The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance
by Trisha Telep (Editor)
The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance (1), Cin Craven (Collections and Selections — 1.5, The Righteous), Key to Hell (Short Story "Play Dead"), Riley Jenson Guardian Series (Short Stories — "Dreams", 3.5), Dead-End Dating (Short Story "Love Bites", 4.5), The Gardella Vampire Chronicles (Novellas and Short Stories — 1.5, "In Which a Masquerade Ball Unmasks an Undead"), Darkwing Chronicles (Collections and Selections — 5.5, Overbite), Dante Valentine (Collections and Selections — 5.2, Coming Home), The Hunters (Walker) (Short Story "Hunter's Choice", 12), Cassandra Palmer Universe (Short Stories — 14.1, The Day of the Dead)
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Description
Packed with a menagerie of werewolves, shape-shifters, and assorted demons, its undisputed king is none other than our favorite centuries-old bloodsucker, the vampire. Let the biggest and brightest names in the paranormal romance business show you the bewildering array of complex vampire codes of conduct, dark ritual, and dating practices, as they chat up the locals and engage in the most erotic encounters you will sink your teeth into this side of un-Death.Tags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
It's not that I don't like romance, it's that I don't like cliche romance, where the girl who's never fallen in love ends up gaga over a guy she's known for three seconds and the guy is so sparkly (sometimes literally!) and of course he's a bad boy (read good guy who whine and mopes). Unfortunately this book has a lot of cliche. There are a few gems in here, a few heroines who can hold there own and a few guys with some real charm, but unfortunately most of it is oh so blah. I admittedly skipped through more than a few short stories as quickly as possible. The readers who complain about how short these stories are - really?!? I couldn't wait for most of them to be over!
If romance is your thing and you like the cliche - girl/boy fall show more madly in love at first sight, have random sexy-sex with or without plot and go happily ever after - this is it. If you're more UF than PNR this ain't it.
The list is:
Fade to Black by Sherri Erwin - boring. Bored (and boring) teacher meets vampire student. Lusty, lust, becomes vampire, gets kidnapped, angst, vampire, angst. Bored all the way through. Push over heroine.
Ode to Edvard Munch by Caitlin Kiernan - Liked this one a lot actually. It's less romance and more shamanic journey vampire style. A man sits with a vampire every night, shares a little blood and earns wild dreams. I can't do it justice.
Fangs for Hire by Jenna Black - Vampire hit woman. Highly predictable. Still an amusing read.
The Righteous by Jenna Maclaine - Assuming this is part of some series? One of the better reads only because the most are so terrible. A vampire king and witch set up a vampire and a vampire huntress to fall in love in Paris. Cliche but readable.
Knowledge of Evil by Ravent Hart - A bored vampire goes to a class on vampires and promptly finds himself the one studied. The woman here is extremely annoying.
Viper's Bit by Delilah Devlin - Actually liked this one and I'm not sure why. Vampire Daniel steals his wife's memory away again and again to protect her but he can't help going back.
Dreams by Kerri Arthur - A part of the Riley Jensen series which I never got into. Okay read. Didn't change my blah feelings about the series.
Love Bites by Kimberly Raye - Vampire Hunter is much of a Vampire Hunter. Ends up taking her victim home and nursing him back to health. No real interest here.
What's at Stake by Alexis Morgan - An arbitrator of sorts comes to the aid of an ex-vampire friend/love. Trying for a plot, really they should have just shagged so we could move on. Cliche, stupid bad guy.
Coming Home by Lilith Saintcrow - Admittedly why I bought the book. Dante Valentine fans will enjoy this but it'll leave you drooling for more back story. Those unfamiliar with Dante and Japhrimel will be pretty confused.
To Ease the Rage by CT Adamas and Cathy Clamp - Liked this one. A little long, but I guess romance readers don't believe in cliff hangers, even when the author leads you to water and practically forces you to drink. A police officer finds her ex partner risen from the grave and needing a partner for his new life.
Dancing with the Star by Susan Sizemore - Silly. Just silly. Vampire witnesses car wreck, dreams about a victim and goes and changes his celebrity self into an undead self. Boring. Predictable.
Play Dead by Dina James - A vampire meets his soul mate one night out on the town while hunting for an enemy. Has to challenge his liege to be able to keep her. Typical romance story. Didn't find it all that interesting. Not the worst by far.
