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Oldest City Vampire #1
La Vida Vampire
First in a delightfully irreverent new series-and second to none when it comes to beautiful 227-year-old career women.
Being dead isn't all it's cracked up to be. Take it from Francesca Marinelli, trapped underground for over 200 years and rediscovered during the renovation of a Victorian mansion in historic St. Augustine. A tourist attraction herself, she's well suited for a job as an Old Ghost Town Tour guide. Francesca's due for a new lease on afterlife-and with enough sunblock, she can finally live it.
Unfortunately, everything she learned about men is a little dated. And when people in her tour group turn up dead, naturally the police suspect her. After all, she is a vampire. Which is why a crazed vampire-hunting vigilante squad is out to get her as well. Between the dead bodies, the stalkers, and a seriously non-existent love life, she's starting to wish she was dead. Or at least buried, where she was safe.
Being dead isn't all it's cracked up to be. Take it from Francesca Marinelli, trapped underground for over 200 years and rediscovered during the renovation of a Victorian mansion in historic St. Augustine. A tourist attraction herself, she's well suited for a job as an Old Ghost Town Tour guide. Francesca's due for a new lease on afterlife-and with enough sunblock, she can finally live it.
Unfortunately, everything she learned about men is a little dated. And when people in her tour group turn up dead, naturally the police suspect her. After all, she is a vampire. Which is why a crazed vampire-hunting vigilante squad is out to get her as well. Between the dead bodies, the stalkers, and a seriously non-existent love life, she's starting to wish she was dead. Or at least buried, where she was safe.
296 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2008
21 people are currently reading
2414 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Haddock
8 books419 followersNancy writes cozy mystery and mystery romance, and is published by Berkley (Penguin Random House).
The Silver Six Crafting Mysteries published with Berkley Prime Crime are BASKET CASE, PAINT THE TOWN DEAD, and A CRIME OF POISON.
Her previous Berkley titles are LA VIDA VAMPIRE, LAST VAMPIRE STANDING, and ALWAYS THE VAMPIRE. All are light mystery romances set in St. Augustine, FL featuring a heroine who's Gidget with fangs.
Nancy reads across genres but prefers stories with mystery, history, and romance. You can reach her at nancyhaddockbooks@gmail.com.
The Silver Six Crafting Mysteries published with Berkley Prime Crime are BASKET CASE, PAINT THE TOWN DEAD, and A CRIME OF POISON.
Her previous Berkley titles are LA VIDA VAMPIRE, LAST VAMPIRE STANDING, and ALWAYS THE VAMPIRE. All are light mystery romances set in St. Augustine, FL featuring a heroine who's Gidget with fangs.
Nancy reads across genres but prefers stories with mystery, history, and romance. You can reach her at nancyhaddockbooks@gmail.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
June 14, 2012
Despite a rocky start and some questionable elements, I ended up rather liking this book. It's kind of like your best friend's kid sister who has a crush on you—cute, eager to please, doesn't quite embarrass herself irreparably and isn't so annoying that you want her to actually go away.
Francesca Marinelli is not your typical vampire—both in the Urban Fantasy arena as well as in her own milieu. She's perky, frugal, patient, and willing to be pleased with even half-hearted efforts to get along. In short, she's just likeable and you really want her to succeed in her (admittedly meager) goals. She has to deal with prejudice and other vampires who think they’re all that and government “protection” (i.e. registration and regulations) and hunky government agents.
As a story, there are a lot of moving parts and some of them don't align terribly well. Agent Saber is way too willing (and sometimes even eager) to let her in on his investigations. The bad guys' motives are stock and a bit too pat. Her rescuer and best friend is generous to a fault and motivated by pure altruism. Best friend's boyfriend is completely accommodating and supportive. And I'm still undecided about the ghosts being both regularly perceivable and still uncommon enough that people take ghost tours. That kind of thing.
Fortunately, there's enough innate charm and originality that I didn't mind going along. In the end, it was a quick, light read that I ended up liking.
A note on Steamy: There's an explicit sex scene and scattered foreplay (uh, and a little afterplay), all near the end. I understand why Haddock went with it and it's important enough to the story and characters that I can't really cry foul. It didn't even change the tone of the book and it really could have if it hadn't been handled as well as it was. Still, I wish it hadn't been included because it makes it hard for me to recommend to my teenage daughter who would otherwise really like the story.
Francesca Marinelli is not your typical vampire—both in the Urban Fantasy arena as well as in her own milieu. She's perky, frugal, patient, and willing to be pleased with even half-hearted efforts to get along. In short, she's just likeable and you really want her to succeed in her (admittedly meager) goals. She has to deal with prejudice and other vampires who think they’re all that and government “protection” (i.e. registration and regulations) and hunky government agents.
As a story, there are a lot of moving parts and some of them don't align terribly well. Agent Saber is way too willing (and sometimes even eager) to let her in on his investigations. The bad guys' motives are stock and a bit too pat. Her rescuer and best friend is generous to a fault and motivated by pure altruism. Best friend's boyfriend is completely accommodating and supportive. And I'm still undecided about the ghosts being both regularly perceivable and still uncommon enough that people take ghost tours. That kind of thing.
Fortunately, there's enough innate charm and originality that I didn't mind going along. In the end, it was a quick, light read that I ended up liking.
A note on Steamy: There's an explicit sex scene and scattered foreplay (uh, and a little afterplay), all near the end. I understand why Haddock went with it and it's important enough to the story and characters that I can't really cry foul. It didn't even change the tone of the book and it really could have if it hadn't been handled as well as it was. Still, I wish it hadn't been included because it makes it hard for me to recommend to my teenage daughter who would otherwise really like the story.
May 29, 2012
2.5 stars. This feels like the author has added vampires to a standard mystery romance and I just don't really understand why. The role of vampirism in this novel is complete weak-sauce and the story could easily be edited to exclude it without losing much. While it's clear Cesca is intended to be unique, what actually occurs is she is watered down and uninteresting.
I actually decided to read this to discover how the author handled Cesca's transition to the modern world. This would have been fascinating. Unfortunately, she chose to introduce a device that completely jumps over this transitional experience while transforming the heroine into generic romance girl. It just seems such a waste to have a 19th century heroine turn out to be just your 21st century surfer girl...completely boring.
I actually decided to read this to discover how the author handled Cesca's transition to the modern world. This would have been fascinating. Unfortunately, she chose to introduce a device that completely jumps over this transitional experience while transforming the heroine into generic romance girl. It just seems such a waste to have a 19th century heroine turn out to be just your 21st century surfer girl...completely boring.
March 29, 2015
I dug Saber and found him a hot hero of the story, but then sexual scenes did little for me. Still, the book was fun. Heroine is almost too pure but she's also amusing and I enjoy her outlook on things. The Ghost tours are a hoot and there were genuinely laugh-out-loud moments in this story. Very cute paranormal romance that doesn't focus too much on the relationship, but actually has depth, a good mystery story, and various layers. All sidekicks and friends were well designed, interesting, and dimensional. A bit let down on who the villain was, found it a bit too easy and they thought it was him for awhile before, so there was little suspense when it turned out they were right. Loved how the author used the settings and rich history of St. Augustine Florida for the story as well. Reading the second starting today.
August 1, 2008
I don't usually like vampire books - never tried Anne Rice, stopped after one Sookie Stackhouse book (although I love Charlaine Harris's Harper Connolly series...), and never made it through all of Laurell Hamilton's Anita Blake series - but I'm really enjoying this so far. The setting - Saint Augustine, the oldest town in the US - doesn't exactly hurt, either, and Nancy Haddock nails it. I'm visiting vicariously, and having a ball!
