Six years ago, federal agent Samantha Moon was the perfect wife and mother, your typical soccer mom with the minivan and suburban home. Then the unthinkable happens, an attack that changes her life forever. And forever is a very long time for a vampire.
Now working the night shift as a private investigator, Samantha is hired by Kingsley Fulcrum to investigate the murder attempt on his life, a horrific scene captured on TV and seen around the country. But as the case unfolds, Samantha discovers that Kingsley isn't exactly what he appears to be; after all, there's a reason why he survived five shots to the head...
J.R. Rain is the author of 110 novels and counting. He lives on an island in the Pacific Northwest, where he's hard at work on his next novel... and fighting off sparkly vampires.
The vampire, is a subgenre of horror that has evolved to become much more than scares. Although there are some creeps here, Moon Dance is primarily a romantic mystery more along the lines of Twilight. Yes, there's a werewolf involved (not a spoiler because it becomes apparent in the second or third chapter).
There's a gothic house, and romantic potentiality between Samantha Moon, her client, and a detective investigating the attempted murder of her client. She's married but her husband is not exactly thrilled at being married to a vampire. In fact, he happily endeavors to make evident an affair with one of his secretaries. Odd, for me to enjoy something so overtly soap operatic, and dramatic, but there was enough mystery, horror, and police procedural story for me to sink my teeth into. (Sorry.)
Having said that, I enjoyed the idea of this as solely the first part of a series (Book 1 in the Vampire for Hire series.) Pretty cool in my estimation and there are added benefits to this volume where there are extras such as an interview with the author, an interview with the main character (Samantha Moon), and other content.
I got this cheap for my Kindle with no expectations. After it sat on it for some months - I finally opened it to read the first 20 pages before (as I planned) deleting it.
Wow! Was I taken surprise - this is a GREAT start to a series. Fab, well-rounded main character, interesting world, actual plot, beginning, middle and end - all gripping. 2 and a half hours later and one long bath I was buying the second in the series and suggesting to my OH that we have takeaway for dinner as I planned to read.
Vaguely reminiscent of Sookie Stackhouse - in the sense that the protagonist goes through a gradual discovery of the supernatural world and herself and that you root for her.
Highly recommend it - for 50p (or thereabouts) try it for yourself ;-)
Moon Dance Vampire for Hire, Book 1 By: J. R. Rain Narrated by: Dina Pearlman This is an audible book I really got into right away. It is a turned vampire, a mom of two, her husband finds her repulsive, and she is a PI. It is a very exciting story and gets you into the characters and I really loved it. I see why this is such a popular series. The narrator is soooo good! The many voices are all great and perfect! I am going on to book two!
a good fast read full of crazy twists and turns. One of my favorite series. Samantha Moon is a private detective who also happens to be a vampire. This book is just the beginning where you are introduced to Samantha and told a bit about how she became a vampire and the struggles of her life as a mother and wife after this horrible attack turned her into basically a creature of the night. As the series progresses you find out a lot of cool details about her family and exactly what she is and it is a great, original spin on the vampire story. You will be introduced to other characters, and some of them are not just human either. The series gets better with every book so I highly recommend grabbing this one and getting started.
Update - After following a dicussion on Amazon about this author getting slammed by another author who hadn't even read past the description, I want to point out a few things - The writing wasn't bad. It wasn't the greatest, but it wasn't full of errors. While I found the plot cliched, I still felt the author had enough merit to pick up another book when it was offered for free (haven't read it, though). Honestly, I didn't even notice the whole thing about now. I don't mind a DNF review or even "why I won't be reading this" review - both of which have thier uses and are legit - but the whole thing felt like a mean spirited hit job. If you are going to give a book one star, you should point out more than just the word "now" used twice in the description(even if it has more to do with the author than the book); you then shouldn't claim you were trying to be constructive. Being constructive is not sounding like you are doing a hit job to harm the author's sales and move your own up. It's made worse because you reviewed it under your publisher's name. If you were trying to help as a publisher, wouldn't you have just written the author?
