How to Seduce a Vampire (Without Really Trying) (Love at Stake)

Kerrelyn Sparks has done it again. I just love this entire series and can't get enough of it. This one kept me on the edge of my seat from the first page to the last. There are so many possibilities for the next book. Darn, I don't want to wait! Hope the next one comes out soon.

Kerrilyn Sparks is an awesome author....her continuing series are all stand alone books so you read one book in one sitting ...nothing dragged out over 2,3,4,5,6 books. The writing style is funny , sarcastic, witty, and especially funny insights only women can truly relate to . LOVE ALL HER BOOKS SO FAR.

Kerrelyn Sparks' series, Love at Stake, has been one of the best I've read in recent year. This book lived up to the stellar reputation established by the previous books. It reads fast, contains humor, as well as paranormal romance. Loved it!

Kerrelyn Sparks' series, Love at Stake, has been one of the best I've read in recent year. This book lived up to the stellar reputation established by the previous books. It reads fast, contains humor, as well as paranormal romance. Loved it!

After 800 years of searching, vampire Zoltan Czakvar finally has a solid lead to who killed his father. Never did he expect his journey would take him to a Himalayan valley where a group of warrior women have secrets they have spent thousands of years protecting. Neona has been told men are good for one reason: making warriors to protect Beyul-La. Neona doesn’t agree 100% with the policy but when a handsome man finds his way into their valley, she’s ready to contribute to the population growth. Zoltan’s arrival to her hidden home signals big changes, some long overdue and some that will mean the end of life as she knows it.

Zolton is a wealthy Coven Master who doesn’t need to hide his existence from the people he looks after in his Transylvania town. Neona lives (mostly) cut off from the world and all modern conveniences to live in a very remote valley. Rarely communicating with outsiders, Neona is only allowed to have a male for the purpose of having daughters. They meet after Zoltan follows the origins of an arrow used to kill his father but that search becomes second to wooing Neona after they first meet (when she knocks him out cold) and convincing her that he is worthy of her trust and love.

Adorable. So, so adorably sweet. And hot. Yes, adorably sweet and hot is how I describe Zoltan and Neona. Adorably sweet because Zoltan brings cute gifts like a Hello Kitty watch (don’t scoff, Neona loves it!) and romance novels (his reaction to finding out there are vampire romances cracked me up), and arranges a very complicated land deal to win Neona over and proves he can be counted on at every turn. Neona doesn’t have gifts to give but she shows she is interested by defying her mother (and queen) for Zoltan and dares to think of him as more than a potential sperm donor. For a tribe that resembles the stores, that’s saying a lot. They’re hot because Neona demands 10 orgasms in order for Zoltan to prove himself and well, Zoltan enthusiastically accepts the challenge. Like I said, H-O-T.

Zoltan and his companions are still chasing after the evil vampire Master Han to stop him and his demonly enhanced soldiers. I wasn’t all that into this chase and there is no real movement in this branch of the story until the end. Neona’s people and land become a target but even then I felt meh about it. What revitalized my love for this series, which was dwindling after 14 books, are the characters. Aside from Neona and Zoltan, there are the few remaining women of Neona’s not-so-man-hating tribe. Each with their own personalities and reactions to what Zoltan tells them about men and the outside world that contradicts what the stick in the mud queen has taught them. The beautiful landscape, snarky furry inhabitants, and pretty cool new shifter species of Beyul-La add a much needed breath of fresh air to the series.

I’m not sure if it was the mood I was in while reading but I felt as if the writing is better in this book. Or perhaps it felt that way due to how effortlessly the author got me to fall in love with Zoltan and Neona. Zoltan and Neona’s relationship moves quickly yet it’s easy to feel their building passion and they make perfect sense from the get go. Admittedly, parts of the story are easy to predict yet that diminishes nothing and I think fans of this series will be extra happy with this latest release.

Neona is a warrior princess who lives with a small group of warrior women in a remote valley in Tibet. They are unknown and need to stay that way because their lives have been pledged to a bigger cause and have been for many, many centuries. When Neona and the other woman break their rule about no men, after helping a man who helped them in an attack, it’s the beginning of them learning just how the world has changed in the many centuries they have been apart and that not everything they have been told is the entire truth. This handsome and strong man just might be the man worth mating with to produce a girl child with.

