How to Elude a Vampire

VRC: Vampire Related Crimes #2

by Alice Winters

Finn
When the vampire stalking me sent me a letter, I was prepared for my new life with the man I love to get thrown into chaos. But as the days stretch on and nothing happens, I become determined not to allow that monster to rule my life, and decide that Marcus and I will move on. We can’t always allow the past to haunt us. If that includes pestering Marcus and harassing my fellow detectives, they’d better learn to love it, because I’m not going anywhere even if they like to remind me I’m the only human working in a department filled with vampires. But Marcus loves me for who I am, even if he’s not crazy about the cute pet names I call him like McBitey. Being with him is more than I could have dreamed, and even with the trials thrown in our way, he never fails to make me smile.

Marcus
When Finn joined the VRC, I never expected how everything would change. Now that he’s the brightest part of my days, I’m unsure of how I existed without him. Before Finn and I can settle into our new life together, we’re called in as lead detectives when a body is found in the river, and the case soon hits closer to home than we anticipated. I want to be by Finn’s side to keep him safe, but at the same time, Finn’s fighting for the freedom he’s always wanted after being forced to live a life of fear. What I do know is that my future is with Finn, no matter what happens.

How to Elude a Vampire is the second in the VRC series and contains a display of manly prowess that doesn't go as desired, reluctant bonding with a new pet, interfering with a snarky Russian's love life, misuse of office supplies, a vampire with a killer fashion sense but very little game, a total lack of ancient kung fu powers, a feisty human who almost always gets his way and the possessive vampire who adores him.

Genres: M M Romance, Vampires, Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy, Mystery, Urban Fantasy

316 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 16, 2020

About the author

Alice Winters started writing stories as soon as she was old enough to turn her ideas into written words. She loves writing a variety of things from romance and comedy to action. She also enjoys reading, horseback riding, and spending time with her pets.

Follow me on Facebook where I put up short stories, teasers, and giveaways: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Alice...

Join my newsletter: https://www.alicewintersauthor.com/

Reviews

[☆ Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much like the first book in the series, "How to Vex a Vampire", this continuation was packed full of snark and banter.

But with Finn and Marcus together as a happy couple, a lot of that snark was turned outwardly, toward other people in this funny and adorable book.

As the story began, there were a few deaths, including the VRC losing one of its own, which led to a search for the identity of the Elder vampire.

Through dream flashbacks, we became privy to additional information into what really happened to Finn thirteen years ago, when he lost his arm and leg. Since I'd had questions since the first book, I was thrilled to finally get more of those details.

Those new clues eventually did lead to a Big Plot Twist, where we found out who was behind Finn's stalking, although even right up to the very end of the story, I wasn't 100% positive that The Big Bad would get taken out by the conclusion of this book.

One new ally that was introduced here was Marcus' annoying, over-sexed brother, Claude, who I at times liked, and at others I also wanted to stake, as he was kind of an acquired taste.

This fast-paced book never bored me, because there was always some new event right around the corner, whether that be more forward movement in the search for the stalker or simply another funny, irreverent scene.

Like when everyone goes into super-protective mode, trying to keep Finn safe, especially his father, Orin.

“I just thought you’d appreciate a nice wonderful breakfast and consider moving in with me for the rest of your life.”

I give Marcus a look. “I think he’s trying to kidnap me. Orin, my great and amazing father, I don’t want to be kidnapped right now.”

Orin stares at us. “What about after breakfast?”

In regards to the humor, that was very similar to the first book; however, some of the humor did make me roll my eyes, just a little here and there. Not often, only occasionally.

I was happy to see how the final showdown between Finn and his stalker played out, even if it was over super-quickly, maybe a bit too much so. After so much betrayal, the evil asshole in me really wanted to see the schmuck's suffering drawn out a bit more, but oh well.

I did appreciate finally seeing Karsyn firmly in Finn's corner, just in time for the grumpy Russian VRC agent to be heading into his own story with Claude in the next book.

I'd rate this story at around 4 stars and am really looking forward to see what else Alice has in store for fans of her vampy, new universe.

