"A mixed-up vampire fairy tale full of passion and peril!"
Reviewed by Miranda Owen
Posted January 21, 2016
Romance Paranormal | Romance Contemporary
BETWEEN A VAMP AND A HARD PLACE is a standalone story and
not part of the same vampire mythology in Jessica
Sims' Midnight Liaisons series. Even though this is
not
part of the Midnight Liaisons series, BETWEEN A VAMP
AND A HARD PLACE has some of the same humor and heat that
are staples of her writing. Jessica Sims puts a unique
twist on the vampire theme and creates a truly creepy
undead villain. What starts out as a story about two best
friends trying to make it as antique dealers takes an
unexpected turn toward the terrifying. Lindsey Hughes is a sympathetic character and BETWEEN A
VAMP AND A HARD PLACE is told strictly from her point of
view. A lot of the humor in BETWEEN A VAMP AND A HARD
PLACE comes from the banter between Lindsey and her
friend and business partner, Gemma. However, after
discovering Rand—the vampire tucked away in the
spooky
secret basement—the mood shifts dramatically. When
Rand regales Lindsey of his tale of murder and betrayal,
they embark on a quest to find out the mystery of who
betrayed him all those years ago and to put an end to the
vampire supervillain. Jessica Sims deftly weaves a
paranormal tale of suspense that evokes some of my
favorite Alfred Hitchcock films. As you read along, you
get the feeling the villain's reach is absolute and
no place is safe for the hero and heroine. Since Rand has been sleeping the sleep of the undead for
a few hundred years, he is not the modern vampire many
readers are more familiar with. This dynamic gives the
story a "time traveler" feel and adds variety to the
narrative. This is also another way in which Jessica Sims
injects a little humor into a story that is extremely
intense and fraught with danger. Things move along pretty
quickly as Lindsey and Rand race across Europe hunting
down clues and assorted bad guys. There are enough
surprises to keep things entertaining. I think the
chemistry and passion between Lindsey and Rand builds as
they travel together and bond over the assorted trials
they face. BETWEEN A VAMP AND A HARD PLACE is a mixed-up vampire
fairy tale full of passion and peril. Jessica Sims gives
readers a romance, which is slow to start but builds in
intensity to an operatic and satisfying conclusion. While
I wasn't sure about Lindsey and Rand as a romantic
pairing at first, I was cheering for them as the story
wore on. I would love to read about Lindsey's friend
Gemma in a future book. I look forward to the next book
by Jessica Sims.
SUMMARY
In the wickedly funny spirit of bestselling authors
Kerrelyn Sparks and Molly Harper, this sexy paranormal
romance features an estate broker and a 600-year-old
vampire
out for revenge. Lindsey Hughes loves antiques and couldn’t be happier to
make a living in the estate sale business. But when her
assistant accidentally buys an entire estate without her
approval, Lindsey is forced to clean up the mess herself. Lindsey travels to the newly purchased, age-old house in
Venice, Italy, and soon discovers more than she (never)
bargained for. While digging through the hoarder’s trove
that fills every floor, she finds a secret staircase behind
a wall that leads to a strange coffin…with an even stranger
inhabitant. Vampire Rand FitzWulf has been in his coffin for 600 years.
But now that he’s awake, he’s ravenous, and there’s a
delicious-smelling woman with a rare blood type in his
basement. Luckily, Lindsey has more to offer than blood:
she
agrees to travel throughout Europe with Rand to help him
get
revenge on the one who turned him. But as the unlikely pair
grows closer, will the billionaire vampire be overtaken by
his thirst for blood—or his thirst for love?
What do you think about this review?
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