"A disappointing read"

Ivy Smith has just had revealed to her that she has a secret destiny. According to Dr. Nevil Shute, she is a vampire slayer/trapper with some pretty incredible powers that she must learn to use for the good of her society. Around the same time she learns her fate, she meets a mysterious stranger, Vance Rapier, who is more then he seems. Her feelings for Vance grow so quickly she is nearly reeling from it. But who, or what, is he exactly? Is he the danger she was warned about? Or is his role in her future merely to be the passionate lover she has found in him?

This story was extremely unimpressive, having a very slow pace, and being extremely anticlimactic. It was obvious this is meant to be the first of a series, but there could certainly have been more adventure in this story. There is almost no conflict or action at all, and no attempt made to hasten the plot. The most exciting scene, and calling it exciting is quite a stretch, is a screaming match the two men throw in Ivy's living room. The relationship between Ivy and Vance feels stilted, no passion whatsoever between them, even the sex scenes leave the reader feeling cold. The character growth is minimal, even Ivy's suddenly discovered powers not adding much, never coming to play in the story as they should have after the plot build-up about them. One day she learns her fate is already decided for her, and then the next day her powers miraculously appear and grow. There is no explanation given for how this fate was chosen for her, or how it is that Nevil learned of it.

The editing in this book is poor, with an overuse of terminology that grows tiring, and several grammatical errors throughout. Timelines are haphazard at best, with jumps both forward and backward that do not even match. An example of this is that in one scene, Ivy wakes up, goes about her morning business, then takes an afternoon nap during which she has a rather erotic dream. The story then immediately jumps backwards to the morning again, and the chain of events is changed, and now her dream occurred in her sleep the night before. This reviewer actually went back to read the scene twice to make sure she had read it correctly. Sadly, she had.

This short story may please some readers who are only reading for the sex scenes, but if one wants a good plot, it is not to be found here. This could have been a great first chapter to the saga but is underdeveloped and too slow paced for much interest.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, July 2004. All rights reserved.

Reviewed by Kelley Hartsell
Courtesy Love Romances
Posted November 22, 2004

Summary

What's a girl to do? Ivy Smith has finally got the Masters Degree and the Librarian job she wants. Her life up to now has been difficult.

Ivy is almost settled into her happy new life when she's informed she is blessed to be a vampire hunter. Should she choose the adventures of a vampire hunter and a handsome vampire or her quiet life with books she loves as a librarian?