In Which a Masquerade Ball Unmasks and Undead by Colleen Gleason - A vampire hunting society girl does some vampire hunting. This must be part of a series. No sexy sex goes down but I can guess who she's going with. A historical so the "no sex" thing is a good thing! Actually enjoyable. Would consider trying the series if it exists.
A Temporary Vampire by Barbara Emrys - Liked this one. A vampire becomes entranced with a vampire mime (bear with me!) and meets her in person just long enough to save her. Probably one of the best in the book - a/ it meets the short story criteria, b/ interesting idea, c/ good characterization. Would look for more by this author.
Overbite by Savannah Russe - Interesting. Don't know if I'd call it romance but it gave me a smile. A dentist finds a new clientele. Said clientele grants his every wish - almost.
Hunter's Choice by Shiloh Walker - A woman kills vampires after her brother and best friend (wife) are killed by vampires. Then the man she spent a passionate week with have grief sex shows up and informs her and shows her the truth about vampires. (Surprise - he's one!) Did like this one.
The Sacrifice by Rebecca York - A princess sacrifices herself to a "monster" to save her kingdom. Boring. Skipped through.
Remember the Blood by Vicki Petterson - Very novel idea. Vampires don't age in part because they lose their every New Year. Two vampires works to keep their memories of each other alive through diaries and more. Liked it a lot. The beginning started to drag but the idea was great.
The Midday Mangler Meets his Match by Rachel Vincent - Yeah! Loved this one! Everyone (?) is a vampire in this world, complete with allergy to sunlight, need for blood and "vestigial" fangs. A teenage vampire comes to the rescue of her younger sister. Yeah, there's a boyfriend in there, but by the time he comes crashing in to help teen vamp girl has got it under control with the help of her feisty little sister. Too cute. Wouldn't mind a story about this fun family.
The Music of the Night by Amanda Ashley - The Phantom of the Opera is a vampire. Don't know more than that. The main heroine passed out twice and I was out. We're not talking "hit my head fighting bad guys". We're talking "Ooh, Phantom! Scary! Swoon!" Gag.
The Day of the Dead by Karen Chance - Interesting, just didn't like the characters. A vampire comes home on the Day of the Dead to face his old master and becomes embroiled with a female mercenary/magic user trying to save her brother. Only liked some side characters.
Vampire Unchained by Nancy Holder - Um, sex magic. Bahahahaha. Ahem - sorry. Vampire gets in trouble with the boss. He and girlfriend are left to die. Magic sexy sex saves them.
A Stand-Up Dame by Lilith Saintcrow - I'm a Lili fan but she can be an extremely repetitive writer. Unfortunately I'm not a fan of the hard boiled detective thing so seeing the words "dame" and "bum" did me in. Skipped through most of it as at this stage in the book I just wanted to finish it and move on with my life.
Untitle 12 by Caitlin R. Kiernan - Didn't realize it was a new story I was so busy scanning through Lili's last short. By the time I figured it out I was going WTF Lili? Don't even know what to think. Recommend skipping this one. It should have been in horror - then I might have been properly prepared.
Strict romance and vampire romance fans will like this, others will find some good here but overall it was a huge disappointment. show less
If romance is your thing and you like the cliche - girl/boy fall show more madly in love at first sight, have random sexy-sex with or without plot and go happily ever after - this is it. If you're more UF than PNR this ain't it.
The list is:
Fade to Black by Sherri Erwin - boring. Bored (and boring) teacher meets vampire student. Lusty, lust, becomes vampire, gets kidnapped, angst, vampire, angst. Bored all the way through. Push over heroine.
Ode to Edvard Munch by Caitlin Kiernan - Liked this one a lot actually. It's less romance and more shamanic journey vampire style. A man sits with a vampire every night, shares a little blood and earns wild dreams. I can't do it justice.
Fangs for Hire by Jenna Black - Vampire hit woman. Highly predictable. Still an amusing read.
The Righteous by Jenna Maclaine - Assuming this is part of some series? One of the better reads only because the most are so terrible. A vampire king and witch set up a vampire and a vampire huntress to fall in love in Paris. Cliche but readable.
Knowledge of Evil by Ravent Hart - A bored vampire goes to a class on vampires and promptly finds himself the one studied. The woman here is extremely annoying.