The writing in terms of style and tone isn't too bad. The plot idea of a married vampire is different, except the whole becomes nothing but cliche after cliche.
1. Sam is a private Dick because she was attacked by a vampire, infected, and had to give up her day job.
2. Sam is very good at her job.
3. Sam's husband, Danny, apparently was very supportive when she first turned but some how has been replaced by the aliens for he is now cheating on her and is a complete d**k. (Actually, I don't think he is. "Look honey, you're dead, you drink blood, okay it's a gang banger but still, and I'm worried about the kids." I think that's understandable. I would've enjoyed a book where the couple tried to deal with these issues. This book ain't it. Danny's affair looks as it more to show that he is a d**k and Sam is better off with her werewolf, who she lusts after. Very cheap plot device, must say).
4. The villian turns out to be the blonde with fake boobs (this is also a plus).
Actually the book was very interesting until Danny became a d**k then it was really stupid. And quite frankly, I don't buy Sam as a mother, not after reading The Rhine Maiden where she really is a mother.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
It was a strong opening entry that left me underwhelmed. Moon Dance (Vampire for Hire #1) was overall an okay story. I liked the fact the protagonist is a woman dealing with her condition. But to me, the character is too emotionally tied to her human life to be an effective creature of the paranormal world.
I was totally into the story but three things happen: she couldn’t see her reflection; she changed into a giant half woman-bat; and if someone didn’t suspect her “condition” she was telling them about it. I couldn’t reconcile the first two. Why does becoming a vampire make your reflection disappear like the invisible man? I never understood the shape-shifting myth in vampire mythology.
The fact that so many people suspected or know about her abilities is too distracting. If she was trying to keep it a secret, the internet is not the place. She is frustratingly naïve about the power she has at her command. The moment her spouse gave her an ultimatum, at least two people should have been dead. I expected a new vampire struggling to embrace her vampirism and instead a got a vampire struggling to let go of her humanity.
Maybe I’m just at my vampire thresh hold. I could have expected too much from this novel. It was interesting enough while I was reading. Once I finished it didn’t leave me with that amazed feeling I like from books.
Samantha Moon's life is anything but simple. She juggles her job working as a private investigator, a failing marriage and two rambunctious kids. And she's a vampire. When she is hired by a hot shot lawyer to find the person who tried to kill him she unwittingly finds herself in the crosshairs.
And adding to her troubles, there is a vampire hunter gunning for her, her husband is having an affair, and she is fighting her own attraction to the hotshot lawyer.
Moon Dance reminds me more than just a little of Mark Henwick's Bite Back series, both are hybrids of those great noir hard boiled detective stories of the 1940s and vampire stories. I think Mark Henwick's books are a little more polished but that's not to take anything away form Moon Dance, it really is a lot of fun.
I didn't connect with the characters or story. I found it rather corny. Great if you love vampire stories but i am luke warm at best. I loved Twilight, but that was because it was the first 'vampire' book i had read. It was new and interesting.
I nearly put this down. But i am stubborn and wanted to finish it.
I also found the voice didn't quite grab me. The author has created a distinctive style - which is great! But i just didn't like it.
However, I think that much of my rating is because i didn't like the book, not because the author didn't create a good story. The author DID create a great story. The premise (although a little over done now) was great. The subplots and other aspects were good. It sets itself up well for the next book in the series.
If you like vampire stories, and are looking for a quick, light fun read with an interesting plot then this is the book for you.
I wasn't looking for this and therefore i didn't really connect with it.
Okunur amma benim çerezlik dediğim kitaplar arasında yer alıyor aslında konu ilginç bir kurgu amma nedense bir türlü yerine oturtamamış. Kafası bir orda bir burada olan yazarmı çeviren mi anlamadım aslında... yinede 3 verdim ki pek haketmediği halde! İkinci kitap umarım daha iyidir.
