Review #4: Undead in My Bed

Title: Undead in My Bed
Author: Katie MacAlister, Molly Harper, Jessica Sims
Series: N/A
Released Date: September 25, 2012
Type: Vampire, Paranormal Romance, Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Shapeshifters, Humor

****
A sizzling vampire romance anthology featuring enticing novellas from beloved and bestselling authors Katie MacAlister, Jessica Sims, and Molly Harper.

In “Shades of Gray” by Katie MacAlister, Noelle is a Guardian: a demon-wrangler, imp-banisher, and all-round secret protector of humans from the Otherworld. While working on the set of a ghost-busting reality show in a haunted castle, she meets a sexy vampire, and together they prevent a Master Demon from killing everyone in the castle.

In “Undead Sublet” by Molly Harper, executive chef Tess Maitland is banned from her five-star kitchen in Chicago to recover from “exhaustion.” Choosing a random rental house in Half-Moon Hollow to spend time in, she’s unaware that the house comes with a strange man. Even though Sam Masden’s ex-wife has rented the house out from under him, the divorce settlement allows him access to it for another ninety days. With Tess unable to go anywhere else, and Sam unwilling, a war of epic proportions is declared—and romantic sparks and heavy pots fly.

Jessica Sims’s “Out With a Fang” features Ruby Sommers, a lonely were-jaguar who signs up for a blind date through the paranormal dating agency Midnight Liaisons. When she arrives, she finds out that her date, a vampire, was the human she’d been in love with four years ago but was forced to dump.

*****

Shades of Gray - As a lover of the Dark Ones series, let me just say that, again, another good story. Katie MacAlister again applies characteristics to the leading lady here just like the others from past works in the series. Noelle, the leading lady, becomes the Knight or in this case, Lady in shining armor who comes to the rescue of the damsel--lad--in distress. Sorry, Man in distress. With her unwavering faith, determination and confidence in herself, Noelle truly not only one heck of a Guardian, but also a true Beloved. 

Undead Sublet - All I can say is that Molly accomplish something past novels failed to do. It made me want to cry, laugh and be in awe when I was reading this short story. Tess and Sam's journey was rocky at first and I agree with Tess on some things that I think I can relate to. Though I have no current love interest as of now, I too want to strangle Sam for the friend's comment. If he really likes Tess, why can't he just make it obvious?? Not making some insane comment like "...I thought we were friends..." 

Out with a Fang - Like the previous story, this too has the friends-with-benefits assumptions. A shifter with a sweet, somewhat-innocent name like Ruby...the name just doesn't go with the kick-ass-ask-questions-later personality, in my opinion. But I think it adds to her appeal because, as portrayed in the story, looks are definitely deceiving. The guy, Michael, is kinda coming off weak here despite its strong moments compared to the were-jaguar. For me, this story comes off bland, okay maybe a little okay but it just isn't for me. 

Overall rate: 3/5

Review #3: A Tale of Two Vampires

Title: A Tale of Two Vampires
Author: Katie MacAlister
Series: Dark Ones - Book 10
Released Date: September 4, 2012
Type: Young Adult, Vampire, Paranormal Romance

Time isn’t always on a vampire’s side....

Iolanthe Tennyson has had a very bad year—due in part to the very bad men in her life. So she’s accepted her cousin’s invitation to spend the summer in Austria to indulge her photography hobby. Rumors of a haunted forest there draw Iolanthe into the dark woods—and into the eighteenth century....

Nikola Czerny is a cursed man, forced by his half brothers to live forever as a Dark One. But his miserable existence takes an intriguing turn when a strange, babbling woman is thrown in his path. Iolanthe claims to know Nikola’s daughter—three hundred years in the future. She also knows what fate—in the form of his murderous half brothers—has in store for him. If only she knew the consequences of changing the past to save one good, impossibly sexy vampire...

The story...its good if you're one of the vampire-loving kind. Its great, as expected of Katie MacAlister. Just like the rest of her past novels, its witty, with a loveable, chauvinist, Dark One, a funny and in this case, mundane Beloved(who turned out to be more as the story progresses) and some the quirky characters you'd expect from the last books.

Here we are in the time where Ben and Fran are happily together for a few months now, Imogen's interesting live-life with a Viking ghost, and other characters from Ben and Fran's story. Nikola, which turns out to be more than a regular guy in the story, is sweet, endearing and has an adorable habit of writing down everything that confuses him, as as his right seeing that he's a self-proclaimed scientist.

When Imogen's lady-in-waiting, or nanny, or whatever you call her, was introduced as an Christian fanatic who calls Io some devil's partner and other rude stuff, at first I laughed at her but as the story progressed, she got more irritating by the second. I'd strangle her if I was there. Thank God, for Io has a patience of a saint. What's funny about the go-back-time situation was the French pink head, the gay guy who ogles his master's behind. I think that's the reason why Nikola took him as his foreman. I mean, all of Nikola's house staff are either different, or has some really odd quirks. I think that's sweet of him, as much as he tries to deny, and blather about how he wasn't the master of his own castle and being his chauvinist self. :P

Iolanthe, bless her, is as good, as courageous and as interesting as the other female leads in the other novels because they were willing to put up with the martyred expressions of their Dark Ones and are as fiercely protective of them as the guys are to the them. Though, it would've been nice if they did get to meet the past characters from the other books, because I just love reunions!!

And for that, I rated it at: 5/5