Title: Vampire Dreams
Series: (unnamed trilogy)
Genres/Themes: historical romance, vampires, novella
Quick Take:
With sweet characters, satisfying action sequences and easily accesible language, this book is certainly please vampire- and PnR fans. A quick and dirty read, both literally and figuratively. ^_^
Book Description (via Goodreads):
Homeless and without any family, Arden Stephens must live on the streets of mid 19th century London, never a safe place for a young woman. One night, as she is running for her life from an attacker, she is rescued by Brandon Ridley and offered a place in his home as his maid. Brandon is enchanted by Arden from the moment they meet, but just as she has secrets, so too does he. A vampire hundreds of years old, he yearns for the companionship she can give him. But for that he must make her one of his kind.
Nightly, he visits her in her sleep, preparing her for the night he will finally make her his own. For Arden, the wanton dreams she has about her handsome employer seduce her and each day when she wakes up, she finds herself more drawn to him. But love and desire aren't enough for Brandon to sire her. He must first obtain the approval of his maker, an ancient vampire named Vasilije who has thwarted his chance for happiness before.
Review:
This novella by Gabrielle Bisset is nothing if not straight to the point. :o) The story gets down to business immediately, putting the two romantic leads in each others' paths and keeping them there for the duration of the tale. Given the shorter length (and thus quicker speed in plot development), the book reads quite like a fairy tale, or perhaps a naughty bedtime story; it's light on the expository details and only covers the storytelling essentials, but packs in a lot of heat and sweet romance.
And oh, what heat! There are some super hot scenes contained within this novella. I was pleased to find that their frequency and tone seemed to fit in nicely with the rest of the story; no encounters for their own sake or love scenes out of sync with the plot. (I will note that the book some under-the-mystical-influence encounters...I doubt it'll be a problem for most...but who knows, maybe someone will want a heads-up on that sort of thing.)
A very small part of me wishes the characters and the romance were fleshed out a bit more, particularly given that the main characters seem to "develop" feelings in a flash and in a place where the reader can't follow (that place being "between the lines" ^_^). But as it is, both still satisfy, as long as one doesn't mind the fast sequence of strong emotion.
The language was very clear and accessible, and I felt like the dialogue had just the right touch of period elegance. I found the action sequences (of the fighting/fleeing kind) exciting and engaging. The tone of the scenes throughout the book shifted and changed, but did so smoothy.
I quite enjoyed this quick cup of hot, steamy lovin'. ^_^ I'm very much looking forward to the next two books in the series; fortunately, the wait for the next release in the trilogy will be over by mid-July. Woop!
And oh, what heat! There are some super hot scenes contained within this novella. I was pleased to find that their frequency and tone seemed to fit in nicely with the rest of the story; no encounters for their own sake or love scenes out of sync with the plot. (I will note that the book some under-the-mystical-influence encounters...I doubt it'll be a problem for most...but who knows, maybe someone will want a heads-up on that sort of thing.)
A very small part of me wishes the characters and the romance were fleshed out a bit more, particularly given that the main characters seem to "develop" feelings in a flash and in a place where the reader can't follow (that place being "between the lines" ^_^). But as it is, both still satisfy, as long as one doesn't mind the fast sequence of strong emotion.
The language was very clear and accessible, and I felt like the dialogue had just the right touch of period elegance. I found the action sequences (of the fighting/fleeing kind) exciting and engaging. The tone of the scenes throughout the book shifted and changed, but did so smoothy.
I quite enjoyed this quick cup of hot, steamy lovin'. ^_^ I'm very much looking forward to the next two books in the series; fortunately, the wait for the next release in the trilogy will be over by mid-July. Woop!
Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
"I liked it!"
Today's review is part of the Bewitching Book Tours current tour for Vampire Dreams. For more info on the other participating blogs and their tour stops, visit BBT's site (here).
Thank you for such a lovely review! I love that you call the book a "quick cup of hot steamy lovin'." That makes me smile. :D Just a note: my novel being released on June 29, Stolen Destiny, isn't part of this trilogy, but the next novella in the trilogy will be out in mid-July. :) And I am seriously considering writing Vasilije's story, and if I do, look for a great deal more fleshing out. :)
ReplyDeleteGabrielle
Oooh, thanks for the heads-up on the release dates. I eagerly look forward to both Stolen Destiny and Love's Master.
ReplyDeleteAnd the bit about Vasilije makes my day! Even if it's still a possibility, it's exciting to hear. Reading about him in Vampire Dreams, I kept thinking "man, he'd make for one hell of a protagonist!" Thanks for sharing the tidbit...
Quick and dirty, lol, I just found out that those are great to read out in the sun ;)
ReplyDelete