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[Mrinmayi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Midnight Sun is really messing with my mind..
Can't help but come up with memes & compare these two😂



HOW YOU KNOW HE IS YOUR SOULMATE:
a) Is manipulative, controlling & WATCHES YOU SLEEP
b)Is GRUMPY BUT CARING, supportive , ASKS YOUR OPINION & is NOT FIXATED on your skin tone



Ever thought what would happen if Edward (Twilight) was the villain??!!
Well, this book gives you the answer!!!
I am currently reading Midnight sun & I am Glad I picked this book to keep me company..
This book is everything which is NOT in Midnight Sun
This book is FUNNY, The Main couple HAS CHEMISTRY!!! & most importantly the dude who has "Edward tendencies" is the VILLAIN NOT the LURVE INTERREST


This book is set in a world where Vampire exist & CO HABIT with Humans
We follow Two Main characters...Finn & Marcus who are the members of VRC aka Vampire related Crimes...as they try to find EDWARD 2.0
EDWARD 2.0 is OBSESSED with Finn ...REPEAT AFTER ME FOLKS "IT IS OBSESSION NOT LURVE"
Finn acknowledges that it is STALKING & not "the PROTECTIVE INSTINCT Of the vampire"
We see them try to solve the case & find Edward 2.0

Loooook...I have NOTHING against Vampires..
They wanna suck blood??? COOL...AS FAR AS THEY DON't SUCK MINE
In fact the MC Finn is in love with Marcus (who is a Vampire btw) BUT they have a healthy relationship
I just wish this book is read by more teenage Girls so they will understand what a healthy relationship is... as opposed to "I will leave you in the middle of the Jungle so you can cry In fetus position"😂

Anyways...I ADORED this book!!
Add to the fact that there were FUR BABIES in this book!!
AND WE ALL AGREE DOGS MAKE EVERYTHING GOOD!!
DOGS FROWNING OVER ME rn...

But hey!! DOGS do make things better!!
AND THERE WERE 2 dogs in this book!!
Also, this book had the cutest puppy!!


*dreamy sigh* There goes my heart..

The chemistry between the MC's was spot on

It was opposites attract, Grumpy person meets the good guy, enemies to lovers...need I say more???!!

I will admit while the plot wasn't solid ..this book was entertaining
I enjoyed EVERY MOMENT these two spent as a couple
LOVED seeing them overcome the obstacle & making the relationship work
Would highly recommend 😊

[* A Reader Obsessed * · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another 4 Stars!

You know, my cynical heart was a bit apprehensive with a second go around with Winters because how could she keep up the snark and humor consistently? Well apparently, it just so happened that I was in the mood for her brand of silliness again, and I was continuously entertained with the absolutely ridiculous scenarios Finn and Marcus put themselves in as they further mesh their lives.

However, not all things are a barrel of laughs. There’s still the real threat of the vampire stalker that has been psychologically torturing Finn for years, always in the background, always making his presence known that he can end Finn in an instant should he decide to do so. There’s some impressive reveals here regarding Finn’s traumatizing past and the origin story of vampires in general. The life and death situations were intense, and I was legit scared and freaking out towards the end because seriously, I didn't know how Winters was going to pull a win for our heroes against such a seemingly undefeatable foe.

Never fear though. This is romantic comedy suspense at its best and it all ends happily, but I’m still a bit freaked out and shaken which is a testament to how Winters can veer on both ends of the spectrum, making you laugh at outrageously silly antics and then be in turmoil over the mortality of her characters.

I’m simply impressed and know that this type of writing isn’t for everyone. Again, I hope that the next story about Karsyn and Claude will keep my interest and keep me laughing just as much!

[Bhavya Marya · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Orin! Papa! This creepy old man is being mean to me!”
“He’s the best you’ll ever get, Finn. Let him verbally abuse you if that’s what it takes to keep him around. I thought you’d never sucker anyone into liking you.”
3.5 stars

I'm gonna start this by saying that I did kinda have the same problems with this one that I had with the first book. The humour is again repetitive. I was skimming a lot of the snark. The writing again seemed like it was trying too hard.

But damn that ending totally just blew me away. I didn't expect that to happen AT ALL. I love plot twists in my books mainly because most of the romances follow similar patterns and it gets predictable after a while. Sometimes its nice to be surprised and be totally thrown off track.
And since I knew going into this what the writing was like, I think it didn't bother me as much as it did in the first book. Also, the snark was irritatingly non-stop but at times it was funny too. This was definitely better than the first one.

The romance was kind of secondary to the plot and honestly, I didn't mind that much because the scenes we do get of them together are really cute and swoon worthy. I absolutely adore this couple.

