** spoiler alert ** Book 12 in the Love at Stake vampire series

This book focuses on Phineas McKinney, basically the comic relief in most of the preceding books. I always believed that Ms. Sparks would make Phineas’ story into a novella. He always seemed like such a one dimensional character. I only ever saw him as a comic relief character, so I wasn’t very excited about this new release. However, I have to say that I was wrong- bit time! Ms. Sparks was able to transform Phineas/Dr. Phang/The Love Doctor/The Blardonnay Guy from a one dimensional character into someone you really cared for in four chapters flat!

Phineas’ love interest is Brynley Jones, a werewolf, who unfortunately hates vampires. However, they have to team up together. Phineas (also his younger brother Freedmont makes in appearance in this book as his wanna be agent turned future MacKay S&I employee) needs to track down a lead on Corky Courrant (now the Queen of the Malcontents) and his only ally is Bryn because everyone else is searching for Corky elsewhere. Wyoming is a long stretch. Of course there are plenty of issues. Such as the danger of Bryn returning to Wyoming because her dad is the Pack Master and was going to force her to marry (which is why she ran away).

Turns out Corky has teamed up with Rhett (the werewolf from Alaska that Bryn is apparently still supposed to marry). During their hunt Phineas meets Nate, a friend of Bryn’s who had to turn to a vampire because his brother and Rhett nearly killed him (I’m sure Nate will eventually get his own story). Phineas and Nate also come across a black were bear called Digger. During the final battle at the end of the book Bryn (again) refuses to marry Rhett and announces to her father she’s going to marry Phineas and when her dad goes to attack her she partially shifts her body to wolf (meaning that she turned Alpha). The only female alpha alive, very valuable. So, in the mayhem that breaks loose Rhett kills Corky, Phineas gets bitten by a werewolf, and Bryn’s dad gives his blessing.

After several days of an in-between state, Phineas finally emerges as part-vampire/part-werewolf. He still drinks blood, but can go out in sunlight, doesn’t teleport as well (so far), and has to shift every full moon. And he can father children again. Brynley is pregnant with twins!

I really enjoyed this book, however for me it was all about the characters and plot; I didn’t feel a lot of “romance.” I am very, very excited about Ms. Sparks’ next book Wild About You which will be featuring there were-bear Howard!!! Yesssss, I LOVE HOWARD!!!