Review: Tasting Nightwalker Wine by Janet Miller

Hollywood After Dark: Tasting Nightwalker Wine by Janet Miller


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Summary:

Romance novelist Stella is swept off her feet by a mysterious man she meets on her book tour.  Unfortunately, her date is a vampire who accidentally drains enough of her blood to leave her unconscious.  Stella threatens to expose his true nature unless he teaches her about the supernatural as research for her novels.

Nightwalker Sebastian agrees to Stella’s blackmail under the condition that she become his willing blood donor.  Their agreement puts her in danger when Sebastian learns that someone is hunting local vampires.

Review:

Miller’s entertaining Hollywood After Dark series is peopled with interesting, well-rounded characters.  The mythology guiding the vampires and other parafolk is well realized, but does little to set itself apart from other paranormal stories.  The premise of vampires making wine in Napa Valley is compelling, but ultimately not used to its best advantage.  While able to be read as a single title, continuity with previous books in this series is strong.  Don’t miss the ones written under Miller’s erotica pseudonym, Cricket Starr.  

Two Great Vampire Books - The Becoming and Blood Drive by Jeanne C. Stein

The Becoming and Blood Drive are the first two novels in the Anna Strong Chronicles. The seventh book is slated for release in August. I love when I find a great author who has a series - especially when I discover them after a number of the books have already been released. It means I can devour them all back to back and not suffer through the wait between novels!

The Becoming by Jeanne C. Stein


My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Summary:

Bounty hunter Anna Strong got more than she bargained for when trying to bring in her skip, Donaldson.  He attacked Anna, turning her into a vampire during the violent assault.  An elder vampire, Avery, helps Anna discover her own growing powers and her place within a secret underworld of influential vampires.  But vampire hunters infiltrate her personal life, violating her home and threatening her safety and that of her friends.  Anna must use her supernatural abilities and the help of her mysterious new allies to set things right.

Review:

Mysterious characters and ingenious plot twists abound in this novel that clearly stands out from the crowd in the vampire genre. Urban fantasy fans will love Jeanne Stein's fresh voice in this powerful opening book of this series.

Blood Drive by Jeanne C. Stein


My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Summary: 

Bounty-hunter-turned-vampire Anna Strong returns in this sequel to The Becoming as she clings to the normalcy her mortal family and friends offer her.  A threat to a niece she never knew existed brings Anna’s ferocious vampire nature to the surface in her family’s defense. 

She wallows through the distasteful world of prostitution and pornography to catch the men who threaten her niece, Trish.  Anna must use her supernatural abilities and the help of the secret underworld of influential paranormal allies to set things right even while she remains unsure of who she can trust.

Review:

The first person present voice lends a gripping immediacy to the story.  Stein’s sleek writing style and creative plot twists ensure a fantastic, fast-paced read. The books in this series can be read alone or savored together.