Ongoing Review Part 3: TMBOVR

Time for another installment of the Fangirl’s review of The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance!

The book info, once more with feeling!

Buy it now: Amazon
Description: The biggest names in paranormal romance have created a fascinating array of 30 short stories of hot blood and inhuman passions that will leave you thirsting for more. Authors include Sherri Erwin, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Jenna Black, Jenna Maclaine, Raven Hart, Delilah Devlin, Keri Arthur, Kimberly Raye, Alexis Morgan, Lilith Saintcrow, C.T. Adams, Cathy Clamp, Susan Sizemore, Dina James, Colleen Gleason, Barbara Emrys, Savannah Russe, Shiloh Walker, Vicki Pettersson, Rebecca York, Rachel Vincent, Amanda Ashley, Karen Chance, and Nancy Holder. These ain’t your mother’s vampires! (from Amazon)

My other TMBOVR reviews:
Ongoing Review, Part 1
Ongoing Review, Part 2

The Reviews!

“Dreams” by Keri Arthur

I’ve read most of Keri Arthur’s Riley Jenson Guardian series, and it’s a good thing, too. If I hadn’t read the series, I would have been completely lost reading this story. Riley’s jealous vampire boyfriend, Quinn, is back in Melbourne, and he’s decided that sexy dreams about the half-vamp/half-werewolf just aren’t enough. Unfortunately, Riley’s other boyfriend (the werewolf) is sleeping in her bed, and something weird is hanging out in the basement. After “suggesting” that the werewolf boyfriend go home, Quinn and Riley head downstairs to investigate and end up fighting bizarre creatures.

This little interlude in the Riley Jenson series really didn’t do much for me, but I fully admit that I might be biased. Quinn started pissing me off a few books into the series, and I find that I really don’t care for him anymore. The fight was interesting, but there just wasn’t enough character development for me. I don’t feel like this story really meant anything in the long run; it was just an excuse for a fight scene and a sex scene. Also? I got squicked out when our two bloody heroes hopped in the bathtub to clean off and have sex. A bath? Ew! Shower all the blood off, then run the bath and soak and screw. Yick.

The Fangirl Says: B-

“Love Bites” by Kimberley Raye

Danielle Blue comes from a long line of vampire hunters. You could say it’s a family tradition. Too bad she’s just not very good at it. And while trying to complete her first hit, she really screws up. She falls for the vampire.

I liked this story pretty well, but I wanted it to be longer. The story seems pretty rushed, zooming from the first kill to Danielle deciding to save the vamp to the Hot Vampire Sexing with little time to breathe in between. Yes, I know, it’s a short story. I just wish this had been worked into a longer narrative. I really liked Danielle’s ambivalence toward her family profession, and her anxiety about being seen as a traitor for saving the vampire’s life.

And the acronym for the vampire-killing outfit cracked me up: Snipers of Otherworldly Beings, or SOB for short (“I know how to handle an SOB.”)

The Fangirl Says: B+

“What’s At Stake?” by Alexis Morgan

Very punny title. [groan] This story takes place in a futuristic or alternative sort of world, where there are vampires and Chancellors (a species that hovers somewhere between vamp and human). Josalyn is a Chancellor who is basically an investigator for the vampire community. She’s called in to find out if Rafferty, who is coincidentally (snicker) her former flame, actually murdered some humans.

I’ve got to admit, I just couldn’t get into this one. Joss is abrasive, one of those badass heroines who come off less badass and more bitchy. She proves her toughness by beating up guards who don’t get out of her way. Rafferty is pretty much a non-character; I can’t remember much about him other than that he had a bitchy ex-fiancée and that he’s got the hots for Joss. Together, they investigate and find out that (gasp!) the bitchy ex-fiancée did set him up for the murder. And they live happily ever after.

Um. Yeah. That’s about it. Color me unimpressed.

The Fangirl Says: D

“Coming Home” by Lilith Saintcrow

I’ve got the first two Dante Valentine novels hanging out in my To Read stack, but I haven’t had a chance to read them yet. After reading this story, which is set within the Dante universe, I think I’m going to have to bump them up in the stack. The story itself was less romance and more urban fantasy (which is fine by me), but Saintcrow’s writing style really sucked me in. I love how she plays with words, both in the narration and in the characters’ dialogue.

The story follows Liana, Dante’s adoptive daughter (I think? fans, correct me if I’m wrong), as she’s forced to face an old vampire flame and help him assassinate his sire. I’ve got to admit to being a little lost in regard to the universe itself, but Saintcrow’s writing kept me reading and made me want more.

The Fangirl Says: A

“To Ease The Rage” by C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp

Sylvia Beck, a seasoned cop, has been dealing with mysterious phone calls and break-ins lately. Imagine her surprise when she catches the intruder and discovers it’s her former partner, Tim Meyer… who’s been dead for a few years.

This story plays with an interesting collision between the supernatural and the mundane world. I like the concept of vampires completely forgetting their former lives when they’re turned, unless there’s a conscious effort to make themselves remember (i.e. Tim watches videos of himself before he was turned, which helps him remember that he was a cop). I also like the history between Sylvia and Tim. In a romance short story, it’s easy to cram two strangers together and poof! they’re suddenly in love. I can’t stand that plot device, so it’s a breath of fresh air to be introduced to two characters with history that facilitates their romance. I like, too, that Adams and Clamp don’t dump the history on the reader all at one time. The backstory is revealed as the story moves along instead of in an expositional dump at the beginning.

The Fangirl Says: B+