April Reads...

*So sweet. Holding paws while sleeping*

April was one of those months that I'd rather not repeat. I usually associate April with happiness and warmth but this year all I can think of is stress and worry. I don't even want to think of what I would have done without books to escape into. So here's hoping May proves to be a better month all around.

Reading wise, I'm surprised at the number, mostly because much of the time it felt like everything was in a holding pattern. Waiting for this and hoping for that, it didn't feel like I read much at all. But apparently I did manage to keep up my usual pace.

Audio Books

1. This Side of the Grave/Jeaniene Frost/UF/
2. Silent on the Moor/Deanna Raybourn/Mystery/B-
3. Mercy Kill/Lori Armstrong/Mystery/B+

My audio books list is short for the month because I seem to have the patience of a 5 year old. There should be two other books on the list but listening was going too slow for me. At one point I was even reading along while listening to Karen Rose's Silent Scream, trying not to read ahead but couldn't help myself. (Seriously, who does this if not a 5 year old?) I finally gave up, turned on some music and read the darn book! The other book I tried to listen to but ended up reading was Rose's I Can See You. Clearly, mysteries and Bones' accent are what held my attention when it came to audio books. :)

Print/Electronic Books

1. The Sweetest Thing/Jill Shalvis/Contemporary/A
2. I Can See You/Karen Rose/Romantic Suspense/A
3. Demon from the Dark/Kresley Cole/PNR/A
4. Absolutely, Positively/Heather Webber/Romantic Mystery/A-
5. The Vampire Dimitri/Colleen Gleason/Historical PNR/A-
6. Silent Scream/Karen Rose/Romantic Suspense/A- (review to follow)
7. The Perfect Play/Jaci Burton/Contemporary/B+
8. Pleasure of a Dark Prince/Kresley Cole/PNR/B+
9. Mommy Said Goodbye/Janice Kay Johnson/Contemporary/B+
10. Mustang Wild/Stacey Kayne/Historical Western/B
11. Backstage Pass/Olivia Cunning/Erotic Romance/B (review to follow)
12. Blood Knot/Tracy Cooper-Posey/Erotic Romance/B (review to follow)
13. Revelations/Janice Kay Johnson/Contemporary/B (review to follow)

The Numbers

Contemporary ~ 4
Erotic Romance ~2
Historical ~ 2
Mystery ~ 1
Romantic Suspense ~ 2
PNR ~ 2

Format

Print ~ 8
E-book ~ 5

Not bad, certainly more than I expected. And no stinkers in the bunch! That's always a good sign of some excellent recommendations from all of you. So thank you! Now I just need to catch up on the reviews!

So how did April treat you? Any books that Wowed you?

ARC Review: The Vampire Dimitri

The Vampire Dimitri
Colleen Gleason
Paranormal Historical Romance
London/1804
Regency Draculia/Book 2
Harlequin Mira/April 19, 2011

From the author's website ~

Regency London loves a Society wedding –
Even if there are vampires on the guest list.

Dimitri, the Earl of Corvindale, should be delighted that the headstrong Maia Woodmore is getting married. His mortal ward and houseguest has annoyed – and bewitched – the Dracule nobleman too long, and denying his animal cravings grows more excruciating by the day.

Miss Woodmore's family has a rather...complicated history with the immortals and she herself possesses a keen sensibility far beyond mere women's intuition. Marriage will give her safety, respectability, and everything else a proper young lady could wish for. Everything, that is, except for passion.

In the looming battle between Dracule factions, all pretenses will shatter as Maia and Dimitri come together in an unholy union of danger, desperation, and fiercest desire.

The second book in Colleen Gleason's historical vampire series takes place during the same time frame as book one, The Vampire Voss. The difference is that we get Dimitri and Maia's POV of the same events, along with some secondary characters POV. After reading Voss and Angelica's story, I was very interested in reading Dimitri and Maia's. I liked that there was friction between them, with Maia standing up to Dimitri, without knowing that she was going head to head with a very powerful vampire.

Maia Woodmore is the unquestionable leader of the Woodmore sisters. She is the backbone of propriety in the family and feels it is her duty to see that all follow society's rules. She sounds awfully dull and stuffy and in a way she is but she's just waiting to break free of the strictures she has placed on herself. She has this underlying fear of taking the wrong step that will condemn her family in the eyes of society. I liked her as soon as she began giving orders to anyone within hearing. LOL I don't see her as bossy but rather as feisty and stubborn.

The last thing Dimitri, the Earl of Corvindale wants are women in his home, turning his orderly world upside down. Not only does he get the Woodmore sisters in his home, he must act as their temporary guardian. This duty includes escorting them to various society functions and confrontations with Maia Woodmore. When Dimitri and Maia interacted, he came across as very human. His patience running thin while his attraction to Maia becoming stronger. Maia proved to be the catalyst he needed to get him out of his self-imposed hibernation.

