Between a Vamp and a Hard Place

November 16, 2015
Sims (the Midnight Liaisons series) sets this paranormal romance in present-day Lincoln, Neb., where Lindsey Hughes and her best friend, Gemma, run an antiques booth. They need a cash infusion big enough to let them buy a shop of their own. But the estate in Italy that Gemma buys on the cheap comes with a vampire in suspended animation in a coffin in the basement. Rand FitzWulf, the vampire, would like to know who staked him and left him in the coffin for 600 years. He also falls hard for Lindsey, who has an extremely rare blood type that tastes delicious to vampires. Of course, Rand’s enemies are likely to be vampires too. This is a fast, fun, but wildly inconsistent novel in which the humor is almost ruined by uneven characterization, and the suspense is entirely destroyed by a general lack of clarity. Beginning with a basement in Venice, the improbabilities never stop. The book goes by pleasantly, but without leaving much of an aftertaste. Agent: Holly Root, Waxman Agency.

December 1, 2015
Lindsey and her best friend, Gemma, joint owners of an antique furniture store, purchase an estate in Venice, Italy, hoping to find something of value. The property seems to be modest until Lindsey stumbles upon a secret room that holds priceless Chinese vases and a vampire sleeping in a coffin. Rand FitzWulf, who was impaled through the heart 600 years ago, wakes when Lindsey removes the stake. In a compelling plot line, Rand sets out to track down the villain who assaulted him way back when, accompanied, at first begrudgingly, by Lindsey. Rand and Lindsey are likable protagonists. She is tough, blunt, and bawdy. Though a killer, he is an erudite, melancholic old soul. While Sims focuses on their budding relationship, she doesn't skimp on vampire fun, being sure to include garlic, hallowed ground, and holy water. Explicit sex scenes and a strange blood-sucking fetish bring in elements of erotica, but the fully dimensional characters, witty dialogue, and humorous anachronisms add a good deal more. For vampire-romance fans with a sense of humor.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)