The Rogue Hunter - Lynsay Sands

I'll state outright that I'm a sucker for anything Sands. I've read all her Argeneau books and I love her historicals. I really enjoy the humor in her books. They never fail to entertain. I know some people get caught up in the fact that she uses some modern language in her historicals, but I get a kick out of it.

The Rogue Hunter is about Garrett Mortimer, an enforcer for the Council. He's the immortal equivalent of a cop. He's been sent up to cottage country searching for a rogue immortal who's been biting people instead of bag lunchin' it like they're supposed to. Samantha Willan is on a much needed vacation with her sisters and ends up in the cabin right next door. She's an overworked lawyer recovering from a recent relationship disaster and definitely not looking for a man. Garrett suspects she might be his life mate and is less than thrilled. He's looking for a knock out with voluptuous curves, think Jessica Rabbit, and Sam is too skinny, flat-chested, narrow hipped and chronically clumsy to fit his bill. Between Garrett's partners, who think he's lucky to have found his life mate and Sam's sisters, who think she needs a vacation fling, Sam and Garrett keep getting thrown together.

This wasn't my favorite Sands book. It might actually be my least favorite. It just wasn't on par with the Argeneau series. The mystery just wasn't that interesting and pretty easy to figure out, which, depending on how good the rest of the story is, might or might not be a deal breaker for me. In this book I found it annoying. I both liked and disliked the main characters. I found Sam more annoying as the book went on. Her personally just seemed to grate on me. Mortimer seemed just a bit too uptight at times and it bugged me that he was so stuck on the superficial things he wasn't happy about in his life mate. It's his life mate for crying out loud! Some vampires never get that, but he's too busy complaining to himself about her looks to be happy about it. GAH! Also, the dialog wasn't as funny as I've come to expect from this author.

Night's Touch

Author: Amanda Ashley

Cara DeLongpre is the adopted daughter of two vampires. When her teenage bio-mom went in to labor in an alley the vampire couple stopped to help her and she told them to take the baby or she'd just leave it in a dumpster. Thus did Cara come to have vampire parents, her mother always having wanted children, but not being able to have them as vampires do not have babies. So Cara has grown up in the dark, figuratively, not literally because her parents have never told her about them being vampires. They're always had staff to look after her during the days and made up explanations for not being able to be in the sun or eat food. So now she's in her 20's, a librarian and still living with her parents. Her parents are protective to the point that she's had a bodyguard since she was 12. She doesn't really understand why she needs a bodyguard or why her parents don't want her to move out, but it's really starting to chafe. When she decides to check out a club called The Nocturne, she meets Anton, a charming stranger who asks her to meet him again and she agrees, not knowing that he is her family's enemy. Years ago Anton's father nearly killed her mother and tortured her father before her father finally killed him. Anton was born after his father's death, but Anton's mother has raised him with thought of revenge and they're looking to use Cara to get it.

Vince Cordova made the mistake of picking the wrong woman for a one night stand. While the sex was amazing, it wasn't worth being turned in to a vampire for. Mara, an ancient and powerful vampire, drained him to near death and gave him the choice, die or live on as a vampire. A year after that night, Vince isn't so sure he made the right choice. He's had to distance himself from his family, a loving close-knit bunch, he can't trust himself to sleep with a woman and he's struggling to retain as much of his humanity as possible. When he spots Cara siting alone at the bar of The Nocturne, he knows that she's trouble. Can vampires fall in love at first sight? All he knows is that he needs to steer clear, because a girl like Cara needs a man who will marry her and give her a family. A mortal man she can grow old with. When he sees her reaction to finding out her parents are vampires, he's sure that she could never be happy with him. Unfortunately, no matter how many times he tells himself to stay away, he just can't seem to do it for long and she doesn't seem to be able to keep away either. When her father's enemies put their plans in to action, Vince can't help but want to be there for Cara.