Zoltan Czakvar has been looking for the people who killed his father for over 800 years and finally he has a lead – an exact copy of the arrow that was used and that Zoltan has kept for so long. Finding out just where that arrow came from and who the owner is begins a long and frustrating journey for Zoltan, that is until it becomes a journey filled with love and passion. Now if he can just get the trust and acceptance from not only Neona, her mother the Queen and the other warrior women. As if that isn’t going to be difficult enough, Zoltan is going to have to help them defeat the same ban of evil vampires and others who he and his people have been seeking for many, many years.

Neona is fighting a battle with herself and the “truths” that she and her friends have been told for so long. However, fighting the attraction between herself and Zoltan fast becomes a losing cause, so Neona begins to figure out a way to have Zoltan be accepted by her mother and the other women in her valley. Learning that Zoltan not only knows the men who have been attacking them but that he and his friends can help protect them and their mysterious lifetime charge, is going to be one heck of an undertaking if they are to have all the women learn to accept the many changes that are coming at them fast and furious. Zoltan never expected the cascade of changes that his falling for Neona produced but when the worse happens, he is determined to put everything right – even if the cost might be greater than either Zoltan or Neona every expected.

A warrior princess and a ancient vampire learn that love can happen at anytime and all you really can do is hold on and ride the wave while fighting for your right to experience that same love. How to Seduce a Vampire (Without Really Trying) not only brings Zoltan and Neona together but it also brings the present to a secluded group of warrior women and introduces a group of shifters previously thought to be extinct. I had to laugh as I finished Zoltan and Neona’s story when I realized that the many changes and answers that happened all came from an arrow. I had to love both Zoltan and Neona – Zoltan for his fierce courting of Neona and also his long hunt for who the arrow that killed his father belonged to, (mind you it was for a very different reason than I first thought) and Neona for trying to find a path between her new love of Zoltan and the mission that she and the other women in her valley are sworn to uphold. Ms.Sparks pens a riveting story, as things get shook up for the warrior women and as Zoltan and Neona found and fought for their love. How to Seduce a Vampire (Without Really Trying) is a journey of fighting to protect the innocent while a strong and lasting love is being discovered – full of touching parts and deadly danger. Just what I would expect from Kerrilyn Sparks’s Love at Stake series.

This book was reviewed by Jo for Joyfully Reviewed (JR), and was provided by the publisher/author at no cost to JR for the purpose of being reviewed.

Zoltan has looked for the person that killed his father for the past 800 years, he was only 14 at the time. He actually requested for a vampire to turn him when he was 29 so that he could continue his search. He went 800 years without ever receiving a single clue as to where the arrow that killed him had come from, the invaders had disappeared without a trace. Just when he had finally decided that he was never going to figure it out, he has another arrow exactly like the one that killed his dad and it leads him to a valley in Tibet. A secret valley that is guarded by warrior women. These women aren’t your average women, they have special powers and have guarded the valleys secrets for thousands of years but now the evil vampires Lord Liao and Master Hans have leared their secret and are headed to Beyul-Lu to take it over. It's now up to the remaining warriors and the good vamps the defend Beyul-Lu and keep the secret safe.

This was another amazing book by Kerrlyn Sparks. I've got to tell you this is one of my all time favorite vampire series. It's filled with interesting characters including vampires in both leather and kilts, shifters of all shapes and sizes as well as other characters that have special abilities as well.

My only concern about this book is the price. I hate paying as much for an ebook that you pay for the paperback especially when I find out afterwards that it's not even lendable. At $7.99 you should be able to share it at least once!

Title: How to Seduce a Vampire Without Really Trying

Series: Love at Stake bk 15

Author: Kerrelyn Sparks

Genre: Paranormal

From New York Times bestselling author Kerrelyn Sparks comes the next adventure in the Love at Stake series, featuring a Master vampire and his love affair with a woman of many secrets . . .

Vampire Zoltan Czakvar is on the hunt for the truth about his father's death. He's been searching for a very long time—since 1241, in fact. And he is not about to give up, even when he's attacked by a woman with striking blue eyes and a hell of a right hook!

Neona is also on the hunt. She's looking for a mate, and she thinks muscled Zoltan will work just fine. After all, men are good for only one thing. Soon, though, she realizes there's more to this handsome vampire than just sexual prowess. But she's keeping a secret from Zoltan, something so big that it will rock the vampire world.

Can their newfound love survive . . . even if their passion means the destruction of her world?

Thoughts: As far as I'm concerned Sparks is one of the best vampire authors today. I never have to wonder if she's going to do something that will make me want to break up with her because of doing something stupid to one of my favorite characters.

Zoltan has been one of those characters that we've heard about, but not seen a lot of in the other books. At the time this sorta irritated me, but as I started reading this book I was glad we didn't know a lot about him, because it would have changed how we saw him. It also would have changed the way Howard behaved toward him and those parts of the story are awesome.

Neona is the perfect heroine for him. She's tied to his past, and is ready to make changes to her future. Her only issue is she doesn't dare go against her mother the Queen. But then things begin to happen and she realizes that she has to make a decision.

I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting to like this book, or I should say I didn't expect to like Neona. And in the beginning I didn't. But she grew on me as the book went on. I could understand the choices she'd made, and why she was willing to change not only her future but also those around her.

I enjoyed the progression of the overall story arc with the bad guy Master Han, and how we are getting to see characters who've been in the background in previous books, and reconnecting with characters we love from past books.

If you're a fan of this series then you won't want to miss this installment, and if you haven't yet started this series, well I won't yell at you, but I will tell you to correct this and lucky for you there is a huge backlist :)

Grade B+
Review by: Heather

[...]

How To Seduce A Vampire (Without Really Trying)
Kerrelyn Sparks
Avon, Apr 29 2014, $7.99
ISBN: 9780062107763

In 1241 Transylvania, an assassin killed the father of than fourteen year old Zoltan Czakvar. The teen took the arrow from his dad's corpse and searched for the identity of the archer, but failed. To buy time, he became a vampire, but over eight centuries since he buried his sire, Zoltan made no progress on solving his obsession, the tundra frozen case, until now.

Russell the AWOL vampire arrives at the castle for blood supplies to the shock of security chief Howard the were-bear (see Wild About You). Zoltan notices Russell possesses an arrow identical to that which killed his father. However, Russell explains he cannot say anything because he made a vow of silence. When he teleports, Zoltan grabs him and ends up in Tibet. Soon after arriving, Zoltan finds a village in the Himalayas.

Neona recently buried her twin sister when she learns of a visitor. She attacks him to keep him out of Beyul-La, but decides he is a perfect mate so she can birth the next generation female warrior. Though he wants more than be Neona's discarded stud muffin while she knows her culture makes him expendable (except for his sperm), they fall in love. However, Neona's secret, if revealed, could bring down two realms which would elate Master Han.

The latest Love At Stake paranormal romance (see The Vampire With the Dragon Tattoo) is a wonderful entry due to the attitude of the female warriors who protect the valley and Zolton's changing fixation. With heroes like Angus and villains like Han from the Sparks pantheon making appearances, series fans will appreciate this tale though the overarching theme moves very little.

Harriet Klausner

Great love story between vampire Zoltan and a very old woman Neona. Not sure how to call her.
He wants to know who killed his father more than 800 years ago and finds her and her sisterhood protecting a valley. The secret of this valley was a surprise I really liked. I have a weak spot for dragons, so also for dragon shapeshifters.

I like the way the vampires help the sisterhood against the bad vampires.
Not sure about the ending of the book, hope everything will be okay in the next book with the story line which still continues. I also curious about what is going to happen to Zoltan now he has drunk from the water which gives everlasting life.

Great love story with lovely moments between Zoltan and Neona.
Complete it with serious action against the bad guys and you have a very good read.
I couldn't stop reading.

I have been reading kerrelyn books for 5 years and she never dissapointed her fans. This story is different from the her style but she keepers her vampires always in touch with the others. Neona is a young woman who live in a commminity only for females. No man allowed. Her mother is the queen and she does not allow men on her kingdom. The idea is that men is only for procreation and after the woman conceived the man get killed. Neona is looking for mate that she can conceived a child. Well I do not like to give spoilers but when Neona meet Zoltan a handsome easterneupean vampire she can not kill Zoltan as opposite she fall for him. One of master Han'men fought with Neona group and Zoltan decided to become the champion of the group. Anyway Neona mother is a liar, she hide secrets and she is a manipulator and ungrateful of Zoltan she still wants Zoltan dead when he fighting for them and he asks for hep from his friends August, Phil, Emma and others. It nice that kerrelyn bring back some good friends from the previous books. I only request to read this book because there no good vampires stories out there. You will not regret and you will become another fan of kerrelyn. Enjoy the book the same as I am.

How to Seduce a Vampire (Without Really Trying) by Kerrelyn Sparks
Love at Stake Series Book 15
Zoltan Czakvar has been a vampire for over eight hundred years. His mission in his undead life is to find out why his father was murdered. All he has is the arrow that had killed him. After all this time, he has finally found a new clue, another arrow, which brings him to a warrior princess who considers him a sperm bank.

Neona has a sacred duty to protect their secret valley. Only after her twin sister is killed she is rethinking everything she had been taught for many years. Why are men so hated and untrustworthy? Especially if they come packaged like Zoltan.

Even after fifteen books, the Love at Stake vampire stories continue to entertain, humor and take the reader on breathtaking adventures as they battle for those they love. The reader always gets a glimpse of characters from previous books, which I love. Looking forward to book sixteen, Crouching Tiger Forbidden Vampire.
**Sexual content

Kerrelyn Sparks has done it again, she enriched her world and expanded it beautifully all while giving us a fantastic love story.

I really loved Zoltan, he’s a great character and the way he won’t give up on Neona, not matter the consequences, I loved that about him. He works to earn her trust and I enjoyed the fun way he does it.

Neona is a strong, confident and beautiful woman that I adored, she doesn’t just roll over for Zoltan, she makes him work for it. I love a heroine who has a mind of her own.

We got to see some of the past Love at Stake books, but never fear, if you haven’t read the past fourteen books in the series, you can still enjoy Zoltan and Neona’s story. I look forward to where this series will go in the future. I think this installment breathed some fresh air into the series.

*I received a copy in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated for my review.*

How to Seduce a Vampire (Without Really Trying), the sixteenth in Kerrelyn Sparks' fantastic series, is by far the most humorous of the set. Well, with the exception of the first – who can beat a vampire going to the dentist? Ms. Sparks has yet again succeeded in providing us with a witty, sexy, action packed story. In this novel, the heretofore mysterious Eastern European vampire Zoltan finally meets his match in Neona, a warrior woman from the secret clan of Beyul-¬La.

Ms. Sparks does not disappoint in her portrayal of Zoltan’s Draculesque character: a brooding lord with a tortured past, a dark Transylvanian castle – a popular tourist attraction no less - loyal servants, a protective village, a mummy. Wait, a mummy? Just another one of the quirks that make Ms. Sparks' vampires so enjoyable.

Neona, the heroine, is a member of a secret clan of immortal women, guardians of a precious secret, who believe the only good man is a dead one - after he has provided his seed, that is. Neona chooses Zoltan for this auspicious task because he is strong and fleet of foot, fair of face, brave, and “seemingly intelligent.” She tries various methods to get her apparently reluctant specimen “in the mood” for her seduction.

Zoltan knows early on Neona is his mate for life and proceeds to court her – a task he is ill prepared for – with chocolate, weapons, books and jewelry, um yes, about that . . . Good thing he has doughnut-loving Howard the Bear and his wife Elsa to coach him. Howard, one of my favorite characters, attacks with gusto the job of being Zoltan’s head of security, a position which the recalcitrant vampire sees no need for.

Ms. Sparks doesn’t disappoint on the action front either, with a common enemy in the evil Lord Liao, the warrior women and the ever growing Romtec family join forces to battle Master Han and his powerful army. For the sentimentalist in all of us romance readers, there is a delightful surprise for Angus and Emma in the making. Make sure you have several hours to spare as you will not want to put this book down. Oh yes, and make sure your hanky is accessible; you will need it to wipe away your tears of laughter!

I have been following the Love At Stakes series for a long, long time! So many times I have found myself reading and rereading this series. I have them all! They were always filled with hilarity and great story lines. I liked it enough, but..... I got bored then the scene changed a little bit to grab my attention again. Its time though to put to an end to Master Han! I really hate him and his evil minions. I did get a kick out of the kitty cat. I do not know how I feel about Zoltan turning back to a human either. ( or is he really?) What will this do to the series? I love my vampires and the "what ifs" are driving me crazy now. That's what keeps me buying the books.

I liked the characters, even though I wanted to punch the were-bear ( Howard ) in the throat! I know I know, he had a job to do but gez. I'm already ready for more.