| Title | : | The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2: Love Bites |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1849010439 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781849010436 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 566 |
| Publication | : | First published May 27, 2009 |
The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2: Love Bites Reviews
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(This review is only for the Demonica short story 3.5 by Larissa Ione - "Eternity Embraced")
This is the story of two demon hunters, Kaden and Andrea. When Kaden is captured by vampires and he is turned into one, he thinks that his life is over. He refuses to live, he refuses to drink blood.
Unfortunately Andrea is captured by the same vampires and she is thrown into his cell. Bloodlusted Kaden will try to keep away from her, but the hunger is consuming him.
Their love will survive this test and Andrea will convince Kaden that he is not the monster he thinks he is.
Now they just need to fight the other vampires and the other Aegi guardians who want Kaden dead.
Maybe the New York unit where Kynan and Tayla work could help them.
We will definitely see more of this couple in later books.
An excellent short story packed with action and unstoppable love. -
An 'I liked it' for variety - Lots of Little Bits Of Love With Just A Hint Of Fang,
Editor Trisha Telep has done it again, she's used her connections - and apparently her cyberstalking talents - to amass another BIG batch of vampire quickies - 25 in all. If you are a short story fan looking for a whole bunch of little reads perfect for squeezing into even the busiest of schedules, this is the book for you. Unlike its predecessor The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance (Mammoth Books), not only are the majority of the stories presented here actually romances, but a good number of the authors successfully delivered in their small number of allotted pages, a tale complete with back story, hookup and at least the promise of a `happily-ever- after'.
Most of the stories here avoid the darker side of vamp romance but there are a few that shun the light. If you are an avid urban fantasy and paranormal romance fan like me, you'll recognize most of these authors, but even I discovered a few I hadn't read before. My favorites stories were the ones by Bacon-Smith, Stein, Trent and Aguirre. And though there didn't seem to be as many connected stories in this incarnation of the 'Mammoth Book' - quite a few of the authors seemed to be breaking into new territory - Ione's Demonica short was good too.
So here's just a few words each to give you an idea of what's lurking within MBofVR2's 556 pages. (2 stars - didn't like it ; 3 stars = ok; 3.5 = pretty good; 4 = liked it; 4.5 = really liked it; 5 stars = loved it)
1. Jordan Summers - "Paris After Dark" - A NYPD cop broken by the loss of her partner, finds a new life in Paris after a run in with a vamp serial killer - While the heroine gets a resolution, I liked that Summers didn't try to force a HEA on the starring pair. She just delivered a romantic connection complete with hook-up and left the HEA to the readers imagination. (4 stars)
2. Deborah Cooke - "Coven of Mercy" - An oncologist who refuses to ever quit the fight, learns of mercy from an unusual `angel' - The hero had potential but his part of the story was too brief to make up for the fact that I just didn't connect with the heroine, although she was fairly well developed. (3 -stars)
3. Karen MacInerney - "Le Cirque de la Nuit" A circus aerialist whose performance stirs a hidden watcher, wants to go solo in the spotlight, but is she willing to pay the cost of succumbing to the dark allure of Le Cirque de la Nuit? - Not a romance, even though there is a sensuality to the woman's performance, vampire fans who like their vamps with bite will appreciate the dark HEA. (3 stars)
4. Caitlin Kittredge - "Perdition" Doc Holiday's a vampire slayer in the old west - The romantic elements of the story are told in flash backs, but for some reason this one just didn't grab me. - (3 stars)
5. Dina James - "Deliver Us From Evil" - A fake psychic eases a vampire's hunger - I was hoping for a continuation of Jame's story from the Mammoth Book of PNR, so that may have colored my reaction. (3 - stars)
6. Camille Bacon-Smith - "Blood and Thyme" - The owner of vampire catering company, whose servers are also the hordeuvres, needs to find a chef when human food is required on the menu for a special event - I just really liked this one, mostly because I liked the starring pair. Even so, I would have loved for this story to have been novella length, so that I could have seen more interaction between the leads and I would have loved to have seen a bit more of their HEA, there is just the promise of it here - (4.5)
7. Rosemary Laurey - "Into the Mist For Ever" - connected to her `Forever' Vampires series - A roman soldier/medic falls for a warrior woman on the brink of a battle between her people and his - we finally get Gywlth and Justin's story ( 3.5 stars)
8. Patti O'shea - "Blood Feud" - A vamp enforcer is teamed up with her old demon lover to stop a war between their races - I liked this one and wished there was more (4 stars)
9. Angie Fox - "Love Bites" After her 879 year marriage finally ends, a vamp princess looks for love on a dating game show, only the sexy bachelor she chooses has other plans for their dream date - this one was fun, and who can resist a hero in a kilt - no brogue though, boo hoo. (4 stars)
10. Caitlin R Kiernan -"Flotsam" this story was previously published as "Not One of Us" - a man heeds a monthly call to attend an ancient one as she rises from her watery resting place - Keirnan's style is poetic, but not enough actually happens here to satisfy me (3 stars)
11. Jamie Leigh Hansen - "The Murder King's Woman" - A Vampire's 'pet' pulls off a daring rescue - the rescue was really well done, and I liked the heroine's plan for getting what she really wants. I'd read more vamps stories by Hansen if she decides to write more. (4 stars)
12. Carole Nelson Douglas - "Butterfly Kiss" -- When tomcat Midnight Louie stumbles on a vampire at the edge of true death, Louie needs to call in someone with hands, and he knows just the someone - fellow PI Delilah. - This short brings Douglas' Delilah Street and Midnight Louie series together, the cat's eye view initially put me off of this one but story turned out to be cute and humorous. Though whereas I might checkout the Delilah books, this was more than enough of Louie here for me. (3.5 stars)
13. Diane Whiteside - "Crimson Kisses" connected to her Texas vampire series -- A young woman arranges to run off with her vamp lover, little realizing that the meeting place she has chosen will force her lover to violate a powerful vamps territory - if you are used to Whitside's Texas vamps, you are going to find this one very tame (3.5 stars)
14. Jaye Wells -"Vampsploitation" -- Sabina is on first assignment as an assassin - This is a prequel to Red-Headed Stepchild, and sets Sabina on her solitary path (3 stars)