Viper's Bit by Delilah Devlin - Actually liked this one and I'm not sure why. Vampire Daniel steals his wife's memory away again and again to protect her but he can't help going back.
Dreams by Kerri Arthur - A part of the Riley Jensen series which I never got into. Okay read. Didn't change my blah feelings about the series.
Love Bites by Kimberly Raye - Vampire Hunter is much of a Vampire Hunter. Ends up taking her victim home and nursing him back to health. No real interest here.
What's at Stake by Alexis Morgan - An arbitrator of sorts comes to the aid of an ex-vampire friend/love. Trying for a plot, really they should have just shagged so we could move on. Cliche, stupid bad guy.
Coming Home by Lilith Saintcrow - Admittedly why I bought the book. Dante Valentine fans will enjoy this but it'll leave you drooling for more back story. Those unfamiliar with Dante and Japhrimel will be pretty confused.
To Ease the Rage by CT Adamas and Cathy Clamp - Liked this one. A little long, but I guess romance readers don't believe in cliff hangers, even when the author leads you to water and practically forces you to drink. A police officer finds her ex partner risen from the grave and needing a partner for his new life.
Dancing with the Star by Susan Sizemore - Silly. Just silly. Vampire witnesses car wreck, dreams about a victim and goes and changes his celebrity self into an undead self. Boring. Predictable.
Play Dead by Dina James - A vampire meets his soul mate one night out on the town while hunting for an enemy. Has to challenge his liege to be able to keep her. Typical romance story. Didn't find it all that interesting. Not the worst by far.
In Which a Masquerade Ball Unmasks and Undead by Colleen Gleason - A vampire hunting society girl does some vampire hunting. This must be part of a series. No sexy sex goes down but I can guess who she's going with. A historical so the "no sex" thing is a good thing! Actually enjoyable. Would consider trying the series if it exists.
A Temporary Vampire by Barbara Emrys - Liked this one. A vampire becomes entranced with a vampire mime (bear with me!) and meets her in person just long enough to save her. Probably one of the best in the book - a/ it meets the short story criteria, b/ interesting idea, c/ good characterization. Would look for more by this author.
Overbite by Savannah Russe - Interesting. Don't know if I'd call it romance but it gave me a smile. A dentist finds a new clientele. Said clientele grants his every wish - almost.
Hunter's Choice by Shiloh Walker - A woman kills vampires after her brother and best friend (wife) are killed by vampires. Then the man she spent a passionate week with have grief sex shows up and informs her and shows her the truth about vampires. (Surprise - he's one!) Did like this one.
The Sacrifice by Rebecca York - A princess sacrifices herself to a "monster" to save her kingdom. Boring. Skipped through.
Remember the Blood by Vicki Petterson - Very novel idea. Vampires don't age in part because they lose their every New Year. Two vampires works to keep their memories of each other alive through diaries and more. Liked it a lot. The beginning started to drag but the idea was great.
The Midday Mangler Meets his Match by Rachel Vincent - Yeah! Loved this one! Everyone (?) is a vampire in this world, complete with allergy to sunlight, need for blood and "vestigial" fangs. A teenage vampire comes to the rescue of her younger sister. Yeah, there's a boyfriend in there, but by the time he comes crashing in to help teen vamp girl has got it under control with the help of her feisty little sister. Too cute. Wouldn't mind a story about this fun family.
The Music of the Night by Amanda Ashley - The Phantom of the Opera is a vampire. Don't know more than that. The main heroine passed out twice and I was out. We're not talking "hit my head fighting bad guys". We're talking "Ooh, Phantom! Scary! Swoon!" Gag.
The Day of the Dead by Karen Chance - Interesting, just didn't like the characters. A vampire comes home on the Day of the Dead to face his old master and becomes embroiled with a female mercenary/magic user trying to save her brother. Only liked some side characters.
Vampire Unchained by Nancy Holder - Um, sex magic. Bahahahaha. Ahem - sorry. Vampire gets in trouble with the boss. He and girlfriend are left to die. Magic sexy sex saves them.
A Stand-Up Dame by Lilith Saintcrow - I'm a Lili fan but she can be an extremely repetitive writer. Unfortunately I'm not a fan of the hard boiled detective thing so seeing the words "dame" and "bum" did me in. Skipped through most of it as at this stage in the book I just wanted to finish it and move on with my life.
