Cat and Bones are back! This time the story is told through Bones' perspective. In this new book in the series, Frost starts over from the beginning offering insight into Bones' thoughts and motives as the story unfolds.
Opinion
Ever the fan of this series, I let out a squeal when I realized we'd get to read from Bones' point of view. Frost is a great story teller and this new book is perhaps even better than from Cat's perspective. With updates to the show the times (like cell phones and Uber), this story made me fall in love with this power couple all over again. Things I had forgotten were remembered and favorite scenes were replayed. Fans of this series will flock to buy this book and with good reason.
For those of you who are starting anew, you could read the very first book simultaneously with this one. or one right after the other. Personally, I would prefer to read them in the way they were written. I like knowing Cat's whole story before jumping into Bones' story. Either way, if you like paranormal/vampire stories, this will become a favorite.
Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book (given by the author through Netgalley)...

I love Cat and Bones so to finally see how they began through Bones’ eyes was just so sweet. It’s official Bones loved Cat from the moment they met and trust me their meet cute was not cute. It was actually harder to read the events in Bones’ POV because you could see how much he was hurting every time Cat pushed him away or feared him.

However, he did not give up and as we all know it does work out with them in the end. Besides seeing the book in his POV, I always wondered how he handled Cat’s disappearance in the end. Honestly, I expected to be sad, but geez my heart broke for him especially with Cat’s note.

Cat and Bones forever :)

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2022/04/24/the-other-half-of-the-grave-by-jeaniene-frost/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

The Cat & Bones books in the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/67946-night-huntress" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>Night Huntress</strong></em></a> series are all told in Cat's point of view.  In this way, we learned about vampires and other supernaturals much as Cat did, a bit at a time.  I loved the humor of the snarky dialogue which lightened the often violent battles.

In <strong>The Other Half of the Grave</strong>, we get Bones' point of view for the first book and a little of the second book.  It's a much different experience.  The feel is darker and I didn't find as much humor.  What was here was much more information about vampires, their abilities and rules.  Many of these things took 4-6 books from Cat's view to learn.  Now there's a much better picture of how Bones lived and worked.

There is little sense of Cat's college efforts and friends, her money struggles, and very little interaction with Justina. Of course, we don't get Cat's inner dialogue with herself as she learns and grows in knowledge and feelings for Bones.

There is also the staggering admiration, respect, attraction and love which Bones feels for Cat.  It's overwhelming how hard he works to support her, help her, protect her, and make her life better. He is so patient with her learning more about vampires and coming to accept they are like people, some good, some bad. Bones also tries to make her see how amazing she is and to stop listening to others who don't realize it.  He doesn't push her and lets her make her own choices.

The story is the same but a different perspective.  I like having the whole picture, but would not have enjoyed this as much without the original version in <strong>Halfway to the Grave</strong>. So you can read the original without this, but I wouldn't read this without the original.  It's a worthwhile addition to the world.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ms. Frost for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I have read all the Night Huntress books and, while on the whole I'm a bigger fan of Vlad's series (Layla 😍) I fondly remembered reading Cat and Bones' books. What a nice surprise to find that this book was from Bones' point of view; Bones, whom Cat tried repeatedly to kill; Bones, whom Cat jerked around for weeks/months/years; Bones, whom Cat behaved so inconsistently towards and yet who loved Cat unflinchingly nonetheless. It was a really interesting look at what Bones thought about the whole affair. Most especially I appreciated that Bones clearly recognized Cat for all her limitations and negatives as well as her strengths and positives, and loved her nonetheless. His patience with her was EPIC. His tolerance of her hypocrisy - she denied him to everyone she knew, yet acted like the most cliched possessive harpy of all time in front of Francesca - was unceasing. His goodwill towards her foibles and support of her was unfailing. Bones... is a really good guy.

Basically, my takeaway from this book was that Cat was REALLY REALLY REALLY lucky that Bones liked her so much. lol.
A real treat for any Night Huntress fan.

