"Another Triumphant Halloween Anthology"
Tall, Dark and Deadly by Margaret Carter Eloise Kern has a dream -- she wants to see her screenplay
of an old vampire novel on the screen. She even knows the
man she wants to play the lead. His name is Claude Darvell,
and he's famous for his portrayal of vampires. What his
fans don't know is that his persona isn't so much an act as
an attempt to hide in plain sight. They don't realize that
Darvell really is a vampire. Intrigued by Eloise's proposal and, surprisingly, attracted
to her as well, he meets her. He seduces her. He finds that
he can't let her go -- especially when a long-buried
nemesis, Philip, makes threats against Eloise. Claude may
very well be her only chance for survival, if only he can
get Eloise to trust him! Tall, Dark and Deadly is a hot little novella.
Claude and
Eloise are sexy and realistic characters, and Carter's sex
scenes are just as hot. As a vampire story it was
delightful. Claude enjoyed his existence, though in
Carter's world he was part of a separate species, not a
human that had been changed, and the culture built around
the vampires was subtle, yet made sense. Statuesque by Lani Aames Lia Morgen has loved Mac for years, but her feelings are
not returned. Undaunted, she makes a trip with the hunk she
lusts after to a cave of some archaeological significance.
Once in the cave, she finds herself shaken by some innate
familiarity with her surroundings. When Mac disappears she
presses on, and is assaulted by visions -- or memories --
of the lives that were once lost in the depths of the
caves. When she reaches the statue in the middle of the
cave, already unbearably aroused, her actions unwittingly
release the man (Zamar) who had been bound there for ages.
He tells her she is the reincarnation of an ancient
princess, and that they had once loved. Could it be true?
What about her modern life, and more, what about Mac, the
man she loves? A significant amount of the story of Statuesque is
told in flashbacks -- in which the reader is acquainted
with a
touching tale of ancient, forbidden love and an evil,
immortal priest who will stop at nothing to fulfill his
twisted desires. Danger and seduction wrap our heroine as
she explores the mysteries of her past—and her present. The
love scenes sizzle, and the characters come alive in this
short novella that fans of reincarnation plots are sure to
love. Monster Love by MaryJanice Davidson Janet Lupo is grumpy. Well, she's always grumpy, but
especially so when she ponders the recent fad of mating
with humans that has plagued her pack. Humans are fragile,
weak, and completely unfit for mating with a werewolf. Richard Will is a vampire, and he's as wary of humans as
Janet is. Her strength captures his attention immediately.
When she's called to meet the pack leader (breaking a date
with Richard to do so) he captures her, determined to keep
her around -- even if it's against her will. It's not easy
to keep a werewolf captive, though, as Richard is soon to
find out! The Wyndham Werewolves return in this spicy novella that
brings together a werewolf and a vampire in a preternatural
love story that -- somehow -- works beautifully. Monster
Love is stocked with Davidson's usual dark, wry humor
and sassy, no-holds-barred heroine, making it a fun ride
for those who enjoy her work, but it is also a little
darker than some of her other stories. The characters have
dark histories, and though they are wonderful characters in
and of themselves, the story between them is one of two
lonely, rejected creatures finding solace in places that
they never imagined possible. Sensuality Level: This anthology has been rated Hard R by
the publisher.
Reviewed by Ann Leveille
Courtesy Sensual Romance
Posted December 25, 2002
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