An Argeneau Novel (Argeneau Vampire) - The Reluctant Vampire

Having read some Lynsay Sands' before, I was quite excited when I got this one. The feeling didn't last long.
The novel starts at what feels like the middle of a story. I assume the events were already set up in a previous book, but if you haven't read it (like me) it just leaves you feeling confused and bewildered. Furthermore, the plot and action were rather stale and predictable. It gets better towards the end of the novel, but that doesn't make up for the disappointing beginning and middle.
I really wouldn't recommend this book, not unless you need it to complete your Argeneau collection. Rather try one of the others.

After reading so many in this series I haven't really liked, I was hesitant to read anymore. This is probably one of the few books that I actually went through and read some of the reviews before getting this book.

But I actually enjoyed this book. Was it off the charts amazing like the first couple in this series? No, but it was ten times better than the last few I have read.

Harper thought he found his life mate like all the other vampire men that came to Port Henry to answer the dating ad for Elvi (Accidental Vampire Book 7). But during the turn something went wrong and Jenny died. Now he's racked with guilt and pretty much just living day to day and surviving with the help of his friends and family.

Drina has been recruited to go to Port Henry to help look after Stefanie, the teenager turned by a no-fanger. She's also been sent because Marguerite has a feeling Drina is meant to be Harper's life mate. But to become life mates she will have to sneak up on him to get him to confess his feelings and give them a chance.

I didn't really care for all the lying that everyone seemed to do to Harper. Then he wasn't even mad after he found out about everything. I find this a bit unbelievable. They pretty much went behind his back to set everything up and undermined him.

Like I said I did read a few of the reviews before reading this book and many mentioned how they had already figured out who was trying to kill who before they even got through reading the book. My question is how? We never had any kind of back story to Jenny so we never knew she had a sister, so how could they have figured everything out? I think they were just saying this to find something negative about the book and couldn't think of anything else to say.

Drina is from Spain but came I've to NY for the massive wedding (as there were more than 1 Argeneau getting married) & from there went to Port Henry to help watch over Stephanie McGillis (the teenage no fanger/edenate).

Harper Stoyan was already in Port Henry as he had come there to meet Elvi to see if she was his mate (but she wasn't & he had thought that someone else in Port Henry was. & you will find out more about that as you read the book).

Because Drina is older than Harper is why he thought that he couldn't read her; not knowing that Drina had seen Marguerite "The Matchmaker" before heading out to Port Henry who had told her that Harper would be her mate. Stephanie is also a matchmaker & got Harper & Drina to go on a date with each other & by the end of their date Harper knew that Drina was his mate.

There are many attempts of trying to kill Harper, Drina & Stephanie that for awhile they thought that is was someone after Stephanie. There are some sex scenes, some romance, a turning, a skunk that sprayed Drina & also finding out that there were a couple of other vampires that found mates in Port Henry.

This book was very good & now I'm off to read the next book in this series.

Alexandrina Argenis has been sent to the small town of Port Henry to help protect the immortal teenager Stephanie from the the cruel no-fanger who will do anything to get his evil hands on her. But Stephanie isn't the only immortal Drina is keeping an eye on. Upon meeting Harpernus Stoyan, Drina notices her appetite has returned and she is unable to read Harper's mind, two important signs that point to the pair being lifemates. Problem is Harper blames himself for the death of his first lifemate during her turning and uses the guilt as punishment on himself. But now that Drina has found her lifemate, she'll do whatever it takes to show him she's worth moving on for.

The Reluctant Vampire has the feel of the earlier Argeneau books with the main focus being on the romance. Before Drina ever meets Harper, a lot of emphasis is put on how hard it will be for her to convince him that he should give their relationship a chance. In actuality I found there to be a little resistance at first but Harper didn't have nearly as much fight in him when it came to accepting his new lifemate as others kept saying there would be. Their relationship was sweet and there were several sexy moments between the two that left them naked and unconscious on the floor. Separate I found Harper to be cute but nothing too extraordinarily. Drina on the other hand I absolutely loved and she was the highlight of this book for me. She had confidence in her self and her ability to bring Harper to his knees, she's innovative in the unusual professions she's chosen in her life in order to be on her own, she's sexy without trying and her sympathy and dedication to a girl she just met showed how deep her emotions run. Not to mention she's a rogue hunter and can fight along side the best of her kind. A really great heroine all around.

Leonius is the no-fanger, an immortal who doesn't have fangs and preys viciously on mortals, who turned the 15 year old Stephanie against her will in order to use her as a breeder. Stephanie and her sister were rescued from him a few books back and Leonius has been determined to get them both back. Stephanie is in Port Henry with other immortals for her own protection. She's a nice girl who has some very interesting abilities for being such a young turn but I couldn't help but find it a bit creepy by how she was trying to play match maker between Drina and Harper. She would talk about lingerie on Drina and the sexual things that would be going through their minds in order to turn the other person on. It got to be too much and I found myself skipping those parts so I wouldn't he turned off the story.