I believe this is a sequel, but I've not read the first book. Please to keep that in mind. I'm sorry, but Cara was not just TSTL, she was too damned stupid to exist! She's been raised by vampires, but never suspected what her parents are? She supposedly loves books and yet she can't see the similarities between her parents and vampires? Then, when someone clues her in to the fact that her parents are the undead, does she confront her parents and ask them what the deal is? Noooo, that would be too logical! Instead she packs a bag and runs for a hotel because her parents are bloodsucking monsters and because her parents, who've never been anything but loving to her, might have some nefarious designs on her. Then when daddy tells her that her boyfriend is also a vampire she refuses to believe it, even though she's never seen him eat or out in the sun either. This after she keeps meeting with Anton even though her instincts keep telling her he's not right. Her parents are the brightest bulbs in the box either. Here is Anton, looking soooo much like their dead enemy, Anthony,with the last name of the woman who was obsessed with Anthony. Anton and his mother now run the coven that worked with Anthony to hurt their family and it never occurs to them to find out what these people are up to? Or what Anton might want with their daughter? Vince was a little more understandable. At first he didn't want her to know he was a vamp because of her reaction to finding out her parents were vamps, then it got harder and harder to tell her because she would feel betrayed by him. He didn't feel he could offer her what she deserved and he thought the best thing was to leave her so that she'd find someone who could. Unfortunately, he wasn't very good at being unselfish because he kept coming back. I applaud the nobility of wanting someone you love to have everything they've dreamed of, even if it means you'll be miserable without them, but it only counts if you have the guts to stick to it. If you keep coming back and hurting that person again you are basically jerking them around emotionally. It makes you an spineless jerk who needs to be punched in the junk IMHO. And, of course, she forgives him for all this way too easily. It was all a bit much for me, as far as my ability to suspend disbelief goes.

One With The Night

Companion Series - Book 5

Author: Susan Squires

Jane Blundell was infected with vampirism in her father's laboratory because of a broken vial. Her father nursed her through the turning by infecting blood and feeding it to her. Since then he has dedicated his life to finding a cure. She has dedicated her life to being the son he never had, trying her hardest to make him proud of her. She knows nothing of being a vampire and when her father's life is threatened, she figures it's time to remedy that. When Callan Kilkenny comes looking for the cure, willingly volunteering himself as the dr.'s test subject, Jane begins to feel all manner of things she's never felt before. She's both excited to explore these new sensations and afraid of what they could mean. She finds herself falling for Kilkenny, but afraid to make herself vulnerable and losing control.

Callan Kilkenny was a "Charming Irish Rogue" until he ran afoul of Asharti, a very powerful female vampire with a penchant for compulsion, sexual torture and a fondness for breaking men's spirits. She made him a vampire so that there would be no risk of him dying before she's completely broken him. Set free by her death, he is unsure if he can ever get back to who he used to be. As a vampire he can not commit suicide, his companion won't allow it, and so he wanders around trying to do small good deeds where he can to counteract the terrible things he did under Asharti's command. When he begins to hear rumors about a possible cure, he sees his chance to become human again or die trying, either would be fine by him. He knows he's in trouble the moment he meets Jane. He's been celibate since Asharti, afraid that he's become twisted by his experiences with her, but Jane tempts him to the breaking point. He plans to avoid her as much as possible, but between her father throwing them together on herb gathering outings and Jane's curiosity about vampires, he hasn't got a chance of resisting her.

The stakes become deadlier when a trio of powerful vampires, led by Elyta Zaroff, come from the vampire's ruling council. Elyta says they want to protect the dr and help him find the cure. Although suspicious, they really have no choice but to let Elyta and her crew stay on. It soon becomes clear that Elyta's motives are less than pure, both for the cure and towars Callan. When she reveals to Callan that it was she who taught Asharti everything she knew, he knows that she'll kill them all as soon as she has no further use for them. The only way to save Jane, whom he's fallen in love with, is to make a deal with the devil. One that will ensure Jane will never love him and see him in the same form of slavery that nearly broke him before. He's gladly do it for Jane, but when she finds out what's really going on she puts and end to the deal and Callan is forced to come up with a long shot plan to save them both from their protectors and the vampires who want to destroy the cure and anyone associated with it.


