A Vampire for Christmas by Caridad Piñeiro
My rating: 3 of 5 flames
Enchanted by Blood by Laurie London- 3.5 flames
I really enjoy Laurie London’s Sweetblood series, but to be honest, this one definitely wasn’t one of my favorites. The storyline was good, but there’s one thing that really REALLY bugged me. Charlotte’s friend bailed on her at a club, so she heads back to her car alone. Right before she is about to get accosted, someone swoops in and beats the thugs down. Awesome, except that her hero is her ex-lover. Oh, and she doesn’t remember him because he’s a vampire who erased her memory of their relationship.
So far so good, and I loved watching Trace woo her, it was sweet. I really liked the mini suspense plot too, except when she finds out what Trace did, other than a slap across his face, all is forgiven. Really? But definitely a good addition to the Sweetblood series, just a minor thing that hits my pet peeve button/
Monsters Don’t Do Christmas by Michele Hauf-2 flames
This one starts out strong and then became really boring. Not much happened and I didn’t see Olivia as being a monster at all. She feels she’s more of a monster than her self-loathing vampire lover is. Why? She’s a pop star. Yep, except she’s not really even diva-ish. The plot was a fail.
When Herald Angels Sing by Caridad Pineiro- 3.5 flames
I think this story starts off with a bang. I liked it, found myself tensing up in the right places, palms sweaty, heart racing. I will definitely read more by Ms. Pineiro. The main reason I didn’t rate it more highly, is that with the flashbacks (which were well done) and the timeline, I found myself wishing it had been a longer book so we could see what the author was trying to do with those flashbacks. The world building was nil. Absolutely none. I don’t know if it’s part of another series or not? Maybe then I would have known more about her version of demon/vampires and angels? Other than that, I liked the idea of the guardian angel failing, the soul in question needing a “Christmas Carol” type lesson, and the devil taking his due.
All I Want For Christmas by Alexis Morgan- 4 flames
By far the best story in the book. Maybe because it works better as a stand-alone? It’s not part of Alexis Morgan’s vampires that she writes for Harlequin’s Nocturne imprint, and it’s your stereotypical vampire mythos. I think that helps with a stand-alone as she was able to more focus on the story and driving plot, than try to add in complex world-building.
This is a very sweet romance, with a vampire undercover cop and a sweet diner owner. The writing was easy read, and it was a “feel-good” story. The perfect Christmas romance, if you don’t mind a vampire or two in your Christmas story.
Thanks for the review! You know I love the Sweetblood series as much as you do!
I read this too, and completely agree with all your individual ratings!
thanks megan!
And Lady B, that’s great- My friend Annie over at Under the Covers had almost identical ratings too! too funny!