The Reluctant Vampire is not my favorite from the series but it was still a highly enjoyable installment. The story was more romance focused which is why I was first turned onto the series. Harper and Drina make a nice couple but Drina really manages to shine all on her own and command most of the scenes she was in. Fans of the series will be happy to see Tiny, Beau, Anders and other familiar characters. My favorite scene from a supporting character came from an all too quick encounter with Lucien, who even after 15 books is still one of my favorites. Paranormal romance fans will enjoy and even though I don't recommend it because you'd miss out on a lot of really great characters, it can be read as a stand alone.

I enjoyed this novel. I like how Ms. Sands writes about everyday life and makes it exciting. The incident with the "smelly cat" was hilarious and visceral. I felt the stinging in my eyes from being sprayed, as well as the stench permeating the room, the cold Canadian wind leaving bumps on your skin as it rushed over exposed skin, and the ice beneath smooth soles as you slip and flail your arms to remain upright. We've all experienced some of these things, or know, or seen others in some of the situations. Although I've never been sprayed by a skunk, her description of the experience makes me pray that I never will. :)

I also like how she plots out her mysteries. She increases the suspense and have you along for the ride, as you try to sort out with the characters who is really behind these vicious threats. Having a main character hurt or near death made me feel closer to the story, and invested in their outcome.

We got to learn a lot about Stephanie besides the surface info. We learn about her increasing powers, but also about her true character. We also learn that at the heart of the matter, she is just a scared, manipulative, funny, warm, and loving person.

This novel was a real page turner, as I wanted to know more about all the immortals and mortals in the town. I wanted to know how they met, how the fell in love, and when they will pop up again.

I look forward to reading Teddy's story. I highly recommend this to all Lynsay Sand's fans and anyone who enjoys mystery/paranormal/romance.

There was nothing I didn't like. Well, maybe a few mistakes with names and using the wrong word (e.g. threw instead of through). All in all, it was a well written love story and novel.

I love coming back to this series. Just when I think they can’t spin the same old story in a different direction, it proves me wrong.

Here we meet Drina, sent to act as a bodyguard to the mysterious young girl with the fascinating powers. Of course, there are games within games in the Argeneau clan, and Drina knows that a fellow bodyguard, Harper, could be her life mate. Since there is a near 100% chance, Drina jumps on a plane and arrives to meet her mate.

Harper, however, has just lost his mate. She didn’t survive the turn and he has been understandably crushed. He’s so absorbed in his own guilt that he barely notices the signs that Drina just might be his mate. If not for their teen charge, they might never have actually gotten together. They certainly would have never been able to get over their own issues.

These books are filled with danger, smut, and an ever-growing world of wonderful characters. I’ll keep reading them until they stop getting written. I’m especially curious about where the teenage vampire will end up and how that will shape things to come.

SYNOPSIS: a Canadian 60ish woman is living a comfortable life in her small town as a vampire. She drinks blood, & sleeps in a coffin all day. Her friends/neighbors have no doubts about her being a vampire because they witnesses her reverting from a 60ish widow back to a hottie 25 year old. Her friends get together and attempt various match making schemes to secure a male vampire for their vampire friend. When the book opens, the heroine doesn't know that there are several male vampires scheduled to meet the lady small town vamp a la the bachelorette. One of the contestants is not only a 'real' vampire, but he's the bad A with a capital A enforcer for the secretive Vampire Counsel, and he's in town to find out if he has to execute a rogue vampires for exposing vampires to the straights. It's a romance, so there's some loving going on, and it's a suspense, so someone's trying to kill the vampires, and it's plain funny.

I laughed several places, and not realizing The Reluctant Vampire is the start of a long series, nodded my head saying to myself, this should become a series that I'd love to read. It's charm is in the funny moments, and the romances, and even the stumbling awkward phrasing of the author - many times she used the phrase 'the X of her'. After reading it for the 10th time, I decided it was a colloquialism and decided it although distracting, added to the charm of the novel.

IMO: read it and enjoy - it's fun.

I'll admit, it was the title that caught my eye. I don't typically read Lyndsy Sands because I loathe the idea of instant lovers/life-mate garbage because I feel it's an easy out toward getting characters to fall for each other.

I have only read one vampire novel where less happened.

I haven't made it through the audible version if this book. I can't do it. I'm bored to tears and listen to audio books on my drive to work. I can't fall asleep while I'm driving!

I found Drina interesting for about ten minutes while she was recounting her past. That's it. The rest of the time it was buying clothes at Walmart (I told my friends about this and they all laughed at even the idea of finding sexy clothes, much less sexy shoes at Walmart!) and creepy, super annoying and manipulative Stephanie.

I felt the guy, harper(?) was just an ambulatory wallet with a convenient Y chromosome. I felt nothing between him and his supposed life mate. He's moping for 2 hours about losing his previous life mate then it's just "oh, I'm supposed to love this plot convenient girl now. Yay! Let's have boring sex!"

Seriously. Save your cash, audible credits, whatever.

An average installment of a series that has gone on for a long time...maybe too long.

