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Vamps and the City (Love at Stake, Book 2)
This is is the first book I read out of the series (it should actually be read as book#2). I DO recommend that you start with the “How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire” (book#1) . It’s not that the stories are specifically related to each other, but characters from the first book appear in the second, and I pretty much got the “gist” of what happened in the first book, because of what was recounted in the second installment.
While it doesn’t take away from my wanting to read the first book (as soon as I am finished with this blog, I’m going to start it), I love going into a book, somewhat “clueless” (I HATE spoilers!)
Vamps and the City revolves around the lives of a human CIA agent (Austin), and a newly turned female vampire (Darcy). Austin is a vampire hunter (and also a telepath who has telekinetic powers). Austin infiltrates their world (vampires are still in hiding) via one of the vampire’s own TV reality shows (he’s undercover as one of the hunky stars!).
Problems arise, however when the beautiful Darcy (director if the show) catches his eye, and he can’t quite figure out if she’s dead or not.
There is a fair mix of friendship, romantic tension (lots of good scenes here!), some comedy, and self discovery.
A scene that made me chuckle is when Austin tried to scramble his partner “Garrett’s” memories (Garrett is another CIA agent with powers), while they were reporting back to their boss, Sean at their main headquarters:
Austin slipped into Garrett’s mind and fed him more pictures. “I remember the contest, and there were five judges.”
“Poodles,” Garrett said.
“What?” Sean shot him a confused look.
“The judges were fluffy pink poodles.” Garrett frowned and rubbed his glistening forehead. “That can’t be right.”
While I did somewhat enjoy how the author chose to end the book, I would have liked it to end a little slower. I found that it wrapped up too quickly, which seemed to interrupt the original pace of the storytelling.
JUST UPDATED THIS SERIES READING ORDER POST with all the new gorgeous covers!!
I loved this series (and so did my mom!!). An addictive and funny, passion-filled series that will have you consuming each one after the next. A world where witches, vampires, werewolves, valkyrie, and “others”co-exist. Families and alliances, enemies and foes. One by one, every new installment focuses on a new paranormal power struggle, often between equally matched opponents. But the twist? The enemies in battle are often appalled (and titillated) when they realize they are destined mates.
Just look at how much we LOVE these!!!
MichelleS: Immortals After Dark – best ever for spunky girl meets über alpha. It’s like the amazing race for PNR. Crazy good. I adore Nix (aka Nucking Futs Nix). And werewolves from Scotland? Swoon. Seriously, it’s a must read.
Ela: IMMORTALS AFTER DARK ARE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I SWEAR EACH ONE JUST GETS BETTER AND BETTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE IAD AND DECLAN AND REGIN? *SIGH* EVERY PNR FAN HAS TO READ IAD SERIES! I PROMISE YOU WON’T REGRET IT. EACH BOOK IS GREAT, THE CHARACTERS AWESOME, FUNNY, AND GRITTY!!!!!!!!!! WHAT’S NOT ROMANTIC ABOUT A LYKAE BITING HIS CLAWS OFF TO SATISFY HIS WOMAN????? SOOOOOOOOOO ROMANTIC.
Maryse & Kresley Cole at the Lothaire book signing!
Tessa: OMG, read the Immortals After Dark series! …It’s one of the greatest. If you don’t love the valkyries by the end of it, something is up. Especially Nucking Futs Nix! She’s awesomeness.
Amy: I’ve only read A Hunger Like No Other (book 2 of IAD, right?) but it was GREAT!!! The scene where he finds her and is destroying cars (’cause he doesn’t know what they are) and tossing tables and chairs out of the way, and she feels sorry for whoever he is looking for and then realizes he’s coming straight at her…that was hilarious to me! And the Valkyries…I SO want to live with them.
Every creature or being that was thought to be mythical . . . isn’t.
They all secretly exist alongside humans and enjoy the gift of immortality. There are hundreds of different kinds: from Vampires to Lykae, from Furies to Shifters, from the Fey to Valkyries.
These immortals call their world The Lore.
You may have had a brush with one of Lorekind already. The eccentric billionaire with hypnotic charisma—and an aversion to sunlight. The ethereal waif of impossible beauty—whose fingernails look more like claws. The Highlander with a seventeenth-century Scottish accent and animal magnetism—who can never be penciled in on the night of the full moon.
They walk among us, but they war among themselves. Each faction has its strengths, weaknesses, and age old prejudices against the others. Every five hundred years, the Accession, a battle for supremacy, rages. That time is now. . . .
SERIES READING ORDER:
The Warlord Wants Forever – This short story introduces the series. The story of vampire Nikolai Wroth & Valkyrie Myst the Coveted
LATEST UPDATE: JULY 2nd 2019 (P.S. Scroll all the way down for a list of my reviews for this series). 😀
NOTE: Also included in this list, in the proper reading order: The Were-Hunter books, the Dream-Hunter books, and the latest “Chronicals of Nick” books (because of the character’s in these books, and the stories that are unfolding, they are still part of the “Dark-Hunter” series). They do merge, and important characters from the Dark-Hunter series have large roles in all the books.
About the series (as per the author):
In the world of the Dark-Hunters nothing is ever as it seems. Life and death both take on a whole knew meaning as this immortal cadre of warriors fight to protect mankind from those creatures and demons who would prey on us.
READING ORDER:
The Beginning (Dark-Hunter) – A short story written years ago by Sherrilyn Kenyon as an intro to the Dark-Hunter world that is now included in the “Acheron” novel (This short story appears as a chapter in Acheron, located in Part I-Greece, 7382 BC) <— side note from Maryse (I didn’t read it when I started the series , not knowing it existed, and only read it once I reached “Acheron’s” book, but had no problem following the series whatsoever in the following order, below 🙂
then…
Fantasy Lover (Dark-Hunter Novels) <— A PREQUEL to the series (and the one I started with). It’s nowhere NEAR as good as the books following (and not really the same “feel” as the rest of the series) but I was happy to start with it… as it lead into the next:
A Dark-Hunter Christmas (as per Sherrilyn Kenyon, this was originally found in the back of the first edition of Dance With the Devil – so I will assume this is it’s true position in the reading order). You can read it on her website – scroll down to where you see the word “Excerpt” and click on the tiny “more” link (or you can read it in the Dark-Hunter Companion).
Fear the Darkness (free e-book!) click the link, scroll down to the bottom of her page, and click the button to sign up for her two free stories (including this one)
Where Angels Fear to Tread (Zeke: Hellchaser) as found in the Blood Lite Anthology (Sherrilyn says “The first of the Hellchasers which is a group featured in the Dream-Hunter novels (starting with Bad Moon Rising) and who are important to Nick.”
The Dark-Hunter Companion – Consider this handbook your education. Hunter 101. In here you’ll find out all there is to know about being a Dark-Hunter.
Dark-Hunter: An Insider’s Guide: is a compilation of 5 of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s untold stories from the Dark Hunter Series (sidenote: see their position in the reading order list, above). This compilation includes: The Promise, Where Angels Fear To Tread, Dark Hunter Christmas, Second Chances, and Fear of Darkness.
Actually, I cheated. I had all the books, but book#1…
I was desperate to start something new, and so I started with book 2 (Vamps and the City) and I already love it (I’m a quarter way through it). I went out today and purchased book one, and I think I’m going to finish the entire series before I move on to anything else.
JUST UPDATED THIS SERIES READING ORDER POST with all the new gorgeous covers!!
LATEST UPDATE: JULY 2nd 2019 (P.S. Scroll all the way down for a list of my reviews for this series). 😀
Night Pleasures (Dark-Hunter Novels)
Kiss of the Night (Dark-Hunter Novels)
Acheron (Dark-Hunter Novels)
Styxx (Dark-Hunter Novels) <— Ash’s brother!!!
Dragonmark: A Dark-Hunter Novel (Dark-Hunter Novels)
