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The Bite Before Christmas
Book by Baumbach, Laura, Guillone, Sedonia, Tunstall, Kit
254 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2006
About the author
Laura Baumbach
49 books312 followersLaura Baumbach is the best-selling, multi-award winning, acclaimed author of short stories, novellas, novels and screenplays. Most recently, Mexican Heat, written in collaboration with Josh Lanyon, has been chosen as a FINALIST for Best Gay Romance in the 2009 Lambda Literary Awards, a FINALIST in the 2010 EPPIE Awards, and has received an Honorable Mention at the 2009 San Francisco Book Festival. Laura was nominated for Best GBLT Author 2008 in the LRC's Best Of Awards for 2008. Her adventure story The Lost Temple of Karttikeya won the 2008 EPPIE Award for Best GLBT novel. Her sequel to the best-selling novel A Bit of Rough, Roughhousing, was 2007 Reviewers' Choice Award Winner.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 13, 2010
Sin & Salvation - 2 stars - I found this to be the weakest of the three stories. The characters, the story line and the action were all a little 'blah'. The main characters could have easily been two females or a male/female pairing rather than male/male given their mannerisms.
A Vampire for Christmas - 3 stars - The story started out with an interesting twist to the vampire world. Sadly, the limited length of the story left much of the intent of the beginning behind in lieu of the erotic aspect which were limited but still far more interesting than the sex in the first story.
The Master's Gift - 3 stars - Interesting but lacking plot. Features both M/M and M/M/F pairings.
Sadly, none of the vampires in these stories were worthwhile vampires. Nothing about them truly said vampire and they could have easily just been well built attractive men.
A Vampire for Christmas - 3 stars - The story started out with an interesting twist to the vampire world. Sadly, the limited length of the story left much of the intent of the beginning behind in lieu of the erotic aspect which were limited but still far more interesting than the sex in the first story.
The Master's Gift - 3 stars - Interesting but lacking plot. Features both M/M and M/M/F pairings.
Sadly, none of the vampires in these stories were worthwhile vampires. Nothing about them truly said vampire and they could have easily just been well built attractive men.
February 17, 2010
This review is only for Laura Baumbach's Sin and Salvation
Gosh, I love it when Laura Baumbach writes about vampires. Ian and Trevor are two lovers, been together for over 100 years. On Christmas Eve 1823, when Trevor nearly died after an attack by thugs, out of love, Ian turned Trevor into vampire. Ian has felt guilty ever since then so every Christmas Eve after that day, he let Trevor roamed out to do justice. But tonight, he felt melancholy, he feared for his lover, and as he reminisced the day that they first met, Ian made a wish to the star for his lover to come home safe. It's so, so beautiful, so tender and melancholy *sigh*
Gosh, I love it when Laura Baumbach writes about vampires. Ian and Trevor are two lovers, been together for over 100 years. On Christmas Eve 1823, when Trevor nearly died after an attack by thugs, out of love, Ian turned Trevor into vampire. Ian has felt guilty ever since then so every Christmas Eve after that day, he let Trevor roamed out to do justice. But tonight, he felt melancholy, he feared for his lover, and as he reminisced the day that they first met, Ian made a wish to the star for his lover to come home safe. It's so, so beautiful, so tender and melancholy *sigh*
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August 16, 2008The Bite Before Christmas by Laura Baumbach (2007)
November 1, 2012
Enjoyable stories overall with good sex scenes
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
"Sin and Salvation" by Laura Baumbach - 8/10
PROS:
- Trevor is completely inexperienced in the ways of the world, and watching Ian’s tentative seduction of him is delightful.
- There’s a comment on the front of the book from a reviewer that says, “Some of the steamiest sex I have ever read,” and if I had to guess, I would say that comment pertains to this story. I read quite a bit of m/m romance, so I’ve lost the ability to remember which are the hottest sex scenes I’ve ever read, but the ones in this story are up there.
- The end of the story--and by that, I mean the last 10 to 15 pages--is sweet, part of it in a way I didn’t anticipate.
CON:
- The characters fall in love really quickly. This is a common feature of vampire stories, I’m learning, though (I haven’t read many), and I liked this one better than any other vampire story I’ve read.
"A Vampire for Christmas" by Sedonia Guillone - 7/10
PROS:
- One of the plot elements in this story is unique (at least, I’ve never come across it in the limited amount of vampire reading I’ve done). I like the idea that there are different types of vampires and that Coeurs Eternels are innately compassionate.
- The sex scenes are worth reading. They’re erotic and everything, but my favorite thing about them is that Christian is a very tender lover.
CONS:
- The guys fall in love too quickly for me. (I know, this comment sounds familiar…) I understand sudden and irrepressible lust, and even the soul-deep longing for an emotional connection. But I just can’t make my mind process the development of Forever Love when the characters have known each other for only a matter of hours.