What Worked: The females....Drina is an amazingly strong and independent woman with a complicated and intriguing background. Her history was the best thing about this book. Granted the romance was not bad but Drina really was the bright spot in this installment. How could you not like a woman who has been a Pirate for Pete's Sake? In addition to Drina, the teenaged Stephanie was also a bright spot in the story even though she should have a lot more traumatized than she appeared. I'm looking forward to seeing where her character will go from here. An honorable mention goes to Beth, who, even though she wasn't in the book in person, her story told from Drina's point of view was enough to make me want to see more of her.

What Didn't Work: Harper.....Not that he didn't work but I don't think Harper was as well suited for Drina as I would have liked. Perhaps it was more of him not having as much back story as Drina. Even with his past complicated tale of life mate gone wrong there just didn't seem to be enough to balance what Drina brought to the story.

The Mystery/suspense aspect of this story also didn't work. Although there is an underlying story-arc happening over the past few books involving a really bad Immortal which allowed Drina, Harper, Stephanie and a whole lot of other Immortals to come together, this book failed to bring closure to that storyline. As a matter of fact this book not only failed to bring closure, it failed to propel that storyline forward even an inch. While the threat of the big bad Immortal hung over their heads the seemingly kick butt Rogue Hunters forgot all their training while most of them hooked up with their life mates for some sexy time. Oh, and lets not forget life mates faint after having monkey sex together. Nothing like naked, incapacitated Immortals who are supposed to be guarding one little teenager while someone is actively trying to kill them all. Really?

In a Nut Shell: Although I didn't care for the mystery aspect and thought Harper was a bit to vanilla for Drina the book balance out to be an average read for me. With some really good female characters that I'd like to see more of in the future the book was not a waste of time but it could have been oh-so better.

Oh and by the way, this book brings in a second branch of the Argeneau family, called the Argenis family from Spain. Drina also mentions a 3rd branch but I can't remember the name she gave them (Argen-something). The only purpose of this, in my eyes, is for Sands to be able to continue this series indefinitely. Personally I think she should have stopped the after Vampire Interrupted but maybe that's just me.

Finally! Another Argeneau Novel to quench my thirst for a little while. I am a HUGE fan of this author. She knows I stalk her website and own every novel in the series including the ones with the original covers! I have begged and pleaded for her to make me the life mate of Bricker in one of her books. I have interviewed her several times on the blog and even hosted a reading challenge featuring her books. So it is no surprise that when the publisher sent me this book for review, I moved it to the top of the pile to read first!

In the latest installment we get to meet Harper again. He has been keeping a low profile since the death of his first "life mate" Jenny. When Drina arrives to help watch over Stephanie, Harper finds himself attracted to her in a way he never felt with Jenny. Together they work together in trying to not only keep Stephanie safe, but also discover the second chance at love that Harper didn't expect.

While I enjoyed the story, this is not one of my favorite books in the series. To be honest, Harper never really made an impact on me enough to be anxious for his story. He was sweet and romantic, but he was just okay in the sex appeal department. Drina had a hot streak in her that could put a Jalapeno pepper to shame! She is not one that is going to take Harper's pity party lying down! She is excited to have found a life mate and she intends to make sure Harper knows it as well! Even though they were a good fit together, I just couldn't connect with their romance like I have done with the others. I didn't like the forced feel to it that the author brought this time around.

I did enjoy seeing familiar faces again though in this book. We get to see Anders, Beau, Tiny and even Teddy again. Lucien even makes an appearance and steals the small scene that he is in with his bossy, yet sexy, personality. I love when an author brings back past characters and reminds us that they still have some story to tell long after their book is over. The author also brings her usual witty and laugh out loud humor to the book that quickly made me a fan of her writing.

Overall, I felt this book to be a good book to pass the time with. Not much happens story wise, but the characters were fun to read about. Still a great book to read if you are a fan of the author and the series. Not one to miss if you are looking to continue reading the Argeneau series. Now, if you will excuse me, I really must go back to stalking the authors web page and emailing her about Brickers book which includes me as his life mate.

We met Harper several books ago when he arrived in Port Henry to initially check out Elvi. While in Port Henry he instead meets his life mate and looses her during the turn. An unforeseen heart problem resulted in her death. Harper has spent the last year and a half remaining in Port Henry wallowing in his loss. Now faced with a second chance at love so soon after loosing his life mate Harper is reluctant to accept the good fate and let Drina in. Another fun romance, fans of the series will enjoy keeping up with some of their favorite characters including newly added Stephanie and new life mates Tiny and Mirabeau.

The Reluctant Vampire, Argeneau #15
Author: Lynsay Sands

Synopsis:
Has this immortal finally met her match?
Rogue hunter Drina Argenis (from the Spanish side of the Argeneau family) has been many things in her years as an immortal, but bodyguard/babysitter to a teenage vampire is something new. There's an incentive, however: the other vampsitter, Harper Stoyan, may be Drina's life mate.
Trouble is, having just lost a life mate, Harper is resigned to being alone. He's completely unprepared when sexy and unpredictable Drina bursts into his life to reignite his passions. Can Drina, with a little matchmaking help from their teen charge, tempt this reluctant vampire to take a chance?
Or will a dangerous, unseen renegade kill Drina and Harper's one chance at happiness?

