"Steamy vampire romance"

This really isn't a novella, but three vignettes that center around the lives of Detective Terra, a cop with the Atlanta PF. In the first, she's after a serial killer called the Slasher, but her real problem is her new boyfriend Sam, a wonderful man with just one small flaw: he's a lousy lay. Her vampire friend Nathan solves that problem in a hot and original manner—and helps Terra catch the killer. Not a lot of suspense in this one. The second involves Nathan's memories of a young gypsy woman, which leads into the third slice. Terra doesn't want to risk her new relationship with Sam by bringing him home to face her family for Christmas, so she asks Nathan to stand in for him. At the party, Nathan meets a beautiful woman who bears a strong resemblance to Nina, and learns she is in an unhappy marriage with an emotionally abusive husband—and sets out to right the situation.

I'm a big vampire fan. Unfortunately, except for the threesome scene in which Nathan teaches Sam some sexual skills (in a manner that sure beats reading Doctor Ruth), this book is a generic vampire romance, with nothing original about it. Nathan is the Generic Studly Vampire Hunk who doesn't kill, could give Casanova lessons on lovemaking, and has a haunted past. Terra is simply the Generic Cop Heroine, albeit with some believable family problems. There isn't enough plot for this to be a real novella, and what there is, is derivative. The style is serviceable but not particularly memorable, and the sex, while steamy (except for that scene mentioned above) is hot enough but not something you'd go back and reread for inspiration. It's not a keeper, but it's a fast, amusing read. If you're looking for a vampire romance to hold you over till one of your favorite authors writes a new book, this will do nicely, even though I wasn't left with an urgent desire to read the rest of the series. Think of it as a table red, not a fine wine, and you won't be disappointed.

Reviewed by Gillian Fitzgerald
Courtesy Sensual Romance Reviews
Posted February 19, 2004

Summary

Nathan gets a visit from his friend, Terra, a detective with the Atlanta police, and is worried by her appearance. She tells him she's frustrated that she hasn't caught the Slasher, a serial killer plaguing the city. As they talk, Nathan uncovers other problems in Terra's life: her new partner's a jerk, her boyfriend is a wonderful man, but rotten in bed, and her parents want her to bring her new beau to their New Year's party.

Helping with Terra's boyfriend is easy. Nathan joins them in the bedroom and gives the young man lessons. And he even decides to help Terra by posing as her date for the New Year's party. But when he finds one of the Slasher's victims, Nathan is mistaken for the killer. And if that isn't bad enough, at the party he meets an alluring woman who reminds him of the gypsy who got him staked years ago. Will he survive this encounter without giving away his secret?