Holy smokes! Finally, the eagerly anticipated fifth book of the Cat and Bones series. As usual, Cat and Bones can't catch a break before sh*t starts hitting the fan again. This time, two masterless vampires approach them, telling them that a couple of their friends have gone missing. Also, ghoul activity as increased in Cat's hometown. A zealot is riling up the ghoul community with lies and innuendos regarding Cat. There's a price on her head and the ghouls are trying to take her out. Bones and Cat must seek the aid of a friend (or foe?) from their past to help them in stopping an all out war amongst vampires and ghouls.In this latest installment of the series, we finally see a more mature and rational thinking Cat. I know some folks who've read the series don't like Cat's character because of her lack of maturity and her tendency to go off half-cocked. As the series has progressed, we've seen Cat slowly change. Throughout this book we see a more mature Cat especially with her relationship with Bones. Cat has finally opened herself up to Bones, fully and completely; heart and soul. I loved Bones and Cat's relationship throughout this book. They are two people who love each other completely. Cat loves Bones as fiercely as she fights. We also see a vulnerable side of Cat. Cat also for the first time feels powerless to help someone she loves. I loved seeing Cat's struggle with dealing with mortality. She is a killer; she's nicknamed the Reaper for a reason. But when death strikes close to home, Cat's vulnerability and struggle to come to terms with it demonstrates how far she has come.Bones and Cat are the sexiest couple of PNR (in my opinion). Whether they are bantering, arguing, or fighting, there is always a sexual undercurrent. We all remember the infamous Chapter 32 from One Foot In the Grave. In This Side of the Grave, we have Chapter 21. The smex is still hot and steamy between those two. There is an incident that happens to Cat that reminds me of Dreamfever, when Mac was Pri-ya and Barrons had to "bring her back". Unfortunately, we are not privy to how Bones brings Cat back. I'm sure that would have been some hot stuff that would have put Chapter 32 to shame!As usual, the side characters (Spade, Mencheres and Vlad) make an appearance and are awesome! I love Vlad. He had some great lines throughout the book. I love his sardonic humor. His friendship with Cat continues to develop exponentially. He has proven to be a great ally and friend to both Cat and Bones. Thank goodness he is getting his own book; not 1 but 2 of them! Also Cat recruits her old un-dead wrecking crew to assist her with the ghoul situation. I still don't like Tate and I don't think I ever will. It's great the see they still have her back and when she needs them, they don't hesitate to act.This Side of the Grade is a great addition to the series. Though the majority of the plot was about finding the zealot and stopping a ghoul/vampire war, I felt the book shines the most when it focused on Cat and Bones's relationship and their interactions with the people around them. Although the ghoul plot dragged and held very little interest to me, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love watching characters develop and grow. We definitely see a new side of Cat that has been in the making since book 1.Once again Frost delivers a story with great dialog, characters and smex! LOL! The story continues to entertain and amaze me. I absolutely love this series and can't wait for book 6, which will be released Fall 2011.
