Toni Davis's Christmas wish list:
1. Springing my best friend from the psych ward.
2. Living somewhere that doesn't have coffins in the basement. Occupied coffins.
3. Finding Mr. Right. Please make him tall, dark, handsome, and alive.
This Christmas isn't so merry for Toni. Her best friend's been locked up in a mental hospital ever since she told the police she was attacked by vampires, and the only way for Toni to get her out is to prove that bloodsuckers really do exist. So she's taken a job as a bodyguard for the Undead, but she gets more than she bargained for, especially when she meets Ian MacPhie, a Scottish rascal looking for Ms. Right. Although Ian's nearly five centuries old, he looks and acts like a 27-year-old hunk. How can a dead man be so damn sexy? Could Mr. Wrong be Mr. Right? One forbidden kiss could lead to an eternity of passion, and all it takes is one moment under the mistletoe....
Bite into another Love at Stake novel.
©2008 Kerrelyn Sparks (P)2011 HarperCollins Publishers
"Always cute"
This was a cute and sweet book, one of her best so far. I loved Ian and his struggle for acceptance. Here is a man willing to induing and struggle to find his one true love. Plus I listened to it around Christmas and that made it all the sweeter.
This book had the humerus quality's of the first book in the series, the laugh out loud sort of book. Most enjoyable
"Yes all there is a Santa"
And his name is Ian. I loved this story and would agree by far it is the best in the series. It had everything. Bad guys on the chase. A strong female heroine and a sexy scottish hero in Ian. The interaction with all the other characters from the agency and interplay between couples just sizzles. You won't want to wait until Christmas to open this gift from K.Sparks.
JackintheBeanstalk
"Best narration of the series so far"
This series just keeps getting better and better as our beautiful, sexy vampires find their true loves and the family grows. This installment contained some delightful laugh-out-loud passages: 314 messages from women (and a couple of men!) who think Ian is HAWT after his profile goes up on an internet dating site, so funny. And, Ian gets an unexpected side effect from the stay-awake medicine, yum.
The writing gets better and better too, with just the perfect balance of madcap comedy, blooming romance, and violent peril. One of my favorite things about this series is the careful attention of the secondary characters. Even the children are endearing instead of annoying, a tricky feat to pull off. Dr. Fang? OHHH Yeah. This book introduces a new sidekick who is also completely charming...and the shapeshifters are finding a role too.
To make this listening experience perfect was the narration by Coleen Marlo. Not only does she have a lovely voice, but she reads prose and dialect with flawless rhythm, and delivers credible accents to the Scots, the Italian, the Russians, the Texan, and more. I wish she had been hired to narrate the entire series, it could have vastly improved a couple of the earlier installments. Thank you and great luck Coleen, you were born to read audiobooks.
"Oooh La La"
I love the Scottish accent and own all of Kerrelyn Sparks book and now buying them in audio form.
All of Kerrelyn Sparks series
The romantic scenes and the ending.
Laugh.
Say something about yourself!
"The best in the series to this point"
Can I just say that I want THIS vampire for Christmas? I was so excited that this go around was the character Ian, who I was hoping would get his H.E.A. The online dating site stuff is really amusing, and I just really enjoyed the story. The narrator did a passable job, so I was happy about that. For sure, my favorite so far.
"Not my favorite."
This seemed more like a space filler than a real stand alone story. The female lead was boring. She obtained a job under the wrong reasons. What was worst, to be in the middle of a big vampire war, no one checked her out. The simply relied on the information on her application. The vampires made stupid decisions that endangered all their lives. I don't feel this story was well thought out.
The narrator was just not good. I have heard better accents in previous books. Some of the characters who should have accents did not. At one point the the Spanish shifter spoke with the highlander's accent. I was not sure that I heard it correctly so I rewound just to make sure. I hope she is not narrating any other books. I may have to go back to reading rather than listening.
"meh"
The story itself was just so-so, but the reader was reasonable. I would be persueded to try another book by the reader before I would buy a book by the author. Author was too repetitive with the dialog - couldn't get past that.
Predictable
Needs more energy
no
no
"Wish it was better - not bad but not great"
Liked the story a good bit but in a way, I now wish I had read it. The reader, Coleen Marlo, is very talented and solid however her accent of a Scotsman is truly wanting. It just does not work. I had to stop a few times slightly annoyed as Coleen goes totally out of character a good number of times and the editors missed a lot of mistakes where she goes out of accent and just marginally ok. Half the fun of Audible for me is to listen to the talented theatrics of a dynamic reader. If that is important to you - suggest you read this one. Also, if you adore great readers try Roslyn Landor(reading Lisa Kleypas books or others) or Jim Frangione (black dagger brotherhood series - outstanding) - just no, no no comparison.
Kerrelyn is very talented - some fun stories - would love to hear her books with another reader. Coleen is too - just not for a sexy Scotsman.
"One of my favorites so far!"
This book was funny and the love story was hot. I liked learning more about Ian and listening to his attempt to find true love while at the same time dealing with his new body. I liked the narrator. She did a good Scottish accent which was important since Ian was the main vamp in this book.
"Stunning Novel - Dreadful Naration"
I am a fan of Kerrelyn Sparks. This was the first of her books I read and remains one of my favorites. The female lead is a strong, take charge character. The male lead an agonized, without being annoying handsome vampire. A funny, interesting plot. The narration however was most disappointing. All accents -Scottish, Russian, Brazilian- sound the same. The heroine even when in mortal danger sounds as if she is on the brink of an orgasm or ready to sing "happy birthday Mr President" a la Marilyn Monroe. The narrator also appears to have been on a tight deadline as the narration is abnormally fast.