I loved this book! It is no secret that I am a huge fan of the Night Huntress series. I have read all of the books and I have read most of them more than once. I adore this group of characters but as much as I love Cat, my heart belongs to Bones. When I found out that there was a book coming out from Bones’s point of view, I was almost giddy with excitement. I am here to tell you that this book is just as good as I had hoped it would be.

The basic story is one that I was already familiar with. Cat is half-vampire and has made it her mission to kill as many vampires as she can. In her quest to rid the world of vampires, she runs into Bones and realizes that she has met her match. They eventually team up and things only get more exciting from there. In Halfway to the Grave, we see the same basic story from Cat’s point of view but it turns out that Bones has a lot to add.

I absolutely loved seeing things from Bones’s point of view. It is great to see just what he was thinking about during certain pivotal parts of the story. I think that I like Bones even more than I did now that I know exactly when he fell for Cat and how he was looking out for her even when she didn’t realize it. Cat is not a fan of vampires and her hate for all of them is a lot for Bones to overcome but he is up to the job.

I would highly recommend this book to others. This is part of the Night Huntress series and I would recommend reading at least the first book in that series before starting this one so you can experience Cat’s point of view first. I am very hopeful that we will see more books from Bones’s perspective or really any additional books set in this much-loved world.

I received a digital review copy of this book from NYLA via NetGalley.

I loved reading this book.. This is an author that I have enjoyed reading from the first book I picked up by her. This is one of my favorite yet. I never hesitate to pick up one of her books. This is a well written story about Cat and Bones and their relationship past and present as told through Bones's eyes. I enjoyed being pulled into the story from the start. The characters are relateable and supportive of each other. I loved seeing their growth as well as how their chemistry kept me entertained. This author's writing style and attention to details made the story pop and come to life. This is a fast paced story that is hard to put down. An engaging story that has great growth that made it easy to read. I highly recommend this book and this author.

Get ready to journey in a cocky snarky vampire brain …

It was a struggle to not read this book sooner but I had other reviews due before.
I have only read the first books, and many years ago, and only the French translation, as it was before I switched to read only English books, I know I have the others somewhere on my shelves but at a time, I came to read so many arcs I have few to no more room for all the books awaiting a moment from me.
As this story is the second voice from the first book, I was much curious to get Bones’ side of the story, and oh my!
What a read…
If I had more time, I would have read the two books in parallel, I did it for some parts, and it was so fun. Being in Bones’ head is even more entertaining than I expected, much more than Cat who was struggling with herself being who she is, two halves not ready to accept each piece of herself. While Bones is patient, he acknowledges immediately his feelings and let her grow accustomed with him, to trust him which is no easy task.

« she was fantasizing about ripping both of her weapons through his heart while he was feeling things he’d only heard of before, but who said romance was perfect? »

This book was just awesome, a must read to not miss after the first two books, navigating Bones’ thoughts is like a high speed ride, he protects but also covets and rescues. The other side of the coin is as cynical and haughty as Cat’s version with a tenderness for the wounded woman and a lot of anger turned toward those who hurt her.

« The rest would have to wait until she looked at him and saw a man instead of a monster…and looked at herself and saw a woman instead of a sin to atone for. »

I can only recommend to read this book after the first two in the series, it will offer a different perspective of the story as Bones past is of course a bit more explained but it is how he handled his feelings for Cat.
5 stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 onscreen lovemaking scenes

I have been granted an advance copy by the author, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

A wonderful and refreshing, yet nostalgic, look at Cat and Bones' relationship from his point-of-view. There were so many moments that made me sigh with longing as I fondly remembered reading those scenes (from Cat's point-of-view) the first time in Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress #1). Then there were the new additional scenes, including many, many fun thoughts and feelings, that Cat wasn't privy too.

It's been approximately 11 years since I first picked up this series and this book firmly cemented why Cat and Bones are still one of my all time favourite fictional couples. I would highly recommend this book and series (and author!) to anyone who loves paranormal romance or newbies who want to dip their toes into stories of supernatural lovin'.