15. Stacia Kane - "Trust Me" -- A woman becomes mistress to a mysterious man whom she suspects of being Jack the Ripper - this story fit the space and managed some steamy stuff along the way (4 - stars)
16. Jennifer Ashley - "The Scotsman and the Vamp" -- A vampiress leaves behind her betrothed to become a silent film star - I liked the flapper filmstar idea but the romance was just sort of generic (3 - stars)
17. Justine Musk - "I need More You" -- A vampire suffers from the continual abandonment of her angel lover but can't resist when he calls her to him once more - I read this one twice, mostly because I hit this part of the book when I was really tired and it required more careful reading than many of the others stories in the book. The story here is layered under the texture of the setting and there was much that I missed the first time through and I did actually end up liking it (4 stars)
18. Jennifer St Giles -"Point of No Return" -- He has watched from the shadows and fallen in love from afar with the woman who is equally smitten with the statue which bears his likeness. - There was much that I liked about this story, but I would have liked to have seen what St Giles would have done with this in novella length and more space to develop the leads and establish their connection a bit more gradually (3.5 stars)
19. Dawn Cook (aka Kim Harrison) - "With Friends Like These" -- Hey what are friends for if not to help you with those pesky relatives? - This was not at all a romance, instead it features a vamp and his roomie bud, (3 stars)
20. Nancy Holder - "Blood Gothic" reprinted story -- A teacher dreams of a vampire lover who will offer her eternity - Not only is this reprinted but this is second anthology containing this story in the last month or so (By Blood we Live) - Is the vamp real or not? I didn't find this one engaging or like the ending when I read it in either of the anthologies - (2 stars)
21. Larissa Ione - "Eternity Embraced" - a Demonica short -- An Aegis vampire hunter embarks on a rescue mission knowing that `saving' her lover from a fate worse than death will likely require a stake - since vamps tend to 'turn' captured hunters - I really like Ione's series and this was a nice little tidbit not connected to the main series arc. This short works because of the already established connection between the leads and the fact that Ione doesn't try to force the ending which leaves the reader with the promise of more than could be delivered in this short space. (4 stars)
22. Jeanne C Stein - "The Ghost of Leadville" -- A vamp remembers the one that got away - this is the second Doc Holiday story in the collection but it was my favorite of the two and one of my favorites in the anthology. This is a short story that really works, Stein told the complete story effectively and even brought a few tears to my eyes ( 4.5 stars)
23. Tiffany Trent - "The Vampire, the Witch and the Yenko" -- Disguised as a mechanic, a witch who is undercover on a mission to take out a Mafioso magic theif who drains witches of their power, crosses paths with a male vamp who is being stalked by a female vamp in heat determined not to take no for an answer. But even though the witch's cover is blown, she just may have the solution to both of their problems - This is my first story by Trent but I thought story worked pretty well as a short, but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't have liked more. (4.5 stars)
24. Ann Aguirre - "Circle Unbroken" - Fascinated with her prey, a vampiress gets caught in her own trap - A slightly different take on vamps from Aquirre who manages to deliver a story and a romance that feels complete. (5 stars)
25. Devon Monk - "Skein of Sunlight" - A `Yarn' about a cancer survivor and her chance to make new memories - I like Monk's writing and the hero and the attraction between the starring pair made this one work for me - (4 stars) -
I read this as part of the anthology
The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2: Love Bites
I love this author - I did not love this story though. Was this a try at vampire romance set in old England? For an average author this would be okay but Stacia Kane can do a whole lot better. 2 stars.
Merged review:
Anthology. I'm kind of (90%) over vampire books but there are a few authors that I love so I'm going to pick and choose what I want to read. I don't usually do this and try to give every story a try but like I said, I'm kind of done with vampires.
I only read a few of the stories and I think overall they were mediocre. I own this book so I may come back some day and finish the rest of the short stories - or maybe not.
15. Stacia Kane - "Trust Me" I love this author - I did not love this story though. Was this a try at vampire romance set in old England? For an average author this would be okay but Stacia Kane can do a whole lot better. 2 stars.
19. Dawn Cook (aka Kim Harrison) - "With Friends Like These". A story about two seemingly young men and when they meet one of the guy's big bad brother. Pretty good story. 3 stars.
21. Larissa Ione - "Eternity Embraced" - Lovers are forced not only to declare their feelings but whether or not they should kill each other. Good story. 3-1/2 stars
24. Ann Aguirre - "Circle Unbroken" I like her sci-fi but this story - yuck. I didn't like it at all. 1-1/2 stars. -
Paris after Dark by Jordan Summers - 4/5 stars
Coven of Mercy - Deborah Cooke - 5/5 stars FAVOURITE
Le Cirque de la Nuit by Karen MacInerney - 4/5 stars
Perdition by Caitlin Kittredge - 3.5/5 stars
Deliver us from Evil - Dina James - 3/5 stars
Blood and Thyme by Camille Bacon-Smith - 3.5/5 stars
Into the mist forever by Rosemary Laurey - 3/5 stars
Blood Feud by Patti O'Shea - 3/5 stars
Love Bites by Angie Fox - 3.5/5 stars
Flotsam by Caitlin R. Kiernan - 1/5 stars
The Murder King's Woman by Jamie Leigh Hansen - 4/5 stars
Butterfly Kiss by Carole Nelson Douglas - 3.5/5 stars
Crimson Kisses by Diane Whiteside - 5/5 stars
Vampsploitation by Jaye Wells - 4/5 stars
Trust Me by Stacia Kane - 5/5 stars
The Scotsman and the Vamp by Jennifer Ashley - 4/5 stars
I need more you by Justine Musk - 3/5 stars
Point of no return by Jennifer St. Giles - 3.5/5 stars
With friends like these by Dawn Cook - 4.5/5 stars
Blood Gothic by Nancy Holder - 5/5 stars
Eternity Embraced by Larissa Ione - 3/5 stars
The ghost of Leadville by Jeanne C. Stein - 2/5 stars
The Vampire, the Witch and the Yenko by Tiffany Trent - 2.5/5 stars
Circle Unbroken by Ann Aguirre - 5/5 stars FAVOURITE
Skien of Sunlight by Devon Monk - 4/5 stars -
A collection of 25 short stories revolving around vampiric romances.
Series:
"Into the Mist Forever" (Vampire Series, 0.5)
"Butterfly Kiss" (blends Midnight Louie, x.5 AND Delilah Street, x.5)
"Eternity Embraced" (Demonica, 3.5)
"Crimson Kisses" (Texas Vampires, 1.5)
"Vampsloitation" (Sabina Kane, 0.5)
The Stories
Jordan Summers' "Paris After Dark" is escape for Rachel Chang, an NYPD homicide detective. Wandering the streets of Paris to escape the memories of the death of her partner, coming to terms with it. Getting mugged, bitten by a "deranged dentally challenged biter", and chasing the thief into the catacombs is almost a relief until she is caught by Gabriel Dumont, a vampiric enforcer.
