An Argeneau Novel (Argeneau Vampire) - Vampire Most Wanted

I have been reading Lynsay Sands books for quite some time. I read them because they are fun. This one is not fun. I'm not sure where the "humour" is that other reviewers mention, it certainly wasn't the "ball busting" scene. There seemed to be no real connection between the two main characters and neither of them appeared terribly intelligent, given the situation. I do not like dark, gory stories and if we do not get a quick end to this grisly no-fangers storyline, I'll be done with the Argeneau/Notte families.

I enjoyed the book for its characters and their interplay. The book had a good plot, although the ending was a bit of a deus ex machina. Clearly, there will be more to come along these lines. I recommend this book to you.

Who knew that what this series was missing was a trip to the carnival? Carnies, vampires, and evil, lying bad guys make for an interesting (if a bit dark) installment in this series.

Basha (aka Divine, the carnival fortune teller) has been on the run from her family for longer than she was with them. Carnivals lend themselves to her nomadic nature, and things are looking good until one of Lucien’s spies winds up working as a laborer. Marcus is suffering from empty nest syndrome. After essentially help to raise a bunch of different immortals during his long life, they’ve all gone on to find their life mates, leaving him without a true purpose anymore. When Lucien (of course, with some matchmaker meddling) sends him off to check for his possible long-lost niece, he practically jumps at the idea.

These two very reluctant life mates have a lot of drama to navigate. There are so many years of lies and deception, such really evil bad guys who has spun Basha’s mind, and then there’s the typical martyrdom that happens in just about every story. The betrayal was pretty tough in this one. Basha suffers maybe more than any other main character we’ve seen before in this series. The suffering continues into this tale, and is really hard to handle. Yes, we eventually get our beloved HEA, but it is hard getting there. The ending, while happy, is not exactly fully resolved. I assume that we will revisit the bad guys in future books, and that they’ll get what’s coming to them.

Born during the time of pharaohs Basha Argeneau’s life for a very short time was filled with love and laughter, but then at the age of 10 years she was kidnapped and for years, life was filled with abominations of torture, pain and misery. As a young woman Basha escaped and has been on the run for millenniums, afraid for her life and keeping to herself. Now she was known as Madame Divine - a fortune telling carnival act that afforded her some semblance of family as well as the ability to move around when the time came to switch lives and hide her youthful appearance.

When word of Basha reaches Lucien Argeneau, he sends Marcus Notte out to discover if Basha is still alive and if she’s become a rogue vampire. With no real photograph or way of identifying Basha, Marcus needs to tread carefully on the very seductive little vamp he finds at the carnival. Unfortunately, Marcus, who is also a very old vampire can’t seem to read Madame Divine to discover her secrets and he’s not quite sure why!

*** As the 20th book in Sands’ Argeneau series, I found VAMPIRE MOST WANTED to be a whole lot darker than anything I’ve read before in the series. For one thing, other than one amazing episode with a “mop”, there wasn’t as much humor that I’ve come to expect in this series. This in itself was quite different from most all of the other books by Sands which I’ve read, be they historical or part of the Argeneau series. VAMPIRE MOST WANTED was really a bit more serious both in nature and in content.

The reason Divine/Basha was so afraid of being found by her Uncle (Lucien Argeneau) was based upon the fact that she herself had been lied to for millenniums. Basha actually believed and feared that Lucien would kill her because when she’d been raped all those years ago she failed to kill herself as most of the aristocrats would do. That along with a lot of other mis-information and garbage she was being fed over the years by her supposed rescuer Abbadon, whom Basha quickly came to avoid whenever she could, wasn’t aware it was all lies.

In so far as the romance between Basha and Marcus - it just wasn’t played up as much as in previous volumes that always had romantic involvements in them. The reason hear was probably because of the nature of Basha’s issues of aloneness, trust, and keeping to herself. Basha knew that Marcus was a spy and was prepared to run the first chance she could. Unfortunately, the little spark of attraction which started to grow between them and roadblocks, like head bashing and fires caused by outsiders squashed a lot of her plans.

Bottom line: Naturally, I liked this story because I love the Argeneau series, however the lack of humor was missed. Nevertheless, I am still going to be anxious for the next book in this fabulous series.

Marilyn Rondeau, for [...]

I took a little break from the Argeneau series. The stories where all started to feel like the same thing. Nothing new and exciting. Don’t get me wrong. I very much enjoy the series and I own books 1 - 15 and have reread several of my favorites. I just needed a break.

What drew me to the Argeneau series is that the vampires are different from the typical vampires. They are genetically enhanced humans, so they are still human, just they have nanos running inside them that help keep them young and fit. The story on how they became to be is one that is retold in each book, so you can get the full picture on it.

