Vampire Vacation (The V V Inn, #1)

Jan 09, 2011 Melinda (Paranormal Kiss) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: erotica, vampire-romance

Vampire Vacation by C.J. Ellisson is a great book. I loved it. It’s about Vivian (Alexandria), who is a 580 year old Vampire. She and her human husband Rafe are currently running a vacation spot, the VV Inn, for Vampires. Vivian is what is called a “Manipulator”, a vampire that has the power to make others believe and see things that aren’t actually happening. She is the last Manipulator and has to keep her ability secret because Manipulator’s are considered too powerful to live. She uses her ab...more

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Apr 24, 2012 =^☺^=mskitty rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I would love to spend a week at Vivian's Vampire Inn. Hot tubs nestled in the snow surrounded by bushs and trees wound with lights, pool area inclosed in glass, complete with palm trees and tropical birds, special rooms that will make any fantasy come true, with a host and hostess making it their mission for you to have all you desire. Except for the week crazy Ivan came for revenge leaving dead and drained bodies in his wake!
Vivian/Alexandrea is a major control freak who has a yummy mate, Rafe,...more

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Jul 20, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: michelle-mcm-s-2012-reading-list, read-july-2012

I really need to stop judging books on their cover! When I first saw this book I expected a light hearted, humourous vampire romance and instead I got a slightly darker mystery that could pass as vampire erotica.

Vivian is a powerful vampire who runs an Inn with her human husband Rafe, Vivian is is an alias that she is using to hide her age, past & more importantly - her power level! One of Vivians powers is that of manipulation which she tends to use in a sexual way to provide the guests wi...more

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Dec 30, 2011 Gj rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is my first review of any book, since I haven't read much until I hit 40. Let me lay out what my perception of the genre was, especially when written from the womans perspective. I assumed vampires were written as boy-toys, love interests or the side kick to a private investigator.
I met CJ, well came across her page on facebook, and figured what the hell, I'll see if my preconceived notions were true. Once opening the e-book I was presently surprised. If I could have read the whole thing...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Meet Vivian. She's a 580-year-old vampire who exudes sex, has a talent for drama, and is passionate about two things: her human husband, Rafe, and their resort for the undead. Her ability to project physical illusions has created the perfect vacation spot -- a dark, isolated Alaskan hideaway where visitors can have their wildest fantasies come true.

Vivian knows the best performance requires perfect timing, but the powerful vamp is put to the test when she discovers a corpse in a locked guestroo...more Meet Vivian. She's a 580-year-old vampire who exudes sex, has a talent for drama, and is passionate about two things: her human husband, Rafe, and their resort for the undead. Her ability to project physical illusions has created the perfect vacation spot -- a dark, isolated Alaskan hideaway where visitors can have their wildest fantasies come true.

Vivian knows the best performance requires perfect timing, but the powerful vamp is put to the test when she discovers a corpse in a locked guestroom minutes before the next arrivals. Always cool-headed, Rafe hides the body, convinced he and Vivian can find the culprit without disturbing their guests.

Juggling the increasingly outrageous demands of their customers while tracking a killer isn't easy. Will their poking and prodding give them the answers they need, or will it uncover secrets Vivian would kill to protect?

May contain spoilers

I got this book to try out a new series, I am so glad that I did, it had me hooked from the first page, I couldn't put it down, it was only when my hubby told me off for not spending time with him, that I realised I had been in my own little world, well Viv's world in Alaska, lol.

If I was ever changed into a vampire, I have to say I really want to be Viv or Dria, whatever you want to call her, she is what I would say is the epitome of a vampire, she has rampant sex with her mate for life, stunning to look at with special powers to boot, what more could you ask for? Can I please be her? I love all the characters in this book, I love that Viv can call on Rafe her life partner/hubby in their minds and that no-one can hear them, I did want to learn more about Rafe, his feelings, he seemed to be the nondominant in the relationship, although there was comments about the fighting where they rip each others clothes off, I would love to have read one of those scenes, I fell in love with Asa, he did not arrive until later in the book but boy he was worth the wait, I love a man from the military, he may not have worn the uniform but all his mannerisms made me think military and the fact that he had been changed, woo hoo, I hope we hear more about him in the rest of the series, would love to see if he gets a partner, want to see him in some sexy scenes, The other alpha male in this book for me was Jon, he is a werewolf who lives on the estate, man was he hot, he needs a good woman *waves hands frantically at you CJ* Please, he needs to let go of some of that sexual charisma that follows him everywhere, I am so looking forward to book 2, will be reading it later today, hope hubby does not mind too much, tee hee. x x (less)

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Feb 06, 2011 Katrina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Stumbling across Cj on Facebook I was lucky enough to have won An arc of Vampire vacation. Being a lover of all vampire, werewolves, and paranormal books I was more than intrigued into reading her novel. Well they say sex sells, and well vampires are the in thing since twilight So I eagerly excepted my win. ;) If you are open minded this book will suit you it does contain sex scenes and is very suggestive but dont be diturbed by this it does have a story line and is not just sex.

