 |
VEGAS BITES - L.A. Banks
| Natalie Dunbar | Seressia Glass | J.M. Jeffries Parker Publishing/Noire Allure November 2006 |
SYNOPSIS: VEGAS BITES, an anthology comprised of four novellas, centers around a week long Texas Hold’em tournament being held at the French Quarter Hotel and Casino, werewolf owned casino in Las Vegas. With this high stakes tournament and the approaching full moon, you can surely bet there will be loads of action going on as mysterious creatures abound, feuding were clans battle for position, and unbridled passions run wild.
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE: |4| Contemporary Paranormal Romance
REVIEW: VEGAS BITES is an excellent read and should come with
a warning! In short, it is hot, action packed, and full of passion. You
should definitely not pick this up unless you have a few hours to read
all four tales at once. It’s addictive. The authors do an excellent in
weaving their individual tales together to form one cohesive, and hard
to put down, read. Each does an excellent job with the theme in that
they all expose different elements of this supernatural culture and
build on them, as opposed to trying to explain and describe every aspect
of each culture in every story.
“Heat” by L.A. Banks (4+)
In 'Heat", we meet Butch Maverick who is back in Vegas to stop a coup
against his familial pack, the Temple Clan. He knows there is no
avoiding Laurel, who is still infuriated because he just walked away
from her five years ago. While they know that they have to work together
to save the family, they don’t count on having to save themselves when
old passions flare as the full moon rises.
"Heat" is a very explosive and hot read, once I started reading, I
couldn’t stop. I was drawn into the story from the very beginning, and
remained hooked until the end. The chemistry between Laurel and Butch is
undeniable; their passion is very strong and true to their were-natures
in that it carnal and attempts to take over on its own accord. L.A.
Banks does an excellent job with the material and balancing the romance
against the other elements going on in the story.
“The Hunger Within” by J.M. Jeffries (3+)
In “The Hunger Within”, we meet Jarred Maitland, an undercover FBI
agent, and Solange Warrick, a young werewolf struggling with her own
personal demons. When the French Quarter Casino and Hotel is pegged as
the next target for a robbery, Jarred meets Solange in the line of duty
and is instantly taken with her. As these two work to stop the attempted
robbery, an unexpected passion develops between them that have both man
and wolf caught up.
J.M. Jeffries shows another side of the werewolf in The HUNGER WITHIN
with their portrayal of Solange. With Solange, you see a softer side of
the wolf as she deals with her own insecurities and her place in the
pack. Jarred comes across as her perfect equal in that is he strong and
secure of himself, while at the same time recognizing her strength and
beauty. The authors do a great job building on the info we get from the
first story, while introducing new elements and not overwhelming the
reader. While the story moves along at a good pace in the beginning, it
does slow down a little toward the middle. With that being said, it does
pick back up the end and reaches a satisfying conclusion.
“Double Down” by Seressia Glass (4+)
In "Double Down", Simone Temple is on the verge of inking a very
lucrative deal that will further solidify the French Quarter as the
jewel of Las Vegas. But when the casino’s headliner, magician Kadim,
refuses to do the show, the deal, as well as Simone’ place in the pack,
is jeopardized. When some dangerous elements threaten both Simone and
Kadim, she realizes there is more to the sexy magician than meets the
eye.
This is a fast paced story, full of action and passion. Seressia Glass
pens a very engrossing tale that takes the reader further into a
mythological world where different creatures exist with their own set of
all governing laws. I was drawn into Simone and Kadim’s story from the
beginning and remained hooked until the last word. DOUBLE DOWN is well
balanced in that the plot is full of action and excitement, but the
passion of Simone and Kadim’s relationship remains at its center.
“Out of the Dark” – Natalie Dunbar (3)
"Out of The Dark", Kellie Monroe is in Las Vegas to bury the woman who
raised her. When she is attacked by a pack of renegade werewolves, and
lives to tell the tale, a mysterious chain of events is set in motion.
Enter Garen Roy, a werewolf and member of the Preternatural Police Force
who is sent to investigate her attack. While Kellie and Garen feel an
indelible bond, they must get to the bottom of the mystery that shrouds
Kellie’s destiny and get to the bottom of the attack on her life.
OUT OF THE DARK, while a good story, is my least favorite of the
anthology. The characters, slight change of setting, and the plot are
intriguing; but the ending leaves a lot to be desired. The story moves
along at a good pace and contains a good mix of romance and suspense,
but it fails to deliver a satisfactory ending. I was left with the
impression that this story is the introduction to another tale that may
come later. While this may be the case, I strongly believe that this
story should have been written to stand on its own; instead I was left
hanging without having any of the major questions answered, which was
very frustrating.
I loved VEGAS BITES for combining two of my favorite genres, romance and
science fiction, into a worthwhile and believable series of tales.
reviewer@romanceincolor.com |15th October 2006