The other thing that pulls me into each book is the humor. I love it. Also the stories are sweet, easy to read, and enjoyable. I also love that some of the previous characters come into the stories and help out the characters. It’s nice to always see previous characters.

~~~~~

In Vampire Most Wanted we have Marcus and Divine. As a couple neither of them stood out. They where ok. The novel didn’t have the constancy or chemistry I’ve previous read and come to enjoy from others in the series.

Divine was painfully naive. She’s been avoiding immortals for a reason. Why is she hiding? We find this out and more. I felt that she really should have talked to an immortal sooner and not hide like she did. She felt to much like a child instead of a 2,700+ year old immortal. Her past is traumatic, but how can she not question things. She knows the difference between right and wrong. She's been helping humans out, so it was just disappointing that our heroine does all this for over 2,700+ years.

Marcus. He does show up in several of the previous novels, but their is nothing all that remarkable about him. He’s a good man who’s spent his life looking after and loving his family and when he’s no longer needing to be a protector, he agrees to help out Lucian.

This story does give us several major surprises and shocking revelations, but the closer on a certain story arc sadly didn’t come and that is one thing that bothered me. We don’t get closer on the bad guys. All of them. It's a little sad they haven’t been found and dealt with. And, also at the end Divine is informed she will help in the search, which it should be that way, but the end was/is abrupt and their is no search, so this goes back to not getting closer on the bad guys.

I will say Vampire Most Wanted was an ok read. It wasn’t outstanding, didn’t have as much humor as I’m used to in the story, and we didn't get that chemistry either, but still it was a delight to read.

Rated: 3 Stars

Oh Ms. Sands what is happening to this series I love? The last two books have just felt off, almost as if someone else is writing the story. I love this series because it is fluff, a light-hearted quick read that will make me laugh with its silliness. Sure there have been some darker more serious stories mixed in, but on the whole I read this for the wit, humor and craziness. I know Sands has three more books in the works for this series and I will read them, I’m not driven off yet, but I hope the are better then the last two.

This is probably the darkest book in the series to date, much of the story dealt with some pretty gruesome events from the Divine/Basha character’s past, and the things she had to endure don’t easily lend themselves to slap-stick humor. So I can see taking a more reserved approach to the book and keeping the silliness to a minimum. Still it just didn’t feel like and Argeneau book for most of the story.

Like the last book the chemistry between Divine/Basha and Marcus felt forced. Even the supporting characters in the book noted how they needed to spend some time together just bonding. Being that they were both immortals they accepted the fact that they were life-mates pretty quickly, but I don’t think that was the only problem. I just don’t think I cared for either of them very much. Again Divine/Basha did have that awful history, which did explain some of the quirks in her personality. I liked Marcus marginally better, but not much, I just had trouble finding reasons to root for him to get his girl.

The bad guys were well written as they definitely came off as psychopaths that needed to be staked and left out in the sun. Not much was resolved in regards to them, so I’m sure they are going to be with us for the next few books. This story actually took us back to an arch that was begun many books ago, back to events that begun about mid series in books 9-12. While it is nice to go back and wrap up some of those loose ends, perhaps a bit too much time has past. We do get quite a bit of history to come out in this story though, just most of it was really, really awful. Not the writing, but what took place to these characters.

It wasn’t all bad, there were moments I really enjoyed and I’m glad I did read the book. I just won’t be reading it again when I get around to re-reading the series. I did enjoy seeing some old faces from previous books, my favorite as always being Lucian. His scene at the very end almost bumped the book up to a three star rating, but in the end I couldn’t give it the extra star based on the last 15 pages of the book. If you are a long time fan of this series, read the book, you will get some good information from the past. If you are new to the series, go read some of the earlier books they are a lot more fun.

Series: Argeneau #20
Category /Genre: Paranormal Romance
Recommended for: 18+ due sexual content
Grammar/editing: A – near perfect
Received from: paperback purchase

This is the 20th book in the Argeneau series, plus two novellas. Each of the novels does stand alone, but it is still better to read them in order.

Basha Argeneau is one of the oldest of the immortals, but she did not have a conventional childhood. Uncle Lucien is her fondest memory and her greatest boogeyman. She knows she is wanted and has stayed off the grid for over 2,000 years to elude capture. She is currently working in a carnival as a fortune teller and going by the name Divine. Soon after Marcus Notte shows up, she is attacked. She knows she needs to run again, but something about him draws her to him.

I love Basha/Divine. Because of her lifestyle and her history she is tough and yet naive. She has a soft heart, helping the mortals around her, but doesn’t trust any of her own people. She has very good reasons not to trust. It is worth the read to get to that part of the story. Marcus is so patient with her while trying to protect her from whomever has attacked her.

This book is a little different from the rest of the series. There are no mortals being changed, but the history of vampires and their current laws do need to be explained (that’s why it can stand alone).

As long as this series is produced, I will continue to read each one as quickly as I can.

Great read. I loved how Divine is totally clueless about her heritage. Also, we're left knowing that there is much more to come for the series :).

Marcus tracks Basha to a carnival in CA where she is a fortune teller. From what he sees she is a good person and so he intends to investigate further to make sure that Divine is Basha. While doing so he finds himself eating, cotton candy of all things. From there he realizes he can't read Divine and that she is his lifemate. If she turns out to really be Basha this will be bad for Lucian will kill her for her crimes.

Leonius is with his sons and an immortal Abaddon. Two of the sone bash in Basha's head and bring her to Leonius' lair. He tells her that Marcus is the one that hurt her and is a spy for Lucian. She knows he's lying but doesn't call him on it. She returns to the carnival to check out Marcus.

Marcus enters her trailer w/o knocking and she rams a broomstick into his balls bursting one. She feels awful and puts him in her bed. Then heads into town. While she's away someone sets her trailer on fire. Marcus barely escapes. She finds him and takes him away to heal him.

Divine brings hosts to him for blood. She's under the impression that bagged blood is bad. When Marcus heals enough to get by he takes them to Vincent and Jackie's place. They both get blood and begin to heal. Marcus also begins to tell her a bit about immortals.

A plan is devised to return to the carnival with Vincent and Jackie. Tiny and Mirable (can remember how to spell her name) will also be there to protect her. They will have an apple stand ;).

When Divine figures out that Lucian is on his way she and Marcus leave. So much happens from here - we learn more about her in the last 30 pages. Can't wait to see what's next and how she deals with what she is tasked to do.

How Lynsay Sands manages to keep her Argeneau vampire series enjoyable and interesting after this long is amazing, but in Vampire Most Wanted we have another amusing, sexy, enjoyable paranormal romance set in her world of the Argeneau vampires.

Basha Argeneau is the niece of family head Lucian Argeneau. Until recently she had been presumed dead. But now new information has suggested she’s alive, and Lucian wants to find his long lost niece, even while he fears she’s gone rouge.

Marcus Notte is at a loose end and lacking a mission in life, so he’s happy, eager even, to take on Lucians task of finding the mysterious Basha. His job would be a little easier if she’d gone missing since the invention of photographs, or if anyone had thought to paint her picture. No matter, he’s pretty certain the attractive, gypsy fortune teller is his woman. In more ways than one.

Rather than creating story arc’s that never end to keep her world alive Lynsay Sands has created a world with endless vampire families that need to be matched up, and keeps her series arc’s to only 2 or 3 stories before they’re resolved and a new one starts. This means it’s quite easy to pick up any of the books in the series and thoroughly enjoy them out of order, yet not miss any major plot points.

Vampire Most Wanted follows in this vane. It’s really the conclusion to the previous few books, with how Marcus became to be at a lose end, and in need of someone to look after. It also ties in some much, much, earlier history that we get to see resolved.

That is one of the things that I adore about Ms Sands stories, there’s always just one more hidden layer that can suddenly be revealed. I’d hate to see what her white board of plot points looks like, after 20 books in this series alone it must be looking like the London A-Z.

In Vampire Most Wanted we have some nice light mystery, a few twists, some darker moments in vampire history revealed, and, of course, sexy sex and true love. All delivered with Lynsay Sands, now signature, humorous quips. Lynsay Sands’ gets humour. She doesn’t get too cheesy with it, nor is it so subtle one needs a laugh-track to know that a joke was told.

It’s a light, clean romance, with enjoyable well developed characters, interesting plot, and just full of warm fuzzies and hot sexiness.

If you’ve enjoyed the Argeneau series so far, then you’ll thoroughly enjoy Vampire Most Wanted. If you’ve never tried the series, then you are seriously missing out. Go straight to your nearest book story and start today.

I love this series so much! I have favorite books, characters here and I'm always anxiously awaiting to see which one of the Argeneau's falls next!

*here's hoping it's Dante!*

With that out of the way, I have to express how disappointed I am in this one. Ms Sands has a certain style; she can make you laugh out loud but she can also make you sad because of the certain parts where the life mates don't agree on becoming said life mates. There's little drama, it's something tolerable.

So here's my dilemma. What happened to this one?

Yes, I understand that not *all* of the books can be snort--->chuckle--->laugh-out-loud but this one seemed to lack something. It lacked the connection between the characters.

Basha/Divine seemed like she was out of it, most of the story. Yes, so she was ignorant of their ways because of a misunderstanding but still, she seemed to not care about having a life mate.

Marcus Notte seemed to have drawn the short straw of the Argeneau bunch, to tell you the truth. He did feel something, one could see his reaction and even feel it, toward Divine. But there wasn't enough emphasis placed on them as a couple, the way it's been done throughout the series. While reading the other books, I felt the pain, sorrow or happiness of the vampire lucky enough to have found his or her life mate. Divine was all meh about it while Marcus was trying his damnedest to help.