Synopsis: Samantha Moon was a regular everyday mother before she was attacked 6 years ago. She is now a vampire. Everyone thinks she has a rare skin disease that keeps her inside at night. Now with her marriage down the drain and her life spiraling out of control, She is hired to find out who attacked Kingsley Fulcrum. Except he may not be what he seems either . . .
Review: This is the first book in the "Vampire for Hire" series. Now, I have never written an unfavorable review yet, and I'm not so keen on writing it. So bear with me.
Now this book wasn't terrible. It was pretty interesting premise. A soccer mom trying her best, to still be that mom, while not being able to go out in the morning. That enough made me want to read it. I also always like to read stories of guys writing from a female point of view. It is the same viewpoint from a different viewpoint. It adds something original to the voice of the story.
But that's where it ends for me. So much of the story is boring. There are no plot high points or low points. Everyone knows a good story has a climaxes, strong beginnings and compelling ends. But this story is just flat through the whole book.
The emotions of the characters are unbelievable. Mostly because, there aren't any. I mean the main characters life is falling apart! She should be doing more than just checking out bartenders. Another aspect that is unbelievable is how there are characters that figure out she is a vampire. Really? That doesn't happen. Either vampires are out in public, or no one would believe should know it.
The writing is pretty mediocre also. I cannot stand choppy paragraphs and lines. Dialogue should flow naturally, and if it doesn't, it ruins the book. Also, the story lacks for details. Enriching stories for me mean that I can become immersed in the book and forget where I am. But without enough sensory details or emotional descriptions, I can't do that.
Sex: no sex. Violence: Dead bodies, violence and fighting. Nothing described in gross detail.
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Quote:
(I got nothing. No line really stuck out to me as funny or enjoyable).
Next Book: Vampire Moon. It's already out. I bought the 99 cent four book set, so at the very least, I will give the next book a chance. But if I don't like it, then I'm done with the series.
I can't believe I scored the first 4 books of this series in a freebie set. I've never heard of this series and it is an older one.
There is a lot to like in this one. However, here we have a very smart FBI agent, bitten/almost killed by a vamp (generally unknown to humans), who has a husband and 2 children. The husband turns into a raging pr*ck after initially trying to be understanding; Sam tries to keep things normal for her kids - she really loves them; she had to quit her job claiming some bad skin disease; and she does nothing for 6 years to find out more about vampirism.
OK - I can live with trying to get used to things and keeping things status quo. But what I really have a hard time with is that when she catches hubby Danny cheating, she basically lets him take her kids and kick her out and install the OW in her house. Sam is a PI with now ex-FBI skills and friends. She is discovering and getting used to new skills/powers. She meets another vamp online and a client turns out to be a werewolf - Sam and Kingsley are attracted to one another. So, will it be how many books before she kicks Danny's a$$? or somehow get his comeuppance? will it be within this 4 book set? will I have to read all 8 to find out?
You know I started book 2 immediately. I could skim - but I am hooked a little bit - that's why the .5 star. We'll see. Continuing the series for now.
I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. I found the narrative (or maybe just the FMC) to be rambling and repetitive. I kept getting confused about the time frame - we're told she was attacked and turned 6 years ago, but this book was all her processing how her life had changed, which made it feel like it happened 6 weeks ago. She was all angst and emo and occasionally wondering about God and if she was evil, and I just... Meh. I ended up skimming swaths of that circular narrative.
She was also kind of pathetic. Her self image is a disaster, and her husband is so toxic, but she just lets him get away with it. All of his bullshit about thinking she's a danger to the kids and whatever... This motherfucker has been absent from their lives for a year because he's having an affair. He skips all the kid stuff and is never home while they are awake. Why doesn't she throw that in his face when he is going on about taking the kids for their safety? She was a fucking federal agent, she knew he was having an affair... Why didn't she DOCUMENT all this and build a case?! She could see this coming. She knew and thought about it through the whole book. So fucking prep for it! Fight back! Your husband is a sleazeball ambulance chaser, for fuck's sake, and he's been having an affair and absent from the kids' lives for at least a year. Meanwhile, you were a federal agent who was injured in the line of duty. It won't be hard to convince any judge that he's a lying bag of shit.