Untitle 12 by Caitlin R. Kiernan - Didn't realize it was a new story I was so busy scanning through Lili's last short. By the time I figured it out I was going WTF Lili? Don't even know what to think. Recommend skipping this one. It should have been in horror - then I might have been properly prepared.
Strict romance and vampire romance fans will like this, others will find some good here but overall it was a huge disappointment. show less
A savory collection of vampire tales of love and lust, THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF VAMPIRE ROMANCE, is a terrific sampler for fans of both the paranormal romance and urban fantasy genres. With offerings from some of the new big names in the vampire sub I highly recommend this for other readers who are seeking a taste of new authors. Others, not looking for new authors, might enjoy the few that tie into current series. To keep things brief let me offer information on each short story...
[FADE TO BLACK] by Sherri Erwin, When a vampire obsessed professor finds out one of her students is one of the undead their tryst forces choices on her she never saw coming. --While I liked the whole professor-has-vampire-as-student concept the story felt like it show more came out of another book and just didn't do it for me. 2/5 stars
[ODE TO EDVARD MUNCH] by Caitlin R. Kiernan, Our narrorator is a musician passing through Central Park each night where he befriends a mysterious young female vampire, one whom he dreams of in so many ways. --I loved the narration but this story was very short and poetic, not really romantic. 3/5 stars
[FANGS FOR HIRE] by Jenna Black, Gemma is a vampire hitwoman who is good at her job and when a client hires her to kill his step-father over an inheritance she gets a lot more than she bargained for. --I didn't think I'd like this one but the step-father character pulled the story together and would have made an excellent hero for a longer book. 4/5 stars
[THE RIGHTEOUS] by Jenna Mclaine, In this historical, when a vampire who is charged with weeding out the bad seeds of his race meets a human slayer who stirs his blood will they remain foes, or could he prove to her not all his kind are evil? --This tale was too cliched and sloppy for my tastes but fans who love historical vampire stories might like it. 1/5 stars
[KNOWLEDGE OF EVIL] by Raven Hart, Vampire Nick Manos has sought out a chance to study at the University of Georgia just to meet Professor Victoria Lennox, an expert on vampires... and they are both seeking forbidden knowledge. --A fluffy little tale with very little conflict, was a fun romp but not a real stand-out from the collection. 4/5 stars
[VIPER'S BITE] by Delilah Devlin, Viper is a vampire with an interest in Mariah, but just how deeply does tha interest go? --I feel like anything I can say about this story would be spoilery but it was very romantic and I loved it. 5/5 stars
[DREAMS] by Keri Arthur, Set around characters from Arthur's Riley Jenson series. --I feel bad cause I've never read any of the series so I was completely confused by the story and hence did not like it, my guess is fans of the series will love the extra 'screentime' with these characters. 2/5 stars
[LOVE BITES] by Kimberly Raye, Another offering that ties into the author's series, Danielle Blue is a newly minted SOB (Sniper of Otherworldy Beings) and she's due to make her first kill, but is sleeping with the enemy really breaking the rules? --I've got one of her books on my shelf so I was able to note the reference (though I haven't read it yet) to it... light and fluffy take on the slayer/vampire dilemna. 3/5 stars
[WHAT'S AT STAKE] by Alexis Morgan, I got the impression this may be related to a series Morgan is working on but can't be sure... When Josalyn Sloan is called in to make sure the legal rights of her former friend/almost lover are being met embers of their old flames come leaping back to life. --The set-up for a mythos got me interested but I didn't really care for the hero & heroine, they felt too familiar, like a cookie-cutter formatted H/H. 3/5 stars
[COMING HOME] by Lilith Saintcrow, Tying into Saintcrow's Dante Valentine series, Liana Spocarelli returns to Saint City for a job. --Another series tie-in I know nothing about but written with Saintcrow's distinct voice which is sure to please her fans and interest new ones. 4/5 stars
[TO EASE THE RAGE] by C. T. Adams and Cathy Clamp, There's been a break-in at Officer Sylvia Beck's home and the last thing she expects is the man she catches fleeing the scene... since he died two years ago! --Predictable but fresh, I liked the story here a lot and plan to look into these co-authors in the future. 5/5 stars