I am giving it 3 stars because:

1. It's one of my favorite series, as I've already mentioned.
2. These are old-school vampires and nowadays, you don't really come across great vampires. In my opinion.
3. I loved seeing old characters: Vincent & Jackie and, of course, Lucian.
4. We found out some pretty important things.

I truly hope the next one will be better!

4 stars

This was a very good story. I liked Basha and Marcus and was glad they got together. Because of how they start out it is difficult on both of them but I think things worked out nicely. Sands has done a pretty good job of keeping the series interesting as it goes and this addition to the series is a good continuation of the overall storyline.

Basha was born and raised an Argeneau but didn't have a good life. She suffered the loss of her family early and just when she got them back and was enjoying life, she is kidnapped and lives through a year of hell. Afterwards (due to manipulation by others) she believes that if her family finds her they will kill her and the baby she had due to the rapes she endured. Basha's been running all her life, raising her son the best she could and then (when he was a man and she couldn't stay with him any more) moving on by herself. She kept traveling through the centuries until she finds herself with a carnival working as a fortune teller.

Marcus is a Notte and he's spent most of his life watching out for his family and protecting them from danger. He also helps his family run their large business conglomerate. He's found himself bored with life recently and looking for something more to do so he agrees to help out Lucien when he asks him to track down a lead on his niece that's been missing for years and thought to be rogue. This journey takes his to southern California where he takes a job with a carnival in order to carry out his task.

Basha is known as Madame Divine for her fortune telling act and is quite popular. She reads info about the women from their minds and/or people with them when they show up and then gives them the best advice she can. One night, she encounters an issue with a guy harassing her that had been planning to kill his wife. Basha read the guy's mind when he dropped his wife off for a reading and Basha tells the wife his plans to kill her for her money. The guy gets pissed at Basha for spoiling his plans and tries to get physical but she can handle herself, sending the guy on his way terrified. This is when Marcus shows up. Basha doesn't know who he is but is leery of another immortal showing up at the carnival. She decides to keep her eyes open around him and see what happens because running would just look suspicious and might be an overreaction. There's some interaction with her son and grandsons but it's evident that she's not happy with the company her son keeps, Regardless of these concerns, Basha thinks her son is still following all the rules she taught him growing up (like not harming others). Basha hasn;t been harming anyone but finds out that she's been doing wrong for years as she hasn't fed on bagged blood (due to being lied to by others), thinking it wasn't able to sustain them nutritionally. She also finds out more things that don't add up causing her to have more and more questions.

As Basha is starting to realize things might not be how she thinks they are, she also starts growing closer to Marcus. They help each other out when she has a fire at her RV which helps thing but she still doesn't trust him. The fire ends up bringing Jackie and Vincent in to the picture and they even end up going back to the carnival with Marcus and Basha to help. No one is sure yet if Divine is Basha but they are sure that her and Marcus are lifemates. It also becomes evident that Basha is a good woman and her being a rogue is hard to believe. Marcus is able to convince Basha that they're lifemates (the shared pleasure helping with that) but she's convinced Lucian will kill her on sight and is determined to run. Marcus is trying to get to know Basha better and get her trust while trying to figure out who seems to have been trying to kill Basha. As they try to understand what is going on, Marcus and Basha spend some time together as he tries to encourage her to trust him with the truth. Things don't work out smoothly and there's some major drama, trickery and a hostage situation before all is concluded but Basha and Marcus do end things with a good HEA.

This was a very enjoyable addition to the series. I liked Basha...she's strong and her worse crime ended up being the mother's love for her son. Marcus was strong and did everything he could for Basha, even willing to run with her if necessary. This book didn't have as many funny moments as some other books from the series but I wouldn't call is a dark read...maybe just a little more emotional with all the conflicting emotions and loyalty issues. I can't wait to see how the series storyline (which just got spiked up with this book) works out in the next book. I'd recommend this book. Thumbs up. :D

* note - I listened to the audio version of this book. The narrator did a good job.

For Basha Argeneau, anything is better than facing her estranged family. Even hiding out in sweltering southern California. But when a sexy immortal in black shows up determined to bring her back to the clan, she'll do anything to keep far, far away from the past she can't outrun.

Marcus Notte isn't here to play games—especially not with someone as crazy as the infamous blonde. Asked by Lucian Argeneau to bring her back for questioning, Marcus is determined to carry out Lucian's request—no matter how the seductive little mind-reading vamp feels about it.

Basha doesn't mind fighting fire with fire, especially with a hot immortal involved. But if he wants to take her away, he'll have to catch her first . . .

Review:

This is a much darker Argeneau book. This series is usually full of sparks and fun and that wasn't the case in Vampire Most Wanted. While I enjoyed seeing appearances from past characters, it wasn't enough to make me love this book. It was sort of depressing.

You know that series that you’ve had on your TBR pile FOR-EV-ER? The one you keep telling yourself you’re going to start soon? Well, for me, that’s the Argeneau Vampire series by Lynsay Sands. Now, y’all know I have BOOCD (book order obsessive compulsive disorder) so for me to jump into a series at book TWENTY is rather mind boggling, eh? I mean, c’mon – I’ve been known to purchase backlist stories so that I can get “caught up” to whichever story I’m doing a R2R (read to review) on… but no, I didn’t do that for this review. Maybe it was because just yesterday I visited my “Happy Happy Doc” and got all my meds refilled, or maybe it was because I figured that if someone was going to give me a copy (ARC) to read I’d take the chance. That said – if *I* can do it, so can *you*. Was it obvious to me that I was missing pieces of the backstory? Mais oui! Did it detract from the story? Mais non! Did I love it? ABSO-VAMPIN-LUTELY! So yes – vampire story. Number 20 in a series but can be read as a standalone. Basha is hiding out from the family she has been told is hunting her in a carnival (great underlying themes about job/class prejudices and insight into carnival life) and her family’s tracker has finally caught up to her (Marcus). Only problem? They realize they are life mates. As Marcus learns more of Basha/Divine’s story he realizes things aren’t as cut & dried as it would seem, and she is not necessarily a rogue that needs put down. There’s a bit of a mystery (that does continue beyond the end of the book – not sure if this is an ongoing mystery or not) and some smexy lovin’ involving ropes. Yup, I’m gonna say it…. DON’T DELAY, BUY TODAY! (Seriously. I’m now going to try to carve out a week so I can go through Lynsay Sands’ backlist of the first 19.)

Originally posted on Snarky Mom Reads and may reflect use of a gifted book from the author.

Vampire Most Wanted, was a lot better than many the more recent entries in the series and for me it helped that this wasn't one of the books that tried to be funny (without quite making it.) This 20th Argeneau vampire romance is a darker than some in the series due to the fact that there are some nasty glimpses into Leonides' Fangless vamps.

The bulk of the reason why Vampire Most Wanted worked for me is that I really liked the carnival as a back drop for the story - leading lady Devine is a 'gypsy' fortune teller that enforcer Marcus Notte suspect may be a renegade Argeneau. I like both leads and I liked that there is actually enough (outside of the lifemate perks) for the pair to admire each other. I really appreciated Sands' restraint with the extended cast. Instead of trying to squeeze in every Argeneau aunt, uncle and cousin there are just a few good cameos - of Jackie and Vincent, who fit in nicely (and a there's smaller one for Tiny too). The obligatory nano explanation - which 'has' to be revisited every book for new readers - is woven in a bit better as well.

So, I enjoyed Vampire's Most Wanted - and it actually has me looking forward to the next book since this one obviously starts an story arc.

Complimentary copy for review via the store Vine release 2/18/2014

Originally reviewed for Tea and Book

In book twenty of her acclaimed Argeneau Series Lynsay Sands brings us a simple live story. Hard to fathom with all their Vampire tendencies, all their technologies and all their mysteries, this time our characters are swept away by a form'm of innocence or rather ignorance.

Basha Argeneau, aka Madam Devine, has spent centuries in hiding. As a child she had been conceived in deceit. Raised outside the immortal community, then her parents were killed and even her meagor life on the outside was taken away. Forced to travel in darkness, hidden from everyone until her uncle found her and brought her unto the family fold. Life should have been good and fir a while it was. Until 12 year old Bash a was captured by the no dangers and abused. Not sure who she could trust, which way to turn, Basha finally managed to find a life of her own. Leading a forever nomadic life. Now she lives the life of a Carney on the fringes of both the human and immortal worlds. Her only goal was to survive and protect her son.

Marcus Notte had spent his life protecting first his nephew then his great nephew. But now both of them have found their alienated and are content in their lives. Now he's at something of a crossroads. Not sure what to do with his talents and skills he starts working fir Lucian Argeneau. First thing on the agenda, hunt down the mysterious Basha and see if she's gone rogue.

I have read mixed reviews on this book but I found that I really liked it. Even though both were immortals, Basha had lived outside the immortal world and never really understood where she came from. While she knew she was different, she has no clues as to her history. And what little she did know was twisted and manipulated. She was fed piecemeal by the last of the scrum who had kidnapped her.

An interesting argument arises..is she rogue or isn't she? Can her ignorance excuse her actions? Can the immortal community accept and forgive her. And more importantly does she have to walk away from Marcus if she gas to run? Or will she accept that they are lifemates and Marcus will always choose Basha?

Another excellent cog in the Argeneau wheel.

Shauni

"Every fairy tale had a monster."--Divine's thoughts

Divine's a runner, and she's been successful hiding from her family for over two millennia. Unfortunately, her luck's about to end as one of her uncle's spies, Marcus, has found her. Or maybe her luck has just started? Marcus is promising a life without running if she can get over her inner demons and the rogue vampires haunting her...