But she just rolled over and took all his shit.
Then you have Kingsley, and his declaration that he's falling in love with her in their, like, second-ever 5 min conversation...my eyes bugged out. It was way out of left field and I didn't believe it. Not even a tiny bit.
It all just made this book painful. So, so painful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
“Moon Dance” is book one of a 13 book series “Vampire for Hire” featuring Samantha Moon, that begins six years after she was attacked and turned into a vampire. Her life as wife, mother, and federal agent is irrevocably changed, and relationships with her husband and sister, the only two who know of her secret, are strained.
Samantha is a very likable and sympathetic character. She is not, though, a character in a lesfic novel. There are no steamy sex scenes in “Moon Dance”, but Samantha is a woman who likes men, is a devoted mother to her two children, and is working desperately to make her marriage work despite her unique situation.
We move through the book from Samantha’s POV as she struggles to adapt to living, if she can call it living, as a woman who can now get sustenance only from blood and cannot endure the slightest exposure to sunlight. (On a side note, one thing that always bothers me with paranormal books is that moonlight is treated differently from sunlight. Moonlight is reflected sunlight. If vampires cannot endure sunlight reflected off an object during the day, then neither should they be able to endure sunlight reflected off the moon: moonlight!)
Because Samantha cannot endure sunlight, she is forced to leave employment with HUD (Housing and Urban Development), and work instead as a PI (Private Investigator) where she can set her own hours. Through the story we and Samantha meet a mysterious new client and a street smart police detective, and we and Samantha learn of her growing abilities as she trains in a gym (boxing) and discusses life with her sister. The book is particularly interesting because it’s not a typical vampire origin story. Neither we nor Samantha know who attacked her, or why she was attacked, six years ago. She has no vampire mentor to teach her anything about being a vampire.
It’s not an intended subtext of the book, I think, but it’s easy, and very interesting, to compare Samantha’s situation with that of being a lesbian in a society or at a time when being a lesbian could mean social ruination, or perhaps even death. Like a lesbian, Samantha is something different from most people and she had no choice in being different. She is what she is. Though she has never harmed anyone (she drinks purchased cow’s blood) and never wants to harm anyone, she knows that people would not accept her if they learned what she is. Though she loves her children dearly, her husband is concerned about her being around them…because she is different. Science fiction and paranormal stories are often at their best when they serve as a parable for modern social situations, and while I’ve never met a lesbian quite as dangerous as a vampire, the plight of Samantha makes for more thoughtful consideration that does a typical vampire story.
The story itself is fairly fast paced and well-written, and the narrator does a wonderful job. I rate “Moon Dance” as 5* and am immediately beginning book two.
This is a very nice story. I love vampire & werewolves so this book is perfect for me since it has both. Except for one typo that repeated itself throughout the entire book (save where except should be)the writing was good.
Samantha Moon (love the name) is a former FBI/Homeland Security agent turned vampire turned PI. She has a husband & 2 children. Sam struggles to maintain her family, her marriage, & her sanity. Sam was attacked & turned into a vampire 6 years ago, since then she has been on her own trying to figure out the vampirism. Her husband (Danny) has tried to be supportive but Sam feels that he is pulling away. She feels Danny distancing himself from her but what can she do if he is afraid for his safety & the safety of their children.
I disliked Danny from the very beginning & I can not see where I would ever like him. I find myself loving Samantha more & more as she holds on tight to Danny & their relationship. She is a good mother & that shines throw in every scene with her children. Danny & Sam had a master plan in the beginning with her vampirism. They told everyone that she had a rare skin condition. All the facts check out, sensitive to the sun & pale skin, most people accept it & move on. Those who don't ask a lot of questions.
Sam takes on an interesting case for a man named Kingsley. a defense attorney. He hires Sam to find out who shot him 6 months ago. Kingsley is a nice addition to Sam's life. Sam learns a lot about herself & the world she has been thrown into more & more each day. Kingsley has some secrets of his own which he shares with Sam.
