Monday, September 19, 2011

Vampire Vacation - C.J. Ellisson

This is one of my top reads of the season so far.

I really loved this story as it tells about a vampire/human couple who have been happily married for a long time. They run a vacation hotel where couple and their companions can play out some of their hidden fantasies. There is sizzling chemistry and some sex scenes with the husband/wife team ,but nothing over the top...after all with an Inn catering to fulfiling fantasies did you expect anything else?

When a dead body is found in the in things start to go from bad to worse...a rogue vampire, not booked at the inn, is hunting and preying on other patrons. The innkeeper and her husband attempt to find the rogue, but he slips past them for a while. It comes down to our innkeeper contacting an old friend to find out this rogue has a connection to a guest. After things start to escalate they bring in outside help to track and kill this rogue. Let the hunt begin. With guest safety on the line, the innkeeper asks the guests to step up and help. They gladly do and things are finally coming under control. They help seek out the rogue and try to surround and trap him. I won't go much past here as it ruins the great finale awaiting in the end of this novel.

I instantly feel in love with the innkeeper/master vampire Vivian, as she is called. She is funny, witty, a bit of a voyeur and exhibitionist, but has killer instincts I wouldn't want to come up against. She has many vampiric powers, she can sense your deepest thoughts and desires with just a touch, read your emotions, she's empathic and anyone she has a blood bond with is fiercely protected by her and her seethe. She can come unglued at times and almost goes to her dark side when provoked, but with the help of her human husband, Rafe (Rafael) she can calm down and gain her composure. She has put her dark past behind her and has run the Inn for more then 50 years, but when the rogue shows up she knows he's after her for what he claims she did to him to ruin his life.

Rafe is a perfect match for Vivian, he's tall dark, handsome, quirky and has a very dirty mind. Noting of course that Vivian can't handle. With being her bonded mate, he doesn't age and with her blood he also gains some of her powers. This bond also provides one big benefit, they can communicate telepathically. This doesn't just mean words, they can transmit images or videos to one another. Rate is fiercely protective of Vivian, but he knows she can handle her own. 

I give this a 5. Its a great read and the story flows along perfectly. You get an in-depth look at Vivian and Rafe and get a good feel of all the other characters in this cleverly written story.

Highly Recommended!!

4 comments:

  1. Thank you, Sara!! It is so nice to see you saw all the implied concepts I tried my best to convey in the story.

    What you politely gloss over as "nothing over the top" is what so many readers will throw my book down in disgust over. But hey, it just means they aren't my target audience and I need me some more mature readers who like sex in their books ;-)

    Thanks again for your time and for reaching out to me. It means more to me then I can easily put into words.

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  2. Is this thing working?? Gah! I typed up an award-winning comment and then POOF blogger deleted it! So, alas, this one won't be as good.

    *taps chin* What was the brilliance that I had typed?

    Oh, right. So, I have never heard of this book *notes title*. I am seriously intrigued though. I enjoy a unique plot, and this one seems to have one.

    Oh, and C.J., hun, no worries. When they throw it down in disgust, we'll be right there to pick it up, brush it off and show it the proper care and respect it deserves!

    I can't wait to research this one more. I'd like to see the narration style as I am quite picky about that, but the books appears to have a lot of the elements that I look for: characters with actual human qualities (even sups), intriguing plot and tension. Love me some tension--sexual or otherwise.

    Thanks for stopping by Limelight Reviews!

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  3. I keep seeing one of CJ's books on Amazon Kindle that I have been looking at. I have been on the fence about whether to read it or not. Ironically, I believe the book I Have been looking at is a prequel to this story. If I remember correctly it is a Novella and was called Just One Taste. Needless to say, you have piqued my interest and I will be getting aforementioned book to glimpse into the writing style that is CJ Ellison. Thanks much for the review.

    Kendra

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  4. I have never heard of this author before, but your review has piqued my interest as well, and I'll be adding this to my TBR pile.

    Character development is the single most important element of a book to me... I can forgive much if the characters are good and draw me in... and from your review it seems these characters do that easily.

    I also like seeing the supernatural in the real world, so this setting appeals to me.

    Thanks for the great review!

    Louise @ Between the Covers Blog

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