Deborah Cooke's "Coven of Mercy" was a merciful take on the usefulness of vampires involving a dedicated cancer researcher, 'Icicle' Taylor, and her battle with saving lives from a distance. Excellent story.
Karen MacInerney's "Le Cirque de la Nuit" is an intriguing and mildly terrifying peek into the hiring practices of a vampiric circus as well as gaining an inside look at the behind-the-scenes action in a regular circus.
Caitline Kittredge's "Perdition" is an entirely different look at Kate Elder, Doc Holliday, and the gunfight at the OK Corral. Excellent and sending shivers down my spine! It has also been in Not One of Us, #40, Oct 2008.
Dina James' "Deliver Us From Evil" is an odd story about a cursed vampire, lost memories, and the deliverance from the curse in the person of an angel, a fake psychic, an erotic dancer.
Camille Bacon-Smith's "Blood and Thyme" is an excellent story about a most unique catering firm.
Rosemary Laurey's "Into the Mist For Ever" was an unexpected look at a Roman military surgeon in occupied Britain and his encounter with a Brigante Timeless who also dealt in healing. Their interaction and fascination with each other will create a lasting impression. Very good.
Patti O'Shea's "Blood Feud" was sweet! Torn apart years ago, Seere, a demon prince, and Isobel, a vampire, are thrown together again in an unexpected alliance set to determine who is murdering vampires.
Angie Fox's "Love Bites" is a paranormal dating game in which the newly-widowed Katarina Volholme D'Transylvania is determined to escape her father's manipulation and intention of marrying her off, yet again, to another ancient vampire. She'll never get out of a castle at this rate! Instead, she is determined to live a bit of a life and the Love Bites dating game television show on Vamp TV is just the ticket! A rather comic approach from the dating questions to the commercials.
Caitlin R. Kiernan's "Flotsam" is a night inside the head of a human lost in his desire to feed a slowly-dying vampire. Beautifully written. And depressing.
Jamie Lee Hansen's "Murder King's Woman" was excellent. A different take on vampire-human relationships with a quirky and fun presentation — I loved the vampiric version of "99 Bottles of Beer"! I am definitely gonna check her out!
Carole Nelson Douglas' "Butterfly Kiss" is an oddly endearing tale of a talking cat who works as a private investigator who rescues a daylight vampire, Damien Abbott, with the help of Delilah Street. Together, Louie and Delilah set a trap to learn who tried to assassinate Damien.
Diane Whiteside's "Crimson Kisses" is the tale of how Edmund Devereaux finally manages to marry Sarah Calvert with a bit of help from Don Rafael Perez at a New Year's ball in 1867.
Jaye Wells' "Vampsloitation" was unique! Two assassins for the Dominae are tracking a man attempting to extort the vampire council. Pay him one billion dollars or he reveals all about vampires! Slade Corbin may be a young vampire, but he's also their best assassin and why he has been teamed up with Sabina, to teach her the ropes on her first kill mission. Only, the takedown goes as planned but the payoff is screwed. Sabina is determined that she will get her own back one day! Very unsatisfying. But very intriguing.
Stacia Kane's "Trust Me" is a different look at the Jack the Ripper serial killings in Whitechapel in London in 1888. Very good.
Jennifer Ashley's "Scotsman and the Vamp" was too cute! Rather than be trapped in isolation in a Scottish castle for the rest of her life, Claire Armand runs away to 1925 Hollywood becoming a rising star. Thank god for hunky Scotsman with open minds!
Justine Musk's "I Need More You" is an odd story about a rogue vampire searching the world over for very short encounters with an angel. In this encounter, they meet up at a Burning Man gathering in a desert. It seems neither can resist the other.
Jennifer St. Giles' "Point of No Return" is the frustrating and short life of Christine Webber. A beautiful, young redhead working as a servant for the lecherous Lord Stafford, Christine has long fantasized about a statue in the graveyard erected to Aerick the Eternal. The fantasies a replacement for the fears she has in working for Lord and Lady Stafford. Little does she know that Aerick is eternal and in love with her.
Dawn Cook's "With Friends Like These" is about roommates. Greg and Joe. Both live like pigs. Only Joe seems to be able to snag women with the crook of a finger. He also lives to run at night and insists on Greg accompanying him. One night in particular, Joe insists. The night Greg learns he's been set up.
Nancy Holder's "Blood Gothic" was just creepy! In a horrific, well-written way, a kindergarten teacher descends into a madness of her own obsession with vampire love. Also in Shadows 8, June 1985.
Larissa Ione's "Eternity Embraced" was rather hokey and overly dramatic. A very definite side story to the Demonica, as it is a cell of the Aegis based on the West Coast. Poor intel traps one of the Guardians after they invade a wealthy man's estate. Being turned, means Kaden Quinn should be staked on sight, but his lover, Andrea Cole, can't do it. Instead they plot ways to get around this particular…ahem…issue.
Jeanne C. Stein's "Ghost of Leadville" is a vampire's sweet look back at a one-night stand Rose Sullivan had in Leadville with Doc Holliday.
Tiffany Trent's "Vampire, the Witch and the Yenko" finds Dani on a mission to stop Tony Martoni from taking down the Syndicate. Somehow Martoni has found a way to steal a witch's powers and Dani intends to take him down at the Island Cruise in North Carolina. Getting a job at a garage will get her in close to the action only Dani finds a lot more than the action she expects when she finds she's paired up with a night-working mechanic named Drake. Seems Drake has his own problems and the two of them might just make a good team.
Ann Aguirre's "Circle Unbroken" is a tale of reincarnation as through the ages Zach and Ysabel find and lose each other. A bond of life and love forever frustrated until…
Devon Monk's "Skein of Sunlight" is a most unexpected trip to a yarn shop with all the yum of its colors and textures and an appreciation for fine knitting as Maddie rediscovers some lost memories and looks forward to gaining new delights.
The Cover and Title
Can you say slut wear to the max!?! Holy cats! A very sexy brunette looking back over her bare shoulders wearing gold chandelier earrings, a web tattoo encasing a pentagram between her shoulder blades and an extremely slinky emerald green dress shirred in back to emphasize the crease of her buttocks with a gold zipper creating the illusion of nothing and thin straps crisscrossing her back holding the front of the dress in tight — I'm guessing it's held in against her body! — while standing in a night-lit refinery.
What can I say? Vampire + romance? Yep, Love Bites. -
Some stories in this book I really enjoyed. Others, I couldn't even finish. Several authors had bad grammar and even worse spelling. Some stories were very outrageous. I tend to be a traditional vampire fan. So reading about a vampire tv station and game show...not my cup of tea.