June 9, 2008
I enjoyed reading this, but it was obviously a "first" book. The romance was incredibly trite, but the main character was likable and the vampire element was tweaked just enough to make it enjoyably different. It would have been a much better book without the standard romance blarney. I'm hoping that the next books (of course there will be more) are less awkward.
February 17, 2010
The debut novel from Nancy Haddock is a nice light read, with a dash of history, a dollop of crime, lashings of fun and a few nice bursts of steam to heat things up.
Fancesca Marinelli: vampire, tour guide, and really really normal. In fact, she’s so decidedly normal that she’s almost boring. Think Queen Betsy, but with more brains and less snark. However, Nancy Haddock uses her job as a tour guide through a haunted ghost town as an excuse to share with us a few choice titbits of St Augustine history. I am assuming it’s accurate, but it’s a great idea even if it’s not, and really did add something to the story. In fact, I’m going to assume that the history sharing idea came first, and the tour guide bit was chosen as the delivery method.
My two biggest issues with this story:
The Americanisms – sorry guys, I’m not from the USA, so things like the constant references to “HGTV” really fell flat with me. I’m sure people from St Augustine, Daytona areas would have loved this book, the local knowledge was great, but unfortunately I managed to recognise the inside jokes, but felt a little left out at not getting them (I also didn’t get the Gidget references).
My other problem was with the Francesca’s history. This is book one in the series and she’s been a vampire for over 200 years. 204 of those years were trapped in a coffin. We get these glimpses of the day her flatmate Maggie found her, we get references to the new law “VPA” (Vampire Protection Act), but there is a distinct feeling that I’ve missed an entire book. I am hoping that a short story is released that cleans all this up.
As a side play we’ve got Cosmil the wizard. It’s a little bizarre, but I assume will come into focus later in the series. It’s almost like a different story and has more of a traditional fantasy/sword & sorcery feel to it that just doesn’t quite mesh with the urban fantasy style of the rest of the story. I am intrigued to see how Ms Haddock develops this side story, particularly with the mysterious Triton.
Don’t let my review so far make you think I didn’t enjoy this story – I really did! It’s nice and light. I loved the crime element. There’s nothing gory or overtly sexual, there is a bit of steam in the one sex scene, but was more a cosy warm than hot.
I think the whole series is going to have that chicken soup feel -something to enjoy when you’re feeling a bit blue or under the weather. The plot isn’t overly complicated, but there is enough mystery and intrigue to keep the interest high. The sex scenes aren’t so intense that they take up most of the book – more have that first love feel about them (without all the Sunday nice chick flick drama).
It’s definitely going to be interesting to see if the rest of the series maintains this really nice feel, I can only hope so.
Fancesca Marinelli: vampire, tour guide, and really really normal. In fact, she’s so decidedly normal that she’s almost boring. Think Queen Betsy, but with more brains and less snark. However, Nancy Haddock uses her job as a tour guide through a haunted ghost town as an excuse to share with us a few choice titbits of St Augustine history. I am assuming it’s accurate, but it’s a great idea even if it’s not, and really did add something to the story. In fact, I’m going to assume that the history sharing idea came first, and the tour guide bit was chosen as the delivery method.
My two biggest issues with this story:
The Americanisms – sorry guys, I’m not from the USA, so things like the constant references to “HGTV” really fell flat with me. I’m sure people from St Augustine, Daytona areas would have loved this book, the local knowledge was great, but unfortunately I managed to recognise the inside jokes, but felt a little left out at not getting them (I also didn’t get the Gidget references).
My other problem was with the Francesca’s history. This is book one in the series and she’s been a vampire for over 200 years. 204 of those years were trapped in a coffin. We get these glimpses of the day her flatmate Maggie found her, we get references to the new law “VPA” (Vampire Protection Act), but there is a distinct feeling that I’ve missed an entire book. I am hoping that a short story is released that cleans all this up.
As a side play we’ve got Cosmil the wizard. It’s a little bizarre, but I assume will come into focus later in the series. It’s almost like a different story and has more of a traditional fantasy/sword & sorcery feel to it that just doesn’t quite mesh with the urban fantasy style of the rest of the story. I am intrigued to see how Ms Haddock develops this side story, particularly with the mysterious Triton.
Don’t let my review so far make you think I didn’t enjoy this story – I really did! It’s nice and light. I loved the crime element. There’s nothing gory or overtly sexual, there is a bit of steam in the one sex scene, but was more a cosy warm than hot.
I think the whole series is going to have that chicken soup feel -something to enjoy when you’re feeling a bit blue or under the weather. The plot isn’t overly complicated, but there is enough mystery and intrigue to keep the interest high. The sex scenes aren’t so intense that they take up most of the book – more have that first love feel about them (without all the Sunday nice chick flick drama).
It’s definitely going to be interesting to see if the rest of the series maintains this really nice feel, I can only hope so.
February 27, 2014
Francesca "Cesca" Marinelli was recently rescued from her underground prison where she spent the last two hundred years locked up by her vampire sire King Normand. As a human she had psychic abilites and that was the reason Normand made her a vampire because he wanted to control her powers and use them for his own advantage. But Cesca wasn´t your average vampire and one day an enraged vampire King trapped her in her prison before he and his "court" was burned and every vampire was killed.
Free again Cesca only wants to keep her life as normal as possible with a job, friends and hopefully someday a boyfried who isn´t put off by her being a vampire. Today´s vampires have become a kind of protected species closely monitored by the Vampire Protection Agency. She doesn´t have to drink blood from a human anymore, vampires now live of bottled blood. Cesca even can go out in daylight although she never figured out the reason why this is possible for her. On her first night of her new job as a ghost tour guide she meets a bunch of weird people who are all a bit too much interested in her. She even gets threatened by a vampire hater. When the same people show up at her second night tour she doesn´t believe in coincidence anymore and when a visitor of this group is killed with little bite marks on the body Cesca becomes prime suspect because she´s the only vampire in town. Cesca decides to take matters into her own hands and to prove her innocence...
I really liked the book and the characters! Cesca´s an old fashioned vampire, still a virgin who tries to adjust to modern life and blend in to have a normal life and relationship. She´s doing Internet studies, learns how to surf and to dance Salsa, and even is a member of a brigde club. The book is written from Cesca´s POV and we have glimpses into her past scattered throughout the book. There´s of course romance and when she meets Deke Sabers, a preternatural crimes special investigator and former vampire hunter she´s at once attracted to him but Sabers doesn´t seem to return her feelings. The main focus of this book however is on solving the murder mystery and there are many suspects so you don´t figure out at once who the villain is. So don´t expect too much love scenes! There are many loose ends e.g. who is the old wizard and his magical cat? What happened to Cesca´s childhood friend Triton a shape shifter who suddenly disappeared? What´s the Void? These questions keep me interested and I´m looking forward to the next installment in this series!
Website of the author: http://www.nancyhaddock.com/
Free again Cesca only wants to keep her life as normal as possible with a job, friends and hopefully someday a boyfried who isn´t put off by her being a vampire. Today´s vampires have become a kind of protected species closely monitored by the Vampire Protection Agency. She doesn´t have to drink blood from a human anymore, vampires now live of bottled blood. Cesca even can go out in daylight although she never figured out the reason why this is possible for her. On her first night of her new job as a ghost tour guide she meets a bunch of weird people who are all a bit too much interested in her. She even gets threatened by a vampire hater. When the same people show up at her second night tour she doesn´t believe in coincidence anymore and when a visitor of this group is killed with little bite marks on the body Cesca becomes prime suspect because she´s the only vampire in town. Cesca decides to take matters into her own hands and to prove her innocence...