"I've spent my whole life taking care of others, and so have you."--Marcus

It's the Argeneau family's twentieth book! Wow! I remember first discovering this series way back when when there were only four books, and I had absolutely eaten them up! Over the years, I had drifted in and out of this series, and I'm back with the twentieth book! I'd have to say I've read a little more than half of the books in the series so I'm coming from a half-super fan reader perspective!

OK! If this is the first book that you've read in the series, then you'll have all the info you need to enjoy the book, even if you don't know much of the backstory. If you haven't missed a book in the series, then you'll love revisiting familiar characters and continuing the multi-book story arc! For myself, I loved that I was able to catch up to the story, since I missed the "no-fanger" arc that is a major part of this book. I also loved revisiting Tiny, Vincent, and more although I wished I could have seen some cameos from the leads from the first four books that had hooked me at the start!

The downside of this being a middle book in the series is that...well, it reads like a middle book in a series! To catch the reader up, there are lots of info dump/recaps of previous books, which takes away some pages for Divine and Marcus's romance. While we still have some comical moments that Ms. Sands's fans love, quite a bit of the book focuses on a dark time in Divine's life and the after effects that was so sad and difficult to read. It also looks like the multi-book story arc continues on so that we don't get to see some of the resolution for Divine that I oh-so wanted to see. Considering how she handles her previous problems, I wanted to see how she would deal with the bombshell lobbed at her at the end.

And I absolutely love Divine, which is why I wanted her to get her revenge/justice at the end of the book! She's a very mothering and nurturing type, despite the horrors she faced as a young child, an older child, a preteen, a teen, a young adu--you know, let's just say she's due for some happiness in her life! Marcus is the perfect match for her, and I love his devotion to her. Although I love how great they are as a couple, I did think it was too easy since it was one of those "we're lifemates so we're in love" as opposed to slowly falling in love. Once they realized they were lifemates, it was like a switch on to let the attraction loose (and it's about a medium-high heat level). Well, I shouldn't say `easy' since they do have quite a bit of baggage keeping them apart--you know, small things like a possible execution for allegedly being rogue...

Overall, this is a great addition to the Argeneau family saga. There's so much history and information in here that fleshes out the overall mythology while keeping you wanting for more. This is a 4 out of 5 for me!

(Originally posted on my blog; I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)

Argeneau novels have a standard template of two humans meet fall in love and don't know it, miscommunication occurs, gets worked out, and all ends well -- usually. Adding to the problems to be worked out is the fact that one or both of those humans are actually vampires. However, these books get beyond the formula that is most often seen in paranormal romances because there's some really interesting characters, interesting backstories and histories, and the twists and turns of the approach/avoidance dance of the romance is at turns humorous, intense, cringe-worthy, and dangerous to the people involved. The romances usually happen within a mystery or a dangerous situation that needs to be solved or at least defused. Along with all of this, there's the carry along plot threads and characters from previous books to add solidity to the world in which the stories take place.

<I>Vampire Most Wanted</I> has Marcus Notte joining a carnival to check out a fortune teller known as Divine, that may be Basha Argeneau, who has recently been discovered to be still alive. Basha is believed to be a rogue. If this fortune teller is Basha, Marcus is supposed to bring her in for questioning. Marcus can't tell if she's Basha or not, because he can't read her, but he hopes she isn't because he likes her. He's been sent after rogues before and their usually identifiably bad people. Divine is well liked by the other carnies. However, she seems to be hiding something.

On the other hand, the fortune teller, Divine, is leery of this new carnie because she can't read him either. She plans to keep her distance. She's been told he's working for her uncle who she's been hding from for centuries.

Of course, nothing goes as planned and before you know it Marcus and Divine are thrown together as they try to keep each other alive even as they are seriously attracted to each other.

While the vampires in Sands books are a product of nanotechnology, her set-up for how they exist and how it all works is consistent. While I have some problems with the going unconscious after sex when life-mates first get together -- it does make for some embarrassing, as well as occasionally dangerous, situations for our main characters.

Overall, if you've liked Sands previous books, you'll more than likely enjoy this one. If you've never read any of the previous books, that won't matter because there is usually enough backstory to get you up to speed for this story. Enjoy.

For Basha Argeneau, living life in obscurity is the name of the game. So much so, that she now goes by the name of Divine. She’s tired of her family’s double dealings, as well as all of the lies. In her mind, the farther she can get away from them, the better off she’ll be. Granted, things sometimes don’t work out the way she wants them to. Nevertheless, shes determined in staying of the radar.

Living at a local carnival as a fortune teller, Divine uses her unique powers to help those around her. She loves what she does, and never tires of it. The members of the carnival have become family to her, and she’ll do everything possible to protect them. It’s the least can do to keep them safe. Sadly, all that changes when unexpected company shows up on the carnival grounds.

Determined to keep her true nature a secret, Divine refuses to stand by while everything around her changes profusely. She knows Lucian Argeneau has sent his cronies out to fetch her. In the eyes of many, she can be considered a Rogue, and she must be brought in for questioning. That is something she cannot allow. She’s spent way too much time running from her past. There’s no way she’s going to go back to the way things were before.

Divine knows she’ll need to get Marco off her trail. The man knows she’s different, even though he doesn’t quite understand the how or why. His determination in trying to find out who, and what she is, is commendable, to a point. Still, there’s no way she going to allow him to gain the upper hand. Sure, there’s a little chemistry going on between them, but that’s not enough to make her want to do as he asks. She’s suffered too much pain and heartache to make her presence known to the world again. If only she could forget about the way Marco makes her feel. Perhaps then, can she truly protect herself from the chaos lurking in the shadows.

While I’ve started this series on book 20, Vampire Most Wanted is one of those stories that gives you enough back story to make it stand alone. We’re caught smack-dab in the middle of Divine’s plight as she does her best to survive. I think Lynsay has crafted a well-rounded series full of intrigue, suspense, and romance that’s sure to capture anyone’s attention. A lot may argue that this book is too dark in tone, but I think it’s sometimes necessary in order to truly tell a character’s back story. It helps us to understand how they came to be where they are now. I’m looking forward to catching up on the rest of the series soon.

Please Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Known as Divine to all of her carnie friends, Basha Argeneau has been hiding out for so long that she doesn't know any other way of life. Fearing that her Uncle Lucian wants her head for being rogue, she fears she's been discovered when one of his spies shows up working at the carnival. After being bashed on the head and told this by Abaddon, the only man who's been a constant in her life and who she's always believed to be committed to keeping her son safe, Divine plans to escape the carnival and start again somewhere far away. The last thing she expects is to discover is that the spy might be her life mate.

Marcus Notte is doing Lucian Argeneau a favor. He's searching for a woman who might possibly be Lucian's niece, Basha. This mysterious Immortal went missing as a young girl and has since been reported as rogue, and possibly the same woman who helped the villainous no-fanger, Leonius, escape the hotel in Toronto where Rogue Hunters shot him with an arrow in the heart. Marcus immediately realizes he can't read Divine, the woman suspected of being Basha, and when he notices his appetite for food and his lust for her now plague him, he fears the woman he may have found, and could possibly sentence her to death, might just be his life mate.

I loved the Rogue Hunter novels, the darker side of the Argeneau series, not only because I adored the hunters themselves, but because we got to discover the evil side of the Immortals. We met no-fangers, edentates, and learned about Leonius, his sons, and first learned of Basha Argeneau. So when I learned that this would be Basha's story, I was thrilled with a return to the dangerous side of the Immortals, and I wasn't disappointed.

VAMPIRE MOST WANTED by Lynsay Sands was everything I expected from an Argeneau novel with the added bonus of it being a story featuring two Immortals discovering their life mates without the mess of having to change a mortal, although, I loved how Lynsay integrated the history of the Immortals into the story through Basha's lack of knowledge. I was a bit disappointed that Marcus and Basha didn't share dream sex though - it was always a fun part of the story. But the danger that follows them as they try to learn the truth of Basha's past and the fact that we are treated to appearances by Vincent and Jackie (A BITE TO REMEMBER), and Tiny and Mirabeau (VAMPIRE VALENTINE, Bitten By Cupid Anthology) as well as Lucian, of course, was well worth the loss - in this one anyway.

VAMPIRE MOST WANTED is fast-paced, action-packed, and as always with a Lynsay Sands novel, filled with sexy vampires, humor, Immortal history, and as with any of the series where a rogue is involved, danger. I do have to say that if you're up-to-date on the series, the characters you meet will be familiar and the story will make more sense, whereas if you're new to the series, you might do well to take a look at the Family Trees that Lynsay provides her readers for the Argeneau Family & Notte Family - both of whom are featured in this twentieth novel, and surely one of my favorites now.

I highly recommend VAMPIRE MOST WANTED, an Argeneau novel by Lynsay Sands to anyone who is already a fan of this amazing series. But if you haven't tried this series, this one might not be the one with which to start. However, if you're willing to dare it and would like a taste of sexy Immortal vampires, who always give you a sexy ride through a world where nanos keep you young, virile, beautiful, and hunky gorgeous, and where fun is always included when you meet the best characters in paranormal romance, then yes, you'll want to read VAMPIRE MOST WANTED.

***eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.

Vampire Most Wanted (Argeneau #20) by Lynsay Sands
*A review copy of this book was received from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*