This book had vampires, fairies, demons and more. Some stories were fantastic though.
The stories that were my favorites in here were written by: Jordan Summers, Deborah Cooke, Dina James, Karen MacInerney, Rosemary Laurey, Diane Whiteside, Jaye Wells, Stacia Kane, and Larissa Ione. There were other authors I also enjoyed here but those are my personal top for this book. The editor, however I am most disappointed for allowing so many stories to pass uncorrected with the spelling and other errors as numerous as they were. Overall, worth taking a look at to find a couple stories to truly enjoy. -
Note that this review if only for Larissa Ione’s Eternity Embraced and Jaye Wells’ Vampsploitation.
I only got this book for the sole purpose of reading these two short stories and even though I don’t usually buy anthologies, I’m glad I have my own copies of these!
First off, I’ll talk about Larissa Ione’s Eternity Embraced. Set in the Demonica world, Andrea and Kaden are both Aegi guardians but when Kaden is turned into a vampire, Andrea is forced to kill the man she loves. I loved the story and the only complaint is that I wish it were longer. There is some mention of the New York cell where Kynan and Tayla work, but otherwise there is no real overlapping of the others in the series.
Jaye Wells’ short story is a perfect companion to The Mage in Black, the second book in the Sabina Kane series. I loved Slade and so to read about Sabina’s first assignment with her mentor was a thrill to read. I enjoyed their easy banter and the little twists and turns. I highly recommend fans of this series to check this out as they await for the next instalment. -
This review is only for Larissa Ione's short: Eternity Embraced
This short visits an Aegi guardian, Andrea, as she faced the task to kill his lover, Kaden, who has been turned into vampire. Since it is short, I feel it lacks the twist and turns that Larissa Ione has on her longer Demonica books. Plus, they are not part of the New York cell, so I miss the old players. The story is still enjoyable, though. -
If find with the anthology books I only read the stories from authors I already read as most are continuations of series. This one was half and half with the ones I read. The stories were ok, but wouldn't have bothered me to miss them.
-
Took me longer than I thought, but I finished. Some are sweet, some are nice, some really picked my interest and some others, good that they are just short stories, probably would not be able to read anything longer. At the moment I think there was only couple of authors that picked my interest, I was eager to find maybe more, but I understand that I can't read all of them in one go. I like vampires and I realise I like the ones who are not on our realm or the ones in modern days. History was not my fave in school and it looks that nothing have changed for now.
This is more for my self, as I always forgot what I read. I will leave a little comment for all of them and what stuck out for me or what I don't need to bother about.
Paris After Dark (Jordan Summers) 4* detective
This was not bad at all. I would read more of this kind of stories. I like the simple things. Some action, some good alfa characters, some sexy love and a promise of happy ever after. I don't need much to be pleased.
Coven of Mercy (Deborah Cook) 3* hospital
This was a lot darker and sadder, cruel reality. There is something strange when I read about hospitals, cancers or any other illnesses that can't be cured. Its reality and its depressing. Through in a Vampire and it should get better, but then it leaves a sadness's behind, that it really was just a hopeful imagination, way how to cure the incurable. Hope to be saved by anyone. Even a vampire. Rosemary was lucky that Micah has liked her and wanted her for him self. As others just get their peace at the end of their battle and suffering.
Le Cirque de la Nuit (Karen MacInerney) 2* circus
This reminded me that vampires still can be evil, even in these days of "all vampires are sexy and not bad at all". Ok maybe not like evil, evil, but cruel, even if they fall in love, or if it's just a passion. But I like to stick with the 'good' ones.
Perdition (Caitlin Kittredge) 2.5* history, western
I'm not into history, and apparently western style of stories are not my thing either. I kinda thought I liked them in one point of my life, apparently not any more. Kates and Johns story is quite interesting. As they are the historical figures, I googled them, as of course I didn't know who they are. This one probably is the only one where one of them actually dies and Kate keeps her word and don't let John be the living monster - vampire. They are bad here, they are really just monsters here. I like the opposite. I like fairytales not reality.
Deliver Us From Evil (Dina James) 3* physic (false), curse
This one was quite funny. I think I would like to reed some more, because of the humour in it. It was nothing thrilling or too exciting, but something was there. I can't put my finger on it. Maybe I just liked Marcos and Marina.
Blood and Thyme (Camille Bacon-Smith) 3* cooking, restaurant, chef
I'm not into food at all and each story have their own kinda place and time... or profession where they work. There was an interesting view, of what happens to vampire when they don't drink. Completely different than usual. The story was interesting enough, but there was not many emotions or passion in it. Something was missing, if there would be that something, it could be a really nice one. And then there was a thing - vampires are born not made. Does it mean they don't have happy ever after, she will die and he will continue to live?
Into the Mist For Ever (Rosemary Laurey) *3 Roman invasion, healers, doctors (surgeon)
I'm not into history but I do like Roman warriors... or any kind of warriors, so this one didn't bother me too much. The history aspect of it was fine for me. As most of the time, here as well, sex and feeding go hand in hand. I do like the activity in books, but I don't really like the stories where both acts are bond together, like one can't exist without the other. But this story was cute. Gwyltha ( I probably never will be able to pronounce her name) and Justin, I would really like to read if their 'forever' was as promising. Would he accept and understand what she did to him? Would their love blossom and last?
Blood Feud (Patti O'Shea) 4* demons, vampires, detective
This one is something similar to G. Showalter "Alien Huntress". I do like the idea of like a detective style novels, they always have a lot of action and some mystery. The characters need to work together to find something and eventually they need each other so much they can't live without other. Even, most of the time, they are together for the shortest time ever, mostly, just couple of days. But still, I like these stories. I was looking into some books from O'Shea, but couldn't pin, which ones would I like (I'm never fan of the titles or covers of PR). Obviously, I should try the Blood Feud, but the bloody covers >_<... I just hate them. My partner always thinks I'm reading some kind of porn... :D
Love Bites (Angie Fox) 4* TV show, old versus modern
I mean, this one was pretty hilarious, the idea of the TV show and how it all started. Kinda ridiculous. And then very cliché of a warrior on a bike and Katarina believed she will be happy finally, have some adventures... Like classical 90's girls dreams, to find a hot, rebel bad boy to take far away.... This one really felt short, like too short. Fionnlagh (what a name!!!), warrior as he is - nice and hot and all alfa, he gave in too quick. I don't know why it felt different from others, but he gave in like 2 pages too quick. He was on a mission to bring her back, all is work and all is job nothing else, but then he kisses her on the bike. Why? Too quick. He was just bringing her back to her father, they just started the journey and he already lost. They did go kinda crazy at the church. Hot crazy. Well that's the part why I read these stories... (sometimes). This one could be a really sweet romance story if it would be a lot longer. Could be a good movie... cheesy good movie. Rom Com. Love it.