Meet Viv a 580...more

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Jan 15, 2010 Julie rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: no one

Shelves: wall-bangers, read-2010, self-published

Disclaimer: This review is based upon the 13,000 word free excerpt posted on the author’s web site. However, this was a DNF for me, so I wouldn’t have finished the entire novel even it were available.

*****

I’m sorry to have to give this such a low rating, but I really wasn’t impressed by this excerpt.

The mechanics of the writing are poor. The story is written in the present tense, which made it a chore to read. I’ve only read one novel ("The House of Sand and Fog" by Andre Dubus) that used the pr...more Disclaimer: This review is based upon the 13,000 word free excerpt posted on the author’s web site. However, this was a DNF for me, so I wouldn’t have finished the entire novel even it were available.

*****

I’m sorry to have to give this such a low rating, but I really wasn’t impressed by this excerpt.

The mechanics of the writing are poor. The story is written in the present tense, which made it a chore to read. I’ve only read one novel ("The House of Sand and Fog" by Andre Dubus) that used the present tense well, but in all the others, including this one, I found it awkward and distracting. The story is also written in the first person, and “I” and “my” are grossly overused (a common pitfall for beginning writers).

The dialogue is a particular weak point. The author very rarely uses “said’ – or in this case “say” – as a dialogue tag. Instead we get “comment”, “confirm”, “add”, “purr”, "direct", "observe", etc., and also non-dialogue tags misused as tags, such as “smile”, “snigger”, and “clears his throat”. Avoiding “said” is another beginner mistake and a *major* pet peeve of mine. The dialogue also oftens sound stiff and forced, and “as you know, Bob…” statements crop up from time to time.

Finally, the story is without context or setting. All we are told is that it’s a hotel, it’s in Alaska, and it’s shaped like a T. The hotel room in the opening scene is barely described at all. The overall lack of description makes it impossible for me to connect with the world in the story. The world doesn't seem concrete or real.

Beyond the simple mechanics listed above, other things bothered me as well.

For instance: some “Huh?” moments occurred. A murder victim with a “dent” in his head and no other obvious injuries loses half his body’s blood volume? How does that happen without any open wound? It’s supposedly dark twenty hours a day at the time of the story, but that means there’s about the same amount of daylight in the summer months; so this really isn’t the best place to have resort for vampires. At one point, Dria (the narrator) has to lean in close to determine that someone is human even though his blood is saturating the room, and another time, she can tell from many feet away that a (non-bleeding) person standing in a group of vampires is human by her scent.

Dria also comes across as shallow and unlikeable to me. For instance, she tapes her visitors in their bedrooms without their knowledge to indulge her voyuerism. Yuck. I also think my dislike for her has to do with the overall tone of the writing, which is inconsistent. Sometimes it's light-hearted wise-cracking, then it's erotic, then it's... I think the story would be vastly improved if the writing was more focused.

In summary, I made it to the end of the excerpt, but I was glad when I got to the last word. I can’t recommend this to anyone. The concept for the story might be interesting, but the execution is quite poor.
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Matthew I know what you mean about the present tense, and that's a very interesting point about the effect on the dialog tags, but honestly after a few pages...more I know what you mean about the present tense, and that's a very interesting point about the effect on the dialog tags, but honestly after a few pages I found it didn't make any difference. I'm usually sensitive to things like odd dialog tags. The published manuscript actually generally elides dialog tags except where strictly necessary. Pretty much by 1/4 of the way through, I totally forgot it was in present tense.

I'm not a huge fan of explicit erotic writing or the vampire genre in general, but I didn't find it difficult at all to finish the entire book in its final, published form. I've critiqued some stories whose prose was so dreadful a thousand words was a painful chore, but I didn't feel that way about this story. I agree there are some logical holes in the plot, but none so gaping as you suggest. For example a "dent" in the head large enough to fit a man's fist will almost certainly bleed copiously. The question in the scene you mention isn't whether the victim was "human" but rather "fully human" (e.g. not a vampire companion or mate). That kind of potential confusion is pretty much inherent in any kind of fantasy world where the specific rules haven't been established for the reader yet.

I was rather more concerned about the pacing of the first half or so of the book, which a product of (a) an unreasonably large cast of characters and (b) more explicit sex scenes than I thought the story could really accommodate. Of course what I call "too much" some people would call "not enough". Once all the characters are onstage, the pace of the story picks up considerably, however the somewhat cluttered opening of the book left insufficient room for setting up suspense in the later chapters. This gets to your point about the focus in the writing. The villain needed a stronger build-up and the heroine's vulnerabilities needed to be established.