Basha Argeneau, now known as Divine has been on the run from her family for as long as she can remember. She is afraid that if Uncle Lucian finds her and her son Damian, he will kill them. She has been considered a rogue for years and is always on the move. She’s made her home with many different carnivals over the years and now her uncle’s spy has found her. He’s sexy and she can’t seem to get him out of her head. He represents a future she dreams about but doesn’t think she can ever have.

Marcus Notte has been going through the motions of life for a while now. He has always been there to help watch out for friends and family but lately he doesn’t feel like he’s needed by anybody. When he gets the request to help Lucian look for his niece, he never dreamed he would find his life mate in the process. Things become complicated when he realizes the true identity of his life mate.

Divine/Basha has tried to live her life helping people to make up for her past. She was abducted as a child and put through Hell. She was badly scarred by her experiences but at least she was able to finally get away with her son. She tried to raise him to be a good person, she just never dreamed he would turn out like his father. With Marcus’ help, things begin to come out that make Divine question everything that she was ever told by Abaddon. She’s sure that her Uncle Lucian will never let her or her son live so she has resigned herself to a life without her life mate, alone.

Both Marcus and Divine have spent their life always for others, never really doing or taking anything for themselves. When they realize they are life mates, Marcus is ready to spend his life on the run if he has to. He believes that based on circumstances that he can convince Lucian to spare her life, at least he hopes he can.

I have a love/hate relationship with these books because of the nanos they ALWAYS find their perfect mate. It’s hard not to fall in love with the characters and root for them though. Both Marcus and Divine have been through a lot over the years but now they have each other and a future together, they are no longer alone.

These are some of my favorite books because they packed full action, love and humor. Some of my favorite moments are from early books in this series, like the codpiece incident. There were several comical moments in this book too that had me laughing out loud. Another thing I love about this series is that each book has an appearance by some of the former characters so you get an update on what is going on in their lives too.

Overall, this is one of my favorite series and I am always excited when a new book is released. I give Vampire Most Wanted 4 Flaming Hearts.

A mystery is finally solved but is it? It depends on your point of view. As far as the Argeneau family is concerned, someone rescued a villain and must be brought to justice. But what if that person isn’t who they thought they were? What happens when the truth is even more bizarre than anyone could have imagined? Get ready to be amazed by reading Vampire Most Wanted.

I suspected one truth but that was only the tip of the iceberg and why I found this novel so intriguing. It all revolves around a woman. She’s mysterious, she’s talented and she’s in danger – or is she? Her name is Divine and she is a very independent woman and is the heroine. She’s also nurturing, helpful, even loving, but it’s balanced with a healthy dose of fear, mistrust and confusion. The heroine has a lot of components to her personality that made me like her, feel sad for her, and cheer for her. There were other times where I was a bit irritated because I thought she was slow on the uptake. Ultimately, I found there was an actual reason for that failing – and it wasn’t necessarily her fault.

I discovered so much about Divine until the light bulb went off in my head, ‘Aha’! When Ms. Sands decides to tie all the loose ends, she does a good job of it, Thing is, it took me a bit to realize that this dangling thread occurred in books past and I was wowed. At no time did I ever expect it to turn out as it did in Vampire Most Wanted. Also amazing is, after reading this book, the title can be interpreted two different ways. I found that very cool.

Marcus, the hero, is in a fix. He has to be himself but pretend to be someone he’s not. Not the way to make a good first impression on one’s future life mate. I always enjoy how the author has her characters figure out who their life mate is because of their ‘symptoms’. Marcus has some serious strategizing to do in this book because Divine isn’t going to be easy to woo. Of course that means I had a fun time reading about all the fun they get into in the process.

It wasn’t all amusement and games however. There is a very serious aspect of this story that alternated between disgusting me, horrifying me or down right making me sad enough to sniffle. Once the truth comes out, ALL the truths, it’s heartbreaking. What it comes down to is Divine having to make choices and some of them are going to be extremely tough to do. The author’s writing in this was powerful, dramatic and very emotional. I can’t imagine any reader remaining unaffected by the some of the revelations.

When Marcus and Divine succumb to the mating frenzy, once again, Ms. Sands finds ways to keep it fresh, fascinating and at times, even funny. I expect readers to find themselves smiling here and there throughout the tale just because a few of the instances were hilarious, like the broom incident – oh my gosh did I get a giggle out of that. Not Marcus though, but Vincent did. Then again, Vincent recounted an incident with Jackie that totally had me snickering and giggling. So, yes, Ms. Sands continues with her tradition of humor even when the suspense is thick. However, when the passion is hot, the writing is smoking.

Secondary characters are key in helping the plot move along at a nice clip. Mind reading is a clever trick. Dialogue is entertaining as usual and the location, the carnival, was unique and fun.

Vampire Most Wanted has a lot of surprises in store for fans of the series. It’s a well-rounded, engrossing and engaging story with many charming interactions between the characters. It was interesting figuring Divine out and fascinating watching her and Marcus fall in love. This is a great addition to the long running series and a definite recommend. Even new fans can enjoy this book with the only caveat being that they might end up being curious to find and read all the books that came before. If this book accomplishes that, they’re going to be in for a treat because some are even better than this one, but all are worth reading.

originally posted at long and short reviews

Vampire Most Wanted by Lynsay Sands is a February 18 ,2014 Avon publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Basha Argeneau is over 2000 years old. She has changed her name and lived different lives to avoid facing her family. Currently, she is Madam Divine, a fortune teller with a carnival. She's stuck to this persona for several years now and used her mind reading abilities to help people.
When it comes to Lucien's attention that a blonde woman resembling Basha was seen at a carnival, he sends Marcus to bring her back to him. Once Marcus meets the beautiful blonde Madame Divine, he realizes he has his hands full and he is in for the fight of his life. Why? Well, there could be a bit of a hitch in his plans because Divine appears to be his life mate, and to him that just doesn't seem possible. How can that be? But, all the signs are there and neither party is too happy about it.
As we get to know Divine and Marcus, we learn Divine has been through a great deal in her life and it's very complicated. She has a son and grandchildren and they seems to be trying to trip her up . Nothing makes any sense. All Divine knows is that she must prevent herself from being turned over to Lucien at all cost.
This is the the 20th Argeneau novel by Lynsay Sands. While there are some funny moments and lines, this novel has a more serious tone. The depiction of carnival life, which is a hard life, but also is like a family for many, makes it easy for Divine to relax in this environment and she genuinely enjoys helping people. Basha literally become Divine and erases her past from her mind. She knows right away that Marcus is not her friend, but he doesn't know that she knows. So, a mental game begins, but soon there are deadly occurances that has Marcus unsure what to think or feel. Along the way Divine/Basha discovers that she has been lied to and manipulated for a very long time, as a result , she has lived in shame these many years.
I enjoyed the chemistry between Basha and Marcus. Their relationship is a tricky one, and they have a few issues to resolve, but you know they are a true love match. The story is deeply layered leaving you wondering who to trust. There are some jolting twist in the plot and once I was over half way into the book, I just had to finish it. I couldn't wait to see what happened next. While the romance was steamy and this is certainly a paranormal romance, there were shades of Urban Fantasy mixed in there as well, I thought.
The only issue I had was that I felt some things weren't really explained all the way. Don't misunderstand, the story is all wrapped up at then end, but there are loose threads here and there. I'm wondering if this story is going to continue on in the next book. I hope it does, but because I want a bit more closure.
This was an engrossing story and of course fans of series will love it! Even if you haven't read all the books in the series or have never tried them, you will be able to pick this one up and read it as a stand alone. I recommend this book to lovers of vampire romance, paranormal romance, and maybe even those that like romantic suspense and Urban Fantasy too.
Overall a solid A.

The story starts with Madam Divine, who is working in a traveling carnival, not so much as a fortune teller but as a mystical life coach, because while she can't really see into the future, she can read minds and base advice off what she sees there and her ultimate goal is to help those who come to her, make the right decisions and choices with their lives.

But she is centuries old and running from a sordid past of her own..choices made based on half-truths and manipulations of others. She has lived her life believing she is better off this way, until she meets Marco, another immortal, and everything goes into a tail spin.

Marco is another immortal that joins the same carnival as local help for setting up and tearing down the sets while the carnival is in the area. The owners hope he will stay on past the one town, but Divine doesn't want anything to do with him. It is eventually revealed that Marco is Marcus, a spy for Divine's uncle who has been searching for her. Marcus' job is to determine whether or not Divine is Basha, Lucian's niece and bring her home to answer for a crime she supposedly committed.

It turns out that Divine is Basha but didn't do what they accused her of doing, because the person she thought she was rescuing from a bad situation wasn't who he claimed to be and no one in the book is who they said they were at the beginning of the story execpt for the friends of Marcus' who helped the two out when they were in need of blood for healing. They turned out to be just that... friends... and an interesting set of characters.

As with all good stories there is a bit of romance and passion and a few twists and turns that keeps it all interesting. The Author's writing style makes me want to go find the first book of the series and start from there to read them all because the story was just that interesting and the characters were engaging and sympathetic. Her version of the history of vampires is not hard to accept or grasp, starting with the fictitious isle of Atlantis. It is a creative theory unlike other theories but not so strange that it throws off the whole story line.

