Vampire Book Review - Secret Life of a Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks

Jack de Venezia regrets ever agreeing to throw a bachelor party for his best buddy Ian in an expensive hotel. The event started out just fine but as more and more Blissky (a combination of blood and whiskey) is consumed things start getting out of hand. It’s just his back luck that someone decided to call the cops. On top of that his buddies (the cowards) all teleported to safety leaving him behind to clean up their mess. And there’s blood red Blissky all over the floor. And furniture. And walls.

Enter police officer Laura Boucher. She lives her life based on hard facts: bloody body on the floor + guy in room with bloody body and blood covered swords = crime scene. So you can understand why she’s so intent on arresting said guy with swords.

Fortunately, no foul play is at hand. In fact, the body on the floor isn’t dead. He’s the Undead. So is Jack, the incredibly gorgeous guy who answers the door. So begins Laura’s introduction to the world of the supernatural.

From the very beginning Jack realizes there’s something special about Laura. Not only is she very beautiful, but she’s also immune to his vampire mind control efforts. For some reason he’s unable to get her to leave the hotel room and forget about the police dispatch call. He has to use his charm and wit to get her to believe that no one was harmed and that it’s best for her to simply leave the hotel. Likewise Laura wonders why her partner (who is VERY susceptible to Jack’s mind control) is suddenly acting like a zombie.

This is Book 6 in the Love At Stake adult vampire book series by Kerrelyn Sparks. I’ve read other books in the series and they’re all well written and evenly paced. In this book we go along for the ride while Laura learns more about the world of vampires while working with Jack to investigate a series of recent kidnappings. Turns out the women disappearing have physical qualities in common with Laura, so she eventually agrees to act as bait.

What Laura eventually discovers is that the villian in these kidnappings is a Malcontent, a rogue vampire that still drinks human blood for sustenance. Malcontents also believe it’s their privilege and right to kill humans, since they (vampires) are superior beings. Jack and his friends, who only drink synthetic blood, have pledged to eradicate all of the Malcontents. So he’s especially interested in locating the vampire responsible for the disappearances (and killings) of these young women.

The burgeoning relationship between Jack and Lara is completely enthralling and enjoyable. I found myself forgoing some of my chores in order to continue reading the book, a sure sign that the book is well written. Kerrelyn Sparks does a fantastic job fleshing out the two main characters and making them believable. And as I’ve said in other reviews, if a book makes me care about a character’s well being it’s a good book. That’s the category in which this book falls.

I’d categorize this as a vampire romance book. There’s some steamy sex in the book but it’s not gratuitous. It’s completely appropriate and gives the reader a deeper level of understanding of Jack and Lara’s relationship.

I really enjoyed this book. I’d go so far as to say that this entire series represents some of the best vampire novels for adults. It had just the right mixture of romance, action, and humor to keep me looking forward to each new development. And the good thing about this series is that you don’t have to start at the beginning - each book in the series focuses on a different vampire-to-human relationship. Although each book share a common background Kerrelyn covers that early on so you’re not left in the dark. If you like paranormal romance you’ll love this recent addition to the Love At Stake series.

Check out Secret Life of a Vampire now available in bookstores and online.

Read an excerpt from Secret Life of a Vampire.