Throughout this book I was on a small emotional roller coaster with Sam. I felt her pain & frustration with Danny, her love for her children, her sexual interests in another man that was not her husband, & her sorrow of failure.
Mother,wife, Private investigator... vampire. Six years ago federal agent Samantha Moon's was the perfect wife and mother, your typical soccer mom with the minivan and suburban home. Then the unthinkable happens, an attack that changes her life forever. And forever is a very longtime for a vampire. Now the world at large thinks Samantha has developed a rare skin disease, a disease which forces her to quit her day job and stay out of the light of sun. Now working the night shift as a private investigator, Samantha is hired by Kingsley Fulcrum to investigate the murder attempt on his life, a horrific scene captured on TV and seen around the country. But as the case unfolds, Samantha discovers Kingsley isn't exactly what he appears to be; after all, there is a reason why he survived five shots to the head.
I bought Moon Dance on my Kindle when I was hunting for something to read it was on special and had lots of 5 star reviews. I had never heard of the book or the author before, but thought oh why not. I'm so glad I did buy it.
I really enjoyed this book, the characters are so loveable; well most of them, The plot is easy to follow. A great book to read when your looking for something to fall into and relax, without having to do a lot of thinking. My only problem I finished it too quick. I will definately go out and look for more of J.R.Rain's work.
****4.25 STARS**** I've had Moon Dance since 2011 on my Kindle. I got there in the end and that is what counts.
I will say I got a little whiplash with the word 'love' when there was nothing to base that on, but I really enjoyed Moon Dance, and I totally enjoyed JR's witty writing.
JR does an AWESOME job of making the reader loathe Danny. WOW! I want to say many, many things to that (#@)@(#*)@(#!!
Is something too predictable? Well, time will tell. I do hope I am wrong. But if I am right, no matter as I am in for the long haul with this series. I have already embarked on Vampire Moon and loathing Danny even more. LOL. Dude is a total douche-canoe.
Oh my goodness, how much fun! A vampire who is also a married mom living in suburbia! After having been attacked and bitten, she must figure out how to carpool her kids (a decidedly daylight activity) keep a job and hide her new "eating" proclivities, all while chasing down bad guys! It is a new and creative twist that is both entertaining and intriguing. I'm off to find the next installment!
I can’t give you specific reasons why this didn’t work for me. It wasn’t bad writing, bad editing, or a bad plot. The world building was pretty thin, but otherwise it was, on paper, what I like. However, I just didn’t ever really engage with the story, and didn’t particularly like the FMC. The end left me liking her less, and not wanting to read on at all.
Moon Dance is the first book in the Vampire for Hire series by J.R. Rain, another new author for me. I love checking out new authors when their work becomes available to me, especially if they get fairly decent reviews from readers. This one only costs me .99cents on Amazon.com.
Our main character is Samantha Moon. Sam is 37 years old, but doesn’t look a day over 25. She is the mother of two children; Tammy and Anthony. She is married to Danny, but for a while now, Danny has turned cold toward her, not even wanting to touch her cold flesh when they lie in bed together. He is also a cheating bastard with other women from his office. He, of course, blames it on the fact that she is no longer the person he married, and is a danger to him, and the children...utter hogwash.
Samantha is also a private investigator who used to be a federal agent for HUD. 6 years ago she was attacked by a vampire and transformed. Samantha has the same hang-ups as other vampires; she can only drink water and wine, while food of any kind makes her ill and sick to her stomach. Mammalian blood is doable and she keeps her refrigerator stocked full. She has have been telling people that she has a rare skin disease called xeroderma pigmentosum which if exposed to the sun, will cause her irreparable damage. Then again, she does find ways like lathering a strong SPF on her skin in order to pick up the kids like a good mother does.
Sam has enhanced speed and strength which came from her transformation. She also has another neat little surprise that she finds during the course of this story thanks to her internet buddy Fangs encouragement. She can fly.