I thoroughly enjoyed the interactions between Dimitri and Maia. In the beginning, they disagreed on just about everything. It was like an odd mating dance that neither participant was quite sure of the rules. They were both certain they didn't like each other but when they stopped arguing, they came to realize they were attracted to each other. I loved how it wasn't a quick fall in love but even after they fell, Maia could still drive Dimitri crazy.

There is a very real threat that Dimitri must keep Maia and her sister safe from. Things don't always go as planned and he has to make some choices that Maia doesn't always agree with but eventually comes to trust and even help Dimitri. I liked how they began to work together and Dimitri came to see past his annoyance to Maia's strengths. I also liked how Dimitri could go from this cool, refined gentleman of the ton to one scary, powerful vampire. He could be an elegant earl one moment and a fanged out predator the next. The way the world of the ton and the world of the Draculia were merged made for some interesting social functions.

The set up for the next book, The Vampire Narcise, is in evidence with Narcise playing a role in the lives of the Woodmore siblings. I didn't feel a connection with Narcise, she seemed too distance but that could change in her story. I do like her hero and want to know more about his background and what their history is. The Vampire Dimitri kept me absorbed in Dimitri and Maia story but I do wish we would have had less of Narcise and Dimitri would have seen beyond his own problems sooner while seeing Maia for the perfect woman for him. With this second installment of the series Gleason has created a unique world of sophistication with an underlying darkness ready to strike at any moment. Definitely a page turner.

Rating: A-

Books in this series ~

The Vampire Voss
The Vampire Dimitri
The Vampire Narcise (May 24, 2011)

ARC Review: The Vampire Voss

The Vampire Voss
Colleen Gleason
Paranormal Romance/Historical
London/1808
Harlequin/March 29, 2011

From the author's website ~

Regency London – a dizzying whirl of balls and young ladies pursued by charming men.

But the Woodmore sisters are hunted by a more sinister breed: Lucifer's own.

Voss, also known as Viscount Dewhurst, relishes the sensual pleasures immortality affords. A member the Dracule – a cabal of powerful, secretive noblemen marked with a talisman that reveals their bartered souls – the mercenary Voss has remained carefully neutral ... until Angelica.

Angelica Woodmore possess the Sight, an ability invaluable to both sides of a looming war among the Dracule. Her very scent envelops Voss in a scarlet fog of hunger – for her body and her blood. But he is utterly unprepared for the new desire that overcomes him – to protect her.

Now Voss must battle his very nature to be with Angelica ... but this vampire never backs down from a fight.

When I heard Colleen Gleason had a new series featuring vampires in regency London I was intrigued. These vampires are gentlemen of the ton. Lords living in mansions, attending balls and soirees. Then feeding off the ladies they danced with a few hours ago. Right off, Gleason pulls the reader into the world of the ton as of the vampires are relaxing in their private rooms at White's. They are like any other gentlemen of the ton, gambling and drinking, except their drinks don't always come from a bottle.

Voss, Viscount Dewhurst, seems to relish his vampiric abilities. He enjoys the power he commands but holds himself separate from the other members of the Dracule. I didn't like him at first but I don't think we're necessarily meant to like him. He's very self centered, only wanting to offer assistance when there is a benefit to himself. And yet he fascinated me. I wondered how Gleason would make him into someone worthy of the title of hero. Does he really need to change to be a hero or can he continue to be self-centered but include his heroine in that circle? I was hoping he wouldn't change too much but instead stay true to his nature.

At times Voss came across as an immature frat boy out for a good time and damn the consequences. He enjoys playing games, manipulating people to do as he chooses. You don't get the feeling that he looks too far ahead. Meeting and falling for Angelica doesn't suddenly change him so much as make him more aware of what he has been doing and how he has been living.

Angelica Woodmore isn't a vampire but a lady with the special talent of seeing a person's death. She touches an object belonging to that person and can see their death. Which is pretty creepy since people will approach her at balls and ask her to use her Sight for them. She may be more inclined to believe in the supernatural but the only thing she knows of vampires are the stories her grandmother told her. Angelica, despite her young age of 19, is a fairly responsible woman. She's very aware of her place in society, with her older sister Maia there to remind her. I liked the dynamics of the two sisters. They are less than a year apart with Maia taking charge and acting in place of the parent.

The sisters find themselves under the guardianship of Dimitri, the Earl of Corvindale who is also a vampire. He has an odd working friendship with the Woodmore sisters' brother Chas, who just happens to be a vampire hunter. Dimitri agreed to watch over the sisters if Chas ever needed him to. Of course he didn't expect that to happen. The one thing they all have in common is an enemy. It's that enemy that brings Angelica and Voss together.

Voss and Angelica come from two very different worlds with Voss indulging in the pleasures of the world around him and Angelica trying not to give in to her secret desires. I would have liked more time spent with them. There are a number of secondary characters who get page time, most notably Dimitri, Maia, Chas and Narcise, a female vampire. I liked these characters but they took too much time away from the romance.

