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 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. ( )

Vampire cops to protect citizens from themselves

Viper's Bite by Delilah Devlin - 5
Tender love story, what a man/vampire does to keep his woman safe

Fade to Black by Sherri Brown Erwin - 4
Involved me right away with the characters and story, the ending left me a bit puzzled

In Which a Masquerade Ball Unmasks an Undead by Coleen Gleason - 3
Tiny spoiler, I think I missed something or maybe it got edited out but how could this woman manage not to get herself killed?

Knowledge of Evil by Raven Hart - 3
Not your typical romance, Nick is typical snooty above it all type vamp in for a surprise

Vampire Unchained by Nancy Holder - 5
Started with such a bleak world and yet this story brings out hope and over coming evil.

Play Dead by Dina James - 3
The beginning didn't quite gel with a good middle/ending

Deliver us from Evil by Dina James - 3
Clan Destrati, vamp and his angel. It felt like the story was just getting warmed up when it ended. Even though there was a resolution it felt incomplete.

Ode to Edvard Munch by Caitlin R. Kiernan - 4
1st pub in Sirenia Digest #6 May 2006, haunting, unsettling type story

Untitled 12 by Caitlin R. Kiernan - 4
1st pub in Frog Toes and Tentacles, Subterranean Press 2005

Into the Mist for Ever by Rosemary Laurey - 5
Roman surgeon and Timeless one heal together and develop a bond. I thought it was a very good short

Coming Home by Lilith Saintcrow - 3
Confusing story, lots of intriguing bits without full explanation. Ended with me a bit confused, maybe if it had been longer …

A Stand-up Dame by Lilith Saintcrow - 4
PI got a job that turned him into a vamp, he learns what he becomes and finishes his job with the help of his aid
( )

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. ;-) ( )

Short boring stories ( )

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. ( )