And I'm gonna read the "The Accidental Demon Slayer" ... I hope its hilarious.
Flotsam (Caitlin R. Kiernan) no rating
I'm not a poetic person or philosophical either and this peace is too deep for me to even want to understand.
The Murder King's Woman (Jamie Leigh Hansen) 4* rescue mission
This one was one of the funny ones and same time so romantic. Another kind of a rom com. It was nice for a change that all the heroic work was based only on the heroines shoulders and it was all about her and what she can do and what she want to do. I want fool book about these characters. Is there any? Only found "The Murder King's Summons" thats also a short story?! no idea.
Of course there's this like a little bit of father/daughter relationship going on, but then, you know, if he is a vampire and he has saved you and you were not a child but a teen or young woman, if you want to get stronger, better, then there can be definitely love. To be honest, if in real life that age difference is too big I would not like it, but if in this reality he is not ageing and so ... maybe yes... I know, I can't get my thoughts right. The story was fun and sweet. I liked it, a lot.
“..."Licking her lips, she gathered her courage and gave him what she hoped he sought. "I vow that I will be your woman."
Instantly, he crushed her against his chest, his arms steel bands around her and his face buried in her neck. His voice, when it came, was ragged. "Thank you.”
Butterfly Kiss (Carole Nelson Douglas) 3* cat, detective
I didn't get it at first. I had no idea that I'm reading about a cat like something after 3/4 pages it hit me. It was funny. Different way of story. Still a little detective Storie. Have the "Sabrina" vibes, because of the Midnight Louie. But then it's a paranormal investigator Delilah who leads the case.
And vampire actually is not the main character... he is in the case, but he is secondary for the story.
Interesting story from a cats point of view, something a little bit different.
Crimson Kisses (Diane Whiteside) 2.5*history, runaway, young love
1865... this one is like a regular romance novel about a couple falling in live and they are young and happy, but then the father of the girl doest prove the marriage. So they run together. But they are separated and agree to meet later. And he comes for her, and she is not there, as she thinks she is protecting him that way. But he doesn't give up and comes after her anyway. And then they stay together for ever. Something like that.... a little drama in some romance novel. Just it happens that Edmund is a vampire. But in this story that doesn't really means much, he could be a boy from a different country or something and the result and the story would be the same. It's not because he is a vampire father doesn't approve of their relationship. No one knows and it's just the way how most of the stories in this age was told.
Vampsploitation (Jaye Wells) 4* detective, slayer, assassin
Everything what I like. Hot characters. Both bad ass characters. Working together to find something or kill someone, doesn't really matter. I know I'm easy to please, as there is so many stories like this, but I still enjoy them the most, I just like them and I like the way how they are. I liked Slade, he was such an ass at the beginning, arrogant, all knowing... the he was just lane nice and cute and understanding and everything else... and then at the end he actually was a real ass (that did disappoint me a little, there was no happy ever after in here). But the story was still cool and I understand that there is a big series about Sabina Kane. And I probably need to reed some books of hers to get my happy ever after feeling. I like it that way. But everything else was nice, just how I like it, so I imagine I would not regret reading the full novels.
Trust Me (Stacia Kane) 3* history, murder, detective
Again old days... 1888, what a year. good thing this one was more like a detective/investigation style. Something that Sherlock Holmes would do.... And the good part - not knowing who is really the bad guy till the end. Sad to recall that most of the ladies were prostitutes at this time, specially if she was widowed. But I suppose it was the only way how a woman could work, on a street or as a maid.
They meet for 5 min and they already have sex. Quick even for me (laughs mockingly). Dominant male character and a quite, calm, agreeable lady. To be honest it was all about sex. Such a short story and so much of it. It was like an old movie with a mistery and again he was a vampire.... but even if he wasn't and the killer would be just a regular killer, the story would not change at all. So, again it's not essential for the story what he is.
The Scotsman and the Vamp (Jennifer Ashley) 3* Hollywood, movies
Another rom com in the age of 1925. It must be that in old times ( you know 80 - 100 y ago...) the only way how to write about them, if just take a regular character and call him/her a vampire. Nothing much changes in the story. It could be a mire, demon, angel, ghoul ... anything it would not change the story. This one was really like a Hollywood romance/comedy. Easy to ready little funny. Cute.
I Need More You (Justine Musk) 2.5*
This one again is the one more poetic.... more to think... not too much of a plot... but still it had some sort of a context of love. They suffer because they can't be together, but they come together once. Till the next time.
""Love," he said, and his voice was hoarse and ancient and thick, and I knew he wasn't suited to language, had to fight to trespass this limitation. "Love," he said again, and very gently kissed my forehead."
Point of No Return (Jennifer St Giles) 3*
Even if this is the age of 1808... it's a lot better that all the 19th and early 20th century novels as here vampires are mystery and there is also other creatures. You can't just replace the character with some other human being, as in other stories, then it will not work, the story will be lost. This is a nice little story. Its more or less regular vampire love story.
With Friends Like These (Dawn Cook) 3*
A different story not about lovers but friends. The Vampire character was a little odd and creepy or maybe freaky. I like vampires as alfas. He was smart and everything but he was freaky. The story was interesting, even there was no real idea what exactly happened and why it happened. Is there a fuller version? It could be interesting to reed maybe. A different style of vampire and different priorities.
Blood Gothic (Nancy Holder) 1*
Didn't like it. Its just like a real life horror story and the culprit is your imagination. And in real life the fantasy is only in our heads, and the wish for it, we live for it, but it never comes... and then we imagine more, everything that happens we interpret that it is because of that... but it's just plain real life, plain normal life... which can't be changed... and our mind just go crazy. I just don't like these kind of stories. Fantasy is fantasy, fiction, other worlds - yes. But I was never good with phsihological thrillers or mind games.
Eternity Embraced (Larissa Ione) 4*
Thats how I came across this book, because I'm currently reeding L.Iones book series of "Demonica". And this story doesn't disappoint. a lot shorter of course, but still, same elements I like, same kind of characters and things they do.
The Ghost of Leadville (Jeanne C. Stein) 2* writer, history, western
Another John Holiday interpretation. Another history/western peace.
The Vampire, the Witch and the Yenko (Tiffany Trent) 3.5* vampire, witch, mechanics
Another rom com. But there was some big gaps as it could be taken out of a bigger novel. For a short story it was not fluent. But it was cute and funny.