The only thing I will point out (and it in no way affected my love for this story) is that there were a few modern references that felt out of place considering this is a different character's POV of book 1 which was released around 2007. For example: there was a Ted Lasso reference. Again, it didn't affect my enjoyment of the book but was something I picked up on because I had first read this series so many years ago.

I have a bit of an obsession with Cat & Bones and having read the series through Cat's eyes, I wasn't sure what it would be like via Bones' POV but I genuinely enjoyed The Other Half of the Grave even though I knew most of the storyline already. It's fresh and such a terrific way to revisit beloved characters.
This is the series I wish never ended so I love that the author of bringing it back with a fresh new take.

Holy awesomeness!! I absolutely loved reading the first book in Bones’ point of view. It was everything I could have possibly hoped for!

I thought I’d seen the last of Cat and Bones besides brief appearances in Vlad’s and Ian’s books, so it was a lovely surprise to find out that Frost wrote the entire first Night Huntress book from Bones’s POV. I loved him in the first book (and found Cat rather annoying). Frost did a great job developing Cat’s character throughout the series and showing a lot of growth, but Bones is the half of the couple who always had my heart. Seeing Cat through his eyes added a layer of understanding about the relationship that was missing when Cat was doing all the narration.
Bones is kind of the Gilbert Blythe of vampires—he never gives up on Cat no matter how mean she is to him or how she pushes him away. (Note to self: see if someone has written Anne of Green Gables from Gilbert’s POV). I wasn’t sure how this was going to end without killing me, given how Halfway to the Grave ended, but I was happy with how Frost handled it.
Reading this makes me want to reread my favorites from the series and get back to Vlad and Ian’s series. Night Huntress fans won’t be disappointed!

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Book Reviews by La Crimson Femme

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La Crimson Femme
Apr 13

Review: Other Half of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

★★★ ½ @Jeaniene_Frost #OtherHalfoftheGrave #NetGalley

Every story has two sides with there are two people involved. Full disclosure, I didn't read the blurb. I saw Ms. Frost publishing a new book and I wanted to read it. She is an auto-buy and auto-read author. After reading the book, I went back and read the blurb. The blurb is spot on. If you have never read a book in the Night Huntress series, this book can be read as a standalone. For those who have read the series, this story shows a different perspective of the same events.

When I first came upon Ms. Frost, I fell in love with her snarky dhampire, Cat. She was quite defensive and had some serious identity issues. Her self loathing was a bit much and sad. Her family situation was not ideal. Meeting a real vampire, Bones was a shock. Seeing this all again from Bones' perspective was fun. We are brought back to how Cat was like when she was young and living a dangerous life of hunting vampires.

There are a few things I find jarring in this story with references to current day offerings that didn't exist when Cat's story first came out. Specifically Uber Eats didn't exist then. Still, these oddities aside, watching Bones try to understand and protect Cat is hilarious. This poor man's patience is tried over and over again. On top of this, Bones tries to woo Cat who is a bit oblivious of it. Seeing from Bones' perspective painfully shows how young, idealistic, and inexperienced Cat is in comparison to Bones. Since I know how Cat has grown after all these books, looking back is so much fun. Her potential is so great. Bones sees it too.

The ending to this book is fantastic. This trip down memory lane from a different view is recommended to everyone who loved the original series.

I absolutely love Bones and Cat!! They are one of my all time favorite couples ever. I have reread their books so many times I have lost count. When it comes to this couple and this paranormal world I will never get enough. Reading The Other Half of the Grave was like coming home. I enjoyed every single word of this book. I loved getting to see things from Bones perspective. It made me fall more in love with him and I didn't think that was possible. Seeing Cat through Bones eyes added depth to her and that is saying something since I know I have reread the series at least 7 times. I didn't put this book down and read it straight through now I wish I could have more. As soon as the book ended I thought "I wonder what Bones' perspective is in other books like the Annette- Cat fight, chapter 32(if you know you know!) and the kidnap and torture of Cat from Max, and the whole Gregor thing. I've seen post from Jeaniene Frost saying she will be writing more Vlad books, and I can't wait to read them. Vlad is another one of my all time favorites, but I really REALLY hope Mrs Frost writes more books from Bones pov. I would read anything with Bones and Cat in it. Getting to live in their world again made me so happy. Now that I am finished with this book it has me craving more so I think I will have to reread One Foot in the Grave to pick up were this book leaves off. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves Bones and Cat and all who love Paranormal Romance, and I hope and pray there will be more Bones pov books in the future.