Our Review [by Michelle L Olson & Jennifer Vayda]:
Drina has been sent by Lucian and Marguerite to Port Henry to help protect Stephanie from a jerk that looks like he'll stop at nothing to get his grubby mits on her. Stephanie isn't the only vamp Drina is keeping her eye on though...
After being picked up at the airport by tall, dark and rude (a.k.a Anders who not much for the talking), Drina meets Harper. After doing so, Drina notices that her appetite has returned and that she's getting peeks into Harper's thoughts--2 very important signs that indicate the two are lifemates. The problem is, Harper feels that he doesn't deserve another chance at happiness, and so Drina is thrown into 2 fights, and she's not willing to give up on either easily.
Drina is warned ahead of time that she'll have a hard time convincing Harper that he's worthy and that he should give love a chance, and though he was a bit of a stick-in-the-mud in the beginning he wasn't as difficult as everyone kept saying. A lot of that had to do with the fact that little Stephanie just could keep her nosy little match making thoughts out of the mix, and pretty much tied herself into knots trying to help Drina get Harper to realize what everyone else already knew...That he and Drina are meant for each other.
Together, Drina and Harper's relationship was "awww!" worthy, & there were several Sandstastic `naked and unconscious on the floor' moments. Outside of the relationship I found Harper average, loveable but baseline. Drina was a big plus though. She is a a self assured female who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to grab it. She's also smart, sexy, deep and a warrior in more than 1 way.
While The Reluctant Vampire wasn't our favorite of the series thus far, it was still a thoroughly enjoyable read. Slightly more romance based than the previous Rogue Hunter installments, it's great for those that got hooked on the Argeneau series because of that, and fans and followers of the series will be happy to reunite with some of their favorite cast members.
While it could be read alone we would strongly suggest that you not.
All in all, LITERAL ADDICTION Paranormal Book Club gives The Reluctant Vampire 4 1/2 Skulls and would recommend it to Lynsay Sands and Argeneau fans, and Paranormal Romance readers who like wit in their read.

This book takes place in Port Henry, a small town where everyone knows about the Immortals who live there. Drina is sent there to help babysit a teenage vampire named Stephanie. Stephanie has to remain there until the rogue hunters catch the leader of the 'No Fangers', Leonius.

Stephanie and Drina start to lure Harper in with provactive clothes and a night at the club. Everything seems merry- Stephanie is finally starting to feel at home and Harper is starting to accept Drina. Then when all is good there is an attack and everyone has to move from Casey's Cottage to the town sheriff's home.

Stephanie is being forced to go to Toronto where she definitely doesn't want to be. So she takes off, using her mind controlling abilites to get away. Harper and Drina go looking for her and find her at her old home, watching the human family she can't return to. They convince her to come back with them. Drina promises that if Stephanie has to return to Toronto, she will go with her.

They find out who attacked them and let me say - it's a twist. Stephanie still has to be relocated but that's okay because she is no longer in harm's way. Harper and Drina both decide to go Toronto and Harper can now gladly admit his love for her.

I personally love this series. It's a totally new take on vampires (or as they prefer- Immortals) Instead of being souless creatures with no heartbeats, they are just like us. Except one pretty big difference. Their ancestors are from Atlantis, the highly advanced now lost city. The scientists of this civilization made nanos that were programmed to enter the blood stream and repair any damage to their hosts, then leave the body. What they didn't realize was that the human body is constantly being harmed by the sun and aging, so the nanos' work is never actually done.

The nanos use blood to heal the body so the host needs more blood than they can produce themselves. And that's why these lovely Immortals are the way they are. Quite refreshing I must say. The way they find their life mates is pretty cool too. In a lot of books when an immortal finds their mate, they have a telepathic bond. But in this series it is the exact opposite. These Immortals can read everyone's thoughts except their life mates, making them completely at peace when alone together. I love this take on Immortal vampires and will never get enough of Lynsay Sands' witty characters.

~Review by: The Beast from When Pen Met Paper

Marguerite is matchmaking again. This time she's sure that Drina Argenis is the lifemate of Harper Stoyan. So Drina has been partnered with Anders to go to Port Henry, which happens to be where Harper is located. Marguerite felt Drina needed a cover story since she'll have to get Harper to accept her without letting him learn he's her lifemate. Confused? Well, so is Drina. It seems that Harper recently lost his human lifemate, Jenny, when she died during the turn. He's still in mourning and consumed with guilt because he feels that her death was his fault and that if he'd never met her, she'd still be alive.

Drina, for her part, is willing to wait since he is her lifemate - she tried to read him when she got to the house and couldn't. The job that brought her there is to help look after Stephanie, who was forcefully turned against her will by a rogue Edentate immortal. Her older sister, who was also turned, is with another group of rogue hunter trying to capture him. Meanwhile Stephanie, having read Drina's mind, is more than willing to help romance bloom between Drina and Harper.