I really liked the book and the characters! Cesca´s an old fashioned vampire, still a virgin who tries to adjust to modern life and blend in to have a normal life and relationship. She´s doing Internet studies, learns how to surf and to dance Salsa, and even is a member of a brigde club. The book is written from Cesca´s POV and we have glimpses into her past scattered throughout the book. There´s of course romance and when she meets Deke Sabers, a preternatural crimes special investigator and former vampire hunter she´s at once attracted to him but Sabers doesn´t seem to return her feelings. The main focus of this book however is on solving the murder mystery and there are many suspects so you don´t figure out at once who the villain is. So don´t expect too much love scenes! There are many loose ends e.g. who is the old wizard and his magical cat? What happened to Cesca´s childhood friend Triton a shape shifter who suddenly disappeared? What´s the Void? These questions keep me interested and I´m looking forward to the next installment in this series!
Website of the author: http://www.nancyhaddock.com/
October 9, 2011
This is the first in Haddock's Oldest City Vampire urban fantasy romance series set in St. Augustine, FL featuring vampires, a wizard, shape sifters, a vampire hating society, a former vampire hunter turned paranormal expert/consultant for law enforcement, an unknown evil on its way, a murder mystery and a unlikely romance.
I was unfamiliar with this series until I won the third book in the series, Always the Vampire , from a contest Coffee Time Romance was holding for the author. I decided to wait and read the series in order.
Cesca, has recently been unearthed after 200+ years trapped in a coffin wrapped in silver chains under an old Victorian house. She just wants to fit in and be normal. She has a new job as a ghost tours tour guide while she studies online for her GED as well as taking other continuing education classes. She takes dance lessons and plays bridge once a week. She doesn't bite humans and gets queasy at the smell of blood.
Her first night on the job finds her with a vampire racist (or would that be speciest?) and a strange honeymooning french couple on the tour. When the french newlywed wife is found floating dead in the ocean with fang marks on her by Cesca and her roommate's boyfriend while surfing, yes she surfs too, she becomes one of the suspects.
Saber is an ex-vampire hunter who is now working for law enforcement as a preternatural expert/consultant. He doesn't know what to think about Cesca. She defies everything he knows about vampires and he can't help but be attracted to her.
Cesca and Saber team up to find out who the real killer is and the chemistry between them rocks. Oh, did I forget mention she's a 227 year old virgin?
This is a light-hearted, humorous and fun paranormal romance/urban fantasy which I think fans of both genre's will enjoy. I can't wait to read the rest of the series to see what is in store for Cesca.
I was unfamiliar with this series until I won the third book in the series, Always the Vampire , from a contest Coffee Time Romance was holding for the author. I decided to wait and read the series in order.
Cesca, has recently been unearthed after 200+ years trapped in a coffin wrapped in silver chains under an old Victorian house. She just wants to fit in and be normal. She has a new job as a ghost tours tour guide while she studies online for her GED as well as taking other continuing education classes. She takes dance lessons and plays bridge once a week. She doesn't bite humans and gets queasy at the smell of blood.
Her first night on the job finds her with a vampire racist (or would that be speciest?) and a strange honeymooning french couple on the tour. When the french newlywed wife is found floating dead in the ocean with fang marks on her by Cesca and her roommate's boyfriend while surfing, yes she surfs too, she becomes one of the suspects.
Saber is an ex-vampire hunter who is now working for law enforcement as a preternatural expert/consultant. He doesn't know what to think about Cesca. She defies everything he knows about vampires and he can't help but be attracted to her.
Cesca and Saber team up to find out who the real killer is and the chemistry between them rocks. Oh, did I forget mention she's a 227 year old virgin?
This is a light-hearted, humorous and fun paranormal romance/urban fantasy which I think fans of both genre's will enjoy. I can't wait to read the rest of the series to see what is in store for Cesca.
April 28, 2008
Cesca Marinelli is not your usual vampire. She worries about her manners; takes night classes and never drinks in pubic. She doesn’t use her vampire powers (at least that’s what she tells herself) and just wants to live a normal “afterlife.”
Deke Saber is a very sexy special investigator. He is assigned to check out all vampire, were, and other-worldly incidents. When Saber first meets Cesca he’s sure she’s just like all the other vampires he’s met and sure she’s guilty of the murder he was called in to help investigate.
Things get stranger and Cesca’s life is threatened so Saber volunteers to be her body guard…but he wants to do much more than just guard it.
This is a very cute story including suspense, murder and a giggle or two. You can’t help but fall in love with Cecsa -- for a 227 year old vampire she is so innocent. Saber is one hot man and together they give off more than their share of sparks. There is a side story involving a magical being, magical cat and shape-shifting dolphin but it is not built out in La Vida Vampire.
La Vida Vampire is set in St. Augustine, Florida and you get a real flavor for the place from the descriptive settings by author Nancy Haddock. I really enjoyed this story and the characters. It is a nice light quick-paced read.
Deke Saber is a very sexy special investigator. He is assigned to check out all vampire, were, and other-worldly incidents. When Saber first meets Cesca he’s sure she’s just like all the other vampires he’s met and sure she’s guilty of the murder he was called in to help investigate.
Things get stranger and Cesca’s life is threatened so Saber volunteers to be her body guard…but he wants to do much more than just guard it.
This is a very cute story including suspense, murder and a giggle or two. You can’t help but fall in love with Cecsa -- for a 227 year old vampire she is so innocent. Saber is one hot man and together they give off more than their share of sparks. There is a side story involving a magical being, magical cat and shape-shifting dolphin but it is not built out in La Vida Vampire.
La Vida Vampire is set in St. Augustine, Florida and you get a real flavor for the place from the descriptive settings by author Nancy Haddock. I really enjoyed this story and the characters. It is a nice light quick-paced read.
September 17, 2008
It's a vampire story! Set in St Augustine! I HAD to try this one!
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The big problem I have with a lot of Florida fiction (and I guess the same is true for other specific geographically-based genres) is the level of detail. We don't need to know the names of the streets and the directions a character walks along (*especially* if directions are incorrect). It's not really integral to the plot, and, really, just takes away from the spirit of the story.
The plot's okay. It's not Sookie Stackhouse. It's a supernatural mystery with a smidge of sex thrown in. Had the vampire element been eliminated, the story would have remained pretty much the same. The bit with the cat and the old magic man and Triton were distracting and added nothing to the plot except for a build-up for the next book. The ending of the book felt very incomplete, which always seems a bit presumptuous from a new author.
AND, you can totally tell this is a fiction story when the main character admits she RETURNED a copy of the Kama Sutra to the library. Everyone knows copies of the Kama Sutra never get returned. They disappear faster than "Child called It" and the Wiccan spell books and GED test prep books.
************
The big problem I have with a lot of Florida fiction (and I guess the same is true for other specific geographically-based genres) is the level of detail. We don't need to know the names of the streets and the directions a character walks along (*especially* if directions are incorrect). It's not really integral to the plot, and, really, just takes away from the spirit of the story.
The plot's okay. It's not Sookie Stackhouse. It's a supernatural mystery with a smidge of sex thrown in. Had the vampire element been eliminated, the story would have remained pretty much the same. The bit with the cat and the old magic man and Triton were distracting and added nothing to the plot except for a build-up for the next book. The ending of the book felt very incomplete, which always seems a bit presumptuous from a new author.
AND, you can totally tell this is a fiction story when the main character admits she RETURNED a copy of the Kama Sutra to the library. Everyone knows copies of the Kama Sutra never get returned. They disappear faster than "Child called It" and the Wiccan spell books and GED test prep books.
