikhail Romanov has vowed his life and service to his brothers. At the root of his vow is the burning need to exact vengeance. The next step in doing that is to rescue the princess. But at what cost?
Oh my gawd, I loved this couple!! Mina was always the dutiful perfect little princess, preparing to stand beside the man who would one day be king. When Mikhail awakens her body, her soul also begins to stir and she realizes that there is more to her than what she has been taught. Bit by bit she grows stronger as she reaches for what she wants with Mikhail as well as what her and her country require to be free from evil. Her growth was one of the highlights of this story and I literally cheered when she embraced everything that she was.
Mikhail is drawn to Mina. He felt it the moment he first laid eyes on her. He tasted it when he awoke her with his kiss. Unfortunately, a wife and family are not permitted in his life and he struggles to keep his distance from her. But this is Juliette Cross so that effort isn’t going to hold out for long. I loved how protective he was over her even while he battled with his own feelings. And the comradery he had with his brothers in arms was entertaining as well as gut wrenching at times.
This book is so full of twists and turns, excitement and action, and romance. It’s a fast paced, well written read that never gets bogged down or overwhelmed with unnecessary details or introspection. The action was realistic causing my heart to race and my breath to catch. (I’m not even going to talk about what happened to my fingernails!)
A friend recommended the Black Lily when it was released and I timidly tried it. It’s safe to say I loved it and each book afterward. It’s a sad day that this series is ending but I can’t wait to see what this author is going to offer us next.
This is an honest review of an advanced copy provided by NetGalley and Entangled Publishing.

We never outgrow fairytales, we just want them to mature with us. Juliette Cross has taken one more magical tale and added her own “grown-up”fantasy twist with THE EMERALD LILY; Sleeping Beauty with more heart, more turmoil and true, heart-pounding romance.

She was cursed to sleep until a blood kiss would awaken her. Princess Vilhelmina Dragomir awoke to discover a world where she was caught in a war for power and control. She also found her heart stolen by the handsome warrior whose kiss awakened her. Mikhail Romanov, Captain of the Bloodguard, a man who has made a secret vow to avenge his family, allowing no one near the heart he has locked away cannot afford to fall for the beautiful princess, and yet...how can he not? Mina will transform from a lost princess into a woman of power and confidence. Does the captain even stand a chance?

Juliette Cross has brought this magical series to a close with another powerful tale of love, power and the battle of good versus evil. As two souls unlock the power of love, trust and unite all of the series characters in a thrilling crescendo that will unveil all secrets kept!

Ms. Cross understands romance, the power of fantasy and how to open each page to her readers, inviting them to walk right in, shutting out reality completely. You will feel pain and loss, your pulse will race, you will feel the swell of excitement and anticipation, and the romance? You will swoon at the heat and passion that these two characters simply cannot avoid. Yes, it’s THAT good! (Good enough to lock the doors and settle in from the beginning of the series and relive each page all over again.)

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Entangled Publishing, LLC-Amara. This is my voluntary review.

Series: Vampire Blood - Book 4
Publisher: Entangled: Amara (January 29, 2018)
Publication Date: January 29, 2018
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Page Count: 200 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

I didn’t find this easy to get into and I think that’s because it’s not a stand alone. The author seems to have done a good job of creating a world but I found it was a bit of everything and not one genre. However everything about it is intriguing and I think if only I had sad from book one first off I probably would have been a fan. I simply didn’t realise it was the last book in a series

Interesting characters and the writing has a depth to it.

4.5*

This series has taken old traditional fairy tales and given then a paranormal twist. First we had Cinderella (The Black Lily) then Red Riding Hood (The Red Lily) Snow White (The White Lily) and now the forth and final book Sleeping Beauty (The Emerald Lily).

This has been an entertaining series and for me this has been the best book.

Mina (Princess Vilhelmina Dragomir) has been living the bloodless sleep for months. She’s awakened from her forced slumber by a kiss from her Dark Prince, a prince that sets her heart alight.

While Mina has been held a prisoner Queen Morgrid and King Dominik have been busy building their evil army and it’s hard to see how they can be defeated.

Mina and her Dark Prince (Mikhail Romanov, Captain of the Bloodguard) are battling not only the tyranny of Morgrid and Dominik but a fierce attraction to each other as well.