I am totally aboard the Claude and Karsyn ship. Another great grump and sunshine couple by this author. I'm kinda excited to read book three. I have no idea what the plot's gonna be but hopefully it's something good.

[Jilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my review for the first book, I mentioned that the sarcastic banter actually got to be a little too much. Just a tad - you know, enough for a bunch of people to hate the book even though I still loved it. But, I guess those negative reviews got to the author because it was toned down a lot in this one. Still funny and witty banter, but there were a lot of feelings and stuff too. Eh.



I relate to their strange and witty banter, though, because it sounds like my family at the dinner table. We have conversations such as: could we use the word "zoinks" in a sentence naturally, isn't the phrase "assless chaps" redundant, what is our preferred way of dying (mine is in a hovercar accident), who we think we could get away murdering if we all worked together, oh, and you know, where to go on vacation and shit.. not at all in a place where we could murder someone...

Yeah, my husband and I are amazing parents. Much like Finn's dad, Orin, whom I love and am going to leave my husband for:

After Marcus is teasing Finn:

Finn: "Orin! Papa! This creepy old man is being mean to me!"

Orin: "He's the best you'll ever get, Finn. Let him verbally abuse you if that's what it takes to keep him around. I thought you'd never sucker anyone into liking you."

Man, I love Orin. Maybe my hubs would be willing to enter a polyamorous relationship with him and me. I'll ask him at dinner. The whole family could vote on it.

The heroes from the last book are now together and trying to find a serial killer. The problem is that this may be the same person who has been stalking Finn since he was 16 years old. And, that stalker is a sadistic fuck. So, they are also trying to keep Finn safe. Not an easy feat because he tends to hang around people who want to exsanguinate him.



Now, the serial killer/stalker thing is slightly over the top. I think it's because the "doll" thing has been played. Like, so played. But, it was still a fun reveal when they found the person, so I guess it's okay. And, dolls are creepy - in any situation.



All in all, it was another fun book in the series.

[Meags · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

This story managed the perfect blend of dreamy paranormal romance, exhilarating mystery-suspense, and non-stop laughs, which all came together effortlessly to make this reading experience worth every second of my time.

This go-around, the mystery portion of the story upped the ante from book one (How to Vex a Vampire), with Finn’s long-time vampire stalker back on the scene, as menacing and indestructible as ever, and out to ruin what happiness Finn has made for himself over the years.

There were legitimately a handful of times throughout this story—when the humour was set aside to focus on the seriousness of the situations at hand—where I was honestly spooked and worried about the survivability of many of the series' lovable characters. So, I’ve got to give it to Winters for creating such a formidable foe for Finn and Marcus to face head on, forcing them to grow as characters and as a couple, as they (and their team members and families) work together to finally end this villain’s reign of tyranny over Finn’s life.

Compelling mystery arc aside, the humour here was unending and extreme. It will not be to every reader’s liking—as can be attested by some of the reviews—but I’m happy as a pig in mud that Winter’s brand of humour hits all my personal buttons with the pure levity and hilarity it provides. I concede that the characters are often OTT with the banter and some of the scenarios can be downright silly, but I’m able to go with the flow and enjoy it anyway, not despite the humour but because of the humour.

With a vampire-human romantic pairing that makes me swoon, paired with the larger cast of wily and hilarious characters and a mystery plot that was increasingly more thrilling and nerve-wracking as it unfolded, this sequel easily took the cake for my favourite book in series (at least, thus far).

My experiences with Alice Winters' stories are limited at this point, but if her other works provide the feeling of unadulterated joy this story and these characters brought me, then I’m enthusiastically all-in.

[Vanna on semi hiatus · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Loved-It-STARS!! 😍💕 So glad that the ongoing mystery did not drag onto a 3rd book. Also, this was so much better than the first book I think; the established couple felt more realistic, the banter and sass between them was more understandable because now that we know Finn and find out more about his trauma, it is easy to understand why he uses humor as an escape strategy. His humor and sass are his shields against his physical vulnerabilities. Marcus encourages it too because Finn without his over confident sassy personality is not something he can accept.
But although he loves Finn with all his being, for the first time in Marcus's long life he feels that he is unable to protect Finn when they continue to be haunted by the mysterious vampire-stalker. However, with support from family and a growing group of friends they resolve to identify this villain but obviously it's not without some danger and vampire action. And after lots of bloodshed and gory action the conclusion (regarding who the villain is) is a bit of a surprise but quick.
Although there is no epilogue per se, the ending is as close to an HEA as possible with one MC who's a human and another a vampire (I mean the human can't live as long as the vampire right?? 😳😱) Either way, it was a great conclusion with some minor plot points which remained unresolved. I'm hoping we'll get more answers in the next book which will likely feature Karsyn and Claude.. 😍😁
Highly recommended to vampire m/m fans 👍👍