August 30, 2009
I got to chapter 3 and just couldn't take it anymore - this is a poorly written book. It's a contemporary/urban fantasy set in Florida with a vampire heroine and a few assorted other creatures that eventually make appearances in the story. I'm sad I didn't like it more because I found the premise so interesting: the heroine was locked up in a coffin as a punishment by her head vamp, but then he was killed and she was stuck for 200 years until a renovation unearths her. Both the back story (immigrant parents, self-important head vamp, her psychic abilities) and the adjustment to modern life could have been really interesting. Instead, those are glossed over in favor of a plot by crazys to kill her, her love of surfing and interior design, her desire to loose her virginity, her new job as a tour leader, and the reappearance of her old shape-shifting boyfriend. Boooring! It's not even saucy enough to count as true chick lit. Not worth the time.
March 20, 2013
3.5
I liked this, it was a light and easy read. A tad cheesy but a good break from the dark and intense. Cesca is not your typical vampire. She's trying to live a normal human life, the smell of blood grosses her out, and she works as a haunted tour guide. She has vamp power potential but doesn't really use it. There's a murder she inadvertently gets caught up in and the who done it is the primary plot of this. Saber is a paranormal cop who's called into the investigation. When Cesca is obviously threatened he takes up bodyguard detail. There's sparks between them but they each get on one another's nerves. This had a Georgina Kincaid feel to me in the sense of the quirky characters and I'll read more in the series. Definitely worth the read when you're in the mood for something light and easy going.
I liked this, it was a light and easy read. A tad cheesy but a good break from the dark and intense. Cesca is not your typical vampire. She's trying to live a normal human life, the smell of blood grosses her out, and she works as a haunted tour guide. She has vamp power potential but doesn't really use it. There's a murder she inadvertently gets caught up in and the who done it is the primary plot of this. Saber is a paranormal cop who's called into the investigation. When Cesca is obviously threatened he takes up bodyguard detail. There's sparks between them but they each get on one another's nerves. This had a Georgina Kincaid feel to me in the sense of the quirky characters and I'll read more in the series. Definitely worth the read when you're in the mood for something light and easy going.
March 7, 2009
I believe I may be the first male ever to read this book.
It's a fun read by a local author who isn't afraid to break all the rules of the genre. Our hero is a vampire who doesn't bite people, goes out in the daylight, hates the smell of blood, avoids using her vampire powers, and is a virgin for most of the story. She also hates her hair. The other vampires in town are more traditional, and we never find out why Cesca is so different.
A dead body is found in the surf, and Cesca is both a suspect in the case as well as a possible next victim. The police assign a vampire hunter to watch over her, and he makes her feel all tingly.
OK, the story is a little lame, but it's fun to pick out the local landmarks.
It's a fun read by a local author who isn't afraid to break all the rules of the genre. Our hero is a vampire who doesn't bite people, goes out in the daylight, hates the smell of blood, avoids using her vampire powers, and is a virgin for most of the story. She also hates her hair. The other vampires in town are more traditional, and we never find out why Cesca is so different.
A dead body is found in the surf, and Cesca is both a suspect in the case as well as a possible next victim. The police assign a vampire hunter to watch over her, and he makes her feel all tingly.
OK, the story is a little lame, but it's fun to pick out the local landmarks.
January 29, 2010
The beginning of this book was so boring to me. It moved really slow to the point that I was about to just toss it and put it on my abandoned shelf, but I kept plugging along and it became better as it went. Especially when Saber showed up, I became more interested.
I might read the next in the series just because I felt sort of cheated with this book. Throughout the whole thing it kept building up to one event, and then nothing came of it. I'm thinking that the next book will address this unfulfilled plot line.. but that was a pretty cheap shot by the author.
I might read the next in the series just because I felt sort of cheated with this book. Throughout the whole thing it kept building up to one event, and then nothing came of it. I'm thinking that the next book will address this unfulfilled plot line.. but that was a pretty cheap shot by the author.
April 17, 2009
I didn't dislike this book. I didn't love it either. I wasn't drawn into the story like I wanted to be. I am curious enough about things that I will probably read the 2nd book - but I'm in no rush.
August 4, 2010
Overall a very good book. Lighthearted humor. A vampire who likes to surf! Looking forward to book 2,
March 1, 2018
Fun, entertaining story that was a quick light read. A lot more mystery than romance which is fine by me!
November 19, 2024
Haddock has created a pretty enjoyable bunch of characters here. Francesca is a nice heroine and her love interest, Saber, fills the requisite sexy Alpha-man shoes nicely. Likewise, the secondary characters, such as Cesca's best friend Maggie and vampire-hater Gorman, are interesting enough. The problem is that nothing much in these two novels sticks with you once the book is finished.
For what it is though, the novel is decently written. The plots are okay and the progression of the story arc is fine. As far as character development and world-building - there's not much to it...
...To continue reading this review, head over to my blog - Undercover Book Lover.
For what it is though, the novel is decently written. The plots are okay and the progression of the story arc is fine. As far as character development and world-building - there's not much to it...
...To continue reading this review, head over to my blog - Undercover Book Lover.
January 24, 2023
What if you were a vampire trapped in a coffin for over 200 years? That's Francesca's deal when she wakes up in 2008 and has to deal with the 21st century.
She's pretty badass as far as vampires go. Cesca wants to live a normal afterlife, but when investigating a murder with a handsome detective named Deke Saber, she'll have to use her vampire abilities to save her 'family' and new friends.
She's just kinda cool. It reads a little cheesy, but I enjoyed this book.
She's pretty badass as far as vampires go. Cesca wants to live a normal afterlife, but when investigating a murder with a handsome detective named Deke Saber, she'll have to use her vampire abilities to save her 'family' and new friends.
She's just kinda cool. It reads a little cheesy, but I enjoyed this book.
June 28, 2019
I liked the MC, and the writing was good, but I'm just not a big fan of whodunnits or investigations, or of instalust, so I can't rate it higher. I was hoping for more 'vampire buried for 200 years adjusting to the modern world'.
November 29, 2021
I loved everything about this book.
October 4, 2024
Loved it! Especially with being from St Augustine, I could picture everywhere the author described and know exactly where the characters were at.
February 26, 2011
Synopsis: Being dead isn't all it's cracked up to be. Take it from Francesca Marinelli, trapped underground for over 200 years and rediscovered during the renovation of a Victorian mansion in historic St. Augustine. A tourist attraction herself, she's well suited for a job as an Old Ghost Town Tour guide. Francesca's due for a new lease on afterlife-and with enough sunblock, she can finally live it.
Unfortunately, everything she learned about men is a little dated. And when someone in her tour group turna up dead, naturally the police suspect her. After all, she is a vampire. Which is why a crazed vampire-hunting vigilante squad is out to get her as well. Between the dead bodies, the stalkers, and a seriously non-existent love life, she's starting to wish she was dead. Or at least buried, where she was safe.
**Thoughts** As you've probably read, I love the fact that this book was set in St. Augustine. I love the city and the amazing history that the city itself has at it's very core. I appreciate that the writer took time to actually visit the city and ask questions from the local PD/Sheriff's department, and not take creative liberties. I always thought that this city would make an excellent place for a vampire story, and viola! here you are. The only problem is, it's not your normal vampire/romance novel. It's a combination of romance, mystery, and a bit of suspense as well.
Francesca Melisanda Alejandra Marinelli, Cesca for short, is our vampire. She was turned by Normand, who thought of himself as a vampire king of St. Augustine, and wanted to make Cesca his vampire princess. Normand found out that Cesca has pyschic visions as well as telepathy, but after she is turned, they go crazy. Cesca, it's told, was also buried with Normand's treasures, so she is basically a very rich vampire who lives like a frugal old lady.
