Love Bleeds

by Temoc Delgado:

Being almost 500 years old, I can be quite set in my ways. When it comes to books, I am no exception. But, this year, I gave in to my Gemini tendencies and purchased an Amazon Kindle. And, as promised to Ms. James, the first e-book I purchased was her debut novel: Love Bleeds.

Summary

In Ireland, Joseph (Joe) Markus, a rock-n-roll star vampire, meets with Katarina (Kat) Renót, a professor of lore on sabbatical with her best friend Nina. While Nina easily succumbs to fellow vampire Phillip’s charm, Kat is not so trusting. She finds Joe’s abs delectable, but his arrogance keeps Kat from reaching out and scooting her fingers along the ridges of his six-pack. Joe, on the other hand, hates that Kat does not easily fall prey to his charm. His glamour. While the would-be lovers play cat-and-mouse, someone else—a vampire, perhaps—is Hell-bent on avenging a man he feels died with Joe’s blessing.

Story: 3 out of 4 Garlic Bulbs

This book could be dangerous if given to blue-balling vampires. James’s attention to sexual detail is sure to arouse the erotic pleasures of many. Vampires really do make love better, and James plays with this tidbit of knowledge to the fullest extent. Joe knows his way around a woman, and his techniques, from his fingers to his groin, are worthy of the sharpest fangs. The women are just as equally hungry for sex and willing to engage the vampires in their primal needs, which makes for a fun read.

Characters: 3 out of 4 Garlic Bulbs

The characters, at times, seemed a bit like stock characters. For example, Phillip’s the vampire who fights his bloodlust, which reminds me Edward Cullen, sans sparkles. If ol’ Phil really wants to live as a vampire but can’t bring himself to drink from a human, why doesn’t he feed from rats? I, for one, was fed up with his self-loathing, and had I been a character in the novel, I would have “helped” him meet the sun.

Joe, on the other hand, stays true to the vampire way. While he’s open to living with one woman for all eternity, he is also okay with taking what he needs during a one-night stand. That’s not to say he’s entirely selfish. He aims to satisfy, in many delicious ways, his bedmates. I would be proud to call Joe my friend.

Overall: 3 out of 4 Garlic Bulbs

James manages to whisk her reader into a world of vampire loving, vampire rocking and vampire mystery. My only concerns are that grammatical errors and differences in typeface might jolt the reader out of his/her “suspension of disbelief,” something a writer must always strive to avoid. That being said, if this story is any indicator of James’s potential and talent, I eagerly await the release of novel #2.

Love Bleeds can be found on Amazon.com.