[DANCING WITH THE STAR] by Susan Sizemore, After a vampire receives a mysterious telepathic cry for help at a car wreck she later dreams of dancing with a handsome man who turns out to be a famous face. --Another very original premise that was really enjoyable and well written, one of my favorites from this collection. 5/5 stars
[PLAY DEAD] by Dina James, Shouldn't a vampire be able to choose his own bride, not have it chosen for him by his house? --I felt like this one dropped me into the middle of a series and didn't give me enough information to really understand what was going on. 2/5 stars
[IN WHICH A MASQUERADE BALL UNMASKS AN UNDEAD] by Colleen Gleason, Readers of the Gardella Vampire Chronicles will recognize Victoria Gardella Grantworth as the lead in this short story... Victoria's attempts at a private interlude with Rockley are interupted by undead stalking about the masquerade. --I've been waiting for the final book to come out before I read the series but I've been anxious so this little peek was tantalizing but not spoilerific. 3/5 stars
[A TEMPORARY VAMPIRE] by Barbara Emrys, Set in New Orleans this is a tale of a vampire looking for a new home who meets a fascinating mime. --New Orleans is so cliched in vampire stories I expected this one to be bad and I actually really enjoyed it, it was very original and a perfectly closed short story. 5/5 stars
[OVERBITE] by Savannah Russe, When a Manhattan dentist gets sucked (no pun intended) into the vampire underworld his life is forever changed. --I think this one ended up being my favorite of the entire collection because it was smutty, silly and very original, I have had Russe's books on my wishlist forever and I think it's time to buy! 5/5 stars
[HUNTER'S CHOICE] by Shiloh Walker, Sara's brother and best friend were murdered by vampires and she wanted revenge, can a vampire show her not all of the undead are evil? --This one was okay, but how many times have we heard this story before? 3/5 stars
[REMEMBER THE BLOOD] by Vicki Pettersson, Two vampires go to great lengths to remain forever tied to one another. --Fans of Pettersson's writing will enjoy seeing this offering which has no ties to her Zodiac series but the vampire mythos presented here might not appeal to many. 4/5 stars
[THE SACRIFICE] by Rebecca York, Princess Morgan of Balacord knows of only one way to save her kingdom from the invaders who have their land under seige - she must seek out the blood drinking monster known as Garon. --Fans of fantasy and traditonal romances will probably enjoy this one greatly, I found it to be pretty good though I prefer urban vampire tales. 4/5 stars
[THE MIDDAY MANGLER MEETS HIS MATCH] by Rachel Vincent, A serial killer is murdering vampire children and when Kez's little sister is abducted by the murderer she won't let him get away without a fight. --I lied earlier... this was my favorite of the entire collection - it was so different from everything else in it with it's teen heroine and her boyfriend, the idea of a vampire dominated world and all that would entail. Fellow fans of Vincent's werecats series will recognize her voice and enjoy seeing her writing something new. 5/5 stars
[THE MUSIC OF THE NIGHT] by Amanda Ashley, A new take on the Phantom of the Opera story. --I'm surprised no one has done this one before (at least not that I've seen), I didn't really care for it but I think fans of TPOTO and more traditional romances will love it. 3/5 stars
[THE DAY OF THE DEAD] by Karen Chance, Readers of Chance's Cassie Palmer series will remember Tomas and soak up this South American adventure tale. --I like the series but never really cared for Tomas and while I liked the twist this story had I didn't really care for it as a whole. 3/5 stars
[VAMPIRE UNCHAINED] by Nancy Holder, Trapped in the tunnels under Central Park, vampire Liam Cadagon must protect his Gifted human lover from his fellow vampires. --Another one of those stories where I felt dropped into the middle of a series and not quite given enough details but the ending was pretty good. 3/5 stars
[A STAND-UP DAME] by Lilith Saintcrow, A noir-ish vampire tale. --Another favorite of mine, I normally don't care for Saintcrow's writing but this was so far from her norm it was delicious. 5/5 stars
[UNTITLED 12] by Caitlin R. Keirnan, A strange and very short narrative of being turned. --This one was too strange and grotesque for me and the female/female "romance" was kind of icky when normally a same sex romance doesn't bother me much. 1/5 stars
Overall there were some really enjoyable quick reads, some that felt too long and cliched and a few that tied into current series. What makes it worth buying is the variety. I chose it because I wanted to read some new stuff from authors I am a reader of already and some I wanted to try that I haven't yet. Several were authors I've never heard of but may look into now that I've tasted their style. If you don't like short stories this is definitely not for you as most are a lot shorter than your typical anthology offering where an author might have 60-90 pages to tell a story versus about 20-25 here. show less
