Jaded, Kitty's Big Trouble, The Reluctant Vampire, and Devil Without a Cause

Jaded
Anya Bast
Heat, Jun 7 2011, $15.00
ISBN: 9780425241097

Powerful Magick Alek Chaikoveii is depressed so his friend Byron Andropov hopes to get him out of his funk. He asks Lilya Orensdaughter who has entered the Temple of Dreams to help. She agrees as she feels she owes Byron who saved her life following a vicious assault when she was eighteen by a madman.

Alek has wanted Lilya since he healed her from her injuries, but delayed showing his feelings. As he opens his heart to her, she feels fickle between loving Alek and Byron though her best friend Evangeline has two husbands (see Jeweled); while her personal predator who injured her stalks her as in his mind Lilya belongs to him, dead or alive.

The second Court of Edaeii ménage a trois erotic fantasy romance is an engaging heated but dark thriller that has a medieval and modern day (outdoor café in the downtown drinking coffee) Eastern Europe feel to the plot. The lead trio has suffered traumas, but love heals all wounds in their respective cases; while the obsessed villain acts maniacal in his belief that Lilya belongs to him. Jaded is an exciting character driven tale as readers anticipate a showdown over who controls Lilya. Harriet Klausner

Kitty's Big Trouble
Carrie Vaughn
Tor, Jun 28 2011, $7.99
ISBN: 9780765365651

Kitty Norville, alpha pack werewolf and radio show host of the talk show Midnight Hour, is curious as to what roles did the supernatural play in American History. At present she tries to prove that General William T. Sherman was a were, but all efforts to find answers seem blocked. She did learn from her vampire friend Rick that Wyatt Earp was a vampire.

She and her husband Ben go to Dodge City to see if they can verify the Earp claim, but encounter a vampire who dies in front of them. The deceased was wearing a Roman coin around his neck; which means he was controlled by the evil vampire Roman. Vampire Anastasia asks Kitty to visit her in San Francisco because Roman is there looking for the powerful artifact Dragon’s Tear. She needs Kitty, Ben and his cousin Cormac to distract Roman while Anastasia obtains the relic. When Kitty shows Anastasia the coin worn by the dead vampire, the Bay area vamp shows her the exact coin. She says Roman is close to possessing Dragon’s Tear, which will enable him to build an invincible army. Prevention is no longer an option; as they must risk their lives to take the artifact from the malevolent vampire.

Kitty’s latest adventures starts off with en entertaining look at history from a paranormal perspective, but quickly turns into a deadly threat to their well being. Gender bender role switches as Kitty is the alpha and Ben the submissive beta in their pack (and relationship); her confidence in her skills including leadership grows. Humans know that the others exist, but most keep their distance as the vampires and weres have their old alien cultures. Series fans will enjoy the latest urban fantasy entry (see Kitty Goes to War) as Kitty and cohorts battle evil. Harriet Klausner

The Reluctant Vampire
Lynsay Sands
Avon, May 31 2011, $7.99
ISBN: 9780061894596

In spite of her objection against babysitting the new teen vampire Stephanie, Marguerite assigns protection of the tyro to rogue hunter Drina Argenis. Knowing her leader never does anything without a secret agenda, Drina wonders why her when she only does field cleansing.

Marguerite believes her niece Drina and Harper Stoyan are life mates, but knows the latter will be in denial as his life mate Jenny died under eighteen months ago when he tried to turn her. Drina has no problem with Harper being hers, but knows he cannot accept the concept of two life mates so shortly apart. However, the pair better focus on living because someone wants Stephanie dead and killing two other vampires is acceptable to this unknown renegade.

This is a terrific entry in the Argeneau saga (see Born to Bite) as Lynsay Sands deftly adds humor starting with Drina’s descriptions of Tall, dark and doorstop, and includes self deprecating commentary mostly by Harper to a taut suspense thriller. The fast-paced story line hooks the audience from the moment the heroine lands in cold Canada for the first time and never slows down as Ms. Sands provides a fabulous tale that hooks us grateful throughout. Harriet Klausner

Devil Without a Cause
Terri Garey
Avon, May 31 2011, $7.99
ISBN: 9780061986390

In Atlanta, Georgia single mom Faith McFarland will do anything to save the life of her ailing preschooler child Nathan dying from brain cancer. She proves that when she makes a pact with the devil Sammy Divine who insists he can cure her son in exchange for her obtaining a ring that he wants.

Rock and roll superstar Finn Payne wears the ring that Sammy covets. Faith plans to seduce Finn, unaware that the rocker made his own Faustian deal symbolized by the ring. When the pair falls in love, that damnation ring remains between them.

Starting with Gabe’s visit to Sammy, fans will enjoy this spin off from the Nicki Styx saga (see Silent Night, Haunted Night). The story line is fast-paced with the lead couple struggling between their respective devilish deals and the Great Deceiver learning some stunning personal truths while asking questions about why the One allowed this son of his without prior warning to taste the forbidden fruit. Sammy proves he can star rather than play second fiddle to his Nicki as he learns some fascinating truths while the rocker and the despondent mother fall in love but the devil remains in the details. Harriet Klausner