THE TROUBLE WITH VAMPIRES is
the twenty-ninth in the Argeneau
Vampire series by Lynsay Sands. For me, THE TROUBLE WITH VAMPIRES is part paranormal
romance and part cozy horror story. While this is a later book in a
lengthy series, Lynsay Sands brings readers up to speed on the basics
of the main characters and the vampire world they inhabit. Petronella
"Pet" Stone is undertaking what she believes to be a simple job
babysitting her beloved and precocious nephew Parker while his
parents are out of town. The events that follow are alternately terrifying
and full of unexpectedly passionate encounters with a burly fanged
hero, but "simple" doesn't begin to cover it.
I like that Pet has some experience, even though most of it was highly
unpleasant, with immortals and thereby eliminating the predictable
reveal and freak-out by a mortal heroine introduced to the paranormal
world. Santo Notte, the assorted members of the Argeneau family, and
rogue hunter crew swoop in to investigate the suspicious activity going
on with Parker's neighbor. The prospect of stakes and stakeouts make
for an odd background for a hero to woo his potential mate, but Lynsay
Sands makes it fit this particular couple. When trouble strikes and Pet
and Parker are outfitted with immortal bodyguards, Pet and Santo have
some time to get to know each other. Although everything is
accelerated because of the narrow window of time, and suspense-filled
circumstances, this courtship feels very natural. It is lust at first sight
for these two, but some mixed signals create a rocky beginning. It takes
a little time and a lot of free advice before Santo opens up to Pet and
starts communicating with her. These discussions lead to a better
understanding of each other, and stronger feelings develop between
Pet and Santo.
THE TROUBLE WITH VAMPIRES is
a fascinating tale of love, death, and vampires in suburbia. Lynsay
Sands creates two characters who are flawed but have an inner
strength that is rare. This romance develops in stages and readers get
to see the main characters fall for each other. I look forward to more
Lynsay Sands books full of vampires and unconventional romances.
Irresistible desire and thrilling suspense combine in this
electrifying new Argeneau novel from New York Times
bestselling author Lynsay Sands.
For close to three thousand years the imposing, impossibly
handsome Santo Notte has fought in armies across the world
and battled his own, more personal enemies. Of all the
places he might expect to encounter his life mate, a quiet
corner of upstate New York doesn’t seem likely. But as soon
as he makes contact with history professor Petronella Stone,
while hunting down a suspected rogue immortal, he knows that
she will be the greatest adventure of his eternal life.
He expects her to be surprised, confused, even overwhelmed.
What he doesn’t expect is that Pet has a secret history of
her own. There’s no mistaking the mind-blowing, mutual
pleasure they share. But as Pet struggles to protect her
nephew from a danger lurking too close to home, Santo
realizes there’s another threat to her safety—him. And
claiming their passionate future will be impossible until he
leaves his past behind, forever…