"Vampire Most Wanted" is author Lynsay Sands' 20th "Argeneau Novel", and it features her trademark humor, engaging characterizations, and involving story line. Basha Argeneau has been on the run from her own family for a long time--a very, very long time. An immortal, Basha is considered to be "rogue" vampire, feeding from and possibly torturing and killing live blood donors instead of surviving on bagged blood. When Marguerite Argeneau married Julius Notte, the two powerful vampire clans were merged. Lucian Argeneau, head of the Argeneau clan, also headed up the Rogue Hunters--the immortal law enforcers who captured rogue vampires for sentencing and punishment by the Immortal Council. Lucian had long thought his niece Basha to be dead, but now he wants to know for certain, and he sends Marcus Notte to find the truth about Basha. What Marcus finds is woman named Madame Divine, a carnival fortune-teller who "reads" people and defines their future. Attracted to Divine, who may just turn out to be his life-mate, Marcus signs on to work with the carnival so that he can determine if Divine and Basha are one-in-the-same. Divine tries to keep her real identity from being exposed, but being close to Marcus leaves her feeling vulnerable and wanting things she hasn't allowed herself to dream about in centuries. The carnival life has suited her well, allowing her to keep moving and offering her a way to use her special abilities to help people. Marcus knows that Divine is a good and kind woman, and he cannot believe that she is a ruthless rogue. He has much to learn about Basha, however, and her tragic past catches up with them as danger is very much a part of the present. Marcus wants his life mate, and all that the future promises, but first he must keep Basha and himself alive and find away to destroy the evil which is so closely linked to the woman he loves. Basha must confront her past and face her family, but when all is revealed, will she and Marcus be free to follow the destiny of their hearts? Congratulations to talented storyteller Lynsay Sands for ten successful years and twenty Argeneau books!

A few weeks ago I read a blog post that questioned if the market for vampire romance was dwindling. Obviously the author of that that article is not reading Lynsay Sands, Argeneau Series. I fall in love with this series a little more after finishing each new book, and there are twenty in total, so that is a lot of love.

Vampire Most Wanted is a wonderful new addition to this series. The latest couple. Divine (Basha) and Marcus are definitely very high on my list of favorite Argeneau couples. Marcus takes care of people, that is just what he does, and Basha is no rogue, no matter what rules she "thinks" she may have broken. When these two come together sparks fly and things catch on fire (literally). This book is also packed with intense action and the reappearance of characters that fans of the "darker" Argeneau characters will enjoy. Basha gives the term "ball-buster" a new meaning, and gave me a lot of laughs (inside joke-you must read this book to get it). Move over Immortal Ever After, I still love you, but Vampire Most Wanted just snuck ahead of you on my favorites shelf.

For those of you not familiar with the Argeneau series, it can be read in order or as stand-alone books. Other fans may disagree with me on this, but I started this series out of order, fell in love with it and in the span of about three months read all the books currently published! Lynsay Sands writes a different sort of vampire romance. Her romances are light hearted, there is humor, love, lust and good food. Argeneau immortals have life mates, and when they find their life mate their lives change, they begin to eat/crave real food in addition to the necessary blood, their combined passion is explosive, and there is nothing they won't do for their mate.

If you ARE reading this series, be sure to grab this book ASAP! You are going to love it. If you AREN'T reading this series, please consider giving it a try. I have this book 5 STARS and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

We've circled back to Leonius and finding out who the woman was that saved him from the hotel all those books ago. Basha Argeneau has been believed dead for millennia, but Lucian now believes she's turned rogue and is hiding. When he sends Marcus Notte on a mission to investigate a possible sighting of Basha, Marcus must go undercover and soon realizes the suspected woman is also his life mate. Fearing she may be rogue and face death at the hands of Lucian Marcus is forced to find out the truth and protect her with his life. I enjoyed finding out who Leonius was and how he came to be, but this book didn't have the same quality as many of the others. A bit disappointing, but still an enjoyable read.

Vampire Most Wanted by Lynsay Sands
Argeneau Vampire Series Book Twenty
Madame Divine was much more than what she seemed to be. The woman hiding behind the gypsy wardrobe at the carnival was really Basha Argeneau. A very old immortal who had been hiding from her uncle Lucian for over two thousand years. She had to protect not only herself but her son as well.

Marcus Notte had always had someone to take care of. To watch after. Now that his charges were grown and united with their life mates, he was at loose ends. That was the reason he took the job to help Lucian Argeneau find a rogue immortal. Once Marcus found the rogue, he could only hope that she wasn't the woman they thought her to be.

Basha might be over twenty-five hundred years old, but she's a bit behind on her history. Her story was so good and I have a feeling we'll be seeing her in a future story. Vincent and Jackie from A Bite to Remember and Tiny and Maribeau from Vampire Valentine make their appearances in this story. I always love seeing the past characters.
**Sexual content

Wow, Basha/ Divine has been on the run for over 2 1/2 millennia traveling from town to town, county to county and even crossing oceans to out run her family, her son and her sicko stalker Abboddon. Until she is currently in a caravel when a greenie or rookie carnie is hired and she learns she can not read him and she is leery f him until she finds out he is also another immortal, and he gives her the creeps. Marco/ Marcus is there to hunt Basha, Lucien's first favorite niece and loved dearly because she was exact copy of his first born daughter that Lucien lost in the Fall and has been searching for her longer then she was on the run, Lucian is Basha's bogey man and not her beloved uncle that she was lied to that would kill her and her son Damian/ Leo II. Marcus see Divine and thinks she is Basha but he also now he is unable to read her as well and now he is eating. Life-mate symptoms in the making. Divine is under attack from a carnie but also her grandsons but also is Marcus, she has to find a way to save Marcus after suffering sever burns from the fire of her RV. We also catch with Vincent and Jackie as well as Tiny and Mirabeau to help watch over and protect Divine. This was another great book in the Argeneau series. BUT I also wonder if Marguerite didnt have her matchmaking hands in with Basha and Marcus, I really want to see in new coming book that she know that Divine was Basha and kept it secrete and decided Marcus was her perfect match to save her from her self but for her family that she desperately needs to be back with.

Wonderful, awesome, captivating, romantic, exhilarating, highly recommended paranormal story Vampire Most Wanted: An Argeneau by Lynsay Sands.
Lucien Argeneau hires Marcus Notte to find his long lost niece, Basha Argeneau, and discover is she has indeed gone rogue. Marcus's trail leads him to carnies working at a carnival in California. A woman named Divine is a fortune teller and kind of resembles the description of Basha and an immortal. Divine avoids Marcus like the plague and does not want anything to do with him. The carnival owners think the world of Divine and do a little matchmaking of Divine and Marcus. One night, Divine is clobbered over the head and dragged to her son's house and given a lot of blood due to the injury. Her son tries to put the blame on Marcus, but Divine overhears her son talking to his friend about her grandsons getting too rough with Divine. Her son warns her that Marcus is looking for Basha Argeneau to bring her in. Marcus finds out Divine is injured and comes to bring her blood and she whacks him in the privates. While Marcus is in her bed resting, Divine is out running errands and Divine's place is set on fire. Marcus barely makes it out and Divine takes care of him. Marcus and Divine start having feelings for each other, can't read each others thoughts, realize that they are life mates, start eating again, and the sex is off the charts. Divine is scared that once she tells Marcus the truth about herself and her ugly past, he will want nothing to do with her and will gladly turn her in. Marcus realizes that someone is trying to kill Divine and they need help to keep her safe and find out who.
Read the fabulous, captivating, romantic story Vampire Most Wanted by Lynsay Sands.

Lately I've noticed some fans of this series complaining about how the books are just going down hill as it progresses with the series and how it needs to stop, just kill the series already. So of course as a fan I'm always concerned with just how bad it could be. And once again, I am left dumbfounded and confused as to what the hell these people are talking about. This book was awesome!!

I really really enjoyed this book and was sad when it ended. Someone had mentioned that there was no real back story given to the heroines past and at first I too felt this was the case but as you read further along in the book Basha's past does get discussed a great deal. I believe there were at least 10 pages covering all of the dark horrible sick twisted things that had happened to her when she was younger, and you feel just awful reading about it all. I don't think the author could have added more to what all had happened without it coming off as over kill or leaving the reader completely traumatized afterwards.

There wasn't much, if anything, that I didn't like about this particular story. I loved the fact that the two main characters who would become life mates are vampires. One that is possibly a rogue and the other a rogue hunter of sorts. Especially when that rogue vampire is the niece of my all time favorite character (well, one of them at least) Lucian Argeneau, mainly because I knew that at some point in the story my lover would show up and I'd get to enjoy whatever grumpy banter he had to say. This time around though you get a slightly different side to Lucian, more emotional. (Don't get your hopes up though, he has a brief appearance in this one, nothing drawn out). Mostly I think I liked the fact that this heroine was a carnie. I don't believe I have ever came across a character that was part of a carnival in some fashion and I really enjoyed how different and refreshing that was. Someone on Goodreads had mentioned something about the conversations throughout this book were forced and awkward to read but personally I never felt as if anything was forced or awkward. The relationship between the hero and heroine is nice as well as the relationships between the main characters and secondary characters.

Vampire Most Wanted earns it's title, because once you start reading this one and come to it's end you don't want it to end. You want more. More of Basha, more of Marcus and more of everything to do with this story because it's too awesome to let go. Now that it's over I'm left to mope around a bit and anxiously await the next release in this series. Anxiously waiting, by the way, is not my strong suite. The moping however, I'm pretty much a pro. ;)

Anyways, be sure to check this one out. It really is a good one.

This is the first of the author's books that I've read, and I was pleasantly surprised. The romance is more sweet than scorching and her vampire myth is kind of unique. Now, not having read the other books, I was at a tiny bit of a disadvantage in understanding how the author's vampire world works, but roughly halfway through the book, I felt like I got it.

The book has some funny moments, and I really liked Basha. She's smart, sexy, funny, and brave. Everything you want your heroine to be.

Now, I mentioned that the romance is sweet rather than scorching. The cover led me to believe there was going to be some hot vampire sex going on. If that's your thing, then this probably isn't your book - it's more romance and flowers.

All in all, the book was a pleasant surprise and I would read further books from the author.

I have been reading the Immortal series since it's very first book and the first five of the plethora were fantastic. Then they started to get a bit rote. There have been hints of great story within a formula that seems to happen within each book. These books are still an entertaining enough read but they will hardly make you rush to the book counter. This one is no different, it almost squeaked in a fourth star but the ending, where everything is simply wrapped up quickly per formula, let it down.

Basha, who now calls herself Divine, is an ancient immortal who is a great character. She's a tough old bird with fortitude and conviction housed in the body of a young looking woman. She takes no nonsense but tolerates her fellow Immortal Marco/Marcus up to a point even though she doesn't trust him. As a male lead I felt Marcus fell a bit flat. We got a great sense of her character but he was just there for story sake really even though he too is supposed to be an ancient.

Of course other characters from past installments pop in for Cameos and there is a small mystery with bits of back story revealed and a tiny bit of nookie between the leading couple.

Well I found this book just okay. The premise of the long lost family member Basha estranged from her family due to a misunderstanding is typical of romance novels. But I just was not pulled in by the delivery. These are the most accident prone easy to kill vampires on record, different but kind of annoying. The can bleed to death and die from literally a paper cut it seems. Basha left the safety of her family to explore and was kidnapped, raped and told her family would kill her if she ever surfaced to their attention again, at 12, so her confusion is understandable and she has made a good life for hersel. She was pregnant and raised that child who is unbeknownst to her, one of the bad guys, and she is taking life advice from one of the men who help hold her captive when she was young. Weird. The family sends a rep to find her living as a gypsy fortune teller. He infiltrates the circus where she lives, right as things go to hell in a hand basket for her. No surprises really. The interaction between the characters was very predictable. the bad guy was almost cartoony. the good buys kind of ernest but inept. Not great, not bad, just OK

Lynsay Sands brings us on another wild ride with the Argeneau’s and the Notte’s. This dinstallment is absolutely no different – fun, wild, sexy, intriguing and two vampires that will steal your heart as well as your libido with their life-mate sex.

Divine …. well she has another name as well …. has been in hiding for over 2000 years. Ashamed of herself, what she has done to her family and the life that she is leading. She’s a good person, one with a huge heart and a bastard of a son! When she meets Marco, she knows that her days may be numbered and she may finally be caught. Uncle Lucien has been searching for her, she’s considered a Rogue and he will not allow her to live. She has to keep him away from her son and grandsons. She cannot allow Marco to get to close. She can’t read him ….. Dang!

Marco or Marcus Notte to the family, thinks he may have finally found Basha. But, how does he get her to open up to him? He can’t read her and she is not willing to spend any time with him so that he could try to find out. He’s hungry, frustrated and upset! She’s his life-mate and a Rogue. How is he ever going to make this work with her? How is he going to convince her that they have to face this together. After much soul-searching, Marcus knows that he will do anything to protect her and save her, even after her ball-busting!

When all the truth comes out, when everything is finally settled, the Lucian that we know and love comes out and welcomes Basha back to the fold and gives his blessing to the two of them.

So, there are some really big twists and turns in this installment of the Argeneau’s. We find out more about Lucian’s past, about Leonius and his way of life and why everyone thinks that Basha/Divine is Rogue. But, most of all, we again get to enjoy Lynsay Sands storytelling again. It never fails to amaze me that she can keep the Argeneau’s and Nottes so interesting even after 20 books. Vampire Most Wanted doesn’t bring back a lot of the old characters that we know and love … It’s Marcus and Basha’s story that will have you flying as high as a Ferris Wheel and as crazy as the Tilt-A-Whirl.

Review copy provided for an honest review.

I love the Argeneau series; have been reading it for years. This book was no exception, though to be honest, it wasn't one of my favorites. A lot of the other reviews give specifics; I'll just say that it lacked the light humor and romance that I've come to expect from this series, and was uncharacteristically gory in some spots and dealt with some pretty dark subject matter. Bottom line: if you like the Argeneaus, you'll probably like this one too, but maybe not as much as some of the earlier ones.

It was well written and some people would say it was slow and not her usual style with the normal lots of humor. It is however a really good book. The hero and heroine deal with issues that were today's kind of problems. The hero didn't suddenly win the girl he had to work hard and still be strong alpha type male. The heroine had issues from her past that colored what she saw everyday. Just like in real life. It reminded me of Marguerite's story of abuse. Make no mistake this was a well written and had a happy ending (happyish). No they did not ride off into the sunset with no worries but they did ride off together! I am keeping it to read again. I liked it

This was an entertaining and imaginative take on the vampire genre. These vampires can be in the sun, but not direct sun for very long. The original vampires came from Atlantis, and scientists there imbued them with nanos to keep them healthy, but the side effect was it negated their need for food, and they only need blood to maintain life.

These vampires are created either by intercourse with humans or other vampires, and grow through developmental stages as humans do. Some vampires babies are born with no fangs - called "no-fangers" and they might be ok, or they might be violent and the vampire equivalent of "crazy." There is a vampire government, and they don't want to hurt humans, they eat only donated blood delivered fresh to their homes by the store Prime (ok, that's not true, I made it up [the the store part]). They can have soul mates, and when they meet and have sex, it's so intense they pass out for hours.

They lives thousands of years. They can have depression and anxiety. They can use mind control to make humans do their will, and they can read minds - each others often, and always the poor humans.

And there are bad vampires, too. Outlaws who don't follow the rules. And vampire government hunts them down and kills them.

There are probably a lot of reviews that describe this plot, as well as the publisher's review, so I won't rehash that. The writing as good enough to be entertaining, though there were a couple of grammatical errors (the wind blew "threw" instead of "through") and a paragraph where the names were mixed up. But no big deal.

Characters were pretty good, too. All in all, entertaining. What was most interesting was the variation on the whole vampire culture thing. Atlantis. Inventive.

Not one of the books I'd want on a desert island, but enjoyable for an instantly forgettable afterwards read.

Vampire Most Wanted is another wonderful addition to Lynsay Sands' Argeneau series. This particular addition gives the reader more of a window into the world of the rogue vampires that the Argeneau family have hunted, through the eyes of one who was drawn into and kept a part of it through lies and deception. The author's enjoyable and uniquely scientific spin on the vampire romance novel will suck the reader into the world she has created (all puns intended), and leave fans hungry for the next installment.

(Spoiler Alert)
I have read and loved all of the Argeneau books and would tell any and all to read them for a good time and good read, this book however was the first and hopefully the last in her ventures into Dark literature. This book was needlessly dark and dwelled much too much on the torture and rape of a child! Yes bad things happen, yes they happen in books too, but I thought it needless to go into such details about it. First time ever that I have skipped pages in one of Ms Sands books. The love part of this book was sadly lacking with only brief scenes of how He felt but almost nothing about how She felt for him. The bulk of this story was whether or not she was who he was looking for and her being vague about it herself. The story ended too abruptly with no real "finish" for the main characters. I have to say that if this is the direction of Ms Sands future stories I will cease buying ,reading and recommending them. Very dissapointed.

I was listening to this as an audio book, and I actually had to stop listening about half way through. I am a HUGE fan of Lynsay Sands and the minute she comes out with a book, I grab it, but in this one she threw in a VERY dark twist to the heroine's past that I just couldn't stomach. I don't usually post bad reviews, and I am just posting this one as a warning for other sensitive souls, because I really wish I could un-listen and get this out of my head. I know this has gotten a lot of rave reviews, so this is just a warning for those that don't like rape or child rape in their books. If you can get past this (I couldn't) I'm sure it's a fine book. I'll still get the next book she comes out with, but I couldn't finish this one.

I own several of Lynsay Sands books in this series. I own all the books that my local library does not offer.
It was great to get this book before it was available. This will need to be a little cryptic so there are no spoilers!
I think you could read this as a stand alone. She provides just enough back ground for events to make sense, but I have read all the other books so it made perfect sense to me. I had to think about who Marcus was for a few minutes before it all lined up.
I was a bit put off by the quick ending. But thinking back prior books ended quick too. I will assume we will see more of the couple in future installments, much like we did for a few other couples that played a part in this story.
I would buy books from this author without reading any reviews since she has been entertaining in the past.

Another great read in this series.
One with action, bad guys and passion.

During the book we get to know more about Divine. Poor her for what has happened in her past. but what an amazing and strong woman she is. always taking care of others.

like the end for her and Marcus, but looking forward to read the next book in the series. hopefully the bad guys will be caught in that one.

Entertaining story of Basha Argeneau. There must be 500 ways to meet a vampire and Lynsay Sands comes up with a fresh approach each time. Cleverly written. Not recommended for children or people who don't want spicy bits in their literature.

A sensual story that is mixed up with mystery and being a hunted woman. Divine is a wanted woman, she has been hiding for hundred of years. She has been suspected of being a rogue . But she doesn't know the definition of a rogue in todays society. Marcus is sent to the carnival that Devine is working to scope out to see if she is the illusive Basha, Join in on the reading of this book and see why it was rated five stars in my book.

Lately I found the series was missing something but this book shows there is life in the series yet. We find Marcus sent to see if the person known as Devine is actually Basha. An ancient immortal, niece to Lucien who may be rogue. Not to give too much away but their adventures show their deep connection. I especially love the way Marcus is willing to stand by her. I think anyone who enjoys these books will like thus one.

Oh My Goodness, I think this is the best Linsay Sands book ever! I might be partial since the beginning takes place in my hometown, and Sands had all of the information right. But regardless Marcus has needed his own story for awhile, and I enjoyed finally getting to know the mysterious Basha. Catching up with the other characters from previous books was nice as well. I Strongly recommend this book to all paranormal romance fans!

This book is another excellent entry into the Argeneau series. I enjoy the humorous approach to vampires in this book and the others in the series. The characters were very likable and the plot well developed. It’s a fun and light read, but not for those who prefer their vampires to be scary and brooding all of the time. I’m looking forward to more books in the series.

This was much darker than any of the other stories within the series. It was not the romance that I had expected. There is a lot of torture and pain within this story. Sands does not hold back on the descriptions either. The thing that I missed the most was the humor that I have come to expect within an Argeneau novel.

Lynsey Sands delivers again. I especially like books that can finds ways to leaven the tension with humor. If you haven't read her other Argeneau Vampire books, be prepared to be hooked. Sands, unlike some of the other authors in this genre hasn't fallen to writing S&M. Her books are enjoyable, and readable. Not something to be sneezed at these days.

Loved this book! Not only did it have it contain the with and steaminess that have become a trademark of the series but it has a slightly dark edge to it. It ended much too soon because I really want to know where Basha goes from here. Can't wait for the next book to see how her story plays out.

If you're not into this series, stay away from this one. It's dark and it's gory and it just isn't that good a book. On the other hand, if you've read all the previous books, you might as well read this one too unless you've already ready to give up on it. This series has gone downhill and this one isn't reversing that direction.

I think this is one of the best Argenaeu books I have read since Christian found his life mate in under a vampire moon. the story of Basha and Marcus made me cry and that doesn't always happens when reading romance books anymore. This is a must read! if you like Lynsay Sands Argenaeu books you will love this one too!

This was a really boring read for me and I was really disappointed with the Characters.
I stopped reading the story about 3/4's of the way thru.
This Author has always kept me glued to her stories so I give it 3 stars because Lynsay is a favorite of mine.. (Just not this story)
*** Lynsay did you write this***
I have to say both the H's in this story are really stupid and I wanted to shake them and say OMG are you kidding me.
Their actions and thoughts and words were just so wrong, especially for beings who have lived as long as they have,.
The story line was ok, but even that was just not that great!

(Spoiler Alert)
I have read and loved all of the Argeneau books and would tell any and all to read them for a good time and good read, this book however was the first and hopefully the last in her ventures into Dark literature. This book was needlessly dark and dwelled much too much on the torture and rape of a child! Yes bad things happen, yes they happen in books too, but I thought it needless to go into such details about it. First time ever that I have skipped pages in one of Ms Sands books. The love part of this book was sadly lacking with only brief scenes of how He felt but almost nothing about how She felt for him. The bulk of this story was whether or not she was who he was looking for and her being vague about it herself. The story ended too abruptly with no real "finish" for the main characters. I have to say that if this is the direction of Ms Sands future stories I will cease buying ,reading and recommending them. Very dissapointed.

I was listening to this as an audio book, and I actually had to stop listening about half way through. I am a HUGE fan of Lynsay Sands and the minute she comes out with a book, I grab it, but in this one she threw in a VERY dark twist to the heroine's past that I just couldn't stomach. I don't usually post bad reviews, and I am just posting this one as a warning for other sensitive souls, because I really wish I could un-listen and get this out of my head. I know this has gotten a lot of rave reviews, so this is just a warning for those that don't like rape or child rape in their books. If you can get past this (I couldn't) I'm sure it's a fine book. I'll still get the next book she comes out with, but I couldn't finish this one.

I own several of Lynsay Sands books in this series. I own all the books that my local library does not offer.
It was great to get this book before it was available. This will need to be a little cryptic so there are no spoilers!
I think you could read this as a stand alone. She provides just enough back ground for events to make sense, but I have read all the other books so it made perfect sense to me. I had to think about who Marcus was for a few minutes before it all lined up.
I was a bit put off by the quick ending. But thinking back prior books ended quick too. I will assume we will see more of the couple in future installments, much like we did for a few other couples that played a part in this story.
I would buy books from this author without reading any reviews since she has been entertaining in the past.

Another great read in this series.
One with action, bad guys and passion.

During the book we get to know more about Divine. Poor her for what has happened in her past. but what an amazing and strong woman she is. always taking care of others.

like the end for her and Marcus, but looking forward to read the next book in the series. hopefully the bad guys will be caught in that one.

Entertaining story of Basha Argeneau. There must be 500 ways to meet a vampire and Lynsay Sands comes up with a fresh approach each time. Cleverly written. Not recommended for children or people who don't want spicy bits in their literature.

A sensual story that is mixed up with mystery and being a hunted woman. Divine is a wanted woman, she has been hiding for hundred of years. She has been suspected of being a rogue . But she doesn't know the definition of a rogue in todays society. Marcus is sent to the carnival that Devine is working to scope out to see if she is the illusive Basha, Join in on the reading of this book and see why it was rated five stars in my book.

Lately I found the series was missing something but this book shows there is life in the series yet. We find Marcus sent to see if the person known as Devine is actually Basha. An ancient immortal, niece to Lucien who may be rogue. Not to give too much away but their adventures show their deep connection. I especially love the way Marcus is willing to stand by her. I think anyone who enjoys these books will like thus one.

Oh My Goodness, I think this is the best Linsay Sands book ever! I might be partial since the beginning takes place in my hometown, and Sands had all of the information right. But regardless Marcus has needed his own story for awhile, and I enjoyed finally getting to know the mysterious Basha. Catching up with the other characters from previous books was nice as well. I Strongly recommend this book to all paranormal romance fans!

This book is another excellent entry into the Argeneau series. I enjoy the humorous approach to vampires in this book and the others in the series. The characters were very likable and the plot well developed. It’s a fun and light read, but not for those who prefer their vampires to be scary and brooding all of the time. I’m looking forward to more books in the series.

This was much darker than any of the other stories within the series. It was not the romance that I had expected. There is a lot of torture and pain within this story. Sands does not hold back on the descriptions either. The thing that I missed the most was the humor that I have come to expect within an Argeneau novel.

Lynsey Sands delivers again. I especially like books that can finds ways to leaven the tension with humor. If you haven't read her other Argeneau Vampire books, be prepared to be hooked. Sands, unlike some of the other authors in this genre hasn't fallen to writing S&M. Her books are enjoyable, and readable. Not something to be sneezed at these days.

Loved this book! Not only did it have it contain the with and steaminess that have become a trademark of the series but it has a slightly dark edge to it. It ended much too soon because I really want to know where Basha goes from here. Can't wait for the next book to see how her story plays out.

If you're not into this series, stay away from this one. It's dark and it's gory and it just isn't that good a book. On the other hand, if you've read all the previous books, you might as well read this one too unless you've already ready to give up on it. This series has gone downhill and this one isn't reversing that direction.

I think this is one of the best Argenaeu books I have read since Christian found his life mate in under a vampire moon. the story of Basha and Marcus made me cry and that doesn't always happens when reading romance books anymore. This is a must read! if you like Lynsay Sands Argenaeu books you will love this one too!

This was a really boring read for me and I was really disappointed with the Characters.
I stopped reading the story about 3/4's of the way thru.
This Author has always kept me glued to her stories so I give it 3 stars because Lynsay is a favorite of mine.. (Just not this story)
*** Lynsay did you write this***
I have to say both the H's in this story are really stupid and I wanted to shake them and say OMG are you kidding me.
Their actions and thoughts and words were just so wrong, especially for beings who have lived as long as they have,.
The story line was ok, but even that was just not that great!

This story is interesting in that vampires aren't like you have always read. Yes they drink blood and yes they avoid the sun but they are also highly combustible. Our main character is Madame Divine. She is a fortune teller at a carnival and has been alive for hundreds of years. She has been traveling to avoid a terrible past. Marcus shows up at the carnival to find out if she is the ancient one and gets more than he bargained for - his life mate! Fun read.

Yuck!!!!!

No humour just depressing and horrifying, DETAILED, blood filled scenes.
I checked twice to make sure it was a supposed romance from Sands. I will think twice before I buy another book in the series if this is her new path.