Along comes Maggie O'Halloran who is the one to find Cesca after all these years. She takes Cesca under her wings and becomes her mentor as well as mother figure. Cesca is also required to have GPS chip implanted in her shoulder to keep track of her movements. The VPA - Vampire Protection Agency wants to ensure that all vampires are not only protected, but living alongside mortals like Maggie.
Cesca not your normal every day vampire. Nope. She's learning how to surf, of all things, with her mentor's boyfriend Neil Benson. Yes, she can partiallly walk in the daylight (day-walker) because of her pyschic abilites. She doesn't drink blood from humans; she's into Starbloods an artificial blood drink she finds at the health food store. She goes shopping at Wal-Mart for her clothes and other products, and is even doing online courses to get her degree. She also plays Bridge with mortals every week, and is learning how to Salsa dance. Like I said before, not a very vampire like behavior.
In the meantime, a vigilante squad calling itself the Covenant, is out to get her. They have a tendency to invite fighting between vamps and mortals, and the vamps are always found guilty and killed in the end. Along comes "Stony" who continually gets in her face and calls her out every chance he can get. He threatens Cesca's fellow guides, and a french couple who propositions Cesca into sleeping with them. She doesn't thank God!
But, then the strange happens; Cesca meets a cat, who it seems, is keeping an eye on her. The cats name is Pandora, and later turns into a Panther due to Magic and helps save Cesca's life. I still have no clue who Cosmil is, but I think he's a pretty powerful witch. Cosmil, it seems, is keeping track of Cesca former flame named Titon, who shifts into a dolphin when the full moon hits. Then Cesca's newly fixed truck is spray painted and damaged by a vandal who writes DIE on it.
Next, Yolette, the french bride, turns up dead with a vampire would on her thigh and a bullet in her head. But that's not what the police care about. They want to hang it all on Cesca, because she's the only vamp in town. Enter Deke Saber, preternatural CSI, and former hunter of werecreatures and vampires. And, yes, Cesca eventual love interest. Her first since she was turned.
So, the mystery is, who is the person responsible for killing Yolette and a vampire from Daytona Beach if it's not Cesca? Things get interesting even further when a vampire from Daytona named Ike comes to St. Augustine and basically threatens Cesca. (NOTE: Storline regarding Ike not finished in this book.)
The story itself could have been alot better, but I'm not going to restrain myself from looking for the second book in the series Last Vampire Standing. There are still questions that need to be answered, like why did Triton make a brief appearance only to blink out of existence before Cesca arrives? Like who, or what is the Void that Cosmil speaks about with Pandora. Cesca herself IS an interesting character in that she's your anti-vampires vampire. The mystery of who the actual killer was, pretty much caught my eye half way through the storyline after certain facts were formulated.
Anyway...3 stars.
Unfortunately, everything she learned about men is a little dated. And when someone in her tour group turna up dead, naturally the police suspect her. After all, she is a vampire. Which is why a crazed vampire-hunting vigilante squad is out to get her as well. Between the dead bodies, the stalkers, and a seriously non-existent love life, she's starting to wish she was dead. Or at least buried, where she was safe.
**Thoughts** As you've probably read, I love the fact that this book was set in St. Augustine. I love the city and the amazing history that the city itself has at it's very core. I appreciate that the writer took time to actually visit the city and ask questions from the local PD/Sheriff's department, and not take creative liberties. I always thought that this city would make an excellent place for a vampire story, and viola! here you are. The only problem is, it's not your normal vampire/romance novel. It's a combination of romance, mystery, and a bit of suspense as well.
Francesca Melisanda Alejandra Marinelli, Cesca for short, is our vampire. She was turned by Normand, who thought of himself as a vampire king of St. Augustine, and wanted to make Cesca his vampire princess. Normand found out that Cesca has pyschic visions as well as telepathy, but after she is turned, they go crazy. Cesca, it's told, was also buried with Normand's treasures, so she is basically a very rich vampire who lives like a frugal old lady.
Along comes Maggie O'Halloran who is the one to find Cesca after all these years. She takes Cesca under her wings and becomes her mentor as well as mother figure. Cesca is also required to have GPS chip implanted in her shoulder to keep track of her movements. The VPA - Vampire Protection Agency wants to ensure that all vampires are not only protected, but living alongside mortals like Maggie.
Cesca not your normal every day vampire. Nope. She's learning how to surf, of all things, with her mentor's boyfriend Neil Benson. Yes, she can partiallly walk in the daylight (day-walker) because of her pyschic abilites. She doesn't drink blood from humans; she's into Starbloods an artificial blood drink she finds at the health food store. She goes shopping at Wal-Mart for her clothes and other products, and is even doing online courses to get her degree. She also plays Bridge with mortals every week, and is learning how to Salsa dance. Like I said before, not a very vampire like behavior.
In the meantime, a vigilante squad calling itself the Covenant, is out to get her. They have a tendency to invite fighting between vamps and mortals, and the vamps are always found guilty and killed in the end. Along comes "Stony" who continually gets in her face and calls her out every chance he can get. He threatens Cesca's fellow guides, and a french couple who propositions Cesca into sleeping with them. She doesn't thank God!
But, then the strange happens; Cesca meets a cat, who it seems, is keeping an eye on her. The cats name is Pandora, and later turns into a Panther due to Magic and helps save Cesca's life. I still have no clue who Cosmil is, but I think he's a pretty powerful witch. Cosmil, it seems, is keeping track of Cesca former flame named Titon, who shifts into a dolphin when the full moon hits. Then Cesca's newly fixed truck is spray painted and damaged by a vandal who writes DIE on it.
Next, Yolette, the french bride, turns up dead with a vampire would on her thigh and a bullet in her head. But that's not what the police care about. They want to hang it all on Cesca, because she's the only vamp in town. Enter Deke Saber, preternatural CSI, and former hunter of werecreatures and vampires. And, yes, Cesca eventual love interest. Her first since she was turned.
So, the mystery is, who is the person responsible for killing Yolette and a vampire from Daytona Beach if it's not Cesca? Things get interesting even further when a vampire from Daytona named Ike comes to St. Augustine and basically threatens Cesca. (NOTE: Storline regarding Ike not finished in this book.)
The story itself could have been alot better, but I'm not going to restrain myself from looking for the second book in the series Last Vampire Standing. There are still questions that need to be answered, like why did Triton make a brief appearance only to blink out of existence before Cesca arrives? Like who, or what is the Void that Cosmil speaks about with Pandora. Cesca herself IS an interesting character in that she's your anti-vampires vampire. The mystery of who the actual killer was, pretty much caught my eye half way through the storyline after certain facts were formulated.
Anyway...3 stars.
July 12, 2021
It was ok. Cute and an easy read. Didn't love the main character though. She's a vampire, but kind of a Wimpy vampire. I would have preferred her to be more badass. She wasn't horrible though. Overall interesting story. I may read book 2. I will see.
January 27, 2011
I Liked this book!
I had read 3 books before this one that I just couldn't get into and ended up putting them down. So I was really looking for a book that I could just get through.
The back of the book states that Francesca was trapped underground for more then 200 years - and was dug up by her now best friend who had bought the land to renovation of a Victorian mansion she was burried under.
Ok so in this book - supernaturalals are public known , and Vampires are actually protected by law :) Kewl -
So getting to know this 227 year old Virgin Vampire (yes that's a long time to wait for Mr.Right to come along )
After a year of coming out of her coffin (literally) she is finally coming to terms with the new ages - she loves to read mysetery novels and watch Crime TV (CSI - MONK - who doesn't? )
Cesca doesn't like to use her Vampire powers - reading minds - feeling emotions - running fast - she likes her truck :) She prefers to drink her blood in private. all and all , she's not a normal vampire - She can actually go out in the sun for a couple of hours after sunrise, and before sunset - She does need to sleep a few hours during the high peek of the day though . but the other vampires can't come out in the sunlight ...
She finally lands a job - just a few blocks from her house being a tour guide though the St. Augustine Ghost Town - Since she lived in this town before she was a Vampire - she knew the area well. The ghosts are harmless and friendly - well most of them are friendly , some of them are just rude :)
Her first tour - and she she has a crazy group of people with lots of questions. They spot a few ghosts and have fun .. until it's over when one of the guys turns out to be a member of the Coventant (anti Vamire group) and threatens Cesca's life. Everyone is shocked and goes to the main building to file their wittness of his threats.
Things start to go downhill - the same group of people show up for her next tour the next night to try to keep an eye on her - including the Coventant guy - It's not as bad - but the tention is still there.
Then it happens - When she was out surfing one morning at sunrise - something hit her foot - a dead body - and it belongs to someone from her tour group - AHHH!!!
Enter the police - "Dante" pant "Saber" pant pant (her quote not mine :) is the special paranormal dective and really gets on her nerves because she doesnt' act like a blood sucker (in fact she doesn't Bite People ) ( but of course they don't get along ! )
Well one thing leads to another - the crimes and attacks keep coming at her - and Saber ends up staying with her to protect her... You can see where this is going :) and it does :)
So that's basicly this story - it ends well and even starts off the next book - well not really starts it off - but after reading the last chapter - you can see where the next book is headed - which is ok - because I'm going to read it :)
I had read 3 books before this one that I just couldn't get into and ended up putting them down. So I was really looking for a book that I could just get through.
The back of the book states that Francesca was trapped underground for more then 200 years - and was dug up by her now best friend who had bought the land to renovation of a Victorian mansion she was burried under.
Ok so in this book - supernaturalals are public known , and Vampires are actually protected by law :) Kewl -
So getting to know this 227 year old Virgin Vampire (yes that's a long time to wait for Mr.Right to come along )
After a year of coming out of her coffin (literally) she is finally coming to terms with the new ages - she loves to read mysetery novels and watch Crime TV (CSI - MONK - who doesn't? )
Cesca doesn't like to use her Vampire powers - reading minds - feeling emotions - running fast - she likes her truck :) She prefers to drink her blood in private. all and all , she's not a normal vampire - She can actually go out in the sun for a couple of hours after sunrise, and before sunset - She does need to sleep a few hours during the high peek of the day though . but the other vampires can't come out in the sunlight ...
She finally lands a job - just a few blocks from her house being a tour guide though the St. Augustine Ghost Town - Since she lived in this town before she was a Vampire - she knew the area well. The ghosts are harmless and friendly - well most of them are friendly , some of them are just rude :)
Her first tour - and she she has a crazy group of people with lots of questions. They spot a few ghosts and have fun .. until it's over when one of the guys turns out to be a member of the Coventant (anti Vamire group) and threatens Cesca's life. Everyone is shocked and goes to the main building to file their wittness of his threats.
Things start to go downhill - the same group of people show up for her next tour the next night to try to keep an eye on her - including the Coventant guy - It's not as bad - but the tention is still there.
Then it happens - When she was out surfing one morning at sunrise - something hit her foot - a dead body - and it belongs to someone from her tour group - AHHH!!!
Enter the police - "Dante" pant "Saber" pant pant (her quote not mine :) is the special paranormal dective and really gets on her nerves because she doesnt' act like a blood sucker (in fact she doesn't Bite People ) ( but of course they don't get along ! )
Well one thing leads to another - the crimes and attacks keep coming at her - and Saber ends up staying with her to protect her... You can see where this is going :) and it does :)
So that's basicly this story - it ends well and even starts off the next book - well not really starts it off - but after reading the last chapter - you can see where the next book is headed - which is ok - because I'm going to read it :)
February 2, 2011
Francesca Marinelli - call her Cesca, which rhymes with Fresca - is a vampire, online student, surfer chick, and historic city tour guide aficionado in a city that is near and dear to my heart, St. Augustine. She's a feisty, quirky, independent-minded but socially-conscious vampire who doesn't drink in front of people. She holds her nose when she has to drink blood at all, in fact. Her greatest ambition after spending 200 or so years chained and imprisoned underground is to chisel out a normal life, free to come and go as she pleases - with respect to the GPS chip in her arm that keeps tabs on her 24/7, and so long as she doesn't slip too far from her vampire sponsor - who's also her roommate and best friend.
She's sassy and quick-witted, politely sardonic. I love her!
Cesca's bopping along, mapping out just about every spare minute of her life, when a member of her most recent tour group ends up murdered and - no surprise to her - she's looked at as being a suspect. Not everyone's too keen about her afterlife status, after all. While police inquiry is a drag, though, it does introduce her to superhotty Deke Saber - the supernatural forces special agent who at first thinks she's as guilty as can be.
As details start to flesh out the mystery and threats start fluttering at Cesca more intently and dangerously, Saber vows to not let her out of his sight - an even more dangerous proposition to the positively virginal (literally) Cesca.
I really enjoyed La Vida Vampire. It's original and charming, and Cesca is a witty and spunky protagonist who is no one's patsy. That the book is also set in St. Augustine, my absolute favorite southern city and just down the road from my old stomping grounds, was a particularly decadent frosting on a full-flavored cake.
La Vida Vampire's got a bit of mystery, a bit of romance, and a bit of mysticism. Ghosts and witches and shape changers are flitting around in the background too. Which actually leads to a small bit of objective criticism on one of the plot threads in the book. While I believe this thread may be indicative of a wider arc through the upcoming series, and is included to add depth and breath to the plot, the paranormal aspects (uh...I mean other than the vampires and the ghosts) seemed oddly out of place and read more like a more somber and dark urban fantasy. It was sort of odd mixed in with bad hair days, surfing, nighttime dashes to the 24 hour Wal-Mart, and the daily doses of caramel Starbloods.
Other than that, though, there's a solid, original story here with a lot of style and class...and a yummy agent Saber there to fan all those flames. Strongly recommended if you like irreverent heroines with a lot of self respect who still manage to get themselves in very sticky but funny situations.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
She's sassy and quick-witted, politely sardonic. I love her!
Cesca's bopping along, mapping out just about every spare minute of her life, when a member of her most recent tour group ends up murdered and - no surprise to her - she's looked at as being a suspect. Not everyone's too keen about her afterlife status, after all. While police inquiry is a drag, though, it does introduce her to superhotty Deke Saber - the supernatural forces special agent who at first thinks she's as guilty as can be.
As details start to flesh out the mystery and threats start fluttering at Cesca more intently and dangerously, Saber vows to not let her out of his sight - an even more dangerous proposition to the positively virginal (literally) Cesca.
I really enjoyed La Vida Vampire. It's original and charming, and Cesca is a witty and spunky protagonist who is no one's patsy. That the book is also set in St. Augustine, my absolute favorite southern city and just down the road from my old stomping grounds, was a particularly decadent frosting on a full-flavored cake.
La Vida Vampire's got a bit of mystery, a bit of romance, and a bit of mysticism. Ghosts and witches and shape changers are flitting around in the background too. Which actually leads to a small bit of objective criticism on one of the plot threads in the book. While I believe this thread may be indicative of a wider arc through the upcoming series, and is included to add depth and breath to the plot, the paranormal aspects (uh...I mean other than the vampires and the ghosts) seemed oddly out of place and read more like a more somber and dark urban fantasy. It was sort of odd mixed in with bad hair days, surfing, nighttime dashes to the 24 hour Wal-Mart, and the daily doses of caramel Starbloods.
Other than that, though, there's a solid, original story here with a lot of style and class...and a yummy agent Saber there to fan all those flames. Strongly recommended if you like irreverent heroines with a lot of self respect who still manage to get themselves in very sticky but funny situations.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
January 22, 2011
Okay, technically it's the first book of the year I DIDN'T finish and wouldn't be reviewing at all (I didn't count it) except I know this would be something various members of the flist might read. Heck some might even like it. I mean I thought oooo, vampires with a FEMALE lead, oooo, St Augustine, a city in FL I actually liked, ooo she works for a ghost tour.
I like quirky heroines but Francesca is too quirky and quickly strays into Mary Sue land. SHe surfs. She's psychic sort of. She was put into a coffin underground for 200 years (in Florida...I'm pretty sure the water table would have gotten her long before she was saved). Vampires are now protected and have to have a sponser, whom Cesa lives with while she's getting a 200 year update on her knowledge. She's obsessed about her bad hair to the point it was getting annoying.
During her two ghost tours, Cesca meets up with Shalimar (named for her perfume overdose) and the Jag Queens, the newlyweds (French, who later ask her to join them in a threesome), Gomer and Stony who turns out to want to kill all vampires AND humans who befriend them. Frankly Cesca handles Stony badly and the newlyweds too. This is when we learn she's a 200+ year old virgin and wants to lose it but missed her chance with the love of her life back in the day, Triton, a magical shape shifter (who somehow she expects is still alive and well being a paranormal romance you know she's right). The next day the exact same tour group is back (because that'll happen) and she manages to irritate the French couple by being unreceptive and after Stony gets out of hand again Gomer (and his gun) walk her home.
About the third or fourth chapter, things get really trite and predictable. THe French bride washes into Cesca and her surfing buddies (and I keep trying to remember even seeing surfers in St Aug when I lived there) with bite marks on her and a bullet to her head. This is about the same time, Cesca tells the cops stridently her name is Cess-ka not Ches-ka and I give up. (it IS ches-ka. It's Italian. I checked with friend who live in Italy since I hadn't had to speak Italian since my great granny passed 30 years ago.) What really put me off is the Mary Sue quality of Cesca and worse, she's a quailing female. Nothing puts me off faster than that. Here she is a vampire with super senses, speed and strength and she acts like a scaredy cat.
This is when I quit. I gave it a second star out of the consideration romance isn't my genre (the library had that word covered up by their stickers and I didn't see it until I opened the inside cover).
I like quirky heroines but Francesca is too quirky and quickly strays into Mary Sue land. SHe surfs. She's psychic sort of. She was put into a coffin underground for 200 years (in Florida...I'm pretty sure the water table would have gotten her long before she was saved). Vampires are now protected and have to have a sponser, whom Cesa lives with while she's getting a 200 year update on her knowledge. She's obsessed about her bad hair to the point it was getting annoying.
During her two ghost tours, Cesca meets up with Shalimar (named for her perfume overdose) and the Jag Queens, the newlyweds (French, who later ask her to join them in a threesome), Gomer and Stony who turns out to want to kill all vampires AND humans who befriend them. Frankly Cesca handles Stony badly and the newlyweds too. This is when we learn she's a 200+ year old virgin and wants to lose it but missed her chance with the love of her life back in the day, Triton, a magical shape shifter (who somehow she expects is still alive and well being a paranormal romance you know she's right). The next day the exact same tour group is back (because that'll happen) and she manages to irritate the French couple by being unreceptive and after Stony gets out of hand again Gomer (and his gun) walk her home.
About the third or fourth chapter, things get really trite and predictable. THe French bride washes into Cesca and her surfing buddies (and I keep trying to remember even seeing surfers in St Aug when I lived there) with bite marks on her and a bullet to her head. This is about the same time, Cesca tells the cops stridently her name is Cess-ka not Ches-ka and I give up. (it IS ches-ka. It's Italian. I checked with friend who live in Italy since I hadn't had to speak Italian since my great granny passed 30 years ago.) What really put me off is the Mary Sue quality of Cesca and worse, she's a quailing female. Nothing puts me off faster than that. Here she is a vampire with super senses, speed and strength and she acts like a scaredy cat.
This is when I quit. I gave it a second star out of the consideration romance isn't my genre (the library had that word covered up by their stickers and I didn't see it until I opened the inside cover).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2013
I really enjoyed this book.
I liked that the author put her own spin on the coexistence of humans and vampires, and created a world that is not too far out of the realm of possibilities. The vampires are “out”, and under control by the Vampire Protection League. It keeps them from getting to aggressive, as well as protects them from “the Covenant” which is basically a vampire hate group. To me, it makes it all seem a little more real. In this world Vampires have jobs and run businesses. Some are friendly, while some are they typical power hungry jerk.
The characters themselves are entertaining. They have a sense of humor and act like normal people (or vampires). Francesca Marinelli is a 227 year old vampire who was buried by King Normand (a former Vampire king), along with his treasure, and forgotten about. During a recent renovation on a house that had been built on her burial site historic St. Augustine, she is discovered by Maggie O’halloran, who then acts as her “sponsor” and best friend. I personally love the history of St. Augustine, and enjoy reading about a city that I have actually been to. Francesca or “Cesca” as she is called by friends is a fun and sweet vampire. She has morals and wants to be a good vampire, but really does not like that she is a vampire. Due to her religious views, she will not kill herself by walking into the sun, so she spends her time with her dream job of guiding Ghost tours through St. Augustine, surfing, playing Bridge, and having fun with her best friend. She is one of the few vampires that have the gift of “day walking” which is what allows her to surf. During her tour one night she meets several interesting characters such as “the Jag queens,” which is a group of retired women who are enjoying themselves to the fullest and happen to be huge fans of the Jacksonville Jaguars football team. She meets a French couple who is quite obvious in their romance and romantic practices. She meets a member of the Covenant who is intent of proving that she is the horrible vampire he thinks she is. After she discovers the body of a woman from her tour group, she comes under suspicion and is then paired up with the yummy sounding Deke Saber, who is very much a drool inducing hottie.
This book was a fun and easy read. It had a good mystery and enough back stories to round out the characters. There is enough romance to be noticeable, but not so much that it takes over the story. I think it was a good balance of all the elements and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
I liked that the author put her own spin on the coexistence of humans and vampires, and created a world that is not too far out of the realm of possibilities. The vampires are “out”, and under control by the Vampire Protection League. It keeps them from getting to aggressive, as well as protects them from “the Covenant” which is basically a vampire hate group. To me, it makes it all seem a little more real. In this world Vampires have jobs and run businesses. Some are friendly, while some are they typical power hungry jerk.
The characters themselves are entertaining. They have a sense of humor and act like normal people (or vampires). Francesca Marinelli is a 227 year old vampire who was buried by King Normand (a former Vampire king), along with his treasure, and forgotten about. During a recent renovation on a house that had been built on her burial site historic St. Augustine, she is discovered by Maggie O’halloran, who then acts as her “sponsor” and best friend. I personally love the history of St. Augustine, and enjoy reading about a city that I have actually been to. Francesca or “Cesca” as she is called by friends is a fun and sweet vampire. She has morals and wants to be a good vampire, but really does not like that she is a vampire. Due to her religious views, she will not kill herself by walking into the sun, so she spends her time with her dream job of guiding Ghost tours through St. Augustine, surfing, playing Bridge, and having fun with her best friend. She is one of the few vampires that have the gift of “day walking” which is what allows her to surf. During her tour one night she meets several interesting characters such as “the Jag queens,” which is a group of retired women who are enjoying themselves to the fullest and happen to be huge fans of the Jacksonville Jaguars football team. She meets a French couple who is quite obvious in their romance and romantic practices. She meets a member of the Covenant who is intent of proving that she is the horrible vampire he thinks she is. After she discovers the body of a woman from her tour group, she comes under suspicion and is then paired up with the yummy sounding Deke Saber, who is very much a drool inducing hottie.