- A few things--for example, the fact that immortals sometimes develop weaknesses to certain natural elements like lead--are mentioned so many times that they become a little redundant. And there a few little instances of “duh” language: “Jesse was pliant under his touch, obviously relieved his lover hadn’t been murdered.”
"The Master’s Gift" by Kit Tunstall - 7/10
PROS:
- The story interested me right from the start with its mention of the VCLU--the Vampire Civil Liberties Union. I haven’t read many stories in which the presence of vampires is not only widely acknowledged by humans, but also accepted.
- Once again, the sex scenes are hot. This is m/m/f, though, just in case you missed that warning elsewhere. (The majority of the scenes in the story are m/m; only the last one includes the female character.)
CONS:
- I didn’t quite believe in the bisexuality of either of the male characters. They seemed to me to be MUCH more into each other than into Ness.
- The scene in which Ness finally invites Chris into her bed seemed a little forced to me. She’s going along giving absolutely no hints that she’s interested in him and then, rather out of the blue, she explains her distant behavior in a few paragraphs and tells him that she wants both him and Hugh at the same time.
Overall comments: I’m sure the whole “characters falling in love really quickly” thing is an element of vampire lore, since it’s present in a number of the vampire stories I’ve read. If you’re like me and aren’t too familiar with vampire lore, you should be prepared to encounter this. But I can’t comment on how these stories stack up against other vampire stories for those readers who are more versed in vampiric legend.
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
"Sin and Salvation" by Laura Baumbach - 8/10
PROS:
- Trevor is completely inexperienced in the ways of the world, and watching Ian’s tentative seduction of him is delightful.
- There’s a comment on the front of the book from a reviewer that says, “Some of the steamiest sex I have ever read,” and if I had to guess, I would say that comment pertains to this story. I read quite a bit of m/m romance, so I’ve lost the ability to remember which are the hottest sex scenes I’ve ever read, but the ones in this story are up there.
- The end of the story--and by that, I mean the last 10 to 15 pages--is sweet, part of it in a way I didn’t anticipate.
CON:
- The characters fall in love really quickly. This is a common feature of vampire stories, I’m learning, though (I haven’t read many), and I liked this one better than any other vampire story I’ve read.
"A Vampire for Christmas" by Sedonia Guillone - 7/10
PROS:
- One of the plot elements in this story is unique (at least, I’ve never come across it in the limited amount of vampire reading I’ve done). I like the idea that there are different types of vampires and that Coeurs Eternels are innately compassionate.
- The sex scenes are worth reading. They’re erotic and everything, but my favorite thing about them is that Christian is a very tender lover.
CONS:
- The guys fall in love too quickly for me. (I know, this comment sounds familiar…) I understand sudden and irrepressible lust, and even the soul-deep longing for an emotional connection. But I just can’t make my mind process the development of Forever Love when the characters have known each other for only a matter of hours.
- A few things--for example, the fact that immortals sometimes develop weaknesses to certain natural elements like lead--are mentioned so many times that they become a little redundant. And there a few little instances of “duh” language: “Jesse was pliant under his touch, obviously relieved his lover hadn’t been murdered.”
"The Master’s Gift" by Kit Tunstall - 7/10
PROS:
- The story interested me right from the start with its mention of the VCLU--the Vampire Civil Liberties Union. I haven’t read many stories in which the presence of vampires is not only widely acknowledged by humans, but also accepted.
- Once again, the sex scenes are hot. This is m/m/f, though, just in case you missed that warning elsewhere. (The majority of the scenes in the story are m/m; only the last one includes the female character.)
CONS:
- I didn’t quite believe in the bisexuality of either of the male characters. They seemed to me to be MUCH more into each other than into Ness.
- The scene in which Ness finally invites Chris into her bed seemed a little forced to me. She’s going along giving absolutely no hints that she’s interested in him and then, rather out of the blue, she explains her distant behavior in a few paragraphs and tells him that she wants both him and Hugh at the same time.
Overall comments: I’m sure the whole “characters falling in love really quickly” thing is an element of vampire lore, since it’s present in a number of the vampire stories I’ve read. If you’re like me and aren’t too familiar with vampire lore, you should be prepared to encounter this. But I can’t comment on how these stories stack up against other vampire stories for those readers who are more versed in vampiric legend.