Circle Unbroken (Ann Aguirre) 3.5*
One of them when you never expect the ending to be the way it was. Romantic, a little bit gappy, but still nice.
Skein of Sunlight (Devon Monk) 3.5*
Knitting, really?! Was there a moment when it was popular or 'cool'. Thats when this one came out? Nice to see some little older character, not just teens and not just in early 20s. It was humorous and funny. And lovely at the end. -
1. Vampsploitation
“Vampsploitation” is a prequel short story to the Sabina Kane series.
I read it in the Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2: Love Bites anthology.
This story is about Sabina’s first kill after she gets out of assassin school. It also starts her relationship with her partner Slade.
I thought it was extremely well-written. Even if you are not familiar with the Dominae or Sabina, you can follow the story. The only negative was that it didn’t seem to really fit in a romance anthology. It’s more of an action piece.
For me, though, it’s a five star story. It’s definitely a “must read” if you haven’t already started the Sabina Kane series.
2. Blood and Thyme
The general plot of the short story “Blood and Thyme” makes sense. A caterer is looking for a chef who can serve both vampires and humans. Martin hires Rita; he imprints on her and needs her blood to survive.
I didn’t like the insta-love on her part. It was understandable for him, but not for her. Also, I was totally confused by why she needed to be naked for the vampire to feed on her wrist.
This might have been a better story if it had been longer, especially if Rita had been given time to fall in love for real, instead of just having it forced upon her by Martin and the author.
This was the second story I read in The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2, but I have read others since. It was probably the worst of the ones that I have read. However, other reviewers seem to have enjoyed “Blood and Thyme,” so it might be just me. If you haven’t read it yet and you happen to get a chance to pick up The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2, you could check “Blood and Thyme” out for yourself. Just be forewarned that it’s got a bad case of insta-love. If you dislike that, you should probably skip this one.
3. Butterfly Kiss
It goes with both the Midnight Louie series and the Delilah Street, Paranormal Investigator series. It is .5 in the Delilah Street series; I don’t know where it goes in the Midnight Louie series.
If you don’t like to read stories with a cat as the narrator, you should probably skip this one. Midnight Louie (the cat) brings Delilah into the story to help save a dying vampire.
I don’t normally like present tense writing, but it seems to work for this story because Louie is telling his experiences as they happen.
I thought the author’s writing style got in the way of a good story. Delilah spoke awkwardly. It distracted me.
But, overall, “Butterfly Kiss” was an enjoyable little read. If you haven’t read all the stories in The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2 yet, I’d recommend checking this one out.
4. Ghost of Leadville
This story is about a woman named Rose who remembers Doc Holliday because she returns to Leadville. I wish I could say more about the plot, but I honestly didn’t understand what the point of it was. It was just about Rose reminiscing about something that had happened in the past. I wish I could say that the past event was interesting, but it wasn’t, mainly because I couldn’t follow what was going on.
I didn’t like much about this story. It was boring and pointless to me. Also, I became irritated by the use of present tense for both things that were happening in the present and things that were happening in the past. If it is a flashback and happened in the past, shouldn’t it be past tense? It doesn’t make sense to me. It’s too easy to get mixed up about what is happening now and what is happening in the past.
I haven’t read all of the stories in this anthology yet. Of the ones I have read, this one is the one I liked the least.
5. The Scotsman and the Vamp
This is, as far as I know, a standalone story. I haven’t read anything else by Jennifer Ashley because I’m not a big fan of the destined mates theme that her series involve, but I did enjoy reading “The Scotsman and the Vamp.”
The short story takes place in 1925. Claire, an actress, is abducted by a Scotsman she is familiar with. He wants her to give up acting and become his wife.
At first, the story seems far from anything I would enjoy because of the whole caveman mentality of the Scotsman. However, he grows as a character. I ended up enjoying this a lot. I liked that Claire didn’t just roll over and do what he wanted. Even though it took place in 1925, she was independent and dedicated to her career.
It’s been a while since I read this, but I remember that the author did a good job of worldbuilding in such a short piece. The paranormal aspect didn’t play a big part in the story, but it was enough to satisfy me.
If you haven’t read “The Scotsman and the Vamp” and you like love stories that involve character growth, you should give this one a try. I give it five out of five stars (an A) for interesting characters that were developed well in a short story, which is sometimes hard for authors to accomplish. Also, the story has a clear plot and goal. Jennifer Ashley is a good writer; she is concise and detailed at the same time. If it weren’t for the fact that her other books are usually about destined mates, I would read more from her. I know the other blogger on here, Misty, really likes her books.
6. Skein of Sunlight
“Skein of Sunlight” was a fun story about a woman named Maddie who goes to a yarn store and meets Archer, a vampire. She gets wrapped up in a situation that involves some danger.
The story had a great premise, fast pace, and interesting characters. I appreciated that they weren’t victims of insta-love.
Devon Monk is one of my favorite authors anyway. It doesn’t matter if it is a short story, novella, or novel. She could probably write a guide to tax returns and make it interesting and unique. She’s very creative; her stories take me by surprise because they aren’t anything anyone has done before, even if they contain some tropes for the genre.
If you haven’t read “Skein of Sunlight” and you like stories about characters who get involved by chance and circumstances, you should give it a try. I enjoyed it a lot. I give it five out of five stars (an A) for just being great!
~More reviews from this anthology coming soon! -
These vampire stories were only so-so. Probably due to the length of each story, it was difficult for the authors to develop the characters and still have a plot. I felt that both were lacking. Even though the stories had different topics and were written by different authors, they all had a feel of sameness. They were all easily forgettable and didn't have any lasting impact. Even the story by Larissa Ione, which I've read many a novel and really enjoyed, didn't break out of the short-story mold. It's likely not the genre but the format. If you want vampire stories to read, go for the longer novels. You won't be disappointed.
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have to get more
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Decent, for vampire stories.
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1. Jordan Summers - "Paris After Dark" - I can't remember, did i enjoy this, or was I just bored by it?
2. Deborah Cooke - "Coven of Mercy" - I was a bit bored at first but the the tone changed and it became interesting.
3. Karen MacInerney - "Le Cirque de la Nuit" Nah, wasn't that into it.
4. Caitlin Kittredge - "Perdition" Not for me either.
5. Dina James - "Deliver Us From Evil" - Ok
6. Camille Bacon-Smith - "Blood and Thyme" - Nah.
7. Rosemary Laurey - "Into the Mist For Ever" - Liked it. A Roman soldier in England falls for a mysterious woman.
8. Patti O'shea - "Blood Feud" - Ok
9. Angie Fox - "Love Bites" Haha, good one! A vampire princess wants out of the castle and participates in a dating show.