[Lucie V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

✅ Funny banter
✅ Sexy M/M smut
✅ Cute romance
✅ Pace
✅ Characters / Sexy vampires 😏
✅ 2 POVs
✅ Intrigue
✅🆗 Tiny info-dump about the stalker and vampires' history
✅🆗 Stalker business (long to come up and quickly resolved in the last 3 chapters)

Not as hilarious as the first book (still made me laugh out loud many times though), but I feel that the plot was more elaborate, which is good. Also, I apologize in advance for the many quotes in this long review (I’m just kidding, I’m not sorry at all!).

Marcus starts laughing. And we all know that if Marcus finds it hilarious, it should never have happened. “There is something wrong with this family and I love it!” Marcus says as he smacks his leg.


“The thing about Finn is that he has this way of making everyone like and care for him. Even Karsyn likes him.”
Karsyn groans. “I try not to.”

Marcus and Finn have been together for 6 months now, and are still trying to figure out who is this super powerful vampire stalking Finn, while continuing their detective work in the VRC department. Even though they haven't heard from the stalker, felt him, or seen him for the last 6 months, they know it's only a matter of time before he strikes again, and they are not sure even Marcus could stop him when it happens.

It was weird at first to realize that 6 months had passed since the kinda-cliffhanger at the end of the first book, but it did end up working well, and it allowed Marcus and Finn's relationship to be stronger and more serious, which would not have been possible if this book picked up right where the first one ended. The intrigue is good, although the stalker business did take a while to come up again. The banter between Finn and Marcus (actually between Finn and everybody) is still there, but it's not as intense as in the first book, which gave more room to the relationship aspect and the detective investigation. The whole stalker business was also well written, I honestly had no idea of the stalker's identity and I was shocked when I learned who it was.

The whole part about vampires' history and the stalker's background was kind of an info dump though and ended up feeling a little underwhelming. I just feel that there has been a huge build-up since the beginning of the first book, and then everything was explained in a few paragraphs, and later it was all resolved in two or three chapters. It was not bad at all, but I was hoping for more I guess... Still, it is overall a very good and entertaining book that I recommend if you enjoyed the first one.

“You got the dog!” He drops to his knees and the dog rushes over, ecstatic she’s found someone new to become best friends with.
And I realize that it’s all worth it. This is why I do things like this because there’s nothing better than seeing the smile that lights up Finn’s entire face. Nothing Brooks or Karsyn could say to me could make me regret a moment of this. Because when Finn is happy, I feel like nothing else matters. This is the only thing that does.
Even if I’ve added an ugly rat to the family.

Finn and Marcus are still super cute together. Their romance is still sweet and it is a good mix of funny banter, cute moments, and sexy/smutty scenes. Their epilogue is also sweet, and even though I was expecting it, I am really happy that they got their HEA. I know the next book is about Karsyn, but I'm still hoping to catch a glimpse of Finn and Marcus every once in a while just to see how cute and happy they continue to be.

“I feel like you’re especially snarky today, Karsyn,” I say as I step forward and wrap my arms around his body.
He instantly stiffens and starts barking stuff in Russian as I squeeze him tightly. I’m positive he’s saying stuff like “I love you” and “Hug me harder.”


“Hold on… so… you think Orin’s going to throw a fit about Aria’s boyfriend even though he never cared about mine?” I ask.
“Well, yeah, Aria’s his little baby girl and he was just trying to get rid of you. I didn’t see all the warning flags before you got ahold of me.”
“Are those fighting words?” I growl.
“Will someone record Finn so I can report this harassment to HR?” Marcus asks.
“You mean we could get rid of the pesky human?” Karsyn asks as he whips his phone out. “Make him do something really bad.”


“I’m pissed,” I grumble.
“Because you fell?” he asks.
“Because of… all of this.” I wave at myself. “I’m useless and just a hindrance to you guys.”
Karsyn shakes his head. “I would never say you’re useless. Remember that one time I used you as bait? That worked extremely well.”
I try not to smile. “Ha. Ha. You’re funny.”
“And that other time we bribed that vampire with you by telling him he could eat you if he came with us, and then Marcus beat him up for thinking he could touch you? You’re extremely useful.”
“Why is being a meal the only thing I’m useful at?”
“No! That’s not true. You’re not a meal, you’re more of a snack.”


“You scraped your knee up pretty good too,” Marcus says.
“I asked Karsyn to lick my wound and he refused. He told me he liked watching me suffer more,” I tell Marcus.
“And you call yourself a friend,” Marcus growls at Karsyn who gives us an exasperated look.
“But I don’t! I don’t call myself a friend to either of you!” he says. “And can you imagine the shit I’d have to deal with if you walked around the corner and caught me suckling on his knee?”

Karsyn is slowly warming up to Finn and it was so funny and adorable. The way they ganged up on Marcus, or the way Kasryn pretended to be grumpy and not to care, but he was in fact super worried about Finn made my day. I really like Karsyn and I was super happy to see more of him in this book (I am also even happier now that I know that the next book is about him! Gimme!!).

“Orin! Papa! This creepy old man is being mean to me!”
“He’s the best you’ll ever get, Finn. Let him verbally abuse you if that’s what it takes to keep him around. I thought you’d never sucker anyone into liking you.”
I turn in my chair to Artie. “Will you love me? I don’t need no man in my life. I’m more than happy to be alone and surrounded by dogs. Papa Bitey and Fangy McFangyface can go fuck off. Or they can love each other instead, and I’ll just love you.”

Orin’s fierce fatherly love and concern were heartwarming, especially since it’s mixed with banter and him making fun of Finn. Still, Finn is truly lucky to have him as a father. Orin was more present in this book, we got to see more of him and his "don't-touch-my-kid-or-I'll-rip-your-head-off" side, but also his "I-love-Finn-but-I-love-making-fun-of-him-even-more" side and it was perfect. Honestly, I would love to see more of Orin in the next books.

“Look at the anger on your face!” Karsyn cackles.
Finn waves him off. “No! No! The best part is the way he’s holding her. Look at his hand around her neck! Who holds a puppy like that?”
“She was squirming around, dammit!” I grumble.
“My favorite part is the comments,” Brooks says as he reaches past Finn so he can scroll down. “Let’s see: ‘He’s going to eat it! Why’d you give it to him?’ and ‘Why are all the handsome ones evil?’ and then my favorite ‘RIP little doggie.’”
“Dammit! Did you tell them she’s still alive?” I growl. This is fucking ridiculous. Why am I even trying to defend myself?
“I did!” Finn says. “I came to your rescue. It was really hard with tears in my eyes from laughing so hard, but I put up this picture of you two.” He points at a picture of me kneeling on the floor, playing with Hela in a moment of weakness. “And I wrote this to defend your honor: ‘The fanged creature seems to be warming up to the tiny bundle of joy. He hasn’t eaten either of us YET, but he’s given us pet names like Little Savory Biscuit and Dinnertime. We think he’s trying to plump us up first. If this is my last update, you’ll know that we’ve been eaten.’”

I will finish by saying that the fact that Marcus agreed to adopt a little chihuahua-type dog just to make Finn happy is so cute, but it also created so many funny moments! I did not see that coming at all but it really made me laugh and while it’s still about detective work and murders, that’s the kind of silly things you can expect from this series.


Now, I will go buy the next book right away because I am already aboard the Claude and Karsyn ship and waiting for them to join me. Reading about another sunshine personality/grumpy couple by this author is going to be a delight I'm sure!


How to Vex a Vampire ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


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[Dia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one but I kind of loved the first book more. It might be the lockdown and my lack of concentration, but it took me longer to read this one. Longer than the first book and longer than usual. I still loved the banter between the main characters. And I have to admit I didn't guess the evil character's identity. It took me by surprise, but I felt like this one was unnecessarily long.

I really enjoyed Karsyn and Claude. Hope we'll get their story in the next book.

[julia ☆ [owls reads] · Rating 2 out of 5]

#1 How to Vex a Vampire: ★★★★☆ | 4 stars

*

2 stars.

Time to break out the bullet points:

🦇 The romance was still super sweet and well done and there were quite a few steamy scenes throughout the novel that were very well written, so yay for that!
🦇 The humor and banter were also great, once again, though they did feel rather dismissive of Huge Plot Happenings at times.
🦇 Considering how Vex ended - cliffhanger! - it was really weird that this started off like that didn't happen? I felt like the characters were ignoring the big warning sign in the middle of the room. It was only explained later on that this novel picked up about 6 months after the end of the first book.
🦇 Even with the explanation, it felt a bit weird that things were business as usual? It took some time for the vampire stalker business to be brought up again and, when it was, it was done in a really obvious and predictable way that tied into the main mystery.
🦇 When we got the background on vampire stalker, it was done in the biggest two paragraph info dump I've seen in a while and it was totally underwhelming. This was supposed to be a huge reveal that was not only connected to Finn's life but to vampires in general and it was not well handled or executed at all.
🦇 Because of this, the ending was quite rushed and abrupt. Everything was solved in a chapter and that was really underwhelming after all the build up from the first novel and part of this one.
🦇 The epilogue was super sweet, though, and I'm really happy Marcus and Finn got their happy ending!

*

Series: #2 in the VRC: Vampire Related Crimes series.
Beings: Vampires!
POV: Told from Finn and Marcus' POVs.
Content Warnings: Stalking. And big warning for mentions of a vampire dismembering a human.
Instalove: No.
Steam: Pretty steamy!
Love Triangle: No.
Cheating: No.
Cliffhanger: Yes.
HEA: Yes!

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

I’ve loved every book I’ve read from this author. I love Finn and Marcus. I adore Karsyn and Claude was an absolute delight.

But honestly this book didn’t really work for me. Maybe I shouldn’t leave a review because I’ve struggled since the lockdown. I’m not getting much time to read and reading isn’t consuming me like it generally does.

But after the ending of the previous book. I expected this to hit the ground running. And the whole it was him was a bit much for me.

I’m sorry because I really wanted to love this.

[Rachel Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

ETA: Re-reading books 2 and 3 so I can refresh a bit before I read the new release!! SO SO happy to get more with Marcus, Finn, and the entire group at the VRC!

It's not often that books will actually, legit make me LOL. I might think to myself, "oh, that's funny" but humor for me is tricky with books and it often feels forced to me. NOT the case with this book, OMG there were definitely some moments between Finn and Marcus that literally made me laugh aloud.

I love this continuation of their story, and I just love how easy and lovely their relationship is, and also Finn's growing friendship with Karsyn and then his future interest, Claude. Can't wait for their book!

Definitely read in order as this is a direct continuation and enjoy! SO freakin' hilarious, I think I might have to get this series in audio.

[Ariana (mostly offline) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 in this series was fun with the same entertaining vampire bashing we got in the first book. And it deals with a more serious element, namely the horrors deriving from Finn’s past.

The things that made me chuckle, apart from the usual Finn/Marcus shenanigans:

- Finn and Karsyn vs. Marcus: the banter is fab.
- Finn’s nicknames for Marcus are hilarious.
- Orin (Finn’s father who is also a vampire) trying to be 'human friendly'.
- Claude, Marcus’s brother, is quite the man to rile up about everyone, but he certainly redeemed himself in the later stages.
- Marcus and his 'relationship' with Hela, the six-pound dog the two men adopt. This is one of my most favourite parts in the book which also caused at least one genuine laugh-out-loud moment.

I didn’t think that we would get the conclusion to Finn’s trials and tribulations with his nightmarish vampire stalker in this book, but I was pleased that it happened. I must admit that it wasn't too difficult to figure out who it might be (I had two candidates and one was correct), but that’s not the point here.

If you need a chuckle and something light to make you smile, this could be just the right thing!
Particularly if don’t mind some bitey, grumpy (and pretty amusing) vampires with no mentionable human social skills.

[ivanareadsalot · Rating 5 out of 5]

So darn laugh-out-loud adorable my gawd I love this series so far 👏🏼💖

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good follow-up to How to Vex a Vampire, with all the same banter, fun and action. I was happy to finally get the full story of Finn's accident and capture all those years ago and the stalker was a surprise until it was revealed. I had it completely wrong! There were some twists, some misdirection and the mystery worked well.

Finn and Marcus are just so adorable together. They are written in the style I've come to expect from Alice Winters. They have plenty of fun back and forth banter, but there are also those moments when you see just how much they are devoted to each other.

My only real issue was that the explanation of the stalker's past and the ultimate confrontation all happened too quickly for my liking. I wanted a little more explanation, and a little more suffering for the big bad and maybe a bit of dealing with the fallout. With so much build-up I was left a bit underwhelmed when it all went down.

I'm hoping for one more book - I would love to see Karsyn and Claude get some time in the spotlight.

[Aly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the first book of this series but this book? This book took that and just...... I don't know I can't word but I really LOVED this book. Now that the relationship between Marcus and Finn has been established and is on much more stable ground we get a better look at other elements of the story. The other characters for instance, we get to see a lot more of Karsyn (the beautiful prickly boy). And we get to learn more about the origin of vampires. In short this book is all things funny and good you should definitely read it .

[Bookreader87(Amanda) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Doll Maker Revealed

2.75 stars

The mystery of who the man haunting/following Finn is the most interesting part of this book. In this one the mystery is finally resolved.
I do enjoy the family aspect and Marcus and Finn's relationship but the overabundance of "snarky" banter kills it.
I do want more on Claude and Alexei.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a difficult one for me to review, not because I didn't like it or don't know what to say, but because I have sooo much to say but don't like to put any spoilers in my reviews. The most obvious thing to say is that this is book two in the series and is not a standalone, so if you haven't read the first, stop reading all these reviews and go read the first one!

I liked the first book in this series and gave it a 4.5 to 5 star review. It was very well plotted and executed, but at times was a little unbalanced on the silly side for me. I also had trouble with the dual POV as I thought Finn and Marcus sounded too much the same at times and I had difficulty realizing which point of view I was reading quite often. I think that's usually the case with dialogue-driven dual POV, though, so I didn't knock any stars off for that since I know authors are under pressure from readers to give the dual POV.

The reason I'm bringing up what I thought about the first book is because I feel that the small defects of the first book are not present in the second. I did occasionally have to refer back to see which character's POV I was reading, but not often. I thought there was a wonderful balance of silly and serious in this one, and the back half was an intense ride that I could not put down! Almost all questions about Finn's past, the person stalking him, and even the origins of vampires are answered in a very satisfying way, and I wouldn't feel let down even if this is the last book in the series (though there's a little hinty at the end that there might be a third book!). For me, this book is everything I want from an Alice Winters book, and there's nothing I would want changed about it. 5 enthusiastic stars!

[Leslie]

I have to first admit that I read this purely so I could read the newest one in the series with Alexei and Claude. Alexei stole my heart in the first book and I need his story no matter what. I also have to admit that I haven’t loved the last few books I’ve read by Alice Winters. Vampire books aren’t my thing most of the time these days. I used to read tons of m/f ones. So I think that’s partially why I wasn’t head over heels for book one in this series. But I haven’t loved the last other few that I read either by her.

I tried to think about what had changed and I realized it was the fact that nothing had changed. Except maybe me? I’ve come to notice that many of her characters are interchangeable. You could substitute Leland for Finn or Finn for Felix or Felix for Landon. She has a formula. Many authors do. It’s not a bad thing. But they’ve become too similar to me and I don’t laugh as much as I used to. It seems she’s started releasing books more frequently now as well. And it feels like that’s made the quality lower? Maybe it’s just me and I’m needing something different now.

Which is why I’m not rating this. Many have loved it and even more will love it when they read it. Perhaps I’m just not the target audience anymore. All of that being said, I’m going to read the next book to see Alexei get bamboozled by Claude. I just gotta. And I hear she’s writing a third Hitman book. I’ll for sure pick that one up. I loved those. And the In Darkness series. So I don’t think I’m totally done with her but I may be more selective of which ones I read.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread 03/2023 review- 3.75 stars??

Reread 09/2021 review- 3 stars? I don’t know, I liked this better than the first time🤷🏻‍♀️

Original 11/2020 review- 2.4 stars? For me this book was such a disappointment. I thought that Marcus and Finn were annoying with their bickering, sarcasm, joking, or whatever, in the first book, but it was absolutely nothing compared to this one 😤... it’s ridiculous & repetitive😑. I don’t like Marcus and I don’t like Finn, and I especially don’t like them together. Carson, Orin, Brooks, and Claude help to save this book (along with with the interesting plot).