Like I said this was the best book of the four, we not only get Mina and Mikhail (both of whom I really liked) but all the main characters from the previous books.

I voluntarily read a review copy kindly provided by NetGalley and Entangled Publishing LLC

This series has just thundered along growing ever more exciting with each and every instalment. The idea of mixing Vampires with characters inspired by fairytales took me by surprise but if action, adventure, humour and passionate stories call to your readers heart then this jaw dropping series should definitely be on your shopping list.
I'm a little sad that it all comes to an end but wow what a way to pull everything together. With its slight whiff of Sleeping Beauty we finally get to know and understand much more about Princess Vilhelmina. Previously betrothed to the wicked Queens son Marius although Mina know that Marius didn't love her but her actions came with brutal consequences. Kept starving in an unnatural sleep Mina has no way of saving herself but the Bloodguard are set to bring justice and honour back to the land and it all begins with rescuing Mina. Awakened by Mikhail , Mina sees something she wants and the elusive Captain is so busy being honourable and steadfast that he completely fails to notice Mina's charms are set to capture him and him alone. Still Mina has a mission, a duty long overdue and Mikhail will stop at nothing to see it completed. Yet they ignore the Queen and her son Dominik at their peril!
I loved seeing everyone come together and everything got tied up in fabulous style. After the links to Cinderella (Black Lily ), Red Riding Hood (Red Lily ), Snow White ( White Lily), adding Sleeping Beauty to the mix in the shape of Mina from the very first book felt like a wonderful way to continue and indeed conclude the story. This book just gathered pace until at the end the tension was almost unbearable but don't worry Mina and her secretive Mikhail are fabulous characters who never failed to entertain.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

The Emerald Lily by Juliette Cross is the 4th book in her wonderful Vampire Blood series. I am a big fan of Juliette Cross, and having loved the first three books in this series, I could not wait to read The Emerald Lily. As I have come to expect with Cross, this book turned out to be equally fantastic. What an awesome author, who if you are not reading, you should be. Now to my review.

In each book of this series, the lead female character is based loosely on a fairy tale theme. The previous books were Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Snow White and now Sleeping Beauty. We met Princess Vilhelmina Dragomir (Mina), our heroine in the first book, but now she is in her homeland, forced (by the villains in this series, King Dominik and Queen Morgrid) into a bloodless sleep. Mikhail, our hero, who is the Captain of the Bloodguard, comes to rescue Mina, and awakens her from her deep sleep. He immediately feels the strong attraction, and forces himself to not act on his feelings. When Mina awakens, Mikhail and his Bloodguard swear allegiance to Mina, who is the rightful Queen of Arkadia.

Mina is a strong heroine, who is determined to become Queen, and then offer her army to help The Black Lily defeat the evil Queen and King. Mina has also felt the strong attraction Mikhail, and though he tries to stop them going too far, their chemistry burns through the pages. There are some secrets and twists that answer our questions later on. One thing we learned early on is that when Mina was born, a good witch bestowed her with something that would stop the evil Queen Morgrid, who had cursed her at birth. Will Mina learn what and how to use this legend?

Just when we think all is well, a surprise attack will destroy some of those supporting the revolution, including the kidnapping of a young girl. Mina will fall into a trap that will put her in terrible danger, and force the teams (The Black Lily, Arkadia & Bloodguard armies), to move fast to rescue Mina and the child and find a way to save the world as they know it. To say too much more would be spoilers, and you really need to read this book.
What follows is a very exciting intense adventure that will have Mina, Mikhail, his men, the previous books heroes, attempt a rescue that will put their lives in danger. As we raced to the pulse pounding climax, I loved seeing all those we met in the first three books to join the battle. I loved Mikhail and Mina, as they were an awesome couple.

The Emerald Lily was a heart stopping, pulse pounding slam bang of a last half of the book, that kept you glued to your seat. Every book in the Vampire Blood series was emotional, heart wrenching, intense, exciting, suspenseful, action-packed thriller ; with a sexy & amazing couple. I must say I absolutely loved the epilogue, especially since this book ends the series. 

As I have said before, if you have not read Juliette Cross, you are seriously missing a fantastic author, who never fails to wow us each and every time. I do not know what Juliette has upcoming, but I will be there, as I will never miss any of her books.

5 - "Beautiful things can often be the most deadly... Stars!

The fourth book in Juliette Cross’ hugely enjoyable Vampire Blood series brings us to the climax of the battle between good and evil.

IMAGE.

I have a huge fondness for this series, it started my love affair with the words and books of this author, you need to have read the previous books in the series to get the full impact of what happens in The Emerald Lily but if like me you are an ardent fan of the series you will know exactly who is who and what has gone down in the previous instalments.

"Perhaps I was born to be a warrior, not a princess…"

Princess Vilhelmina came to the fore in book one as the potential wife of Vampire Prince Marius, we all know how that worked out, but her circumstances after that have been somewhat left in the background, the author brings her front and centre in this one, and pairs her up with the delicious Captain of the Bloodguard; Mikhail Romanov, it’s safe to say there is more than meets the eye with both of these characters.

A man of duty and honor simply didn’t topple his moral code to seduce royal virgins… It seemed she had her work cut out for her. Time to put the sweet princess to sleep for good and let the passionate woman take the lead.

So much happens in this book, and absolutely everyone is involved in things playing out. I don’t want to go too much into the story because the threat of inadvertently posting a spoiler in error is huge. Just know that if you have read the previous books you are going to get an edge of your seat ending, lots of unexpected surprises and plenty of tension, chemistry and sexy times to keep things moving along until the climactic finish.

"Why are you holding me...?"

"Because you need holding. And I need to be the one to do it."

2017 was the year of the Cross for me, Juliette Cross that is, and I cannot wait to see what she has in store for her readers in 2018.

This is the final installment to the Vampire Blood series and oh my! The author delivers a rolicking adventure full of vampires and wolves and mad evil royals and courageous peasants. Each book has gotten better as the series progresses. This one gives us Sleeping Beauty in all her innocent splendor. What the world doesn't know is that Mina is tired of holding back. Tired of being the good girl and being told what to do. Along with her Vampire Captain of the Bloodguard, Mikhail, she awakens the beast who will save them all.

Fantastic world building throughout the series. Wonderful mix of fairytale meets paranormal meets historical romance. Perfect level of steam and relationship bulding. Loved! I also picked up a little nod to the famous deposed Russian royals--the Romanov dynasty. Superb writing. I am now a HUGE fan of this author. Can't wait to see what she brings us next!

The Emerald Lily is going down as one of my first favourites to come out of 2018. It’s always slightly bittersweet reaching the end of a series you’ve loved, especially when the author has done such a wonderful job of transporting you into the very heart of their characters world. But when you’re treated to a finale where you know the proverbial will seriously hit the fan and which brings everything and everyone together, plus has an epilogue that simply is the jewel in the crown, you can’t complain.

“I believe it’s time to go to hell, gentlemen.”

As has been the theme throughout, the fourth and final book in the Vampire Blood series holds a fairytale feel and belongs to Princess Vilhelmina and the man/vampire set to wake her from her forced slumber, Mikhail Romanov.

“Captain of the Bloodguard, slayer of rogues, leader of mercenaries, hardened, battle-ready warrior was afraid…of love.”

With his priority being Mina’s safety, Mikhail has to remain focussed and on guard. But, with their attraction to one another sparked from that first kiss, it’s one battle he’s set to lose and together he and Mina create that enticing, yummy, push/pull dynamic that promises to deliver on feeling and passion.

“It’s like I’m being pulled straight to hell…and for you? I would gladly burn for all eternity.”

Without divulging anymore as this is a read to experience for yourself, what I can safely say is Juliette Cross has created a paranormal world filled with characters to fall in love with and others to despise, along with build-up, unexpected twists, heat, passion and vivid, visual battle scenes which will leave you holding your breath, yelling and cheering, all whilst clawing at the pages to discover what will happen next. If you’re looking for a series to sink your teeth into, then I can’t recommend this highly enough.

“…you woke me up. In so many ways.”

Another good book in the series. I’m glad this book had move depth than the last one. I can’t wait to see where this series goes from here.

Loved the ending to the series! I don't think you could have had a better book for the conclusion. Juliette does such a great job of blending the fairy tales with the paranormal. This was a great take on Sleeping Beauty with an amazing heroine, Princess Vilhelmina Dragomir, as the lead. But don't forget her knight, or in this case vampire in shining armor, Mikhail Romanov.