10. Caitlin R Kiernan -"Flotsam"Strange story, but she is a good writer. A vampire sleeping at the bottom of the ocean comes up to feed.
11. Jamie Leigh Hansen - "The Murder King's Woman" - This one was good. A vampire is held hostage and the girl he rescued who is now a woman saves his life.
12. Carole Nelson Douglas - "Butterfly Kiss" -- This one had promise.
13. Diane Whiteside - "Crimson Kisses"A woman has a lover but her father refuses to let her marry. I liked this one.
14. Jaye Wells -"Vampsploitation" -- Can't remember anything.
15. Stacia Kane - "Trust Me" - A woman falls for a guy she thinks is Jack the Ripper, it was steamy too.
16. Jennifer Ashley - "The Scotsman and the Vamp" -- Cute, and a bit funny.
17. Justine Musk - "I need More You" - Didn't get it.
18. Jennifer St Giles -"Point of No Return" - This one I liked, a woman who falls for a statue and the vampire watching in the shadows.
19. Dawn Cook (aka Kim Harrison) - "With Friends Like These" - Ok.
20. Nancy Holder - "Blood Gothic" reprinted story - Freaky story, I liked it.A woman wants a vampire lover, but does she get one?
21. Larissa Ione - "Eternity Embraced" - a Demonica short - Ok.
22. Jeanne C Stein - "The Ghost of Leadville" - Another western about Doc Holliday, no didn't care this time around either.
23. Tiffany Trent - "The Vampire, the Witch and the Yenko" - Ok I guess.
24. Ann Aguirre - "Circle Unbroken" - Not impressed at first but then it got to me.
25. Devon Monk - "Skein of Sunlight" -I do not remember anything from this one.
Some had promise, some were fun, some ok, and some I can't even remember anymore. I do think there were too many vampires, too many stories. This anthology is for vampire lovers, I liked the mammoth book of PR more since that one had all sorts of creatures.
Not to mention that I honestly am not a huge short story fan.
From this I could think of reading more by Rosemary laurey, Diane Whiteside Stacia Kane ,Jennifer Ashley, Jennifer St Giles, Nancy Holderand and Jamie Leigh Hansen. They are all nwe to me.
Blodeuedd's Cover Corner: I like it.
Reason for Reading: Library book
Final thoughts: For you vampire lovers. -
*Note: This rating/review is based on a partial read of only some of the stories in this anthology. If/when I read the others I will revise my rating/review accordingly.
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Eternity Embraced by Larissa Ione: (4 stars)
(Demonica, #3.5)
This is a short story that takes place between
Passion Unleashed and
Ecstasy Unveiled. It's about two Guardians, Andrea and Kaden. The Guardians suspect Kaden has been turned into a vampire while hunting them and Andrea is given the task of finding him and staking him. The problem is that they've been in a relationship for the past year, so that won't be so easy for her. When she finds him, they both struggle with their old and new desires and with the decision that Andrea needs to make.
This was super short, but it was still pretty good. I actually read the snippet about them from the
Demonica: Overkill shorts before reading this. I didn't realize it came after. But this was a sweet little story about them and also a good insight into what happens after a person turns into a vampire in this world.
But, like I said above, there are two extra bonus chapters to this where we get to complete Andrea and Kaden's story on
Larissa's Website so be sure to read those after you read this! -
This book was borrowed specifically for Jaye Wells' Vampsploitation. This is a pretty good collection of different authors. Some of them I recognized and others which were new to me. I'm only going to mention the ones that really stood out and I enjoyed.
The Murder King's Woman by Jamie Leigh Hansen was probably my favourite one. It was interesting to me and I wish there was more to this world. I did look this author up and unfortunately, there are no other books in this world. I enjoyed this world because it reminded me a bit of the Cassie Palmer books I enjoy so much. Plus, Murder refers to a group of crows. How cool is this?
The second one - Butterfly Kiss by Carole Nelson Douglas was hilarious. I was trying to figure out what was going on. It took me several pages until I realized, the protagonist is a male cat. More specifically a tomcat. It's definitely different with some corny phrases from old PI movies which had me chuckling. It was definitely enjoyable.
Jaye Wells' Vampsploitation is a look into the young Sabina Kane. This is when she was less controlled (hard to believe she can be less controlled) and just starting out as an assassin. The feel of it is still just as depressing as the first book in the series. It did however motivate me to read the next two in the series quickly as they are library books close to the due date.
This book is recommended for paranormal romance lovers who enjoy vampire stories and want to taste a few of the authors before committing to them. -
1. paris after dark-jordan summers. 4**** awesome story! loved it! i am gonna look her up so i can read more of her stories. she totally rocks!
2. coven of mercy-deborah cooke. 3*** very good story!
3. le cirque dela nuit-karen macinerney. 4**** awesome story! loved the characters and everything. it took place in a circus. which was new and cool. she is a very goood writer. have to get more of her books.
4. peridition-caitlin kittredge. 1* didnt like.
5. deliver us from evil-dina james. 4**** very good story. loved it!
6. blood and thyme- camille bacon-smith. 3*** very good story.
7. into the mist forever-rosemary laurey. 3*** good story.
8. blood feud- patti o shea. 4**** awesome story! totally loved it!. have to read more of her books.
9. love bites-angie fox. 4**** totally loved this story!
10. flotsam-caitlin r kiernan. 1* didnt like.
11. the murder king's woman-jaime leigh hansen. 4**** awesome story. would like to get more of her books. will have to look her up.
12. butterfly kiss-carole nelson douglas. 1* didnt like.
13. crimson kisses-diane whiteside. 5***** excellent story. totally loved it! got to read more of her books. first one i read from her.
14. vampsploitation-jaye wells. 5***** very good story! its her sabina kane series. i have to read all of that series.
15. trust me-stacia kane. 5***** excellent story. awesome! truly!
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I really think that Twilight kind of ruined the idea of vampires for me. And vampires with romance… it’s something that I’ve taken forever to truly get into. And even now, with this collection, I thoroughly enjoyed it in short bursts. Some of these stories were absolutely amazing. Many others weren’t. And some sat nicely in the middle. Which mostly just made this collection, fun, easy and a great break from reality late at night when I was no longer able to concentrate.
Having said that, the introduction sounds kind of pessimistic. That’s not the case with this book. It’s definitely an anthology that I would suggest to others. And one that I think people would thoroughly enjoy. I’ll probably even read it again in the future – just take my sweet time about it to space out the vampire overload.
As with all of the other Mammoth Books that I’ve read so far, I found this a great introduction to authors. Both new ones, and a reminder that I need to add some previously read authors to my wishlist too. I just need to magically find more money to actually purchase everything that has been added into my list.
For individual reviews, head to:
https://earthandskye.org/the-mammoth-... -
Summers, Jordan - Paris After Dark ****
Cooke, Deborah - Coven of Mercy ***
MacInerney, Karen - Le Cirque de la Nuit ***
Kittredge, Caitlin - Perdition ***
James, Dina - Deliver Us From Evil ***
Bacon-Smith, Camille - Blood and Thyme ****
Laurey, Rosemary - Into the Mist For Ever ***
O'Shea, Pattie - Blood Feud ****
Fox, Angie - Love Bites ****
Kiernan, Caitlin R - Flotsam ***
Hansen, Jamie Leigh - the Murder King's Woman *****
Nelson Douglas, Carole - Butterfly Kiss **
Whiteside, Diane - Crimson Kisses ****
Wells, Jaye - Sabina Kane 00 Vampsloitation ***
Kane, Stacia - Trust Me *****
Ashley, Jennifer - the Scotsman and the Vamp ****
Musk, Justine - I Need More You ****
St Giles, Jennifer - Point of No Return ****
Cook, Dawn - With Friends Like These ***
Holder, Nancy - Blood Gothic **
Ione, Larissa - Demonica 03.5 Eternity Embraced ****
Stein, Jeanne C - the Ghost of Leadville *****
Trent, Tiffany - the Vampire, the Witch and the Yenko *****
Aguiree, Ann - Circle Unbroken ****
Monk, Devon - Skein of Sunlight ****
My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again. -
“Paris After Dark” by Jordan Summers
“Coven of Mercy” by Deborah Cooke
“Le Cirque de la Nuit” by Karen MacInerney
“Perdition” by Caitlin Kittredge
“Deliver Us from Evil” by Dina James
“Blood and Thyme” by Camille Bacon-Smith
“Into the Mist for Ever” by Rosemary Laurey
“Blood Feud” by Patti O’Shea
“Love Bites” by Angie Fox
“Flotsam” Caitlin R. Kiernan
“The Murder King’s Women” Leigh Hansen
“Butterfly Kiss” by Carole Nelson Douglas
“Crimson Kisses” by Diane Whiteside
“Vampsploitation” by Jaye Wells
“Trust Me” by Stacia Kane
“The Scotsman and the Vamp” by Jennifer Ashley
“I Need More You” by Justine Musk
“Point of No Return” by Jennifer St Giles
“With Friends Like These” by Dawn Cook
“Blood Gothic” by Nancy Holder
“Eternity Embraced” by Larissa Ione
“The Ghost Leadville” by Jeanne C. Stein
“The Vampire, the Witch, and the Yenko” by Tiffany Trent
“Circle Unbroken” by Ann Aguirre
“Skein of Sunlight” by Devon Monk -
OVERALL:
Summers, Jordan - Paris After Dark
Cooke, Deborah - Coven of Mercy
MacInerney, Karen - Le Cirque de la Nuit
Kittredge, Caitlin - Perdition
James, Dina - Deliver Us From Evil
Bacon-Smith, Camille - Blood and Thyme
Laurey, Rosemary - Into the Mist For Ever
O'Shea, Pattie - Blood Feud
Fox, Angie - Love Bites
Kiernan, Caitlin R - Flotsam
Hansen, Jamie Leigh - the Murder King's Woman
Nelson Douglas, Carole - Butterfly Kiss
Whiteside, Diane - Crimson Kisses
Wells, Jaye - Sabina Kane 00 Vampsloitation
Kane, Stacia - Trust Me
Ashley, Jennifer - the Scotsman and the Vamp
Musk, Justine - I Need More You
St Giles, Jennifer - Point of No Return
Cook, Dawn - With Friends Like These
Holder, Nancy - Blood Gothic
Ione, Larissa - Demonica 03.5 Eternity Embraced
Stein, Jeanne C - the Ghost of Leadville
Trent, Tiffany - the Vampire, the Witch and the Yenko
Aguiree, Ann - Circle Unbroken
Monk, Devon - Skein of Sunlight -
This was mostly just a 'meh' anthology for me. Despite the title, most of these aren't romance stories at all, and many of them were very weird. And two Doc Holliday stories in the same 'vampire' anthology? Odd.
There were a handful of stories I though were good.
Love Bites by Angie Fox has a vampire princess looking for a way out of a second arranged marriage.
The Murder King's Woman by Jamie Leigh Hansen has a young woman rescuing her former rescuer.
Vampsploitation by Jaye Wells wasn't romantic, but it was interesting enough I'm going to take another look at this series I'd passed on.
Eternity Embraced by Larissa Ione shows us a couple of Aegis members from another cell. It was re-released as a standalone ebook, with a couple of extra chapters, which you can read online
here if you read the paper book. :) -
Prostitutes being murdered and her lover a suspect. A sense of déja vu while reading. Story was ok, but it's been done before
Merged review:
Wow, just wow! I can't believe this was a short. Rich, detailed, story telling. A journalist comes to expose the their secrets and finds himself enthralled.
Butterfly Kiss by Kate Douglas - 4
Very busy story, a mystery of which blood donor tried to kill the vamp, as told by another creature. I don't really care for the format but others might
Flotsam by Caitlin R. Kiernan - 3
Orig in Not One of Us #40, no names given, a man's recount of serving a vamp that has retired to the sea. It was like a page out of a book. Made me pause a moment at the end. I liked it and I didn't -
The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2: Love Bites is a book of short stories around the focus topics of Vampires and Romance. Each short story is by a different author. About 70% of the authors write an entertaining story and left me wanting more. Two of the authors made me mad the story was complete, as they were quiet entrancing to read. I have definitely found some new authors.Two of the stories involved Doc Holiday. I do not care for westerns or the American Old West. A few of the stories were poorly written, or a trudge to read. All in all worth my and your time should you choose to read this small tome.
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This is one of the most consistently good anthologies I've read in a long time. There's not a single dud among these stories and I love the unique takes on vampire lore. Every one of these stories breaks out of the familiar vampire trope and explores some rather interesting new ideas. I say that the editor did an excellent job of selecting authors and stories. Well worth my money and it's actually won a spot in my reread pile.
Also good to know I've never read any other stories by these authors so while some of these shorts might belong in a longer series I didn't feel as if I was missing out on anything. I'll be exploring more by these authors that's for sure.