Marcus just pissed me off so very much with all of his possessiveness & contradictory attitude or what have you, for instance (this was one of the notes I made while reading it): Marcus is so hypocritical, straight after he gets done saying countless times “how Finn is his”, he has the gall to question why that “monster” dares to treat Finn like an object... like hello? Isn’t that kind of what he’s doing?! 😬😒

[Lisazj1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even more entertaining than the first! This was a great follow up to the first book, and I'm so happy that Finn got to slay his monster. While of course there were a few times that I felt an eye-roll coming on, for the most part this one gave me all the grins and some for real LOL moments. <3 I'm genuinely looking forward to the next one.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are back again with Finn and his vampire lover, Marcus. I'm eager to see how the mystery behind the elder vampire that stalk Finn will be resolved. I suspect it will be someone we all know.

The humor and sarcasm are aplenty as usual. There are some eye rolling moment whereby I just sorta skim over. Finn and Marcus is all lovey dovey and they love to verbally and physically harass each other. Claude, Marcus's brother is a surprise addition. Can't wait for his story.

All in all, is fun to be back with the gang of paranormal team. Finn and Marcus finally get to resolve the creepy stalker issue and enjoy their well deserved HEA.

[Athira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!! I was so not expecting that. It totally surprised me.I absolutely loved it! This is the second book in the series and cannot be read as standalone.

There are a lot of hilarious moments and a lot of serious moments too. We finally get some backstory on the unknown vampire from previous book. Fuck, that plot twist totally got me! Marcus and Finn are amazing together! I love them so much, especially Marcus's grumpy arse.

We have a new character. Everything time I come across Claude, I think of Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler). But his behaviour reminds me of Grell from the anime. Anyway he is a fascinating character. He is annoying but also a genius. And Karsyn is so fed up, it's hilarious. And I cannot wait for the next book.

I highly recommend this series to everyone!

*ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

[Joyfully Jay]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.5 stars

How to Elude a Vampire is the second book in Alice Winter’s excellent Vampire Related Crimes series. It picks up about six months after the first book and things seem to be getting back to normal for the guys. Of course, it is not too long before the danger resurfaces from a variety of fronts and the guys are back fighting for their lives. There are bunch of suspense threads here that keep the story exciting and twisty and I really enjoyed following along here as more secrets are uncovered. As much as this is a funny book (and it is), I think Winters does a wonderful job here bringing gravity to the story as well. I could feel for Finn as he lives in constant threat from his stalker, and yet wants to try to have a normal life as well. He struggles with his family wanting to keep him in a safe little bubble and needing to have some freedom.

Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.

[Micah · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the most part, this was a fun ride. There were moments where I was on the edge of my seat & couldn’t stop reading. Both main characters are likable and have great chemistry. I even really enjoyed the supporting characters.

As expected, my issue with this book was the absolute endless snarky banter. It’s just exhausting to read over and over and over and over and over again. I get that the banter is supposed to be comedy but I’ll be honest, I had to skip a few pages just speed it up (and then freaked out when I saw there was still more banter.)

Other than that, I actually enjoyed the mystery and suspense. I might come back for the next book

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I liked the first book slightly more than the second one. Even though this one was still pretty good.

Finn and Marcus are still super in love and still solving cases together at the VRC.

But they're also still being hunted by the super vampire, who is still stalking Finn. But no one has any idea how to beat him....

There was lots of banter in this just like in the first book. But I do have to say that sometimes it started to feel a little forced. It was still a very enjoyable read though.

[Janet (iamltr) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook review

Finn and Marcus were made for each other and I loved them both.

This is the second book of this couple and here we finally get the resolution of Finn's stalker.

The way Michael F narrated this story made it even funnier.


____________________



Don't read this after getting dental work

I giggled so much I hurt myself but it was worth it.

While I loved the story and the sexy grumpy vampire, the ending seemed a bit rushed. Also I must have missed some details about Watson in the previous book.

[Chappy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

What a good conclusion...when the evil vampire is revealed, my jaw dropped. I had no idea and was blown away.

Finn and Marcus have some of the best snark out there. Love it.

[Candice · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! I'm so glad that I didn't have to wait months upon months for this sequel. It was 12:01am on the 16th of April and I was waiting for this to load on my Kindle. I kept going back to check for it, and finally at 3:30am I fell asleep on my Kindle without the download, but it was there when I woke up! Alice Winters knocked it out of the park with this story. I bawled my eyes out. Was I supposed to cry so much? GAH! My heart BROKE for Finn. Finn & Marcus are my favorite. Karsyn is amazing! I love him and I want his story now, too. Sigh. I think it might be time for a re-read already.

[Skirmish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Reaction: https://neverhollowed.com/2020/11/24/...
Rating: 4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits