Touch of Evil by C.T. Adams & Cathy Clamp

I like reading about vampires. But I don't want to read the same old story over and over again. I was thrilled to find a new twist on the vampire story in Touch of Evil! It's somewhat similar to Laurell K. Hamilton's vampires in her Anita Blake books, so if you like Hamilton, you'll likely enjoy this book.

Kate lives in a house she owns and is slowly renovating into several different apartments. She's also a courier, flying expensive items to the four corners of the earth. As she's returning from a courier trip, Tom shows up to rent her apartment. He's been illegally evicted from his apartment for being a lycanthrope. Kate is immediately attracted to him, and the feeling is mutual.

Kate has a history with the Thrall, this book's version of vampires. There are Hosts, who share their bodies with the vampires through the laying of eggs in their bloodstream, and there is the Herd, those who feed the Thrall. Each Herd is led by a Queen. Kate has been bitten by a vampire after being given to them by her former fiance. She also defeated the Queen, so she is considered Not Prey and off-limits for hunting or feeding.

Something changes, and the Thrall begin to come after her. It turns out that they want her to be their next Queen, and it leads to a confrontation between her, the Thrall, and the area's lycanthropes.

The book was action packed, and I couldn't put it down. The vampires are not pretty in this book, and that's something I've thought since I started reading vampire books! They're evil parasites, and the authors certainly made them evil in this novel. I would highly recommend this book to pretty much anyone who enjoys paranormal romance. I know I can't wait to read the next in the series!

Dancing with Werewolves by Carole Nelson Douglas

This is the first book about Delilah Street, a paranormal investigator. At first, she lives in Kansas and makes her living reporting paranormal news on the local television station. Unfortunately, she runs afoul of the anchorman vampire and his weather witch girlfriend and has her house leveled in a "tornado."

So, Delilah takes herself, her car, and what's left of her belongings to Las Vegas on the trail of an actress on CSI V who is identical to her. Right after she gets to Vegas, she meets Ric, a.k.a. the Cadaver Kid. Ric and Delilah's abilities combine to not only find bones, but to see the circumstances under which the victims died.

Delilah ends up living with the reclusive, strange producer of the current CSI incarnation, tangling with vampires, werewolves and half-werewolves.

I was excited about this book. I've been on a big paranormal romance kick lately. I found myself feeling disappointed at the end. First, there were too many questions and not enough answers. I got lost in the storylines sometimes. There were too many paranormals that were introduced in a rush and not thoroughly explained. There wasn't a lot of choice in the romantic relationship. While I like a certain amount of that sometimes, it didn't feel like it was done right in this book.

There was a lot of backstory that wasn't really explained well. I felt like I was getting into the story in the middle, but I didn't have a chance to ask questions. It seemed a little like the author was flailing around for her story/explanations. Maybe that she didn't have a plan before she started writing.

The story and the concept has a lot of promise, however, and I plan to read the next few books. If they don't get any better, I'll move on to another author/series.

Scent of Darkness by Christina Dodd

Nearly a thousand years ago, Konstantine Varinski made a deal with the devil. In exchange, he and his sons gained the ability to transform into animals--wolves, hawks, panthers, and other predators. The family has terrorized the citizens of their country for the thousand years, raping and pillaging. Any offspring who are born, always boys, are delivered to the Varinski compound and left for these fierce, dangerous men to raise.

The current day Konstantine has broken off ties with the family, changed his name to Wilder and moved to America. He has three sons: Jasha, Rurik, and Adrik who has disappeared. He also has the only daughter that has been born into the family in a thousand years: Firebird. His wife, Zorana, has the Sight and has prophesied that she and Konstantine will be forever apart in the afterlife if the Wilder sons do not find the pieces of the Varinski family icon. Time is of the essence, as Konstantine is dying of a rare genetic heart condition.

Jasha is a prosperous vintner in California's Napa Valley. His assistant Ann, who is also in love with him, has followed him to Washington in order to bring him some paperwork to sign. Ann makes it safely to Jasha's house only to witness Jasha's transformation from wolf to human!

Ann runs and is hunted down by Jasha. In her flight, she uncovers a small ceramic tile with a painting of the Madonna. While she is still scared, she gives into Jasha's overwhelming passion. The two return to Jasha's house where Jasha manages to anger Ann with his apparent distrust of her. Ann jumps into his car and begins to drive away. Her flight is halted when she sees Jasha being shot by an arrow and must dodge bullets herself.

Ann and Jasha go on the run to get away from their persuers. It quickly becomes apparent that they are Varinskis and they are determined to hunt down and kill Jasha and the rest of the Wilders.

This is a great paranormal romance. Plenty of steam for those who like that in their books. The prophecy and its history make the change of the Varinskis and Wilders from men into animals quite convincing. The characters are endearing and believable. I liked the pacing of the book. There was plenty of action, without any noticeable slow parts. I was drawn through the book and this was another that I had a hard time putting down. I really enjoyed this book and the next in the series, the only ones I have read so far.

Be sure to check out the next books in this series, Touch of Darkness, Into the Shadow, and Into the Flame.

Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur

This book is the first in the Riley Jenson series. These books have plenty of adult content, if that's what you're looking for.

Riley lives in Australia and works for the Directorate of Other Races. Her boss is a vampire. Riley? Well, she's part werewolf. She's also part vampire. She lives with her twin brother Rhoan. She's a liaison for Guardians--the operatives who hunt down rogue vampires and werewolves. Her brother is a full-blown Guardian, and her boss wants her as a Guardian, too.

Riley, however, is looking for a mate, one that she can promise herself to under the moon. She has two werewolf mates to help with the monthly moon heat that all werewolves have to cope with. Then, she meets Quinn, an ancient vampire. Her brother is abducted, she is betrayed, and Riley is drawn further into Directorate business than she wants to be.

Riley Jenson is a strong female character that you will root for. She is believable, and you feel for her dilemmas. Arthur draws you into the action, and you can't put the book down. It's a real page turner, and you'll be driven to find out what happens to Riley and Rhoan. Definitely a must-read book!