I don’t always like when a story is told again from another characters point of view, but this time I was all in. I love seeing the events that happened from his point of view, and honestly the story felt as Fresh to me as the first time I read it.

This was a fabulous book. It was funny and had wonderful pacing. I would read this author again. I would recommend this book to others.

This story was so juicy! 's basically the same Cat and Bones story but from Bones's perspective of how he came to meet the 22 year old Catherine "Cat" Kathleen Crawfield, the vampire huntress.

Crispin Arthur Russell aka Bones was a sexy bounty hunter who turned the table on Cat when she tried to trick him on one of her hunts.

Bones offers to show Cat how she can maximize her strengths and compensate for the fact that she is only half-vampire. He also offers to let her assist him as he is going after a vampire ring selling young girls to other vampires for food/pleasure. As they train and fight together, Bones forces Cat to deal with her prejudices about Vampires, spurred along by her mother's vitrol against Cat's vampire father. Is there such a thing as a good vampire?

This book has it all. It was full of action, humor, romance and phenomenal writing. Night Huntress series is one of the best PNR/UF series I have ever read. I am amazed that at Cat's strength considering her age and lack of training. Bones is a riot and sexy to boot. Their chemistry was undeniable and they work well as a couple. I can't wait to read book 2.

The Other Half of the Grave
Night Huntress, Book 1.1

I Picked Up This Book Because: Continue the series/#Bookopoly

Media Type: Audiobook
Source: Owned/Audible
Dates Read: 4/12/23 - 4/15/23
Stars: 4.5
Narrator(s): Will M Watt

The Characters:

Bones:
Cat:


The Story:

We’ve always known Bones loves his Kitten however hearing his perspective as he falls for her has been quite the experience and it’s made me fall in love with this series all over again. I did read some of this online before it was published as a full-fledged book and I loved it then. Having Mr. Watt bring the words to life only emphasized my adoration for Ms. Frost’s writing, though I will admit I missed Tavia Gilbert.

The Random Thoughts:
3 likes

We finally get Bones’ perspective!!! I love Cat and Bones so much. It was amazing to get his thoughts on how they met!

I FINALLY read The Other Half of the Grave and I am kicking myself for waiting this long to read Bones’ POV! Halfway to the Grave was all in Cat’s POV and I was just so curious on what Bones’ was thinking – because let’s face it, Cat was very immature in Halfway and I couldn’t imagine a master vampire like Bones would put up with her.

The Other Half of the Grave did not disappoint. I love reading the book from Bones’ POV because now we know his thoughts and how he was reacting to Cat’s antics – as frustrating as Cat is! There are also new scenes here because this is Bones’ POV. It gave me another insight into what Bones was thinking.

If you are a fan of the Night Huntress series, then I highly recommend that you read Bones’ POV! If you can read this book alternatively with the OG books in the series, it would even be more immersing.

Star Rating : 4.5/5 Stars

POV : Dual

Cliffhanger : Yes

Hero : Bones

Heroine : Cat

Pace of the story : Moderate

Angst Rating : 5/10

Heat Rating : 6/10

Plot Summary :
Bones and Cat are back!! This is the first book of this series told totally from Bones POV.

We get to see what happened from his eyes and how the famous vampire fell for a hybrid whose sass and beauty brought him to his knees.

When a pretty little woman kills Bone’s target, he knows something is wrong. The way she kills, with complete practice, makes him think that she is the enemy sent to kill him as well. But nothing could have prepared him for the truth. The woman in front of him is an enigma. She is a hybrid. She seems human but has half vampire blood and has vowed to kill all scum, which according to her is all the vampires. Bones is determined to keep her for himself. She is his weapon. And eventually she will just be his.

Now it's up to him to convince her of the fact that not all vampires are trash and if given a chance, he could make her fall for him as well.

Overall Opinion :
The amount of nostalgia I had while reading this!!! It's been years since I read this series and to be back in it was amazing. Bones and cat are my favorite people ever because of their light humor and steam. Their story was amazing and to see it from Bone's eyes? That was legit gold.

The story is almost the same from Bone's eyes apart from a few extra scenes here and there. I liked seeing the way he fell for her and the ending again made me sad because I remembered how and why that happened. Now I totally want to read the whole series from his eyes 😂 we get to meet our beloved side characters again that came in the first book of the series. After reading this book I have such a strong urge to read the whole series again. It's been awhile since I did read it so I might just do that.

Definitely recommending this book to all the hardcore lovers of this series. If you loved this series as much as me then definitely do not miss this book by Bone's as it is the missing part which will push this series from amazing to an extraordinary category!

I have been provided with a review copy of The Other Half of the Grave from NetGalley for an impartial review. Oh my gosh this story was just epic. I just couldn’t put this story down and I was just captivated by everything that was taking place. The author truly outdid herself with this story. This story just had my emotions all over the place and I am so sad to see this book end. I just can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

Wonderful alternate POV of the store of Cat and Bones! Jeaniene Frost always excels at bringing together the supernatural elements of her story with the romance, and this is no exception. The chemistry balances wonderfully with the action, and so this is a page turner as expected!

Mon livre préféré du point de vue de mon personnage préféré : on fait difficilement mieux !!
My favourite book from my favourite character’s pov : it cannot be better !!

It has been quite a few years since I've read the first book in this series, so reading this while having forgot a lot of the plot was very enjoyable. I always loved Bones and remember wanting to know what was going on in his head. Apparently it was a LOT of lust and insta-love. It did however take me a while to get through it. The first 25% really dragged for some reason. Once they made their deal and started training and getting to know each other it picked up. The banter was as great as I remember. Tracking down Hennessey felt like it dragged on a bit. I laughed really hard when Bones had his battle with Switch in a town 15 minutes from my house. Freaking Cedar Lake...

I appreciated the technical updates while still keeping it true to the original story. What initially drew me to the series was his similarities to Spike from Buffy. He certainly as ruthless, but could still be gentle, and also a complete headstrong MAN at times creating more problems than needed.

I've heard that she's doing the next one as well from Bones' perspective and tracking her down should be interesting!

It's been a while since I read the original books in this series but I really enjoyed seeing the story from a different perspective.

I find it refreshing when an author returns to a story and gives the other main character a voice. It's unique from dual POV.

Even if you have never read the original featuring Cat you will be swept along on the journey. It's a retelling of the first in series.

Getting the other side of the story is often my fond wish when it comes to books that have a compelling couple and only one of them narrated. I was jazzed to discover that after their story was complete, Jeaniene Frost brought readers back to the beginning and told how it happened from her vampire hero’s perspective, but also from his background and his world.

The Other Side of the Grave is written so that newbies and veterans to the series alike can pick it up and enjoy it. Told parallel to Halfway to the Grave and a little of One Foot in the Grave, Bones’ tale fits in well to read before, after, or hey, during the reading of those books from Cat’s perspective.

Bones is an old master vampire and he’s tracking down a vampire who can give him the intel he needs to solve a big vampire-related problem. But, just as he tracks down the guy, a human woman vampire hunter cuts off his access to information. However, in a stunning twist, he learns from the woman that she is in fact a rare half-breed who has no idea about his world and only a hard on to kill all vampires in a sad quest to get her messed up mom’s love.
Ordinarily, Bones would make a quick end of a human killing his kind willy nilly, but he falls for the foul-mouthed brassy female from the beginning so decides to turn all that hate to his own advantage. He can’t infiltrate some of the vampires he needs to question without sending them scurrying or unwilling to cough up the information he needs to finish his mission, but this gorgeous human-seeming female could waltz right in and simply look like luscious food.
So, the training begins and this mismatched pair reluctantly and provokingly come together as a partnership on more than one level.

The Other Side of the Grave was a fun waltz down memory lane. It has been years since I read the Night Huntress series particularly the Cat and Bones books. I found reading this freshened my memories, but gave fuller details than I remember the first time through. Cat had to learn about the vampire world that was half her heritage over the course of the series while Bones was already an older master vampire. Cat had to learn what was going on that Bones was investigating while the reader gets to see the case from the perspective of Bone’s knowledge. And, it was absolutely the most exciting and fun thing to see their building relationship and romance through Bones’ eyes.

Confession time, I loved the Night Huntress series while sometime barely tolerating Cat herself. I admired her gutsy nature that held strong and got up when she was beaten down, but not the stupid, unnecessary choices or big mouth behavior and stubbornness at the wrong moments. Switching perspectives makes a difference. This one felt darker and broodier because Bones isn’t a young smart-mouthed hotshot, but I think it tempered the experience to just the right tone.

But, oh how sultry and sexy. This carried over in both books. Definitely the big money reason to have it from Bones’ perspective. The vampire got me all hot and bothered right alongside Cat. Please say there is more coming…

All in all, it was just what I was hoping for and makes me want to pick up and re-read large portions of the early books. Urban Fantasy fans really should tick the Night Huntress series off their lists and already fans should not miss this parallel book that reflects’ Bones’ perspective.

(sigh) It was so nice to visit Bones and Cat again. Its been 6 or 7 years since I first discovered this series so it has been awhile. This was like reading it for the first time all over again. I typically don't like to reread the same story from the POV of the hero but this one was refreshing..... an I mean come on..... its Bones!!! Enough said.

Jeaniene Frost's Halfway to the Grave was my very first step into paranormal romance, therefore her books have always held a special place in my heart. I was SO excited to finally get this book from Bones POV, especially as Jeaniene always said she wouldn't do it. But I'm so glad she did! This was fantastic, and as always I can't wait for more by her.

I really enjoyed this introduction into this world and I just couldn’t get enough of it. I just so thoroughly enjoyed meeting these new characters and getting to go on their journey. I will most definitely be reading more wonderful books from this author.

