Outtakes From The Grave (Night Huntress) (Volume 8)

The Night Huntress series from Jeaniene Frost was one of two paranormal romance series that helped reboot my fiction reading after many years of being away from it, so this series will always have a place in my heart. Having read many of the deleted scenes from the old Frost fans website, I wondered how much additional content would be in this selection of outtakes. (Seriously, I'd take more of these characters any day of the week.)

It was great to spend some time again with Cat and Bones and I really truly enjoyed this book. I ended up going cover to cover in one day with it, because it was a very pleasant reading experience and I just couldn't put it down.

Each outtake starts out with a few pages from Jeaniene Frost where she sets up the scene and explains why it was cut from the published version. These pages were golden in my humble opinion. Ms. Frost gives the reader an insider's view of the writing process with these outtakes, and that is the gift of this book.

The outtake scenes are sometimes funny and also show a version of Cat that is slightly different from the published version. Fans of the series will be able to tell just how Cat changed from her early versions and that was a lot of fun too. And where would Cat be without Bones? Yes, he's in many of these outtakes, in all his alpha Cat-loving glory and I'll bet you get the urge to reread this series when you read these outtakes.

Overall, this is a very nice engaging and enjoyable read and I highly recommend it for fans of the series. Not only do you get more lovely Cat and Bones, you get a great view into the writing process. Thanks Jeaniene Frost, for this gift to your fans. Rated 5 stars for the enjoyment factor.

And if you haven't read this series, start at the beginning and finish with this one, you won't be sorry. It's a must-read if you like paranormal romance.

Nothing beats discovering an anthology, novella or deleted scene from one of your top Urban Fantasy series unless it’s finding all three-in-one AND doing so two years after you thought that you’d been forever limited to cameo appearances in spin-off worlds. It’s important to note that some of the chapters in OUTTAKES FROM THE GRAVE break the rules of the NIGHT HUNTRESS universe while as others might spoil a picture perfect ending, but if you’re a hardcore Cat & Bones fan this is a MUST!

This anthology has everything from original / alternate beginnings, middles, and endings of the seven published books as well as things that you’ve always wondered about such as what was in the note that Crawfield wrote to Crispin when she left him, and how their human wedding that never was would have unfolded. There’s also tons of little extras that were edited out due to pacing concerns such as sex scenes, and Jeaniene Frost’s authors’ notes precede each one which was a treat in and of itself.

Practically every character shows up at some point or another, although the focus was on Cat & Bones, so Ian worshipers don’t get your hopes up too much… This collection provided fab insights into the inner workings of the world, and of Frost’s publishing journey. It’s amazing how much goes on in the background, and how much gets edited out of the finished product. Other than a couple of excerpts to add context, this compilation was largely never-before-seen, and thus a great value for the price.

I listened to the NIGHT HUNTRESS WORLD novels, and some of the NIGHT PRINCE titles as well, but read this series in its entirety, so getting to revisit it via Tavia Gilbert’s narration was another huge plus. She’s such a savvy performer; her voices remain of the highest quality, and the level of emotion that she brought to each chapter had me constantly choking up. I wasn’t planning on restarting my Cat & Bones experience anytime soon, but after this audiobook, how could I not!?

OUTTAKES FROM THE GRAVE will make you fall in love with NIGHT HUNTRESS all over again!

I love the Night Huntress series and have followed Jeaniene's blog for years which has covered some of the content in this anthology (which is all material that didn't make the final cut for whatever reason ... well all together now ... PACING hee hee hee.... OK that will make a LOT more sense if you read this book). Alternative opening chapters, deleted scenes, and a whole alternative middle book section, are just some of the delights that await avid fans (there is seriously no point in reading this book unless you LOVE the Night Huntress series), but for me the BEST part of it all was the narration that accompanied each entry from Jeaniene herself. She makes you feel like you are a trusted friend getting the inside scoop on something very special, AND she is hilarious!

Working in the book world I already know how much work goes into the editing process and the gems that sometimes get left out for various reasons and here fans get to see more of Jeaniene's original vision and hear how she regrets some of the things she agreed to in hindsight. I have to say though, for the most part her editors were right. As FUN as this compilation is, the finished novels as they may not have felt the same had things been left as they were. The pacing that is so talked about is one of the things that MAKES this series such a page turner.

And so with that I say this gets an EASY 5 stars from me - not for the deleted scenes per say, but more for Jeaniene's gift to all her fans because I totally devoured this.

A must read for Night Huntress fans - and for those that haven't started the series pick yourself up Halfway to the Grave. You won't regret it!

V""V

***Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official***

As you can imagine, quite a few scenes get deleted from a seven book series. This was the case with Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series. Oh how I adore that series...and miss it! It's all done. No more to be written. Ever. Yes, I had a bit of grieving time when I finished the final book but oh how happy I was to see Outtakes from the Grave. This companion novel is nothing but glorious deleted scenes! And just to clarify, these are never-before-published deleted scenes, unlike other repetitious bonus scene collections unnecessarily for sale out there.