Samantha receives a mysterious delivery, and inside the box, is the medallion once worn by the vampire who transformed her. Who sent it to her and why now? Sam has been looking for her attacker with the express with to end his existence for the hell he’s put her through. The story behind the medallion is interesting one as well.
Samantha is contacted by Kingsley Fulcrum, who asks Moon to help find a man who shot him five times. Obviously, he's not human, but a werewolf which Sam had no clue even existed. Kingsley later claims a vampire killed his wife, and that yes, vampires can shape shift if they want to. (which leads to Sam jumping/falling off a building to find out if it actually works.) He tells Sam that a vampire hunter, Randolf, is looking for her.
Samantha internet friend Fang is an interesting character in that he knows all about her difficulties and secrets, but still remains faithful as a friend. Later, he springs a nice surprise on her.
This story is obviously not for everyone. It’s the first book of the series, thus there will be mistakes in the story as well as some editing goofs. It is also the dangers of self-publishing your own book without an editor to review it before publishing.
However, I’m planning on continuing to read the story when I can since I actually liked Sam's character. I liked the interaction between her and Detective Sherbet who keeps dropping hints about her color and other mysteries he discovers along the way.
This is a cross between being a mystery novel, with a strong hint of romance, and paranormal. You pretty much don't find out who the actually shooter of Kingsley is until the very ending of the story.
1.5 stars. This is really hard to review and rate to be honest. I liked the idea of it, a soccer mum, private detective, married, vampire. Sounds cool. But I guess the execution just wasn't on par with my expectation. It was after I finished that I realised the author is a man, and things made a bit more sense to me - man writing first person woman POV, yep it explains a lot.
The MC spends a lot of time staring at men and thinking about how hot they all are. Even saying and thinking the words, "down girl" multiple times. Look J.R. Rain, women do enjoy and notice sexiness, but we don't get horny over every single slightly good looking feature on every single man that we see, all day, every day. Seriously, enough.
Through the whole book she is devoted to her kids, though in an odd hands off way. She literally wants to kill her husband for trying to and then actually taking her kids from her - and I don't blame her, I would want to do the same and I am not even a vampire. But then at the very end she chooses her new lover over the chance of maybe getting her kids back.... right, sure thing.
I hated her husband. Seriously hated him, so much that I have strong feelings of hate for the book itself. And sadly, while I think the author is not good at writing women, I will have to trust him when it comes to men.... so it's totally realistic that a man will answer a phone call from his wife, while he is in the middle of having sex with another woman, and continue to have sex with that other woman while talking to his wife on the phone, even when it's obvious she suspects him of having sex during said phone call. She should have killed him, and then immediately killed the person he had set up to blackmail her in case anything happened to him.
I didn't mind the insta love part of it. Sure it's unrealistic and everything, but it seems completely normal to me for a paranormal novel, so it wasn't so bad. I wish there had been more focus on the investigation part of the story though, I was wanting to read a private detective paranormal novel, not a novel about a woman losing her kids to her douche husband.
And yet, despite all the issues, I kind of want to continue the series to see what happens. Will she kill Danny, her husband? Will someone else? Please let him die horribly, please.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
4 Star Kindle Unlimited and Free Read: Very entertainingI was able to read this through the PRIME Lending Library and honestly hope the rest of the series is available through the PRIME Library or kindle unlimited as I find that I would love to continue the settings.
I found Detective Moon to be very entertaining. The entire tale had a comical feel to it with some dramatic undertones of life tossed in.
Among some of my favorites. Outstanding literary work. The characters are well developed, interesting. The liked characters are likable and the hated are unlikable. The writing is captivating enough to keep you interested until the end and leave you wanting more. It has a fairly original or uniquely well-developed plot. The pretense and romance were well balanced and done with properly distributed amounts of hints, behaviors, and chemistry. Not so much predictable if at all. Overall, loved it, I recommend reading!!
Private investigator, Samantha Moon, is a vampire. She's been struggling to keep secret and her family intact since her infection. Her new case is to find out who shot a local attorney and it seems to have ties to the supernatural world, leading Sam to unexpected answers about her own situation.
I thought this was a good introduction to the series. Admittedly, the author spends more time on how Sam struggles with her vampirism and her thoughts about her future than on the actual crime/mystery aspect of the plot. But, that all goes to character development and I liked Sam as a character. She's pretty level headed and logical, yet wants to be loved just like anyone else. I want to find out what happens to her next and how things develop with other characters in the story.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was a freebie that actually sounded interesting so I picked it up. But, once I started reading it I had to finish it as quickly as possible. It's a fast read. The story is a modern take on vampires that are "real people", meaning they do laundry, carpool and watch Judge Judy. Apparently they also have marriage problems, squabbling kids and irrational cravings for Ding Dong's.
As I said, overall I enjoyed the book. There are a few things that have annoyed me (and in the following books) and that would be the amount of repetition. We are told repeatedly that she can only drink blood, water or wine. Every time food or drink is mentioned it is repeated. Now, it's interesting the first time or two to hear that of all things she can drink white wine is one of them but not to be told repeatedly.
Also, she's constantly thinking about how good looking men are and brings it up in every interaction with another character. It's not a very female thing to do (in general) so it's a bit off-putting as a female reader. Yes, I might recognize that someone is nice looking but it's unlikely to go beyond a fleeting thought. J.R. Rain seems to feel that women constantly think about men and their attributes. Every time she meets a new character (nearly always male) the first thing we learn is what physical attributes they have and what Sam thinks of them. It doesn't matter what role the character plays, Sam is attracted to them on some level. It's a bit tedious.
Another reviewer mentioned how fleeting the interactions were with Kingsley and how quickly things moved for them and I'd have to agree. The book is short and much of it is spent explaining (and repeating) Sam's life so the actual meat of the story is limited. It's not detailed and drawn it. The telling of it is drawn out and details are given to you to pull you along but it is quite anticlimatic in the end.
I'd like to learn more about the medallion. It's brought up several times in the story and then in the end just disappears from the story. I think that it's an interesting aspect of the story and we're teased with it and then left to wonder. A lot of time and attention was spent on her developing abilities, they all come very easily to her and that's a little boring. I'd like to see her not excel at everything. She's not very real to me as a character. Yes, she's a vampire but we still need to connect with her.
I know it sounds like I don't really like the story but I did. I just find that it's not a perfect story.
I tried this book because a blog I read pointed to the author as a successful indie who did not have a backlog of traditionally published books prior to self-publishing. At 99 cents, I wasn't risking a whole lot, even though I don't usually like paranormal stories.
I was pleasantly surprised. The main character, Samantha Moon, a.k.a. Moon Dance online, was turned into a vampire six years prior to the opening of the story. She was an investigator for the F.B.I., a wife and mother. Being a vampire has made life challenging, to say the least. She has to slather on sunscreen and cover up to pick up her kids from school. Since she can only work at night, she has to give up her day job in favor of a private investigation business. This isn't about a vampire who has to spend all her time searching out victims to suck their blood. No evil overtones. Vampirism is her individual challenge that she has to work around, like Ironside in his wheelchair. An interesting turn on a genre that I don't think of as having anything interesting to say to me.
This is really more of a novella than a novel, but the price is right and I probably would have paid more for it.
I can't help but feel that first-in-series book was written as a bit of a personal fantasy by the author. The female vampire MC is at times hard to like, though other characters seem drawn to her and all too willing to declare their love for her even though they've only just met, or not even that in some cases. When placed in the position of possibly getting her children back or developing a relationship with a man she's only known a short time she doesn't exactly come off as someone trying out for parent of the year. I wonder if the author has children, because as a parent I find that a step to far even for my imagination!
The writing in this book is not brilliant, containing plenty of weak sentences and repetition. The plot is flimsy and barely retained my interest to the end; it's got some gaping holes and plenty of contradiction that made it quite frustrating to read.
I'm won't be adding J.R. Rain to my 'must read' list anytime soon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.