Cherry Stem

Vampire Cherry, Book 1

By: Sotia Lazu

Narrated by: Wendy Tremont King

Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

Turned at the cusp of a promising career in the adult movie industry, Cherry Stem has to rely on her mesmerizing vampire gaze for her meals and money. With the rent deadline approaching, settling for pocket change isn't an option, so she reluctantly lets tall, dark, and handsome Detective Alex Marsden take her home for the night and fulfill her needs.

Only she gets more than she bargained for.

When Cherry meets Alex, she expects him to be nothing more than another "girl meets boy, girl feeds from boy, girl erases boy's memories" hook-up. Once missing young women, the vampire council, and her irresistible ex are thrown into the mix though, she realizes nothing is as simple or random as she thought it was.

And her unlife isn't the only thing at stake.

©2011 Sotia Lazu (P)2015 Sotia Lazu

Cherry's first installment

Would you listen to Cherry Stem again? Why?

Yes.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Cherry Stem?

When she thought her honey was dead and he came back to her. typical reaction but the reader REALLY brought it out.

Which scene was your favorite?

Sex scenes were great but the actual fighting parts were different. most vampire fights are swift but really engaged. swords, stakes and the like. The flying was also different as well

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The reunion between Lovers towards the end.

Any additional comments?

Yep the next installment shouldn't take long so please hurry. and if you can put in different settings, I would really love it.

interesting new series

This book was about a vampire with human insecurities about her body, her un-life and love. It contains very explicit sex scenes. The narration was excellent and the pace was steady. I had already listened to a preview of the second book so when the heartbreaking moment arrived, it wasn't as much of a tear jerker for me. It was a great listen and I have already started on the second book.

"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com."

Cherry stem

I enjoyed reading this book. It was exciting and had action and vampire love. The good against the bad.

a trips down imagination road review

Would you listen to Cherry Stem again? Why?

Yes, enjoyable with good narration. The story kept a good pace.

What did you like best about this story?

The characterizations not just from the author but also from the narrator.

Which scene was your favorite?

Any scene where Cherry proved that she wasn't just something to look at!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, but only because I can't listen in one sitting, I didn't want to stop listening at some points though!

Any additional comments?

Title: Cherry Stem
Series: Vampire Cherry (#1)
Author: Sotia Lazu
Narrator: Wendy Tremont King
From: Audible Review Copy
Genre: Paranormal, Crime/Mystery, Romance
Release Date: 13th January 2011
Challenges: COYER Scavenger Hunt
Links: Goodreads - Amazon - Audible

Cherry was at the beginning of a promising career in the adult video industry when she was turned into a vampire. Having learnt to cope on her own, she meets Alex, a police officer in charge of finding missing girls in her city. Instantly drawn to him, the more she talks to him the more she likes him, but when the mystery involves him she steps it up.

Cherry Stem was one of those books that I really wanted to read, then started to read, wasn't too sure about, then ended up really enjoying. It was a complex relationship, and I'm not all that too sure how much of that was to do with the fact that it was an audiobook or not.

Wendy Tremont King was brilliant as a narrator. Not only did she have a wide variety of voices that suited each individual character and helped to round them out both personality and physically, but she also added emotion behind Cherry's thoughts that not all narrators would have done. Saying that this is the first person narrative book that I've listened to as opposed to read, so it could be that.

There were some particularly hot scenes between Alex and Cherry, and the chemistry between them was well played out by both the author and the narrator. It was easy to see that they worked well together both intellectually and physically.

Vampires were approaching the traditional in Cherry Stem, they couldn't go out in the sunlight and were quite difficult (but not impossible to kill). I did like the way that vampire politics came into it, and the way that the author introduced the idea of having a 'well known' or recognisable person turned.

The mystery became clearer and clearer as the book went on , and I liked how it unravelled in front of me (or into my ears). Because Alex was a detective it worked well as he was able to put pieces together, even more so when Cherry added vampire knowledge!

a vampire mystery

I was attracted to this book not because it is about vampires (I never got into vampire fiction), but because it sounded like a good mystery. I wasn’t disappointed, either. The mystery is very nicely constructed, and the characters, vampire and human, are well drawn and fairly believable. This book won’t lure me into reading more vampire fiction, but it was an enjoyable read.

The performance of the narrator was professional in all respects.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for this unbiased review via the courtesy of AudioBookBlast dot com.

Great read.

What made the experience of listening to Cherry Stem the most enjoyable?

"I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com" I really enjoyed this book. It was fast pace, interesting. Had a great storyline with twist. I would recommend this book/series. I look forward to the 2nd book

Who was your favorite character and why?

Alex. He was brave and accepting to a new world

Have you listened to any of Wendy Tremont King’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No. But she is a great narrator.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book was funny especially the interaction with Constantine.

Any additional comments?

can't wait to start the next book

Intriguing new vampire series

Where does Cherry Stem rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Cherry Stem is a refreshing addition to the PNR genre. I am highly anticipating more from author Sotia Lazu and the narrator Wendy Tremont King.

What about Wendy Tremont King’s performance did you like?

Wendy Tremont King does an excellent job with the different voices for the various characters and she's also extremely talented at infusing the proper emotion into a moment without overdoing it.

Any additional comments?

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Fans of paranormal romance will absolutely enjoy this series. It's a must read.

LilyElement Book Reviews - Cherry Stem

What about Wendy Tremont King’s performance did you like?

Wendy Tremont King, the narrator, was enjoyable to listen to. I feel like I've heard her voice before, but can't place it. She brought the story to life well, and held my attention. I'm glad I was able to experience a new to me narrator, and I can't wait to get book two on audiobook.

Any additional comments?

I have to admit, Cherry Stem was even better than I expected. I entered the book thinking the main character was going to be a flashy woman I wouldn't be able to connect with. She's a model turned adult movie star that was turned into a vampire. I figured the book would focus on that, but it didn't really. It opens with those details and Cherry going out and hitting the bar scene so she can get her next meal. Little did she know that her undead life would be changed that night. She meets a hunky police officer, Alex Marsden, and they wind up going back to his house. Things were going great, until the morning rolled around and all of a sudden we're getting BBQ'ed Cherry. Talk about not a pleasant way to wake up. That pretty much sealed the deal that Alex finds out about Cherry being a vampire.

This is where it gets interesting. The duo continues with their relationship and a vampire winds up threatening Alex to stop looking into a case. Forced to enlist Cherry's old flame for help, they all have to figure out who is behind girls going missing and some other nasty deeds before it's too late. The mystery element was nice, I wasn't able to figure out the whodunit before that part of the story unfolded. That's always a plus in my book, especially when it's not a person out of left field. The characters were solid, I enjoyed Cherry's character the most. She has a bit of spunk that kept me entertained. I really enjoyed Cherry Stem and can't wait to read book two. I suggest this if you're looking for an Urban Fantasy vampire book.

Starting out can be so hard.

I was provided this audio book at no charge by the author of this book in exchange for an unbiased review via audiobook blast. com.
I thought this first book in a series was a bit of a slow start. this book introduces us to Cherry stem a young vampire still learning her way around. trying her best to be on her own.

GREAT Vampire Romance!!

I'm a big fan of vamp romance, and over the years, I've definitely heard the good, the bad and the ugly. I really, really liked this. Cherry was such a real character. She was young and a little naive when she was turned against her will, but in the ensuing 6 years, she's grown up and adapted to her circumstances. She's not excessively good or bad. She's "normal." When she meets a guy who would appear to be all wrong for her, she falls for him anyway, and Alex, a human cop, is the same way. This makes them pretty perfect for each other. Ain't love grand? I also LOVE that Cherry doesn't become some TSTL airhead and Alex doesn't turn into an incommunicative jerk in order to propel the story line. (Thank you, Sotia Lazu!!) Of course, it's not all moonlight and roses. There are young girls disappearing in the same way Cherry did, baggage from past relationships, a vampire council that may or may not be trustworthy and psycho vamp killers after them while they team up to watch each others' backs and deal with their growing feelings, which are expressed through some very steamy, sexy times that might melt your earbuds. This is Book 1 in a series, but it could be seen as a complete story and does NOT end in a cliffhanger! YEAH!! (Thank you again, SL!!)

Wendy Tremont King does an excellent job with performing various voices of both males and females. Her inflection in some places was just off. Having heard her performances before, it seems this was more laziness than lack of talent. However, it didn't detract from the overall experience too much. The only "wince moments" I would point out were when the word "jugular" was read. The long U sound is particularly important because "jugular" should NOT sound the same as "juggler," ESPECIALLY when reading a vampire book. I'm super critical, so I actually consider those 2 things minor, and they only constitute the loss of 1 star. WTK is an exceptional narrator, and overall, she did a great job. I'm on to Book 2 now!!