The Night Huntress series is one of my all time favorite series in the PNR/UF genre. I’ve read the first 4 books at least three times and when I saw Frost was writing from Bones’ POV I knew I had to read it.

The Other Half of the Grave was so good! Yes it’s the “same story” as Halfway to the Grave but it’s different because you get to feel what Bones was feeling and hear what he was thinking. After all every story has two sides.

In Halfway to the Grave we see the story unfold through Cat’s eyes. She young (22) and naive in many ways. She’s only had one other lover and that was a horrible one night thing with a guy who she thought cared for her. Sure she knows about vampires since she’s half but her mum has poisoned her against them and in turn made her hate herself because of her half vampire nature. So it’s natural that she would be unsure of her feelings for Bones and think there was no way he would care for her. But Bones in Cat’s eyes came off as this cocky, sexy Brit, full of himself and must have had tons of lovers.

In The Other Half of the Grave we get to see that Bones is just as insecure about Cat’s feelings about him as she was in her version of their story. Bones is 200+ years old, he should be cocky and self aware, right? Like Cat he’s never been in love and never thought he would be. But here comes along Cat, a woman much too young for him (LOL) and she grabs him by Lucifer’s Bouncing Balls from the first night they meet, with her trying to kill him.

If you’re a fan of the Night Huntress series then you know that Bones is mad in love with Cat and she him. So it was fun, sweet, and heartbreaking to experience the being of their love story through his eyes. We also get to see somethings through scenes when Cat is not around. While we wondered what he was doing in Halfway to the Grave, we now know and how he was feeling during some of the scenes with Cat. We could see they were falling in love with each other but we (like Cat) didn’t know he was in love with her from the every being.

The Other Half of the Grave is a MUST read for fans and if you have never started the series it’s a great way to jump into the world. I plan on rereading it in tandem with Halfway to the Grave in the very near future.

The Other Half of the Grave was my first book by Jeaniene Frost, so I was reading this story for the first time. I definitely think I will go back and read the original, but I definitely enjoyed seeing the story from Bones POV. It was a fun read and I definitely need to read the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

As a long time fan of the night huntress novels I was so excited for this arc! I've been reading Cat and Bones story for most of my adult life and I am in love with this version. I didn't reread the original from Cat's pov so it would feel like a new story and it honestly did. Even knowing parts about the story didn't ruin the excitement of watching it unfold. Getting a peak at Bones inner thoughts was entertaining and endearing. Ive always had a huge soft spot for him but watching him fall in love was amazing. I truly hope we get more books from Bones in the future.

I requested this ARC because I had previously enjoyed the author's work, but I will admit, I didn't read the description first. After reading about a quarter of the book, I couldn't shake the feeling I had read it before... and then it hit me! This is Halfway to the Grave from Bone's POV!! Then I got excited, and I couldn't put it down! What a gift to fans of the Night Huntress series! I quickly devoured the book and will look forward to future editions from Bone's POV. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC copy for this review.

I love this series and I was excited to read the story from Bones perspective. It was as great as when I read the original. I will always read and recommend this author’s books.

When Twilight came out with a similar concept using Edward"s POV I balked. This time, as I actually love Cat and Bones I was willing to give it a chance. It was worth it. Loved seeing the first time they met thru his eyes. I had missed his sarcasm and wit and swagger, too. If you love this universe, worth reading.

I forgot how much I loved and missed this series! It was like reading it for the first time. I wouldnt mind the whole series being written from Bone's POV. If this is the first book you've read in the series please read the rest of them. If you're a fan of the series like I am, you will love this one! I'm definitely going back and rereading the rest of the series!