Anyway, I adored Outtakes from the Grave. Ms. Frost set up each scene by explaining to the reader where the scene originally was and why it was deleted. It was fascinating getting a glimpse into the editing process but nothing will ever beat the experience of nostalgically reliving this series just by simply reading some new scenes. To be clear, there's nothing in here that is series altering, but to me it felt like a nice reunion especially in light of how much I miss these characters. Oh yeah, more than a few scorching Cat and Bones sex scenes were apparently cut from the series but thankfully made there way here, so if you need an additional reason to seek out this book then there it is. You're welcome.

Outtakes from the Grave is book 7.5 in the Night Huntress series. It's full of cut/deleted scenes from all of the books in the series. I was a bit hesitant to grab this one since it's been awhile since I started the series, but I'm so glad I did! There's a bit of everything in this compilation, Bones' POV, cut bits from first chapters and several naughty scenes that didn't make the cut to name a few. I loved that there were author notes before each new scene, it gave some insight on why they weren't included in the published versions.

Outtakes from the Grave wasn't exactly a light read, I felt like I was on an emotional rollercoaster. I went from sad to laughing out loud depending on the scene. I'm glad some of these were cut since it could have taken the series in a different direction or delayed what we all wanted, more Cat and Bones. All in all, this was an awesome addition to the series, and I highly suggest it if you've enjoyed the series as a whole.

This was a christmas present I was expecting to get, so thank you Mrs. Frost you made my holiday!

I am a big fan of the Night Huntress series, so I LOVED this book! It gave me a different perspective on Bones and Cat's relationship, which was awesome. The wedding chapter was amazingly sweet and it was something I wasn't expecting. There is also a chapter on Cat being her melodramatic self in a salon that had me giggling.

If I go on any longer this review will be made up of incomplete sentences of me rambling on and on about how amazing, awesome and fabulous this book was. It was the cherry on top to complete the series.

My Favorite Quotes:

"You pay for your pleasure with pain, my mother had always said. A grim and often truthful motto."

"[After someone is down you kick them.] 'They're not supposed to be alright, are they? No, that's why it's called a fight and not a chat.[...]'"

"That's right luv. [...] If you run, I'll chase you. And I'll find you."

I wasn't sure what to expect from an entire book featuring the deleted scenes, but I truly loved it. I got insight from Jeaniene Frost that helped make sense of plot points and unknown details about the series- that was excellent. However, what I really loved were some of the deleted scenes, particularly those featuring Cat and secondary characters. I understand why they were deleted for publishing, but I found they provided a lot more information regarding the relationships she formed. I never quite understood the Tate relationship, but this helped me really grasp why she was determined to protect that friendship even when he regularly overstepped. This was a fantastic cap to the Night Huntress series, put together perfectly without dragging. As always, the narrator was incredible.

If you enjoy the Night Huntress books featuring Cat and Bones, you're going to love these Outtakes. I didn't know if I would like them. I'd already read some of them on her website when she had the deleted scenes up. In this anthology, she's got brand-new things, and it's AMAZING. If you like anything else by Jeaniene Frost, I promise you that you'll like this book!

I confess - I am a Bones and Cat addict; so of COURSE I loved this book full of all the deleted scenes from the series.

I'm also one who buys my favorite authors/series books when they release "expanded versions" of the original, and honestly, I hope these scenes find their way into future expanded versions. Even though the author was diligent in providing backdrop for each one, it still didn't have the same experience as if I'd read them in context of an expanded version...there wasn't the same immersion into the Bones & Cat World. I'm still hoping Bones and Cat make a return in the future - say 20 years from when they left off.

The Night Huntress series is one of my favorites. I was bummed out to see the series end so getting the chance to hear more of Bones and Cat’s story is fantastic! The outtakes and deleted scenes are easy to follow thanks to the author comments letting you know where the scene would have been. I could not stop listening I ended up listening all night. This is an awesome addition to the series!

I loved reading all that Jeaniene left out, deleted or amended! I loved reading this series in the first place and love the characters of Bones and Cat and the rest of the cast. I'm glad she gifted all her fans with this book. Keep up the good writing Jeaniene!

Loved every part!! Made me remember all my old favorites and have now pulled them back out to read again!!
My husband has had a good laugh cause he knows i'll be stuck to them till i finish them all again!!!
Thank you Jeaniene for all your hard work and sharing it with us lovers of Cat and Bones!!!

Bones is a cheeky man, "Bones shot me a wicked glance before he called out to the concierge, “For the record, we are having sex tonight.” Mortified, I slapped him. He laughed and grabbed me, kissing me" I loved seeing these outtakes and deleted scenes. Bone is one of my favorite alpha men.

I can't believe I'm just now finding this. I have missed this bunch of misfits so much. I love the world you created. Thanks to the author for giving us just a bit more of our beloved Cat and Bones. To true fans it will never be enough but what a treat!

Since I was SO not ready to part with Cat and Bones after the last book, I was thrilled to read this! Exceeded my expectations (as usual) and left me wanting more. I hope to see more Cat and Bones in the future!

The first chapters were promising, but then it became boring. I could not find much that was different and new from the original books. The writer's commentary was kind of flat and one note. What I did find interesting was the author reported doing so many re-writes on her Night Huntress books. I think she needs to do more re-writes on this book to make the "new" chapters actually seem new and worth reading.