I can understand being uncomfortable with Vivian's spying on her guests, but in fact I think this is really part of what is the book's greatest strength. Being a vampire in this book is all about power, domination and survival. Consequently, vampires aren't nice people, even when they are on the whole good. Relationships involving vampires always have morally dubious aspects. If anything, I think Ellison softens Vivian's edges *too* much. Vivian is more credible when she's being hard-nosed, cynical and sneaky. Vampires are monsters after all, or at least they used to be, and I don't think it works to make them too virtuous by human standards.

Of course, the real point of the video surveillance thing was plain old peeping-tom erotic voyeurism, but from an in-story perspective it makes perfect sense for Dria to do sneaky, underhanded things like spying on her guests.

It's hard once a story has rubbed you the wrong way to be objective about its strengths and weaknesses. It's the halo effect. Once you've found something not to like, it's hard to see what else might be likable in the story.

Vampires and explicit sex aren't my usual cup of tea, but overall I enjoyed this book, and thought it was pretty good for first novel. It has its technical flaws, as first novels often do, but it also has offsetting virtues. Those virtues shouldn't be discounted, and I believe they will earn this book many devoted fans, to the amazement and consternation of its detractors. A more technically perfect debut might have won this author a wider circle of admirers, but in my opinion it's more important to write something that some people will love than something nobody will hate.(less)
1 de Oct 15:00

Sofia Galvez i agree with you, and I finished it. The whole story has too many contradictions.
29 de Jun 08:39

M A *sighs* This sounds like the story might have more promise if the writing was stronger. It's terrible when authors don't refine their craft. : (
2 de Feb 14:28

Sep 28, 2012 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very good and exciting new series. I can't wait to read the rest. I enjoy the subtle complexity of the main character. I also liked how her life and history were slowly, appropriately, and methodically laid out. All of the main characters in this book were well defined and developed. A gold star for the author.

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Mar 05, 2013 Suralxiong rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: current-001

Vampire Vacation(The V V Inn,Book 1) by C.J. Ellisson

I don't usually read Erotica.

Now there's something I hadn't expected to write in a review.

Honestly, I've been reading the free books that are available in e-book format and ran across the sample of this one. Because I don't usually read Erotica, I almost did not pick up the rest of this to read.

I've read a few other books that have taken me out of my comfort zone before so it wasn't quite a matter of feeling uncomfortable. I think it was m...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Guilty Pleasures rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: guiltypleasures-alyn, publishersent

Alyn's review posted on Guilty Pleasures

Vivian/Alexandria is the owner of the V.V. Inn (Punn Intended) in Alaska. A vampire much older than she is willing to admit, she is the owner and hostess of the quiet retreat that offers a little taste of heaven for vampires and their guests. With various rooms to fit every need and fantasy, vampires are willing to spend a pretty penny to spend time in the lavish getaway for the undead. During a routine check of the suites of her establishment, Vivian stum...more Alyn's review posted on Guilty Pleasures

Vivian/Alexandria is the owner of the V.V. Inn (Punn Intended) in Alaska. A vampire much older than she is willing to admit, she is the owner and hostess of the quiet retreat that offers a little taste of heaven for vampires and their guests. With various rooms to fit every need and fantasy, vampires are willing to spend a pretty penny to spend time in the lavish getaway for the undead. During a routine check of the suites of her establishment, Vivian stumbles upon a dead human that she does not know. Unsure of what happened or why, Vivian entrusts her mate, Rafe to put the body on ice and clean up the mess before her incoming guests arrive. Forced to deal with a murder that must be solved, and a resort filled with guests that must be entertained, Vivian has her work cut out for her.

I had no clue what to expect when I started reading this novel other than the fact that it looked fun. The cover reminded me a bit of the television show “Bewitched” with the beautiful cartoon woman sitting by a full moon. Vivian’s character is strong and her relationship with her bonded mate is dedicated and funny. Despite the many advances Vivian recieves throughout the story, she is quick to remind others that she is happily married. The relationship she has is playful and the banter between the two will make you smile as the taunting goes back and forth. Additionally, Vivian is a very old and powerful vampire with the ability to project her thoughts and read the thoughts of those she comes in contact with. This makes for some very interesting scenes when she becomes aroused and that arousal rubs off on others. Adding her ability to place suggestions into the minds of others and you are in for some unique looks into the power of suggestion.

As if timing isn’t bad enough, one of Vivian’s guests wants to join her family on a more permanent basis. Happy with her life as it is, the idea of another vampire in the house does not sit well with Vivian but she is willing to let him prove himself. When she uses her gift to touch his mind and determine his reasoning for wanting to join her, she is taken back to a past she has tried for years to forget. Could this vampire be tied to the murder somehow? The woman in his memories seems so familiar, and it can’t be a coincidence that he is asking to join the family the same time a murder occurs on her property. When Vivian realizes that she may need some extra help getting answers and solving the murder, she enlists the help of a friend who sends a former military man turned vampire. Without any other choices, Vivian goes against everything she has wanted to face her past and solve a murder that is closer to home than she realizes.

I was not disappointed with the mystery weaved throughout this story. The characters are not overly complex but offer enough detail to gain your attention and keep you involved in the story. What I did have a little trouble with was the oversaturation of detail in this story. While I agree that authors should paint a picture with their words, this story becomes tiresome at times due to over explanation of everything from wall coloring to wainscoting. Sometimes less is more and leaving a little to the imagination is not a bad thing. Aside from that, the storyline was complex and I truly enjoyed the intricacy of the plot. It is an entertaining mystery with a little bit of naughty to keep even the pickiest reader satisfied.(less)

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Jun 25, 2012 Elise Marion rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My feelings on this book are a bit mixed. There were some unique and interesting elements to the vampire and werewolf dynamic that I appreciated. I liked the premise and the setting, as well as the first person narrative. However, there were a few things that kept me from liking it as much as I wanted to. I did enjoy it overall, so I am going to try to write this review in a balanced way.

For one thing, I was not fond of the main character. This is a big deal, as everything happens through her ey...more My feelings on this book are a bit mixed. There were some unique and interesting elements to the vampire and werewolf dynamic that I appreciated. I liked the premise and the setting, as well as the first person narrative. However, there were a few things that kept me from liking it as much as I wanted to. I did enjoy it overall, so I am going to try to write this review in a balanced way.

For one thing, I was not fond of the main character. This is a big deal, as everything happens through her eyes. I found her to be conceited and self-centered and not all that likeable. I also found it creepy that she spied on her hotel guests using a camera system. This element was meant to add to the erotic nature of the book, it actually turned me off and I found myself wanting to skip those scenes. I felt that if the author wanted us to see what was going on with other people, she shouldn't have written this book in first person because it really limits the scope.

Even though I didn't like Vivian aka Dria, I loved the secondary characters. Her husband Rafe, Jon the werewolf, Asa the security man, and Drew the visiting vampire were all favorites of mine, particularly Rafe. The men were strong and charming, and each had their own appeal. I liked the dynamic between Jon and Rafe, as the two compete for Vivian's attention, although it's pretty obvious that she is all about Rafe, her mate. I felt this balanced the book and made me forget that I did not care for the heroine.
. I also think some of the sex actually slowed down the story flow. Yes, I know it's erotica, but even in erotic books the sex should add to the flow of the story. There were a few scenes that seemed thrown in. Almost like the author was thinking: 'Hmmm, haven't written a sex scene in a while and this is an erotic book. Better throw one in here.' It lessened the impact of the other, relevant sexual scenes.

While I quite enjoyed the pacing in some places, I felt this book dragged in the beginning and in the end. In the first chapters, there are too many people being introduced; so many, in fact, that I kept forgetting who was who as the story went along. It took me a while to get them all straight in my head. The story picks up from there, but them drags again at the end. I wanted the hunt for the villain to pack a punch, but instead I found myself annoyed as the last chapters dragged on for pages. I found myself skipping some paragraphs because a lot of the info given was irrelevant and didn't add to the story.

That said, I think much of the info dump is a setup for the other books in the series. I also think this book is worth hanging in there as the next book in the series looks quite promising. I hope to be able to give it a better rating--I do plan on reading it--because I think the potential of this book has set some good groundwork for it.
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Mar 24, 2012 My Book Addiction and More MBA rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I received this book to review the publisher said it made “monogamy hot”. That’s the truth. Vivian and Rafe have been married 65 years and still can’t keep their hands off each other, and only each other, even when surrounded by staff and guests who don’t always share their marital devotion. Their wildly successful inn provides a place for vampires and their humans to enjoy vacation pleasures like skiing, bowling and relaxing – oh yeah, and to act out their wildest sexual fantasies. When Vi...more

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Jan 22, 2012 Catherine rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love the premise of a very old vampire with special powers (powers that are feared by other vampires) has created a little niche in Alaska. The location is perfect, not many people, with darkness 20 hours a day!

The author beautifully weaves a story about Vivian's (Dria's) past and present, while delicately balancing her future. The story exudes sex and sensuality, confidence, love, loyalty, morals, vengeance, wrath, mystery, and a bit of violence. The name of Viv's game is manipulation - for h...more

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Dec 10, 2011 Sapphyria rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a great paranormal mystery. Alexandria (Dria to her husband Rafe) and Rafe own The V V Inn in Alaska where it's dark 24/7. Because of the name of the inn most customers and people on staff call Alexandria "Vivian" or "Viv." I found this too be an interesting play on words.

It's never a good thing when you're an innkeeper expecting your next wave of guests and, while inspecting the rooms, you find a dead body; especially the dead body of someone not registered as a guest. Throughout the bo...more

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Oct 01, 2011 Donna (BLHmistress) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Now that I went and cooled off a bit after reading this book, I think I can write what I think. First I have to say I have read only one other book that was based in Alaska so I enjoyed that part of the book as well as the unique take of running a Vampire Inn.

As many stories that I have read with vampires as the main paranormal I never read one with or even thought about a vampire running a vacation spot for vampires. I found this extremely unique and also Vivian is a very snarky okay some will...more

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Mar 29, 2011 Loves To Dive rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Holiday Inn meets the Monsters

Dria and Rafe own your normal ordinary high end B&B in Alaska, with one exception, it's for vampires. The book starts off with Dria our owner and a master vampire, also known as Vivian, inspecting rooms before guests are to arrive only to find a dead man in one. What's a proprietor to do? Dria and Rafe, her mate, decide to store the body to deal with later and get on with welcoming their new guests. Let the fun and mayhem begin.

We meet a diverse set of guests a...more

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Dec 17, 2010 Grammy 1 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

4 **** STAR

Book: Vampire Vacation
Author: C.J. Ellisson
Publisher: RH Publishing
Genre: Vampire
Rating: Mature

C.J. Ellisson has written a light hearted fun vacation for her vampire novel. What a great idea. The background is a large Inn in the Alaskan Wilderness, and the Innkeeper is a 450 odd year old vampire named Alexandria, Dria to her husband Rafe, and Vivian to her staff and guests. Vivian is a play on words from the VV Inn.

We learn that Vivian and Rafe are bonded mates. He has not been ‘turne...more 4 **** STAR

Book: Vampire Vacation
Author: C.J. Ellisson
Publisher: RH Publishing
Genre: Vampire
Rating: Mature

C.J. Ellisson has written a light hearted fun vacation for her vampire novel. What a great idea. The background is a large Inn in the Alaskan Wilderness, and the Innkeeper is a 450 odd year old vampire named Alexandria, Dria to her husband Rafe, and Vivian to her staff and guests. Vivian is a play on words from the VV Inn.

We learn that Vivian and Rafe are bonded mates. He has not been ‘turned’, but has gone through a ritual of blood exchange with Dria, while still human. Dria has worked very hard through the years to let no one know too much about her personally. Only Rafe is privy to her secrets, and she would like to keep it that way.

The hotel has ‘seethes’ which are families of vampires who come to vacation, and who find this Inn very appealing to their senses. There are normal activities, with indoor pools, hot tubs and also any outside activities. Inside there is a gym, exercise room, bars, discos, and dining for human guests. On some of the other floors there are rooms that host various types of sexual fantasies that could whet any appetite.

Dria and Rafe have been very successful as Innkeepers, and this hotel is very popular. They have people that work there as living human feeders for a vampire, like 24 hour room service. So you get the picture. So what would happen if there was a bloody murder committed at the hotel?

Ms Ellisson has written a fun, charming, sexy, murder mystery. Along with the solving, we meet other characters that are very appealing and add to the storyline. Dria and Rafe spice up the pages with their constant sensual desire for each other, and the best part is that they can speak to each other mind to mind through their bond. So you have the wicked thoughts as well as the humorous ones. I have read that there will be a sequel, called The Hunt, and I look forward to it.

Review by Gloria Lakritz
Senior Reviewer for The Paranormal Romance Guild

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Nov 26, 2010 Tiny Reverse Vampire rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Vivacious Vampire Vacation

I give this book 4 bats with tiaras out of 5 bats because it was a great read and always leaves you wanting more.

This little gem of a story has been a great find and read. I am one of those people that usually if a book doesn't interest me by the end of the first chapter, it is doomed to have to work the rest of the book to hold my interest. Vampire Vacation on the other hand had my attention by the end of the little glossary of people in the front of the book. it makes...more

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Nov 01, 2010 Steph rated it 4 of 5 stars

The gist of the book:
Ex vampire assassin turned resort owner Vivian is hoping all goes smoothly while she prepare for her undead guests to arrive. One last check in a room leads to nothing but a bloody mess. With less then an hour before her guest arrive she must get rid of the bloody corpse, fix the carpet and find out who the hell did the murder while being a gracious host to the horny Vamps that are arriving shortly! Enters her sexy human bonded mate Rafe to soothe her worries and sexual desi...more

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Jan 17, 2010 Gregory Marshall Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An excellent novel from C.J. Ellison. I had the privilege of reading this as if was being formed and I was mesmerized. Yes, C.J. is my friend, but you have to understand that my characters normally hunt down and kill vampires. I've never been a fan of the "Twilight" kind of romantic vampire, but C.J.'s book drew me in and made me like Vivian and her husband.

The romance (okay, let's call it sex) is raw and hot and, yet, does not cheapen the plot. The action, when it really starts, moves quickly a...more

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Sep 30, 2011 Natalie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As the story opens, Viv and her hubby Rafe, who is human and she has a blood bond with, are getting ready for their guests to show up. Viv discovers a body, and now she and her hubby and their staff are on the hunt for a killer. Viv is a Manipulator, which means she is a vampire that has powers to make other believe AND see things that are not really there or happening, and she is the last one, but with these power's she must keep them a secret as Manipulator's are considered way to powerful to...more As the story opens, Viv and her hubby Rafe, who is human and she has a blood bond with, are getting ready for their guests to show up. Viv discovers a body, and now she and her hubby and their staff are on the hunt for a killer. Viv is a Manipulator, which means she is a vampire that has powers to make other believe AND see things that are not really there or happening, and she is the last one, but with these power's she must keep them a secret as Manipulator's are considered way to powerful to live.

Viv's only has two things that are the most important things to her, her human hubby Rafe, and her resort which is located in Alaska, which I found a very cool place to have a resort, you don't find many resort's in Alaska in a vampire story, I found this very original. So Viv uses her powers to help her guest have a wonderful time while staying at the resort, Viv can see what they want most, what they desire the most......sexually, she is true to her hubby Rafe this ability is only used for her guest's.

I really enjoyed Vampire Vacation, although it's about Vampire's, they is a very diverse and mix of employees and guest, vampires and werewolves and humans and not to mention all the sex. It has lots of sex almost boarding on Erotic but not quite. It was a great mix, through in some mystery, some humor and a great who don-it, you've got your self a great book here. It was nice and easy to read, but pay attention as there are some great twists and turns you won't want to miss out on. I love to read anything paranormal, and this one had pretty much everything I love to read about, well throw in some sex, I did tell you about the sex right lol, and you got yourself a fantastic read. It grabs you right from the beginning and holds you right to the end of the novel. I loved the cover art for the book, that caught my eye right away, It's beautiful.

I can't wait for the next book in the series to come out, I have the priviledge of being able to read and review it for C.J. Ellisson and i must say I am so excited to be doing so. I will have my review posted Oct 7. I hope you will all get a chance to pick up your copy, and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. Enjoy!!!!!!

Nattie(less)

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Dec 22, 2009 Melody rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Melody by: The author sent me an e-ARC! :O)

Shelves: 2009-read, paranormals

Let me start by saying, this is an as yet unpublished work by an as yet unpublished author. (I’m sure that won’t remain the case for long!) I very much enjoyed this read, in fact, once I got past the first chapter or so, I couldn’t stop reading.

(Ms. Ellisson was generous enough to provide me with an ARC of her novel with 3 stipulations: that I write a review of the work, that should I rate her work to be less than 3 stars, I withhold posting my opinion until publication of the work, and that I n...more Let me start by saying, this is an as yet unpublished work by an as yet unpublished author. (I’m sure that won’t remain the case for long!) I very much enjoyed this read, in fact, once I got past the first chapter or so, I couldn’t stop reading.

(Ms. Ellisson was generous enough to provide me with an ARC of her novel with 3 stipulations: that I write a review of the work, that should I rate her work to be less than 3 stars, I withhold posting my opinion until publication of the work, and that I not pass the work along to others. The review you’ll find below. As I can honestly rate this work closer to a 3.5 than a 3, I have no qualms about posting this review. And if you’d like to read the book, contact Ms. Ellisson, or pass her name on to your favorite publisher.)

Dria (aka Vivian) and Rafe have been together for 65 years when we meet them and the depth of understanding and affection in their relationship was very well written. I loved this couple and really enjoyed their connection. I like the idea of the Vampire Vacation Inn, an erotic-fantasy destination vacation spot for Vampires (yes, reminiscent of Nina Bangs' Castle of Dark Dreams Trilogy, in a good way but missing the lol humor). I enjoyed the mystery aspects to the story, in parts the novel read very much like a WhoDoneIt. And I found the secondary characters (for the most part) interesting and the backstory of Dria’s history fascinating (hopefully we’ll see more of the past in future titles in the series).

This novel came close to hitting 4 stars for me (my ultimate criteria for 4 stars is re-readability). My issues are mostly those we find with first time authors. I felt the opening chapters were bit abrupt and confusing (I honestly wondered what I had gotten myself into there for a moment). The novel has a bit of a multiple-personality issue when it comes to genre, it’s erotica, it’s paranormal, it’s mystery, and the different pieces don’t always play well together. And I found the Inn’s Vampiric guests just a little too nice and understanding for my taste, I wanted the visiting masters to have a more adverse reaction when Vivian begins to show her true self, or at least a humorous one.

All things considered, this would definitely be a series I would read and re-read given a good editor’s hand, and if a new novel ever deserved a good editor, it’s this one.

I’m looking forward to seeing this novel in print and reading those as yet unwritten by Ms. Ellisson.
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Dec 19, 2012 Caitlin Bampton rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

when my mate show me this book and told me to read it i pretty laugh in her face because i never ever read a book in my life not even for school or uni she wouldn't let go so to get her to leave me alone i told her i will read the first chapter the next thing i know i have read the whole thing and i loved it couldn't think of a better book to start to get me reading.i guest it teaches me to judge before i read it.

i love how Rafe an Vivian have been married for 65 years and they can't keep their...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Steph at Starry Night Book Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Vivian is a 580 year old vampire who owns V V Inn along with her husband Rafe. This is no regular hotel, this is a hotel for vampires and their human mates / counter parts. Sex is the main object in this hotel they have everything right down to themed rooms oh yeah you heard me.

Vivian is happy spending her days in the cold dark north, Hiding her powers from the tribunal because if they found out they’d try to kill her.

When a dead body is found in one of the rooms in her hotel the search is on...more

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Jun 06, 2012 Beverly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: want-to-read-again

Vampire Vacation - This has to be one of the most attention getting books I have read in a long time. The last author to have this effect on me was Laurell K Hamilton. Having said that; the characters in this book are well rounded to the point that I can almost see them. I feel as if I want to vacation at this resort as CJ Ellisson has made this place come alive in my mind. I was not able to put the book down for very long before wanting to continue reading again. And the ending of the book is n...more

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Oct 30, 2010 Chibineko rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While there have been a lot of vampire books flooding the market, I can safely say that I haven’t seen a novel combine vampires, sex, mystery, AND innkeeping. Shoot, I’ve never seen a vampire hotel themed book before, so that element alone intrigued me.

Ancient vampire Vivian runs an Alaskan inn that caters to an ultra exclusive crowd, specializing in erotic pleasures. Money can’t buy your way in, nor will wearing the right clothing. No, to gain a room in this hotel you have to be an owner of a...more While there have been a lot of vampire books flooding the market, I can safely say that I haven’t seen a novel combine vampires, sex, mystery, AND innkeeping. Shoot, I’ve never seen a vampire hotel themed book before, so that element alone intrigued me.

Ancient vampire Vivian runs an Alaskan inn that caters to an ultra exclusive crowd, specializing in erotic pleasures. Money can’t buy your way in, nor will wearing the right clothing. No, to gain a room in this hotel you have to be an owner of a pair of fangs or at least be traveling with someone who does. Vivian’s pretty happy to spend her days quietly in the cold North, hiding her true powers from those would have her dead. When a dead body is found in one of the hotel rooms & old threats from the past threaten to re-emerge, it is going to take Vivian’s entire arsenal to figure out what is going on & to keep her precious peace from being disturbed.

Liberally sprinkling generous portions of red hot sex scenes in with a mystery that is slow to reveal its secrets, Ellisson gives the audience the usual vampire powers with just enough new additions to make the book interesting. Having a vampire run a hotel just for her fanged counterparts to freely romp in is something that isn’t usually seen, which works surprisingly well.

The only downfall of the book is that there’s a LOT of back story going on here, so much that some readers will wonder if they’ve picked up the second book in a series or if there are previous books out there further detailing Vivian’s exploits. Ellisson does her best to elaborate on Vivian’s past in brief glimpses, but it will still leave some readers feeling like they’re being left a little in the dark & looking for prequel novels. Vivian's history seems to be so intense that I couldn't help but feel like it was a little underserved by there not being a previous volume or two about her.

Overall, this is a decent first novel by Ellisson. There are a few rough spots to work out here & there (mostly dealing with Vivian’s past as noted above), the spicy & lovingly written sex really makes up for it.

I will let you guys know that while there is going to be a sequel dealing with things mentioned at the end of the book, the author has told me that there will be a prequel to the novels dealing with Vivian's past. So fear not- we'll eventually get a novel dealing with all of the past mentioned in the book!

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Dec 12, 2012 Jenn rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

More gym reading. This one was just horrible. First off, the cover makes it look like it's in the genre of the cozy mystery...perhaps light paranormal romance. Don't let that fool you. It's one step away from being erotica. It's got slightly more plot than most erotica I've read, but that's not saying very much.

The main character is supposedly a rare, older vampire. She likes to pretend that she's very old and wise, but she acts like she was just turned yesterday half the time. She goes on and o...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The V V Inn Series
I have spent the last two days completely immersed in the first two books in this series. Thank goodness I have been off work while I was reading this series and that I have been reading it in the privacy of my own home. This is one HOT series.
The V V Inn is located in Alaska and deep in the Arctic Circle. Perfect for the Vampires that are the patrons of this fabulous hotel. This is no ordinary hotel though, the hotel is owned by Vivianne a 580 year old vampire and her human hu...more The V V Inn Series
I have spent the last two days completely immersed in the first two books in this series. Thank goodness I have been off work while I was reading this series and that I have been reading it in the privacy of my own home. This is one HOT series.
The V V Inn is located in Alaska and deep in the Arctic Circle. Perfect for the Vampires that are the patrons of this fabulous hotel. This is no ordinary hotel though, the hotel is owned by Vivianne a 580 year old vampire and her human husband. Vivianne has a special talent that makes the experience of staying in her hotel a very special one. Vivianne can project her thoughts and feelings out to the people around her. She can also read from one touch what the deepest fantasies and desires are of that individual be them human, werewolf or vampire.
Vampire Vacation:
Vivianne is a woman who adores the pleasures of the flesh and cannot get enough of her husband, which I find cute. They have a fabulous bond and can talk to each other telepathically and can feel each others feelings and emotions though the bond. There are some definite advantages to this bond and I know a few people who wouldn’t mind having this bond with their partners.
While on a last-minute walk through of the rooms that have been prepared for the next guests, Viv makes an unwelcome discovery. A human has been killed in one of the locked rooms and with the next guests due to arrive in minutes, she must think fast and remove the body and all its traces before the guests arrive. Her husband Rae, helps her with this task as the scent of the blood is having an effect on Viv and its an effect she can’t afford with her new guests arrival imminent.
Viv takes care of the new guests before returning her attentions to the dead human. Her methods of taking care of her new guests is definitely an interesting one and a novel idea that is something I haven’t come across in anything I’ve read before and one I really enjoyed.
Vivianne must contend with running the hotel and taking care of the guests that expect to have a wonderful time, while trying to figure out who murdered the man in her hotel. Soon it becomes clear that things are not going to be easy! And so a hunt for the killer on the compound of the hotel begins with a lot of things to happen along the way. For the rest you will just have to read the book yourself as to say more would give too much away and I don’t want to ruin the reading experience for you by giving spoilers.
The Hunt:
The second book in the series takes up two months after the events of Vampire Vacation. Vivianne has had to cope with the fall out from the events of the hunt for the killer that came to her hotel, and she has some new vampires in her seethe (clan/family) to get used to too. Vivianne has had the idea to hold a Hunt on the complex again, only this time people/guests will have to pay for the excitement and the hunted will be decreed by the Vampire Counsel.
But as always, things are not as easy as they first appear. This week-long hunt will be testing for all involved and the female being hunted is not going to allow herself to be caught and exterminated easily.
This series has everything a girl could want, there are hot vampires, sexy werewolves and mystery. And did I mention the sex scenes? There are some graphic scenes that will leave you a little hot under the collar and for that reason taking the author’s advice I would absolutely say this is not a series for younger readers or for anyone who does not like their love scenes graphic and detailed.
I was thrilled that I had both books in this series to read back to back and that the second book takes up the story so soon after the first. Both books come in just under the 300, but they are both books that you want to end. I for one hope that there will be more to this series and I will definitely look out for books by this author again.
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Aug 22, 2011 Annette M Guerriero Nishimoto rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Today's review is on Vampire Vacation by C.J. Ellisson

Vampire Vacation is the firs installment in Ellisson's, The V V Inn series and is bound to tickle your fancy. It has action, mystery, love, and sex. It's a wonderful rendition the modern vampire woman. She can be beautiful, successful, and powerful all in one.

Dria; aka Vivian, and her human mate Rafe own and operate the V V Inn in the Arctic Circle that caters to their guests every need. Hot tubs in the snowdrifts, secluded cabins, an indoor...more

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Jan 24, 2011 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: from-olivia, paranormal, quick-reads, wishlist

What a fun read, I was really forewarned about some of the content and I'll admit reading it on the bus, not probably the wisest decisions, hope whomever was reading over my shoulder enjoyed :). I really enjoyed the mystery portion of this book, it was a well written fun who dun it novel that was a nice break for more religion filled books I've been reading. I can't wait for the sequel, and will probably be making my hubby read this one as well.

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Vampire Vacation (The V V Inn #1)

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