Read
March 24, 2009Sin and Salvation by Laura Baumbach
Ian is a gentleman vampire: he doesn't kill his preys, only feeds by them, and makes love to them, but doesn't want a companion. He thinks to stay alone with his sin, to be a vampire, and nobody deserve to share his destiny. But then he knows Trevor, young, innocent Trevor, and falls in love. He must have him. He thinks to stay with him for all the human life of Trevor, but Trevor is killed some days later, the Christmas Eve. Too soon. So Ian decides to turn Trevor, and they have an happy immortal life together, but every Christmas Eve, Trevor has a vengeange to take and Ian a sin to expiate. This Christmas Eve will be like all the past?
I love the vampires of Laura Baumbach: even if they live in a contemporary world, I feel a gothic setting. Vampire and Gothic for me is the best! And as always the alpha/beta characters of Laura Baumbach are very exciting.
Sin and Salvation is part of The Bite Before Christmas Anthology.
A Vampire for Christmas by Sedonia Guillone
A new vision of the Vampire World! A breed of vampire, the Coer Eternal, who only kill for mercy, and a breed of Immortal people, who slays on vampire. Could two members of these breeds fall in love? It happen in A Vampire for Christmas by Sedonia Guillone, part of The Bite Before Christmas Anthology.
Christian is an half Coer Eternal, an ancient viking vampire, doctor in modern world. He only kills for mercy and he is alone, cause thinking of another loss in his life is too ubearable. But if he could find an immortal, a man to love who never abandone him, then he will be the best lover in the world.
Jesse enters the life of Christian with a goal: to kill him. But the moment he lays his eyes on Christian, only one thing remain in his mind: love. Jesse is an immortal roman vampire slayer, who vows not to kill again a Coer Eternal, but now the price for his promise his the life of his twin sister... What can he do?
I like very much Christian, he is so tender, so strong but gentle. So caring. And his sire, Lascaux... I want to read more about him? Sedonia, do you write something of him?
The Master's Gift by Kit Tunstall
Hugh is a vampire who feeds on sex and blood. If blood is taken during the sex, is much better.
So he employs young men to provide him with secretary's duty, blood and sex. Why men? Cause he doesn't want an emotional involvement, and women tend to associate sex with feelings.
Chris is the last of his employees. But from the very first time they share sex, nothing is as usual. Hugh want more, and Chris also want more. But Chris is also in love with Nessa, a young girl. Could he have both of them?
This is not the first M/M/F romance I read, and sometime this type of threesome is enjoyble (like Menage of Emma Holly and Persuading Jo by Anne Douglas...), but here, I don't like very much Nessa. She is a complaining girl, spoilt and superficial. Between Nessa and Hugh, I have no doubt who Chris should choose, and not only because I'm a woman and like the man!
The Master's Gift is part of The Bite Before Christmas Anthology.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1596325186/?...
Ian is a gentleman vampire: he doesn't kill his preys, only feeds by them, and makes love to them, but doesn't want a companion. He thinks to stay alone with his sin, to be a vampire, and nobody deserve to share his destiny. But then he knows Trevor, young, innocent Trevor, and falls in love. He must have him. He thinks to stay with him for all the human life of Trevor, but Trevor is killed some days later, the Christmas Eve. Too soon. So Ian decides to turn Trevor, and they have an happy immortal life together, but every Christmas Eve, Trevor has a vengeange to take and Ian a sin to expiate. This Christmas Eve will be like all the past?
I love the vampires of Laura Baumbach: even if they live in a contemporary world, I feel a gothic setting. Vampire and Gothic for me is the best! And as always the alpha/beta characters of Laura Baumbach are very exciting.
Sin and Salvation is part of The Bite Before Christmas Anthology.
A Vampire for Christmas by Sedonia Guillone
A new vision of the Vampire World! A breed of vampire, the Coer Eternal, who only kill for mercy, and a breed of Immortal people, who slays on vampire. Could two members of these breeds fall in love? It happen in A Vampire for Christmas by Sedonia Guillone, part of The Bite Before Christmas Anthology.
Christian is an half Coer Eternal, an ancient viking vampire, doctor in modern world. He only kills for mercy and he is alone, cause thinking of another loss in his life is too ubearable. But if he could find an immortal, a man to love who never abandone him, then he will be the best lover in the world.
Jesse enters the life of Christian with a goal: to kill him. But the moment he lays his eyes on Christian, only one thing remain in his mind: love. Jesse is an immortal roman vampire slayer, who vows not to kill again a Coer Eternal, but now the price for his promise his the life of his twin sister... What can he do?
I like very much Christian, he is so tender, so strong but gentle. So caring. And his sire, Lascaux... I want to read more about him? Sedonia, do you write something of him?
The Master's Gift by Kit Tunstall
Hugh is a vampire who feeds on sex and blood. If blood is taken during the sex, is much better.
So he employs young men to provide him with secretary's duty, blood and sex. Why men? Cause he doesn't want an emotional involvement, and women tend to associate sex with feelings.