I received a copy of The Emerald Lily by Juliette Cross from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued by the summary and found this novel to be decent. It took a while for me to get into the book due to the pacing; and I found the plot to be a little predictable, but it was never a chore to continue reading (simply some timing for action/dialogue to smooth out, perhaps). The lead characters made me want to throw my hands up at times, but The Emerald Lily was a fun read - and a quick read.

This was my first book by Juliette Cross but it most definitely won’t be the last.
I loved the Prologue that set the scene of the prophecy to come. From the first chapter where the Bloodguard & more especially Mikhail come to take Princess Mina from her bloodless sleep their relationship builds & builds. As we go through more of their history is revealed helping to understand why they are so right for each other.
Mikhail is everything you could want from the lead character who develops from a strong warrior into a man with depth. Mina on the other hand seems to be weak at first but builds beautifully into her gifts, getting stronger until the magnificent climax.
I hadn’t read the previous books in this series which is ok as the book is a good standalone however, I now have to go back to the others to get their full stories.
I was lucky enough to get an ARC for this book & am so glad to have discovered Juliette who will now be added to my top authors list.

I wanted to like this book so much, but I just couldn't get into it. I felt like the story couldn't make up its mind. Was it a fantasy, or a paranormal, or a romance? I still don't know. The beginning was exciting, full of action and adventure, but it quickly fizzled out. The romance aspect was ok, and the vampire lore was ok. I think if the writer stuck to one genre it would have worked better for me, but I'm going to give this one three stars.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

The Emerald Lily is the stunning conclusion to the Vampire Blood series. Filled with intensity, mysticism and magic, it will catapult you into a world where love, honor and nobility will conquer evil through sacrifice and bloody battle.
I have loved this series from the start but with each subsequent book, the stories get better and better, and the intensity ratchets higher and higher. And with each new book, I fell more and more head over heels in love with the heroes and heroines of the stories. If I were asked to choose just one, I'd be hard pressed to do so. It's a good thing I don't have to.
There are many surprises in The Emerald Lily. I think Ms Cross intentionally saved the best for last. There are questions about Mikhail's heritage (which I guessed early on - yay me!) and Mina's birthright. The prologue to the story moved me so much I was in tears through most of it. I loved the drama wrapped up in the retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. I loved the way Ms Cross opens with Mikhail storming Briar Rose to rescue Mina and in doing so skillfully weaves key elements of the fairy tale we will instantly recognise into the narrative. And Mina's surprise. Wow! Even when I thought I knew what to expect, I was taken aback by the way it turned out. Kudos, Ms Cross. I didn't see it coming in that EXACT way and what a climax that was!
I have loved Mikhail from the moment I met him in The White Lily. He was so serious and so focused on his endgame, and nothing would steer him from his path. I guess he wasn't expecting Mina because she threw him for a loop. All his carefully laid plans, all his discipline and self-control swept away by her innocence and honesty. I loved seeing the transformation in Mikhail, from the time he meets Mina and battles against his desires to the moment he gives in and realises he can't fight his feelings for her. I loved his honor, his integrity, and his protectiveness.
It's almost impossible to not love Mina. She embodies a sweetness and innocence that is refreshing especially in contrast to the evil queen. But Mina also has a resilience to her that is yet untapped and as she undergoes a transformation from trapped princess to rightful queen, her strength and honesty goes a long way to endearing her to the hearts of the people around her. I loved seeing Mina come into her own and take control of her life with the help and support of the right people, especially Mikhail. Of course, when Mina fully came into her birthright, it was a magnificent sight to behold.
I'm sad this is the last book in the series but I've also enjoyed it tremendously for many reasons. The stories have depth, heart and emotion. It deals with an important issue - the subjugation of the weak by the strong, and the righting of wrongs against basic human rights and dignity. It also doesn't hurt that Ms Cross' vampires are sexy as all get out. I hope there will be the opportunity for stories for some of the secondary characters like Grant, Riker, Dane and Dimitri down the track. I'd love to see them get their happy ending too.
Bravo on an amazing conclusion to an amazing series, Ms Cross. These books have been some of my favorite reads for the year.