I have read the entire series multiple times. I have always wanted to read from Bones' point of view and this book does not disappoint at all!!

Love this series , it's one of my all time favorite ones to read , and I was so surprised to see that we finally get Bones point of view, and I enjoyed it 100%, it reminded me as to why I love the series , and their story.

In the introduction, the author says she didn't feel the need to write Bones' story until he started "speaking" to her. Well, I'm not sure she should have listened. Don't get me wrong, I love Cat and Bones and the whole Night Huntress series. I love the other books set in this world, too. I was pretty interested in hearing Bones' side of the story when I first found out about this book, but I am not sure that it was necessary.

Honestly, I would rather re-read Cat's side of this tale (which I have done more than once) than read another one from Bones' perspective. I didn't think that his side added anything new or exciting to what was in the original. The author's intro advertises that Bones had a lot to say and that what he revealed to her was surprising, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out what was so drastically different from what I already knew.

I enjoy Bones as a character, but I think I will give a hard pass to any of the other stories from his point of view. Cat said enough. If I want to read the stories again, I think I will just stick with her version.

Crystal's Thoughts

Finally, we return to the Night Huntress world! Not with a new book in the series, no, but the beginning of the series through Bones's eyes. Was this something readers had longed for? Heck, yes! Was this something that we ever expected to happen? Nope. But it did, and it delivered everything I didn't even know to hope for!

"Tonight, Bones hunted."

It's difficult to put down my thoughts on this book without gushing incoherently, but allow me to say that if you didn't already worship at the alter of Bones, you will after reading his side of Halfway to the Grave! And if you already lusted after Bones from the get-go, get ready, because you will fall even more in love with him, as impossible as that may seem! One of the things readers appreciate most about Bones is that he makes no apologies for the vampire he is. He is not human. He is a master vampire. He doesn't live by human standards and his oft-times difficult life has shaped him into the vampire he is today. In The Other Half of the Grave, we finally get an in-depth dive into Bones's past, his relationship with Ian, and all of those convoluted feelings he experienced when first meeting Cat.

"Yes, she was fantasizing about ripping both of her weapons through his heart while he was feelings things he'd probably only heard of before, but who said romance was perfect?"

One thing that took me by surprise in his side of the story, was the extent of Bones's feelings for Cat, and how soon those feelings emerged. I've heard some readers complain about what they thought was "insta-love" between Cat and Bones at the beginning of the series, but I didn't agree because Bones had to work for Cat's affection. Even then, it wasn't until we were three books into the series that Cat's love for Bones and her acceptance of his world really solidified. With Bones we see the total opposite. Meeting Cat was like a silver stake to the heart for him, instant.

"...he was now head-over-heels for a prissy, murdering half-breed who hated the sight of him and snored."

I respect that despite his quickly growing feelings for Cat, Bones never let them outwardly show because he knew that Cat needed time to grow and accept him for who he was, not what he was. Another aspect that we didn't see much of through Cat's eyes was the extent of Bones's jealousy. Yes, we know that vampires are possessive creatures. And yes, Tate, but that all comes a bit later. Cat often uses herself as bait to catch unruly vampires throughout the series' storyline, and Bones sat by while she did so. Readers never saw just how difficult that was for Bones, and just how much he hated it until now.

"He had to bury his emotions. They made him reckless, and he couldn't permit that. Until this was finished, he wouldn't allow himself to feel at all."

Before beginning The Other Half of the Grave, I did binge re-read the entire Night Huntress series. Including the Night Huntress World, novellas, and Night Prince series. ( Sorry Ian, I couldn't wait any longer to begin on Bones. ) I am so glad that I did because honestly, I didn't realize just how much I missed these characters until reading about them all over again. It was akin to coming home and no matter how many years had passed in-between visits, everything was still the same as I remembered. Don't worry if you think this is going to be a Halfway to the Grave verbatim though, because it's not. Bones has a lot going on that Cat was not aware of, and some other scenes vary because Bones saw them differently.

"If you run from me, I'll chase you. And I'll find you."

The one and only thing that I did not care for was the modernization of the book. Which the author explains at the start of the book, and I do understand the reasoning behind it, but I found it unnecessary and would have preferred if it was kept in the same time period technology-wise as Halfway to the Grave. Despite that small dislike, I can't wait for Bones's side of One Foot in the Grave. However, I really want his version of Destined for an Early Grave. The emotional turmoil that book put me through from Cat's side alone, gah! I can't imagine how much more intense it would be through Bones's eyes. I've said it before, and I will keep saying it. The Night Huntress series is a must read for every paranormal romance reader, and if you have yet to begin it then you are missing out. Jeaniene Frost's gifted writing, the unique world she has created here, and it's memorable characters that inhabit in it are incomparable.

"I love you too, Kitten. Today, tomorrow, forever."