That's the basic setup, but as things get going some serious accidents occur that could mean either the rogue is in Port Henry and trying to kill Stephanie, or they're having a string of very, very, bad luck. Teddy Brunswick, the town's chief of police, knows about the immortals even though he's human, is keeping an eye out and covering for them when necessary.

Lynsay Sand's stories are pure pleasure. The dialogue is always witty, the plots convoluted, and the action just right to keep you reading from page one to the end. These are romances with a paranormal twist, so there is sex - hot and steamy, straight up sex. They're also action-packed mysteries. In this case the mystery is who is out to get them and why. What makes them appealing to me is the humor that naturally occurs in every book. Stephanie is a delight and her campaign to get Harper and Drina together will make you smile if not laugh out loud.

So, if you're looking for something with strong plot, interesting well-developed characters, humor, romance, and consistency in the world building, give Sands' Argeneau books a try. I'll admit I have some problems with some of the traits these immortals have but the rules are consistently applied and even when you believe that it's not - it will turn out to be not what you thought.

I'm already looking forward to the next book and wondering if Marguerite's matchmaking skills will strike again.

The Reluctant Vampire, Argeneau number fifteen(!), was my favorite of Sands' light vampire romances in a long time. The matchmaking continues, as rogue hunting Drina gets a chance to check out vampire Harper - who is still guilt ridden over losing his lifemate during her 'Turn' - while they are both pulling 'babysitting' duty for fangless teen vamp Stephanie - who is still in danger from her insane maker.

The last few "Hunter" books in particular have started to feel very formulaic to me, so it really helped that this time around we get a vamp/vamp pairing instead of a human/vamp one. Which meant, no need to hide the fangs from the mate-to-be or to explain the 'nanos' in gory detail - we still get coma inducing sex, but I can live with that:)

What won me over initially though, is I that found Stephanie's not so subtle method of getting hero Harper in the right frame of mind to accept a lifemate dispite his guilt to be pretty funny. It was also fun to see some of the characters from previous books, but one has to wonder what Lucien was thinking putting all of those new- and easily 'distracted' - lifemates on guard duty.

Since the story is set in Accidental Vampires Elvies' home town, the character I was the happiest to see was Port Henry's police chief Teddy - and I was also happy to see that Teddy may have some fang in his future as well, since he is the star of Sands' offering in the anthology Bite Before Christmas (with Jeaniene Frost).
The Bite Before Christmas

Installment number fifteen in Lynsay Sands' series about the Argeneau vampires, The Reluctant Vampire introduces the Argentis branch of the family, one of the variations with roots in Spain. Drina is a rogue hunter with a very interesting past and due to Marguerite's indication, she ends up with babysitting duty in the small city of Port Henry. She's supposed to take care of Stephanie, a teenage girl we met a couple of books prior, and while at it meet Harper, her potential life-mate.

Harper is still in Port Henry after the tragic death of his life-mate during her turn. He's drowning in his own guilt and hasn't seen much reason to live for for the past year and a half. What's been holding him is the care of his friends in the small city but that depression will run for the door the moment he sees Drina, if she plays her cards right that is.

I still can't decide if I liked this book or not. Since the first story in the series I felt like a friend of the family, cheering for all of them and laughing a lot with them, bitting my nails and suffering when the situation called for it. This connection did not happen with this one.

Drina is interesting to a point, some of her reactions got me whispering "you go, girl" but mostly it was like she was brain damaged throughout the story. Where was the smart rogue hunter? Yes, they all get distracted when newly life-mated, but this time it was an exaggeration. And that's not for her alone.

Even though I did not know the answers for the plot before the end, I also considered many more possibilities than they did, and I'm not centuries old working as an enforcer/rogue hunter.

Harper is alright, he's a sweet sweet guy, totally adorable, but as a male he did not stir anything in me. I couldn't even get into all the hot warm, almost cool, scenes he shared with Drina. And the interruptions, oh dear, I was ready to scream.

The drama did not convince me, the chemistry between the couple didn't work, and the plot was kind of silly. Even the fun parts didn't make me laugh as much as with the others. I don't know, there's nothing fundamentally wrong with this one, but simply didn't work for me. However, I'm waiting for the next one to come, I still like the Argeneaus too much to even consider giving up on them.

The Reluctant Vampire by Lynsay Sands is another witty and clever story about the Argeneau family.

Drina Argenis is a very skilled and talented rogue hunter. Her latest assignment is to protect a newly turned teenage vampire, Stephanie McGill. As an added incentive her Aunt Marguerite knows Drina live mate will be there as well. Harper Stoyan will be sharing the protective detail with Drina. But Drina has her life mate work cut out for her, Harper has already lost one life mate and is in no hurry to ever have another.

Harper Stoyan lost his beloved Jenny when he tried to turn her. He has resigned himself to be alone forever. He is shocked to find himself drawn to their newest rogue hunter. Drina is unlike any woman he has ever met. He fights his attraction to Drina but their teenage vamp is playing matchmaker and he doesn't stand a chance.

