Dev is hitting civilization after an extended period in the Outback. He's ready for a cold beer -- and a willing woman, if one can be found. They're few and far between in 1953 Australia. But when he steps out of the blazing sun and into the shadowy bar, the first thing he sees is a beautiful woman. When she gives him the eye, he decides to take her up on the offer -- even though she's accompanied by more than one bodyguard. If Lady Daniela were just a woman, Dev's life might not have changed forever from that day on. But she's not just a woman -- she's a vampire. Lady Daniela hasn't ever had a human servant, mainly because she hasn't wanted to bond with another that closely.

When Lady Daniela returned to Australia, it was done knowing she had a nasty task ahead -- throwing out her mother's lover, who usurped Lady Daniela's place 40 years before. With Dev along, it will be easier to take care of that piece of business. But the relationship that develops between them is hot and heavy in no time at all. Now he can help her to rid Australia of her Master, a 500-year-old vampire. However, binding Dev to her might help her, but it could get him killed.

This is the prequel to Ms. Hill's two previous novels about this Vampire Queen. While it was hard to set my mind in 1950s Australia, I gradually got there and it was definitely worth it. This gives us a look at Dev and Lady Daniela we haven't seen before. While it is a very, very hot read and deals with Bondage -- Domination and Submission, Sadism and Masochism, it's also driven by emotion and pulls you deeply into the story. The setting is very realistic and easy to picture and the storyline very fresh. I enjoyed it a lot, as I have all Ms. Hill's novels and am ready for another. A good read.