[FADE TO BLACK] by Sherri Erwin, When a vampire obsessed professor finds out one of her students is one of the undead their tryst forces choices on her she never saw coming. --While I liked the whole professor-has-vampire-as-student concept the story felt like it show more came out of another book and just didn't do it for me. 2/5 stars
[ODE TO EDVARD MUNCH] by Caitlin R. Kiernan, Our narrorator is a musician passing through Central Park each night where he befriends a mysterious young female vampire, one whom he dreams of in so many ways. --I loved the narration but this story was very short and poetic, not really romantic. 3/5 stars
[FANGS FOR HIRE] by Jenna Black, Gemma is a vampire hitwoman who is good at her job and when a client hires her to kill his step-father over an inheritance she gets a lot more than she bargained for. --I didn't think I'd like this one but the step-father character pulled the story together and would have made an excellent hero for a longer book. 4/5 stars
[THE RIGHTEOUS] by Jenna Mclaine, In this historical, when a vampire who is charged with weeding out the bad seeds of his race meets a human slayer who stirs his blood will they remain foes, or could he prove to her not all his kind are evil? --This tale was too cliched and sloppy for my tastes but fans who love historical vampire stories might like it. 1/5 stars
[KNOWLEDGE OF EVIL] by Raven Hart, Vampire Nick Manos has sought out a chance to study at the University of Georgia just to meet Professor Victoria Lennox, an expert on vampires... and they are both seeking forbidden knowledge. --A fluffy little tale with very little conflict, was a fun romp but not a real stand-out from the collection. 4/5 stars
[VIPER'S BITE] by Delilah Devlin, Viper is a vampire with an interest in Mariah, but just how deeply does tha interest go? --I feel like anything I can say about this story would be spoilery but it was very romantic and I loved it. 5/5 stars
[DREAMS] by Keri Arthur, Set around characters from Arthur's Riley Jenson series. --I feel bad cause I've never read any of the series so I was completely confused by the story and hence did not like it, my guess is fans of the series will love the extra 'screentime' with these characters. 2/5 stars
[LOVE BITES] by Kimberly Raye, Another offering that ties into the author's series, Danielle Blue is a newly minted SOB (Sniper of Otherworldy Beings) and she's due to make her first kill, but is sleeping with the enemy really breaking the rules? --I've got one of her books on my shelf so I was able to note the reference (though I haven't read it yet) to it... light and fluffy take on the slayer/vampire dilemna. 3/5 stars
[WHAT'S AT STAKE] by Alexis Morgan, I got the impression this may be related to a series Morgan is working on but can't be sure... When Josalyn Sloan is called in to make sure the legal rights of her former friend/almost lover are being met embers of their old flames come leaping back to life. --The set-up for a mythos got me interested but I didn't really care for the hero & heroine, they felt too familiar, like a cookie-cutter formatted H/H. 3/5 stars
[COMING HOME] by Lilith Saintcrow, Tying into Saintcrow's Dante Valentine series, Liana Spocarelli returns to Saint City for a job. --Another series tie-in I know nothing about but written with Saintcrow's distinct voice which is sure to please her fans and interest new ones. 4/5 stars
[TO EASE THE RAGE] by C. T. Adams and Cathy Clamp, There's been a break-in at Officer Sylvia Beck's home and the last thing she expects is the man she catches fleeing the scene... since he died two years ago! --Predictable but fresh, I liked the story here a lot and plan to look into these co-authors in the future. 5/5 stars
[DANCING WITH THE STAR] by Susan Sizemore, After a vampire receives a mysterious telepathic cry for help at a car wreck she later dreams of dancing with a handsome man who turns out to be a famous face. --Another very original premise that was really enjoyable and well written, one of my favorites from this collection. 5/5 stars
[PLAY DEAD] by Dina James, Shouldn't a vampire be able to choose his own bride, not have it chosen for him by his house? --I felt like this one dropped me into the middle of a series and didn't give me enough information to really understand what was going on. 2/5 stars
[IN WHICH A MASQUERADE BALL UNMASKS AN UNDEAD] by Colleen Gleason, Readers of the Gardella Vampire Chronicles will recognize Victoria Gardella Grantworth as the lead in this short story... Victoria's attempts at a private interlude with Rockley are interupted by undead stalking about the masquerade. --I've been waiting for the final book to come out before I read the series but I've been anxious so this little peek was tantalizing but not spoilerific. 3/5 stars
[A TEMPORARY VAMPIRE] by Barbara Emrys, Set in New Orleans this is a tale of a vampire looking for a new home who meets a fascinating mime. --New Orleans is so cliched in vampire stories I expected this one to be bad and I actually really enjoyed it, it was very original and a perfectly closed short story. 5/5 stars
[OVERBITE] by Savannah Russe, When a Manhattan dentist gets sucked (no pun intended) into the vampire underworld his life is forever changed. --I think this one ended up being my favorite of the entire collection because it was smutty, silly and very original, I have had Russe's books on my wishlist forever and I think it's time to buy! 5/5 stars
[HUNTER'S CHOICE] by Shiloh Walker, Sara's brother and best friend were murdered by vampires and she wanted revenge, can a vampire show her not all of the undead are evil? --This one was okay, but how many times have we heard this story before? 3/5 stars
[REMEMBER THE BLOOD] by Vicki Pettersson, Two vampires go to great lengths to remain forever tied to one another. --Fans of Pettersson's writing will enjoy seeing this offering which has no ties to her Zodiac series but the vampire mythos presented here might not appeal to many. 4/5 stars
[THE SACRIFICE] by Rebecca York, Princess Morgan of Balacord knows of only one way to save her kingdom from the invaders who have their land under seige - she must seek out the blood drinking monster known as Garon. --Fans of fantasy and traditonal romances will probably enjoy this one greatly, I found it to be pretty good though I prefer urban vampire tales. 4/5 stars
[THE MIDDAY MANGLER MEETS HIS MATCH] by Rachel Vincent, A serial killer is murdering vampire children and when Kez's little sister is abducted by the murderer she won't let him get away without a fight. --I lied earlier... this was my favorite of the entire collection - it was so different from everything else in it with it's teen heroine and her boyfriend, the idea of a vampire dominated world and all that would entail. Fellow fans of Vincent's werecats series will recognize her voice and enjoy seeing her writing something new. 5/5 stars
[THE MUSIC OF THE NIGHT] by Amanda Ashley, A new take on the Phantom of the Opera story. --I'm surprised no one has done this one before (at least not that I've seen), I didn't really care for it but I think fans of TPOTO and more traditional romances will love it. 3/5 stars
[THE DAY OF THE DEAD] by Karen Chance, Readers of Chance's Cassie Palmer series will remember Tomas and soak up this South American adventure tale. --I like the series but never really cared for Tomas and while I liked the twist this story had I didn't really care for it as a whole. 3/5 stars
[VAMPIRE UNCHAINED] by Nancy Holder, Trapped in the tunnels under Central Park, vampire Liam Cadagon must protect his Gifted human lover from his fellow vampires. --Another one of those stories where I felt dropped into the middle of a series and not quite given enough details but the ending was pretty good. 3/5 stars
[A STAND-UP DAME] by Lilith Saintcrow, A noir-ish vampire tale. --Another favorite of mine, I normally don't care for Saintcrow's writing but this was so far from her norm it was delicious. 5/5 stars
[UNTITLED 12] by Caitlin R. Keirnan, A strange and very short narrative of being turned. --This one was too strange and grotesque for me and the female/female "romance" was kind of icky when normally a same sex romance doesn't bother me much. 1/5 stars
Overall there were some really enjoyable quick reads, some that felt too long and cliched and a few that tied into current series. What makes it worth buying is the variety. I chose it because I wanted to read some new stuff from authors I am a reader of already and some I wanted to try that I haven't yet. Several were authors I've never heard of but may look into now that I've tasted their style. If you don't like short stories this is definitely not for you as most are a lot shorter than your typical anthology offering where an author might have 60-90 pages to tell a story versus about 20-25 here. show less
I read this because it was free and vaguely tempting. A hit-vampire. There really isn't much to the story. Female vampire keeping self distracted from long life by being a contract killer. Gets hired by a young man to kill his step-father, because he believes the step-father killed his mother. Female vampire accepts job and investigates this supposed mother killer.
Even with that story, even with that background, this story went in the direction I do not particularly care to go into. Sure, Dracula by Bram Stoker oozed eroticism, and Anne Rice's Interview with a Vampire dripped with ennui and lewdness. Still, that isn't really what I look for in stories, vampire related or not. Good enough writing for what it was despite that.
Even with that story, even with that background, this story went in the direction I do not particularly care to go into. Sure, Dracula by Bram Stoker oozed eroticism, and Anne Rice's Interview with a Vampire dripped with ennui and lewdness. Still, that isn't really what I look for in stories, vampire related or not. Good enough writing for what it was despite that.
Actually, I read a few stories by authors I know, skimmed some others, and decided that "mammoth" translates to "too big and therefore not choosy about what gets included." If you're into romance far more than fantasy or horror, you'll probably like the book much better than I did.
WOW...if you like romance and if you like vampires, how can you pass this one up? There are 25, that's right 2-5 short stories in this 'mammoth' book! Most of the authors haven't hit the biggest of the big time, but many of them are authors I follow. This isn't a full list...but, there are stories by Jenna Black, Jenna Maclaine, Delilah Devlin, Keri Arthur, Alexis Morgan, Shiloh Walker, Rebecca York, Karen Chance, & Vicki Pettersson, among many others. Some I like a lot, some I just liked, and some were just plain weird. But hey, even if you don't like one of the stories, it only takes a few minutes to read! Some stories are funny, some are more serious, some are pretty sexy, and few I still don't understand. But with a price tag of show more only $13.95US, it's well worth the cost. show less
I enjoyed reading favorite authors short stories in here. I did read one new author because she was listed as living in Astoria - Dina James. Read only part of Rachel Vincent's, not into YA. Loved Keri Arthur, Lili Saintcrow, Karen Chance, Susan Sizemore. Thought that C.T. Adams was a little weak, or I've read better from them. ;-)
Lots of teasers, cliff hangers, or parts of other stories. I really liked most of the authors in this book. However, the stories weren't long enough to really become interested in what was happening.
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Series
The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance
2 works (1)
Cin Craven
6 works (Collections and Selections — 1.5, The Righteous)
Key to Hell
2 works (Short Story "Play Dead")
Riley Jenson Guardian Series
9 works (Short Stories — "Dreams", 3.5)
Dead-End Dating
7 works (Short Story "Love Bites", 4.5)
The Gardella Vampire Chronicles
10 works (Novellas and Short Stories — 1.5, "In Which a Masquerade Ball Unmasks an Undead")
Darkwing Chronicles
6 works (Collections and Selections — 5.5, Overbite)
Dante Valentine
6 works (Collections and Selections — 5.2, Coming Home)
The Hunters (Walker)
16 works (Short Story "Hunter's Choice", 12)
Cassandra Palmer Universe
20 works (Short Stories — 14.1, The Day of the Dead)
Belongs to Publisher Series
Mammoth Books (Mammoth Books 450)
Work Relationships
Contains
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance
- Original publication date
- 2008-07-28
- People/Characters
- Tomas; Alejandro; Sarah Lee; Jason Lee; Louis-Cesare; Alcazar (show all 10); Paolo; Miguel; Pizarro; Dante Valentine
- Disambiguation notice
- Anthology contains:
- Fade to black / Sherri Erwin
- Ode to Edvard Munch / Caitlín R. Kiernan
- Fangs for hire / Jenna Black
- The righteous / Jenna Maclaine
- Knowledge of evil / Raven Hart ... (show all)
- Viper's bite / Delilah Devlin
- Dreams / Keri Arthur
- Love bites / Kimberly Raye
- What's at stake? / Alexis Morgan
- Coming home / Lilith Saintcrow
- To ease the rage / C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp
- Dancing with the star / Susan Sizemore
- Play dead / Dina James
- In which a masquerade ball unmasks an undead / Colleen Gleason
- A temporary vampire / Barbara Emrys
- Overbite / Savannah Russe
- Hunter's choice / Shiloh Walker
- Remember the blood / Vicki Pettersson
- The sacrifice / Rebecca York
- The midday mangler meets his match / Rachel Vincent
- The music of the night / Amanda Ashley
- The day of the dead / Karen Chance
- Vampire unchained / Nancy Holder
- A stand-up dame / Lilith Saintcrow
- Untitled 12 / Caitlín R. Kiernan
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- Members
- 439
- Popularity
- 69,667
- Reviews
- 12
- Rating
- (3.26)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 5
- ASINs
- 4