Harper and Drina passion explodes every time they are near each other. Its hard to keep their focus on protecting Stephanie when they feel so strongly about each other. But there is danger lurking close to them that may destroy their chance of surviving.

The Reluctant Vampire is a delight from page one. Its funny, sexy and a joy to read. I love revisiting with old friends every time I pick up an Argeneau Novel.

Drina and Harper being each others lifemates was the main focus of this wonderful story but I was really glad to see that Stephanie played an important role in this book as well. And more Tiny and Mirabeau, and Teddy!

For this book we are back in Port Henry, the little Canadian town that knows all about vampires/immortals living amongst us.
Stephanie is staying at Casey Cottage, Elvi and Victor's bed and breakfast but while Elvi and Victor aren't there Stephanie needs someone to protect her against a possible attack or kidnapping from Leonius.

Marguerite is back to match making and suggests that Drina, a spanish rogue hunter, should be sent to Port Henry cause Drina might be the lifemate of Harper. And Marguertie hasn't been wrong so far!
But it is not going to be easy peasy for Drina to claim her lifemate cause Harper is still guilt ridden over the death of Jenny, his previous lifemate. Luckily Stephanie is a big help to get the 2 together!

I Absolutly love Kerrelyn Sparks and she suggested this writer to me and I liked the romance in this book but unlike Karrelyn Sparks there was no recap I was so lost I struggled through the books. This is my first book I am stationed in Korea with my hubby and this is one of the few books in our small selection I though well I entered into Kerrelyn Sparks books in the 8th edition and was okay so I should be able to read this one. NOPE!!! I didn't know anything? What are no fangers what with Leonius (don't know spelling sorry). I got more from the comments on this book then I did in the book, thank you by the way! I also thought well I liked this book well enough so I will go back and try to read some others well I can't I CANNOT figure which order they go in. I am not sure if I will ever read another book form her. :( Oh I have children and there was something rather disturbing to me about the 15 year old and all the sex talk 17 maybe and of course I know 15 year olds think about sex but I didn't think it was okay for her to be playing dress up and putting images in Harpers head about sex with Darina thats not something I would so with my 15 year old nephew.

♦ I really loved Stephanie in this one; she's only 15 years old but she was so funny!! Probably one of the funniest characters in the entire series. And manipulative, too.

♦ Also, Harper and Drina are probably one of the hottest H/h so far. Man, there was some thick sexual tension and all their sex scenes were steamy, steamy; they were doing it all over the place...in the foyer, in the hallway, in the pantry, in the snow...

♦ I also liked that I got to see more of Mirabeau and Tiny...and Tiny's turn. Plus, learned more about what happens with the nanos during the turn. Interesting!

♦ In the begging I was really confused with all the back story, but the author did a really good job of refreshing my memory.

♦ The bad guy in the end was a total twist. Never saw that coming. Although, to be honest I wasn't really trying to figure it out.

Overall, I loved the comedy and romance, but didn't much enjoy the mystery.

I absolutely adore this series! Lynsay Sands has a wonderful way of combining her idea of vampires, humor, romance, and mixing in a little mystery to create a great read.

Aunt Marguerite is playing matchmaker yet again, this time she pairs her niece Drina Argenis the Spanish form of Argeneau), with Harper (minor character from previous books). The story is set in Port Henry, Canada, where they are in charge of protecting 15-year-old Stephanie McGill (Dani's sister that was turned by Leonius in a previous book).

Without containing any spoilers, I will say that Sand's turns up the heat factor in this book. There are also some situations that were just hilarious (i.e. "stinky cat").

Although I felt Stephanie was bordering on the annoying side at the beginning of this book, that subsided and didn't take too much away from the focus of Drina and Harper. I would say this is definitely a 4-star book and would recommend it as an easy, light read.

Book Hollow
[...]

The Reluctant Vampire is the lastest in the Argeneau stories by author Lynsay Sands. I have long been a fan of both the series and Lynsay Sands. That said, I think Ms. Sands should have stopped at Marguerite and Julius' story (Vampire, Interrupted). The formula has now overtaken the humor and humanity of series. What once was great story-telling spiced with romance, sensually and deftly written, now seems little more than paint-by-number plotting laced with sex. O Lynsay, you lost me at "FM shoes."

The Reluctant Vampire is Harper and Drina's story. Harper has appeared in one book and one novella from the series. He met his "life mate" Jenny in The Accidental Vampire and her death was revealed in Vampire Valentine. Harper and Drina follow the formula of the series with little depth. I was disappointed that Ms. Sands chose the easy way out of Harper's grief by ending with Jenny not having been his life mate after all. COME ON! It might make sense that Harper was fooled by a brain tumor but what about all the other vampires in the story. Minds are read like text messages in the series by all but "life mates." Several other characters were allowed to find a second "life-mate." What was the reasoning behind turning our hero into an easily duped schmuck. I looked forward to a story with emotional depth (due to Harper's recent bereavement) but I got a crazy sister and shopping at Walmart. Marguerite and her modiste should have a fashionista fit.

The glimpses of the secondary characters may be the only reason I can give this book three stars. I wished for Tiny and Mirabeau to have a full story with some depth and Stephanie could be a great character. I await with trepidation on Teddy's story. Like The Reluctant Vampire, it has great potential. I hope that is doesn't get the same treatment.

HAS THIS IMMORTAL FINALLY MET HER MATCH?

Rogue hunter Drina Argenis (from the Spanish side of the Argeneau family) has been many things in her years as an immortal, but bodyguard/babysitter to a teenage vampire is something new. There's an incentive, however: the other vampsitter, Harper Stoyan, may be Drina's life mate.

Trouble is, having just lost a life mate, Harper is resigned ti being alone. He's completely unprepared when sexy and unpredictable Drina bursts into his life to reignite his passions. Can Drina, with a little matchmaking help from their teen charge, tempt this reluctant vampire to take a chance?

Or will a dangerous, unseen renegade kill Drina and Harper's one chance at happiness?

In spite of her objection against babysitting the new teen vampire Stephanie, Marguerite assigns protection of the tyro to rogue hunter Drina Argenis. Knowing her leader never does anything without a secret agenda, Drina wonders why her when she only does field cleansing.

Marguerite believes her niece Drina and Harper Stoyan are life mates, but knows the latter will be in denial as his life mate Jenny died under eighteen months ago when he tried to turn her. Drina has no problem with Harper being hers, but knows he cannot accept the concept of two life mates so shortly apart. However, the pair better focus on living because someone wants Stephanie dead and killing two other vampires is acceptable to this unknown renegade.

This is a terrific entry in the Argeneau saga (see Born to Bite) as Lynsay Sands deftly adds humor starting with Drina's descriptions of Tall, dark and doorstop, and includes self deprecating commentary mostly by Harper to a taut suspense thriller. The fast-paced story line hooks the audience from the moment the heroine lands in cold Canada for the first time and never slows down as Ms. Sands provides a fabulous tale that hooks us grateful throughout.

Harriet Klausner

Alexandrina "Drina" Argenis is a rogue hunter. She has been sent to help protect Stephanie McGill who is a new turn with some amazing powers from Leonius, who wants her for breeding. The truth, however, is Marguerite knows that her life mate is at the house. Harpernus "Harper" Stoyan is still reeling with the loss of his supposed life mate. He hasn't left the area but instead just tortures himself with the memories because he feels he doesn't deserve happiness ever again. Drina knows that she must tread carefully and ease Harper into this relationship.

Also during this time it is Tiny's time to make the change. Because of this there are several extra vamps around to help with protection. And now here comes the bad part. I didn't care for this story at all. I felt that everything was forced and redundant. The group is attacked several times but after each attack there is no reaction. They either reflect on who they think it was or Harper and Drina go off somewhere and get it on (in the weirdest places..hello...burned out building??) I felt that there wasn't much originality to set this book apart from the others. On the other side I liked that I didn't know who the attacker was until the end, but because there wasn't much content in the story besides Harper and Drina sharing their past to each other you don't have enough information to even make an assumption.

In this story we really get to delve into how a centuries old immortal has had to live. We find out how they survived and what they transformed themselves into being. Alexandrina Argenis is a character created that lets us into the world of what it's like to live
as time periods change and worldviews of women in society around the world have changed. Harperus Stoyan gives his accounts of how an immortal may grow and change with the world evolving and opportunities that arrive. Absolutely LOVE the "getting to know you" stage this story gives the reader. very different from Lynsay's other stories in this series.Definitely my favorite!

Finally a new Argeneau novel. Although not the best I read it has some truly wonderful moments. Rogue Hunter Drina Argenis (spanish side of Argeneau family) finds her life mate as soon as she steps off the plane to meet her new rogue hunter partner for the assignment of body guard a teenage vampire. Problem is Harper Stoyan has just buried last life mate a year ago and feel so guilty that it will take some female team work to get him to give happiness a chance. I found this book talked too much about the two new vampire's centuries of past life identities. Between the life mate thing and the past identity talk really not much of a interesting story compare to others of the series. It was an interesting twists of learning Stephine special gifts, having Tiny turn into a vampire and having someone other than a rogue vampire trying to kill the lot of them. This book also has a wonderful sneak peek at the new Argeneau vampire book in November.

I have all of the Argeneau books and love them all; However this book is a total disappointment.

I am about half way thru this book and can't seem to get any further. There seems to be pages devoted to shopping at walmart, trying on clothes and boots. In depth descriptions about taking off coats and hanging them up etc.

Where is the real story??

Did Lynsay Sands really write this? If so, maybe there needs to be a new series started on something else. Wish I had waited to buy this at the 1/2 price book store instead of full price.

Another great book in an already great series! I read so many different authors at the same time that I often end up over looking or missing a book in a series. That was the case for this book. I was reading the newest in Her series and after finishing it I realized I had missed one. I read the synopsis and was very excited and extremely happy to read this and love the story and characters, I think I'll reread a few more from this time frame soon because this story reminded me just how much I loved and missed these characters! I would most definitely recommend!