While this book can be read as a stand alone, you'll be much more clear on a few things if you read the other books in the series first. Both the main characters were great. I felt terrible for Callan. In previous books we've been shown the effects of Asharti's twisted games on people's minds, but Callan is the first one who though himself truly evil because of the choices she coerced him in to making. Jane occasionally gave thought to a possible future with Callan, but since he never said anything about having feelings for her she kept thinking herself a fool. Callan wouldn't let himself dream. He didn't believe there was any way that she could love a creature like him. They were both afraid to speak. Jane sometimes frustrated me earlier on with her unwillingness to step outside the role she'd set for herself. Repressing any urges and expressions that didn't fit with what she thought was proper for a scientific minded individual. Callan was more frustrating at times, but I found it hard to really blame him because of what he went through. I mean, it had only been a couple of years since Asharti's death. Anyone who survived something like that would have some major issues to work through. Hell, some they might never be able to work through. Didn't stop me from wanting to pull my hair now and then. I've read the series up to this book and plan to pick up the next two soon. I better move quick because the eighth book, Time For Eternity, is due out at the beginning of September.

Tall, Dark & Dead

Author: Tate Hallaway

(Re-posted from my old blogger)

The Order of Eustice is the Vatican's anti-witch hit squad. Yes, they take "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." very literally. Garnet Lacey was part of a coven until the one day she showed up late. She walks in expecting to get ribbed for being late and instead finds her entire coven dead and the Vatican's Order performing Last Rites. In a moment of rage she calls Lilith to her and becomes the goddesses avatar. She slaughters the Order's hit squad and, with the help of her vampire ex-boyfriend, hides the bodies. She leaves town and settles in . She's running an occult store and masquerading as a goth. Then one day Sebastian Von Traum walks into her life and it's trouble all over again.

Sebastian is dead, has been for years. He was an alchemist and became a vampire by drinking a potion. He's not your average vampire either. He can walk in the daylight, but he's got one major problem. After all these years the potion is failing and unless he can work the kinks out in his potion, he may end up dead for good. To top it off, the Order is after Sebastian. Seems they think that little potion of his might come in handy and though they don't usually hunt vampires, they're willing to make an exception, since he's also an alchemist. Garnet's ex-boyfriend vamp comes into town, confusing things between Garnet and Sebastian. Then there is Matyas, Sebastian's post-death damphyr son who's working with the order to bring down his father. Let us not forget Lilith, who's still inside Garnet and looking to take control over Garnet's body permanently. Can she and Sebastian work together to stay alive or will the forces aligned against them be too much for a failing vampire and a solitary witch?

I liked it, I really did, but Garnet got on my nerves with her feeding issues. I mean, come on, if you're going to date a vampire you will either have to provide sustenance or not be uptight about them getting it elsewhere. Either deal with that or stop dating guys that need to feed off other people! Sebastian was interesting, but I didn't feel like we got to know him much. I know we got a lot of info on him, but it was like reading a list of facts about someone. You know? No personal connection. I kind of liked Matyas. I know he was sort of supposed to be one of the bad guys and he tended to be a jerk, but he had good reasons for feeling the way he did and doing the things he did. He was wrong, yeah, but I couldn't dislike him for it. I felt bad for Phillip too. He comes to Garnet because he's hit hard times, and because he still has feelings for her, only to find her hooked up with a day walking vampire who fed off her when she wouldn't let him. As if that weren't enough, the poor guy is having to basically prostitute himself, he's in such dire straights. The ending left a lot of things open, so I'm thinking we're being set up for a series, a trilogy at least. I don't know how I feel about that. I love series books but I hate it when the individual books in the series are left too open ended. Leaves me unsatisfied and not too sure if I want more. Give me some kind of resolution on something!

(I never have read the rest of this series and have no real interest in doing so. I may pick it up at a future date, but I doubt it.)

Acheron - Sherrilyn Kenyon

I recently finished this one and I've got to say that it is absolutely my favorite book in the entire Dark-Hunter series. I blubbered my way all through Acheron's mortal life and when he received his godly powers and I thought he'd kick some ass, disaster, thank you Artemis, strikes and he dies.

I liked his heroine a lot. She was perfect for him. I knew she's do the right thing at the conference with what Artemis gave her. I really liked that she got up in Artie's face. There could have been more of that, but I suppose it's more mature the way it was. *shrug*

I got a kick out of the Hades scene and Apollimy rocked! Raining kick ass all over the Atlantean gods. Were I her, however, her sister would have died much more slowly for what she knowingly did to little baby Apostolos, her own nephew! Slow, painful, humiliating and as degrading as possible. She'd deserved whatever she got. Maybe eternal torment instead of death? I joke with my husband about getting a t-shirt for our daughter that says "Katastrafia Megola" across the chest. Because she so totally is. This comic says it all.