The world building is enthralling with the beauty of the London high society mixed with the darkness of the Dracule. Gleason shows the Dracule living with valets, butlers and house servants just like any other member of the ton. They slept a great part of the day and stayed up late into the night but so did their human counterparts. There is a more sinister aspect to the Dracule, they did make a bargain with the devil after all. Some try not to kill their food source while others care little for the welfare of humans, reveling in their superior power.

The Vampire Voss proved to be a satisfying read with secondary characters ready and waiting for their stories to be told. Good thing they don't have long to wait. The second and third books in the series will be released in April and May. I liked Angelica and Voss and I can't wait for Dimitri's book.

Rating: B+

Books in this series ~

The Vampire Voss
The Vampire Dimitri (April 19, 2011)
The Vampire Narcise (May 24, 2011)

Review: When Twilight Burns

Title: When Twilight Burns
Author: Colleen Gleason
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Gardella Vampire Chronicles/Book 4
*Spoilers ahead if you haven't read the three previous books

Lady Victoria Gardella Grantworth de Lacy is a vampire hunter, a Venator. The fact that she lives in London in the 1820's only makes things more interesting. On the one hand she is a lady of the ton with the responsibilities that go with the title. She is expected to dress and act like a lady and attend the various functions of the ton. She is also Illa Gardella, the leader of the Venators. She has the vital task of carrying on the legacy left to her by her Aunt Eustacia who was the previous Illa Gardella. Although she has no plans to remarry she has feelings for Sebastian Voiget and Max Pesaro. Sebastian has been Victoria's lover in the past but it remains to be seen if he will continue to be. There is an attraction between herself and Max but he refuses to follow through on it.

When Twilight Burns picks up where The Bleeding Dusk left off. Victoria is in Rome and has just woken up after being under Beauregard's control. (Beauregard was a master vampire who captured Victoria and try to turn her into a vampire in The Bleeding Dusk.) Her friends and fellow Venators are waiting to find out if she has been turned. Fortunately for Victoria she passes the Holy water test and is deemed free of Beauregard's legacy...or is she? *insert evil laugh*

Once back in London Victoria's mother, Lady Melly, expects Victoria to venture back into the ton and start looking for a husband. Victoria is not at all enthused about this and looks for any reason to forgo attending the various ton functions. Making social calls during the day and slaying vampires at night complicates her life. Then when old enemies emerge Victoria has no choice and must interact with the members of the ton. She must also deal with her late husband's heir who has arrived from Kentucky to take his place in society. Victoria was widowed when her husband, Lord Phillip de Lacy, was turned into a vampire. Even though she loved him it fell to her to kill him.

Victoria and her Venators have the task of finding a vampire who is not only able to walk in the sunlight but can mask his or her presence. A venator can sense the presence of a vampire by a cool chill on the back of their neck. In the case of the daywalker their is no chill, no warning that he is near.

The two men currently in Victoria's life are Sebastian, the seemingly untrustworthy ally and great, great..grandson of Beauregard. And Max, the dark, brooding and deadly Venator. Sebastian had once refused to take sides in the war between the Venators and the vampires. He finally took the side of the Venators when he killed Beauregard. He is now a Venator and Victoria's most ardent suitor. Max is still dark and brooding but is no longer a Venator. He gave up his position when he broke free of the hold the vampire queen had over him. He knows she will be after him and is on the run.

That brings us to the wonderfully evil Lilith. She is queen of the vampires and Victoria's nemesis. Lilith is such a fascinating antagonist. Gleason's description of her is gloriously eerie.

"Lilith was still horribly elegant, still skeletally slender with the whitest skin marked by an occasional blue vein. Her eyelids were onionskin thin, colored bluish-purple, and her lips the gray-blue of someone who cannot get warm." page 216

"Lilith lifted her head from the distended vein of her victim's neck, looking at Victoria. She ate daintily, and even when she smiled a knowing, horrible smile, her teeth gleamed pure white." page 225

Gleason has a way of writing that pulls you into the scene and into the character's head. I've been a Max fan all along but at one point she had me cheering for Sebastian. This was another terrific addition to the series. If you haven't read the previous three books you really should. Then go out and get When Twilight Burns. The fifth and final book, As Shadows Fade, is due out March 2009.

And I don't want to forget to mention, these are some of the most gorgeous covers. Kudos to the cover artist.

For more information about this series Ms. Gleason has a website as well as a blog that she updates regularly.

Rating: A

Gardella Vampire Chronicles

I just finished the first three books of this series. The author is Colleen Gleason. It's a historical series set in the regency period. The series claims to be "Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Jane Austen". For me the series started off a bit slow but by the second book I was anxiously waiting for the rest of the story. It is not a typical HEA but a continuing story with the same main characters. The pseudo love triangle of Victoria/Sebastian/Max keeps me guessing. The fourth book When Twilight Burns comes out in August.