I have all the Argeneau/Rough Hunter books from the first to the last including the .5 books. Her books and fluid and makes you love the characters and gets you hooked on to the plot points. I know she reiterates how they are vampires in every book which can get repetitive at times when you are sailing through the series but all in all I would recommend this series to anyone who likes to read.

However this particular book you will need to read the rest to understand the basic concepts.

I have read all the other Argeneau Vampire novels and this is by far the worst. Lynsay Sands is no great author, so I don't expect beautifully written masterpieces, but I DO expect her books to be an amusing read, at the least. This book was just so poorly written that I couldn't get into it. I felt that a lot was left out of the book... and like other reviewers have written, I felt lost most of the time. The romance was laughable... especially part where Drina gets sprayed by a skunk, and Harper helps her with her tomato juice bath, please, spare me! Not your best work Ms. Sands!

I found this book very intresting and it captured my undivided attention. Young Stephanie is wise beyond her years and not nearly as innocent as Drina expects. The comments that Stephanie makes are priceless and add to the overall story. The interaction between Drina and Harper rocks. I highly recommend this read and continue to be thrilled with the writing and imagination of Lynsay Sands. Pick this read up....you won't be disappointed.

A lifemate match between Drina and Harper...What a great read! A loveable and humorous story with characters that have loveable characteristics. I liked the teen Stephanie, Mucho. She made the story fun for Drina and Harper! Oh! The part with the kitty? Most Def. funny! Does Stephanie have a story? I think it will be most excellent with her newly-vamp-excelled skills. Awesomeness that.

I enjoyed this one but not as much as the previous books in the series. It was a bit predictable. I am looking forward to the next two. Christian's book looks like it's going to be very good. I love the humor Lysany works into these reads.

but this book, not so much. There were too many people. It seemed like anyone we had ever met in this series, was in this book. I wanted more of Harper and Drina. I wanted their love story to be front and center and it just didn't seem like it was.

I have read other Lynsay Sands books and this one just didn't meet my expectations of one of her books. It was hard to follow all of the characters and I had to reread a lot to try to figure out what was going on. I was glad I rented this book and didn't waste my money.

As usual the Argeneau books are quick and funny reads. It was a clever twist that Harper might be reluctant to have found a 2nd life mate! And who would have guessed the identity of this book's bad guy?

If you are a fan of Lyndsay Sands Vampire Series then of course you are going to read this book regardless of any reviews. Just so you know, this is not one of the better ones, but as a summer read by the pool- it's ok. I could easily set this one down and do other stuff. It did not capture my attention completely. I love the Vampire Series and still enjoyed the story line, it just was not one of the best ones. Can't wait to read Teddy's story. From the excerpt, Teddy's story looks like it will be really good.

I forced myself to finish this. The most compelling character is the teenage Stephanie--the romantic leads frankly left me cold. Also, I understand that it might get difficult to write fresh seduction scenes when you pump out more than a book a year, but seriously, Lynsay, a post-skunk spray shower scene? A foot job????

Savannah Slade's life is a lie. Grieving her father's death, she is devastated at the reading of his will. Andrew Slade was not her real father, neither are her two sisters her real sisters.

Sharon Sala's Searchers series continues with youngest sister Savannah Slade. Andrew, a wealthy Missoula cattle rancher, provided journals to each of his daughters at his death, explaining the circumstances of their birth. In twenty-two-year-old Savannah's case, her birth mother Chloe was dying of cancer and entrusted her tiny daughter to then evangelist Andrew, to keep her safe. Savannah's real father Gerald, heir to the Stoss family fortune, was prepared to acknowledge her as his daughter and heir; however, greedy family members had him killed and then threatened Chloe, should she try to install her daughter as heiress.

Savannah sets out for Miami, FL on a mission to discover what happened to Chloe and to show evidence that Gerald Stoss may have been murdered, a plan that draws resistance from boyfriend and fellow rancher Judd Holyfield. Shortly after her arrival, she contacts the Miami police homicide unit and things immediately begin to go awry. The detective suspects her story is part of a scam and alerts the Stoss family, inadvertently putting Savannah in grave danger.

Savannah needs an attorney to pursue her claim of legitimacy as heiress (part two of her plan), and to do this she is directed to formidable, and highly successful attorney, Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson, recognizing the veracity of Savannah's claim, but knowing the Stoss family from previous encounters, suspects she will need protection once the claim is filed, but even he is slow to grasp the heinous nature of Gerald's twin brother Joseph Stoss and the speed at which plots against Savannah's life are enacted.

Author Sala pens a tightly woven plot with great action and suspense. Her characters are likable and readers will empathize with Savannah, whose main interest in pursuing her claim is to right a wrong -- the murder of her father. I found myself on a roller coaster ride of suspense and intrigue, and even though I knew the villain's identity, I was continually surprised at the range of events. Blood Ties is suspense at its finest, an un-put-downable read from an author who's at the top of her game.

Originally posted at the Long and Short of It Romance Reviews