This book was a fun and easy read. It had a good mystery and enough back stories to round out the characters. There is enough romance to be noticeable, but not so much that it takes over the story. I think it was a good balance of all the elements and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
August 8, 2011
Vampire Francesca Marinelli was locked into the ground over 200 years ago, and was accidentally unearthed during renovations on a Victorian-period house. She's been tagged with a GPS chip, has a `sponsor', and gives ghost-walk tours in St. Augustine, Florida. Life is peachy keen for this surfing, bridge-playing, Wal-Mart loving vampire, until one of her tour guide clients is found floating in the ocean with a broken neck and bite mark. Preternatural investigator Deke Saber suspects Cesca and sticks to her like white on rice.
I was conflicted on how to rate this book, and I kept vacillating back and forth all afternoon. Here's my problem -- Cesca is a wonderful character with a voice that leaps right off the page. She's modern, she's funny, and I loved being inside her head. BUT, the romance and sex was like a 2-liter of Dr. Pepper that's gone flat. Given these considerations, I've got to say this is good, but not great. Happily, this is only the first book in this series, and I think Haddock clearly has the talent to pull this up by the bootstraps as she goes. Since this is a debut novel, I'm expecting great things to come.
It's a little hard to reconcile Cesca's thoroughly modern voice given that she was born in the late 1700's, but we learn that while she was trapped in the ground, Cesca used astral projection to stay in touch with the times. It also helps that our heroine is a pop culture junkie, and watches TV like an addict. In addition to the normal vampire powers we'd expect, Cesca can tolerate daylight in limited doses, and she is psychic. Despite being such a powerful package, she acts more human than most homo sapiens. Turning her back on her vampire skills baffles the detectives, frustrates the blood-sucker groupies, and enrages her fellow vampires.
Considering how much face time we get with Deke Saber, it's disappointing that he remains so two-dimensional. He's obviously prejudiced against vampires, and has to overcome his knee-jerk gag reflex, but Haddock doesn't clue us into whatever is driving his inner turmoil. To further muck this up, about half the scenes with Saber and Cesca involve intricate `who done it' discussions. After about the third or fourth go-around, I started thinking, is this a mystery or a romance? All they talk about are potential suspects. I want more lovey-dovey and less Sherlock Holmes. That said, it's a worth-while read just to visit with this refreshingly unique vampire lady.
I was conflicted on how to rate this book, and I kept vacillating back and forth all afternoon. Here's my problem -- Cesca is a wonderful character with a voice that leaps right off the page. She's modern, she's funny, and I loved being inside her head. BUT, the romance and sex was like a 2-liter of Dr. Pepper that's gone flat. Given these considerations, I've got to say this is good, but not great. Happily, this is only the first book in this series, and I think Haddock clearly has the talent to pull this up by the bootstraps as she goes. Since this is a debut novel, I'm expecting great things to come.
It's a little hard to reconcile Cesca's thoroughly modern voice given that she was born in the late 1700's, but we learn that while she was trapped in the ground, Cesca used astral projection to stay in touch with the times. It also helps that our heroine is a pop culture junkie, and watches TV like an addict. In addition to the normal vampire powers we'd expect, Cesca can tolerate daylight in limited doses, and she is psychic. Despite being such a powerful package, she acts more human than most homo sapiens. Turning her back on her vampire skills baffles the detectives, frustrates the blood-sucker groupies, and enrages her fellow vampires.
Considering how much face time we get with Deke Saber, it's disappointing that he remains so two-dimensional. He's obviously prejudiced against vampires, and has to overcome his knee-jerk gag reflex, but Haddock doesn't clue us into whatever is driving his inner turmoil. To further muck this up, about half the scenes with Saber and Cesca involve intricate `who done it' discussions. After about the third or fourth go-around, I started thinking, is this a mystery or a romance? All they talk about are potential suspects. I want more lovey-dovey and less Sherlock Holmes. That said, it's a worth-while read just to visit with this refreshingly unique vampire lady.
July 30, 2011
In this first book we meet Cesca, our heroine, of course. She’s a psychic vampire princess who has just recently been discovered chained in a coffin buried under a Victorian house for the past couple of centuries. Maggie, who is now her sponsor, is in the process of renovating the mansion and she’s the one who finds Cesca and liberates her from her hellhole of a home. Being behind in life from fashion to pop culture, Cesca devours anything and everything she can by taking online classes, watching every DVD she can get her hands on, and working as a tour guide for Old Coast Ghost Tours in St. Augustine, Florida.
After her first few months of freedom pass relatively peacefully, suddenly her life becomes entangled with that of several of the folks who take her tour, culminating in the death of a French bride on her honeymoon. Cesca is at first a suspect herself, questioned by the police and a preternatural special crimes investigator and former vampire slayer, Deke Saber. Cesca and Saber don’t hit it off in the beginning, but when threats and actual attempts are made on her life, Saber is the one to guard her and keep her safe while they investigate the other people from the tour who are under suspicion.
Aside from the growing relationship between these two, it’s the secondary characters that help make this book what it is. From gun-toting senior citizens to a vampire hater to a vampire lord and his minions, the laughter and the mystery take turns keeping a reader entertained. Cesca is just trying to live a normal afterlife, playing bridge, surfing, things a young person would do. But it’s everyone else who makes her out to be something she’s not, except Saber. He’s the one who encourages her to learn more about the powers she should have, to be the vampire she is and not hide that fact like she’s been doing. I thoroughly enjoy these two together. They make a great team.
This is a terrific start to a light and fun series. Though the mystery is solved, we’ve given glimpses of a wizard and magical panther who know something Cesca and the reader don’t, and the author hooks you quite effectively so you just have to know what’s going to happen in the future. And, as I’ve said before, humor is a difficult element of writing to get right, to make it perfect, but Ms. Haddock does it beautifully. I am so glad I had the next book in the series in hand and ready to read once I finished this one.
See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com
After her first few months of freedom pass relatively peacefully, suddenly her life becomes entangled with that of several of the folks who take her tour, culminating in the death of a French bride on her honeymoon. Cesca is at first a suspect herself, questioned by the police and a preternatural special crimes investigator and former vampire slayer, Deke Saber. Cesca and Saber don’t hit it off in the beginning, but when threats and actual attempts are made on her life, Saber is the one to guard her and keep her safe while they investigate the other people from the tour who are under suspicion.
Aside from the growing relationship between these two, it’s the secondary characters that help make this book what it is. From gun-toting senior citizens to a vampire hater to a vampire lord and his minions, the laughter and the mystery take turns keeping a reader entertained. Cesca is just trying to live a normal afterlife, playing bridge, surfing, things a young person would do. But it’s everyone else who makes her out to be something she’s not, except Saber. He’s the one who encourages her to learn more about the powers she should have, to be the vampire she is and not hide that fact like she’s been doing. I thoroughly enjoy these two together. They make a great team.
This is a terrific start to a light and fun series. Though the mystery is solved, we’ve given glimpses of a wizard and magical panther who know something Cesca and the reader don’t, and the author hooks you quite effectively so you just have to know what’s going to happen in the future. And, as I’ve said before, humor is a difficult element of writing to get right, to make it perfect, but Ms. Haddock does it beautifully. I am so glad I had the next book in the series in hand and ready to read once I finished this one.
See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com
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