Chris is the last of his employees. But from the very first time they share sex, nothing is as usual. Hugh want more, and Chris also want more. But Chris is also in love with Nessa, a young girl. Could he have both of them?
This is not the first M/M/F romance I read, and sometime this type of threesome is enjoyble (like Menage of Emma Holly and Persuading Jo by Anne Douglas...), but here, I don't like very much Nessa. She is a complaining girl, spoilt and superficial. Between Nessa and Hugh, I have no doubt who Chris should choose, and not only because I'm a woman and like the man!
The Master's Gift is part of The Bite Before Christmas Anthology.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1596325186/?...
August 3, 2011
Three great gay romance authors combine to bring stories of vampires, love and Christmas. The first story, "Sin & Salvation" by Laura features her trademark smokin' hot sex, a dominant male with a younger more vulnerable parnter, and also a lot of angst. Ian turned Trevor in order to save his life after an attack, but has felt guilty for this "selfish" act ever since. This Christmas he'll get the forgiveness he wants, but that he never really needed.
The second story, "A Vampire for Christmas" is my favorite of the three novellas, and the strongest. Sedonia gives her world more depth, with vampires of different types, telepathy, Immortals, and a slick plot of revenge, kidnapping and, of course, true love. Jesse is an Immortal sent unwillingly to kill Christian St Cyr in order to save his sister. But the plan goes awry and he finds himself at the mercy of St Cyr, and his own feelings. The sex here is great, and the romance simply wonderful.
The final story, "The Master's Gift" was enjoyable, but not as good as the other two. Chris has been hired as Hugh Grant's new assistant. He has everything he could want, a hot girlfriend, a good, well-paying and a place to live. All that changes when he learns Hugh's true nature and gives into his sudden desire for him. But what about his girlfriend? It's Christmas so he'll be getting more than one gift. I too would have preferred this to be strictly M/M, but the story was nicely written and the sex just steamy enough.
Overall, a great anthology. I enjoyed it enough to buy it again in paperback. Highly recommended!
The second story, "A Vampire for Christmas" is my favorite of the three novellas, and the strongest. Sedonia gives her world more depth, with vampires of different types, telepathy, Immortals, and a slick plot of revenge, kidnapping and, of course, true love. Jesse is an Immortal sent unwillingly to kill Christian St Cyr in order to save his sister. But the plan goes awry and he finds himself at the mercy of St Cyr, and his own feelings. The sex here is great, and the romance simply wonderful.
The final story, "The Master's Gift" was enjoyable, but not as good as the other two. Chris has been hired as Hugh Grant's new assistant. He has everything he could want, a hot girlfriend, a good, well-paying and a place to live. All that changes when he learns Hugh's true nature and gives into his sudden desire for him. But what about his girlfriend? It's Christmas so he'll be getting more than one gift. I too would have preferred this to be strictly M/M, but the story was nicely written and the sex just steamy enough.
Overall, a great anthology. I enjoyed it enough to buy it again in paperback. Highly recommended!
August 16, 2011
This review is for Sedonia Guillone's "A Vampire for Christmas".
I liked the two main characters, Jesse and mostly Chris, but I didn't come to like Chris' sire, Lascaux -and his two sub. :/ Anyway, it was nice enough to pass the time.
Finished reading: 14.08.2011
EDIT:
I've also read Sin and Salvation by Laura Baumbach.
The rating it's 3 stars for this story too. It was nice but I didn't come to truly like the two characters, Ian and Trevor.
Finished reading: 18.09.2011
I liked the two main characters, Jesse and mostly Chris, but I didn't come to like Chris' sire, Lascaux -and his two sub. :/ Anyway, it was nice enough to pass the time.
Finished reading: 14.08.2011
EDIT:
I've also read Sin and Salvation by Laura Baumbach.
The rating it's 3 stars for this story too. It was nice but I didn't come to truly like the two characters, Ian and Trevor.
Finished reading: 18.09.2011
May 31, 2011
All about vampire.
1. Very good. Lack of logic about the murder (the guy kill each year in the same alley for the last X years and nobody seems to find that bizarre that it's happen.) (Historical, First time)
2. Good. Explication a little bizarre (Doctor, Warrior, Mythic)
3. Not good. Cliche. Poor characterization. (m/m/f)
1. Very good. Lack of logic about the murder (the guy kill each year in the same alley for the last X years and nobody seems to find that bizarre that it's happen.) (Historical, First time)
2. Good. Explication a little bizarre (Doctor, Warrior, Mythic)
3. Not good. Cliche. Poor characterization. (m/m/f)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 26, 2011
Awesome!
April 18, 2015
Three quite good vampire stories.
December 14, 2011
Good before bedtime reading.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews