Forbidden Vampire (Love at Stake), Crouching Tiger

Another Love at Stakes book that was hard to stop reading. I look forward to a new book all the time. Best series ever to read. Really hate to knowing that this was the last book in the series. I loved them all from the very beginning. Thank you Kerrelyn Sparks for these amazing stories.

I started this series long ago.. How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire (Love at Stake, Book 1) I found this book to be along same writing style. Fast paced, emotional ups and downs and light hearted for the most part. I hadn't realized this was the final and 16th book in the series. I read about half way through the series, I now wish I had taken the time to read them all in order. This book tied all the characters together, it would have been more satisfying and a fuller experience had I read in sequential order.
This book is about tiger shifter princess Jia and loner vampire Russell. These two have only vengeance in there closed off hearts for Master Han, an evil, conniving, vicious, manipulating Lieutenant of the demon Darafer. They both have their own tragic reasons that put them on a collision course. They will have to work together to accomplish their reason for living - to stop Master Han.
More than once this book made me laugh out loud and brought tears to my eyes, despite that this is what I call a light and fluffy book. Easy to read and satisfying, but not darkly seductive/addictive like some other paranormal romances.

If your into Vampires, romance, adventures, and laughs....this is by far the best series I have read! I started with Book 1,How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire and 16 books later it ends with this. Crouching Tiger, Forbidden Vampire did not disappoint! It had everything I expected from Kerrelyn Sparks and this series. While I am a little sad this series is at an end; hopefully she'll visit the characters again, I was left feeling whole! Thank you Kerrelyn for such a wonderful series! Anyone who is on the fence on wether to buy this, take the leap, you will be thankful you did! Love at Stake!

These books are like little wonderful candies. Sure, they deliver what you expected with little deviation from the formula, but I love them just the same.

This book gives us Russell and Jia. We met Russell a while ago and he has turned up every now and then to brood and swear vengeance against the leader of the “evil vamps.” I hadn’t given him much thought except when he swooped in to save the day without looking for reward. That was a little sneak peek at who he is beneath the gruff exterior. Jia is a sheltered (aka “caged”) princess among the tigers. She’s desperate for revenge and has somehow managed to join up with someone who wants it just as bad as her. Both Russell and Jia lost their family to the evil Master Han in very different ways. There’s a bit of mystery there for Russell and we spent most of the book waiting for the big reveal.

Yeah, there’s fighting and lots of supernaturals (angels and demons now, too?), but the real story is the adorable love story of Russell and Jia. Russell really tries to fight the attraction, especially because Jia has been promised to another tiger. Jia, on the other hand, is someone who just loves to dive into life. She knows she wants Russell, but is a little unsure if he wants her back. These two do a cute little dance of insecurity that ultimately ends up in a *fabulous* HEA. We even get to see all the characters from the previous books in an awesome set of reunion scenes. Is this the last book of the series? If it is, I’m super upset that we have to say goodbye to this world. While all the loose ends are tied up, I would’ve read anything set in this universe!

The final installment of the Love at Stake series did not disappoint. I'm sad to see the series end, but happy that the author has enjoyed the ride so far and has brought it to a satisfying close.

------SPOILERS-------

I won't say that the books are formulaic per se, but they certainly do follow a pattern which I'm sure most of y'all can spot by now if you've been reading the books from day one. Grizzled, slightly grumpy guy is a loner of some sort. He believes he can never love (again). Girl is competent, intelligent, sexy. Sparks fly. She thinks he's hot as heck, and falls in love. He thinks she's hot as heck, but tries to keep her at a distance for reasons. Then they spend time together, fall in love, get married, etc.

However, this is the bog standard formula for ANY romance novel, if we're honest with ourselves. It's what makes them so much fun to read in the first place. Like I said, this one does not disappoint, because it doesn't end when the male protagonist and female protagonist mate (their words, not mine) and declare their undying love for each other. Things get real when the demon (continued after the warning)

*********SUPER SPOILERS OF THE ENDING*********
drags the female protagonist into hell, and Lucifer refuses to release her peacefully. So the WHOLE GANG go to the depths of hell with angels and such to go fight with Lucifer. This was what I meant when I said that it was a satisfying close. After all the build up with Casimir and Han and them, you wanted that lot to go down and go down /hard/. Which they do, of course.*********End super spoilers********

There's also a recap of all the couples and the children, which is also a lot of fun for someone who's followed the series from the beginning. This is pretty much exactly what I wanted from a book that's meant to wrap up a long series like the Love at Stake series.*********End spoilers********

I've enjoyed the whole series thoroughly, but this one is particularly fun, because the ending is exactly what it needs to be, while still giving Russell and Jia enough time and attention to have their stories well fleshed out (haha), with enough of a build so that it's not over before it starts. You got to have plenty of time for the two of them to get frustrated in their efforts, to build up the passion for each other, and to get to know the rest of Jia's overprotective family. It could have been a disappointing thing where the actual story between Russell and Jia was rushed too much, because there were so many loose ends to wrap up. That is not the case at all.

***Spoilers (minor)*****
I do need to mention that for me, the god stuff was kind of sweet. Sort of like a ray of hope in the whole setting, where you've got every sort of shifter you can imagine, vampires, demons, and things that can go horribly wrong. The overarching theme of the deity in the series is one where it's hands-off until someone's free will is being threatened. That's when the god warriors (not my word) will intervene and send in the masses of angels to fight. Up until that point, where someone is being given the choices to be good or evil (or even get killed), the deity and its agents don't intervene at all.

It's an interesting take on a traditionally Christian god, who is supposedly (according to some of the ones I've spoken to anyway) a personal deity that is actively concerned about your individual needs, and is constantly vigilant over your life, etc etc. It's less of the grand solicitor, and more of a parental figure that's trying to see to it that you have enough freedom to make your choices, while still having the protection of an all-powerful deity.

I am an atheist myself, and tend to be uncomfortable with overly preachy messages. If it tends to be jesus heavy or something, I'm going to probably pass on the book, and leave it for those who do like that sort of thing. This one, on the other hand, was more so the generic "god loves you" thing which isn't so much preachy as it is a statement of belief, which is fine.

The reason I mention it is that after Vampire Mine when there was an angel character, things went from mildly christian into outright christian. Yes, there is a character early on in the series that was a monk or something, but it started off pretty light. Once angels enter the picture, things get a lot more overt than they were when they started out early in the series. Again, it didn't bother me very much, but for those who are reading a romance novel, and expecting searing love scenes and the like, bear in mind that there is still a fair bit of christianity shot through. If that makes you uncomfortable, seek elsewhere.

All in all, a very enjoyable book, and a lovely series.

The last book in a very fun and entertaining series. I will miss this family of shifters, humans, angels, vampires and mixes of all. All the books ended in a HEA for the two main characters .Even as each had an expected ending, I always felt exhilarated and even giggly when it happened every time. Each book had characters I liked, good people with differences. I was lucky enough to start this series after it was published and went through each book on after the other all in audiobook form. What a treat to not have to wait for the next book to be released. So having spent the last 6 months reading these 16 books, I grew to love them and cherish their happiness. Ah, it is a bittersweet end.
This last book is about a very special vampire, Russell, He is the Vietnam Vet who has been through years of torturous heartbreak, mental instability and loneliness. He finally finds someone that is more important to him than revenge. She just might be a challenge that is too feisty for him. Their search for relief ends in love and the evils all get wrapped up in a nice black trash bag. Whaooo for them ! Yes, it is a HEA what else would you expect ?

"Crouching Tiger, forbidden vampire" by Kerrelyn Sparks (love her pen, or real name) is saucy, salty and sexy fun, for your summer romance needs. A love story involving were-tigers and vampires always is fun, and always reminds me of one of my old favorite series, The Sookie Steakhouse/Southern Vampires series by Charlaine Harris. This book and Spark's series fills the void created by the end of Harris's series two years ago.

Jia comes from a long line of were-tigers. Training since the age of eight, she is a superb fighter who comes out of nowhere with her clan to defend Russell, an accidental vampire, in a fight against his arch nemesis Han, a master vampire who turned him against his will. He teleports her out of the fight to save her-because she defended him and herself against Han-and discovers that they have the same nemesis as Han has destroyed her entire family. Jia cannot go home until she defeats Master Han, and as a were-tiger she wants to advance to her second life (she has nine as a were-tiger) to give her an advance in combat. Forced to stay together due to their shared mission, they develop an uneasy, extremely hot attraction for one another-which interferes with Jia's plan to marry her fiancé.

Will they defeat Master Han? I'll save that for the reader to discover, but I will say this is the last book in the series for a little while by the author's admission. I had so much fun with this read! Honestly, I've been sick of vampires (in 2005-2008 it seemed as if those were the only paranormal romances being produced), so I haven't read a book with vampires in it for a little while. There was action, and the chemistry between Jia and Russell was believable. The sex scenes are hot, but not very descriptive, so they will appeal to a wide variety of readers who might get offended by more description of sex performances "down under." This is the last in the "Love at Stake" series-but you do not need to read the other ones to enjoy this book (although in honesty I plan to, this was my answer to the end of the Stackhouse books). This is great for beside the pool reading this summer. Have fun!

Crouching Tiger Forbidden Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks
Love at Stake Series Book 16
Ex-Marine and vampire Russell is a loner. A loner with a mission. Three years ago he woke up to find that he not only lost thirty-nine years of his life, but he’d also been turned into a vampire. His mission: Find and kill Master Han after pulling the evil vampire’s mask off and asking one question. Why me?

Were-tigress Princess Jia has a mission as well. She wants to be the one to kill Master Han because he killed her family. She just has to get the stubborn and oh so handsome and ripped man to agree they should be partners. And he has to let her stay with him so her cousin, Grand Tiger Rajiv, don’t order her to cease her mission of vengeance. Simple. Not.

I love the characters in this series and noticed that many had cameos in this story. It was so nice seeing all the couples and their children and remembering the comical things that happened to each of them in their own books. It looks like this might be the last in this series. But alas, never say never, right? The loose ends get tied up and there are several surprises. Adding one more awesome book to this series.
**Sexual content & Language
**Received from author for honest review

Unfortunately this is the last in this series, but I'm still OK with that because I've only read a few of them. This author has a way of enticing the reader to start anywhere and do just fine, but leaves the reader desperately wanting to read more in the series to find the *whys* and the *how did that come to be*. Basic premise is that one vampire is a chemical genius with no desire to kill humans and therefore he develops a synthetic blood, makes a boatload of money, and his *factory* is staffed and secured by other vampires as well as shifters. Each book is a romance/suspense thriller/great fun. This entrant is a vengeful vamp living in the depths of China near a village of tiger shifters and each of them want to destroy the evil vampire warlord. No spoilers, read the book!
The audio was narrated by Enrique Morales, and he does a superior performance with all of the males, and it doesn't take long before the listener forgets that it is a man portraying Jia (female protagonist).

Russell has finally got Master Han within his grasp when some chick ruins his shot. If that isn't enough, she then wants to work with him to bring Han down. Fortunately for the tiger-shifter princess of Tiger Town (try saying that fast) Jia, she's cute and Russell whose been living by himself in a cave for years and years can't resist her charms.

Jia's voice felt off as although she was supposed to be in her twenties, she sounded and acted like a child given her immaturity. I found myself sympathising with her cousin Rajiv who wanted to keep her locked up for her own safety. Writing characters from different cultures than your own is difficult as you can unwittingly fall into stereotypes and I think that is what happened with Jia who came across as a two dimensional young Asian woman trying to free herself from the well-meaning but traditional family. She said all the 'right' things a Western reader would expect about not wanting to dishonour her family and being innocent around men etc but there was no depth to her beyond that. She could have been so much more.

Russell, on the other hand, was much better rounded and his back story was more interesting. He was forcibly changed into a vampire and then left in a coma for 30+ years and has dedicated himself to destroying the man that put him there and finding out why he was chosen. He's basically your average good looking but scruffy, slightly crazy ex-military guy with a grudge and an unwillingness to play nice with others.

I'm glad this is the last Love At Stake book because the number of characters are getting a bit too unwieldy and the plots a bit repetitive. The humour which seemed so effortless in the earlier books comes across as forced in places and rather than giggling my way through the book, I merely gritted my teeth. The story line was decidedly odd in places with the jaunt down to Hell seeming more to set up a future series involving angels rather than staying consistent with the world in this series. The repetitiveness grated as it is hard to sustain the chemistry between our two leads when all they do is visit one of Han's many camps, have sniff to see if he is there, argue and then go back to Russell's Batcave. Even the true identity of Master Han wasn't able to excite me that much because the foreshadowing was so blatant. I'm not sure why it went down this track as the dragon-shifter aspect was really interesting and could have been capitalised on more. Sparks does tie up all the loose ends neatly though which given the sheer scale of them is no mean feat.

It is a shame that the series is ending on a fizzle rather than fireworks apart from this book, the rest have been downright entertaining. I have thoroughly enjoyed Sparks' whimsical take on the paranormal romance genre and can heartily recommend the series as a whole but this one just didn't do it for me.

SOME SPOILERS:

Crouching Tiger, Forbidden Vampire brings a long running storyline to a close as our hero, Russell Hankleburg, solidifies his revenge against Master Han, the evil vampire who changed him and then left him in a coma for 39 years, with the help of a were-tiger who has her own reasons for wanting Han dead.

Jia, our heroine, is a royal were-tiger princess whose parents and siblings were slaughtered by Master Han. She has vowed revenge but is stymied by her cousin, the Grand Tiger of her village. She escapes her guards and while hunting Han on her own, inadvertently ruins Russell’s killing shot. Russell grabs her and takes her back to his hideout in order to discover who she is and why she interfered with his plans. Upon discovering her identity, he instantly takes her back to Tiger Town and from there, a somewhat controversial relationship begins between them. The romance is slow to start but builds in balance with the conflict.

Though well written (in terms of mechanics) and fast paced, I couldn’t help but feel rather underwhelmed with the story overall. I have followed this series on and off since the beginning. Interesting dynamic characters, silly tongue in cheek humor, and some steamy romance is what made this series fun but in this installment there was a faint mocking and moronic quality to the characters and the storyline. Dialogue flips from funny and mature to juvenile and imbecile in a heartbeat. Formulaic to the point of redundancy, it follows a noticeable groove worn track and stays one-dimensional. The emotional conduits seem to be missing. We are told more than shown. Russell constantly waxes on how attracted he is to Jia but I never felt the chemistry between them. Jia comes off strong and smart in regards to their mission but naive and somewhat stupid in the affairs of the heart. The romance and the conflict are streamlined and whittled down to the bare bones. No anticipation. No real heart stopping moments or genuine feelings that something bad will happen. It’s all very circumspect.

Almost every couple from the series makes an appearance, bringing some humor as they help wrap up the multiple story lines and close the series out. I did enjoy seeing many old faces and of course seeing where they have all ended up. I admit the angel squad was a bit strange and visiting Hell left me rolling my eyes. The one liners and character caricatures over reached at times and fell flat. The coup de grace concerning Master Han came out of left field and was almost annoyingly easy to figure out. I do wish more time had been spent on the little boy-dragon hostage. His story was rather good and there was a wonderful area to expand there that wasn’t taken.

Overall I think that Sparks was right to wrap it all up and end it here. The stories hves become repetitive and the last few installments, this one in particular, have lacked the “spark” that drew me to the series to begin with. While I’m sure die hard fans of the series will be thrilled with the couple and route Sparks chose for this bon voyage, this one just wasn’t for me.

Crouching Tiger, Forbidden Vampire

5 stars

Russell has had one goal and one goal only since he awoke to discover that he had been turned into a vampire. To seek revenge on Master Han, the one that was responsible for robbing him of nearly forty years of his life. He's lost everything, his home, his family, more than half his life. He works alone and prefers it that way until he meets Jia, a tigress shifter that was also wronged by Master Han.

Master Han killed her entire family while she could do nothing but watch. For thirteen years, Jia has trained and practiced in order to seek her revenge but she's not just any tigress, she's a tiger princess and her cousin is determined to keep her safe and refuses to let her fight with them. Russell is her only hope, will he let her hunt with him once he discovers that she might just be of some help and has a better sense of smell?

It saddens me to say that is supposedly the last of the Love at Stake series. This series quickly became one of my favorites and I devoured each and every one. Once I caught up, I counted the days until the next book would be released. In this book, we finally find closure for Russell but it's not truly the closure that he would have wished for. There is true heartache and remorse in his closure but he also discovers that he was never really alone, even though he always claimed that he worked that way.

This was an amazing ending to an amazing series! I hope that Ms. Sparks will have a change of heart and decide to continue the series since she claims that she had other ideas on how it could continue.

Russell has spent the last two years hunting the vampire that turned him over three decades ago. He wants answers and won't be slowed down by a partner. Well, that's too bad because Jia wants retribution against the same vampire for killing her family. Despite his best attempts, Russell can't convince Jia to back off so together they search for Master Han while avoiding the obvious spark that could threaten their mission and Jia's impending engagement.

Russell wants to know why was he turned and then left in a cave in coma for 30+ years. Master vampire Han is the only one with the answers and even with the good vampires dismantling more of his army each day, he has eluded capture. Enter Jia, a princess were-tiger with the ability to scent vampires who refuses to be left out of the hunt.

Their sparring and Russell's crumbling resistance to Jia's charm is fun to watch. I applaud her defiance against the Tiger Town customs of docile princesses and arranged marriages. They're a sweet couple that deserve the best after what Han has put them through but I don't feel they're strong enough to end the series. Russell has spent most of his time avoiding everyone and Jia is new so I haven't had time to get to know them or grow to care like with established characters, such as Howard or Phineas. I know there really isn't anyone left that the series could have ended on but I still wanted more of a BAM in the romance department.

Crouching Tiger, Forbidden Vampire feels like 2 different books. In the first half, Russell is coming to terms with Jia being his partner and fighting their growing attraction while hunting for Han. This part drags and feels repetitive as Russell searches, thinks about Jia then chides himself for thinking of her, and Jia tries to convince Russell to partner up. Then when they finally catch up to Han, his identity is revealed and that big shocker pulled me back into the story when I was contemplating calling it quits. I'm not going to spoil it and say what happens but it involves a demon, angels, and a trip to a place I didn't think the series would go. As interesting as it is, the second part of the book does feel a little off compared to the rest of the series. Still, it gave the book the shot in the arm it needed to keep me be glued until the end.

Although romance doesn't have quite the same kick as previous books, Russell and Jia are still really sweet and have no problems steaming up the pages. All loose ends are tied up, including the relationship status of a certain Grand Tiger, and it leaves fans of the series with the warm and fuzzies as a lot of the much beloved characters make one final appearance.

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

CROUCHING TIGER, FORBIDDEN VAMPIRE, the last book of the Love at Stake series has it all, from sweeping action, to tough as nails heroes, and a sweet romance between two very different people. In a previous review of another book in this series I complained that the much more interesting plot was overshadowed by the romance. In CROUCHING TIGER, FORBIDDEN VAMPIRE there is thankfully a balance and the romance actually works within the plot. The plot was exciting, pacing steady and the story was just plain exciting to read.

Jia's got spunk and combined with her very determined quest to avenge her family's death she proves to be an incredibly passionate and strong individual. Granted her fighting skills at the start of the book leave a lot to be desired but I gave her points for determination. Russell is Batman. No wait stay with me here! He has a cave, is a recluse, has gadgets, wears a lot of black. He also talks like Christian Bale's Batman in my head. He is a vampire Batman full of brooding and a thirst for vengeance which is pretty awesome. I enjoyed seeing how Jia grew and learned from Russell and how they were eventually able to find some sort of common ground which lead to an eventual steamy romance. Both of them eventually grew to not only love each other but respect one another for their strengths which I always like to see in a romance.

CROUCHING TIGER, FORBIDDEN VAMPIRE is filled with exciting twists and turns and strong, interesting characters. It was a satisfying end to the Love at Stake series and I look forward to seeing what Kerrelyn Sparks has in store next.

An evil vampire warlord, Hans, wants to create a superhuman army to fulfill his goal, to take over the world (i.e., world domination).

Vampire/Cowboy Russell Hankelburg is a loner who has made it his life's mission to destroy the being (Hans) that ruined his life by leaving him in a vampire sleep for over 30 years while his family died and the world changed.

Were-tiger/Princess of Tiger Town Jia wants nothing more than to kill Hans, the vampire who slaughtered her parents. She doesn't care what she has to do, she is determined to kill him at all costs. What she needs is a partnership with a man that has the same goal.

Coming together with a common goal (to rid the world of Han), Jia and Russell soon realize they have more in common than they first thought. Both are drawn to each other but there are two issues: Jia is engaged to another man (a Prince) and they are different species (Vamp and Were). This pairing/coupling simply has never happened. But as the two find love, they must also fight against forces that threaten to rip them apart.

Kerrelyn Sparks wrote an extremely entertaining, light, uncomplicated tale that has danger, great fight scenes and romance. She even introduced us to Lucifer and granted us a brief trip to Hell. Regardless, this story has everything you need to escape from reality. And while Crouching Tiger Forbidden Vampire is a bit campy in areas, it was pure fun. 4 stars.

The unlikely pairing of a male vampire and a female weretiger, meeting up when both are attempting to kill the same vampire lord who destroyed both of their lives. He’s spent the last 2 years tracking Lord Han and prefers to do it alone and not let anyone get close. She’s a princess who has been training to take out Lord Han for the past 13 years since she saw him kill her family, yet everyone attempts to stop her from getting her vengeance. But Jia is determined to not only have her chance, but to partner up with Russell in doing so.

Tension and humor as she’s just learned her grandfather had arranged her marriage to a prince who will be traveling soon to come get her, as well as the fact that considering the problems the weretigers have experienced for years with Lord Han, as a whole they aren’t too accepting of vampires.

It’s been years since I picked up a book in this series. Not because I wasn’t enjoying them, but with money and time constraints you have to pick and choose. So I haven’t read this in awhile and I don’t recall much from the past, much less any names and it seems the story arc has changed quite a bit.

But it’s obvious that many of the secondary characters and situations leading up to this story had been showcased in prior books. Wow, I’ve missed a lot. And yet while I don’t feel you have to read those prior books in order to enjoy this humorous and touching story, I believe I would have had even more appreciation for this tale and given it an additional star rating.

Crouching Tiger Forbidden Vampire
Kerrelyn Sparks
Avon, Dec 30 2014, $7.99
ISBN: 9780062107770

Vietnam War marine veteran Russell Hankelburg awakens after a nearly four decade slumber to learn his loved ones were either dead or moved on and that Master Han turned him into a vampire. He thirsts to kill his creator, but also learns that the mark on his wrist shows that his vicious vile vampiric master owns him as an expendable slave.

While Russell diligently continues his hunt of three years, he encounters obsessed Jia the were-tiger whose thirst for revenge against the vampire who slaughtered her parents rivals his. Their respective quests collide when each realizes they stalk the same malicious malevolent monster. Rather than trip over each other, Russell and Jia reluctantly agree to join forces in order to destroy Master Han. Russell insists on rules to insure they focus on the mission even if her eyes hypnotize him into craving something much more daring, delicate and delightful that also will anger her family who arranged a marriage for her.

Although somewhat typical of the romantic urban fantasy subgenre, the sixteenth and final Love at Stake drama is a thrilling climax to a strong decade long saga. The lead couple is a nice pairing highlighted by readers waiting seemingly forever for Russell’s tale. Series fans will appreciate the final stake though a twisting climatic farewell tour subplot comes across as a rushed curtain call.

Harriet Klausner

4.5 Cocktails

I’ve been reading Ms. Sparks Love at Stake series for years, and I went into reading this book not realizing that it was the end of my beloved series. This was a great way to end the series, so many past and well-loved characters popped back in and I enjoyed catching up with them.

Russell is a vampire, and Jia is a tiger shifter and a princess, so a lowly vampire soldier doesn’t really feel like he’s the right man for her. He also isn’t looking for love, he’s looking for revenge, and Jia is also looking for revenge and a bit of freedom from the royal life. They are kind of perfectly matched, he doesn’t coddle her and she supports him from the beginning.

These two banter in such a way that I was quickly and easily drawn into the story and didn’t put it down until I finished it. Russell is gruff and the way Jia just kind of plows past Russell’s misgivings amused me.

I didn’t see the twist coming and the story definitely wraps up a lot of the loose ends. I will definitely revisit this story and the whole series. I highly recommend this to fans of the Love at Stake and even new readers could enjoy this book, though full enjoyment will come after reading the other fifteen books in the series.

Reviewed by Sheri for Cocktails and Books