Maggie O’Brien is thrilled when she lands a starring role on the Digital Vampire Network’s hottest soap opera, As the Vampire Turns. Doesn’t hurt that her leading man is Don Orlando de Corazon, the greatest lover in the vampire world! But who is Don Orlando really? Nobody knows, not even Don Orlando. As the couple sets out in search of his mysterious past, “home for the holidays” takes on a new meaning when the recently-turned vamp discovers his own Christmas miracle.
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Sexual Content - 3/5
3/5
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Violence - 1/5
1/5
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Language - 2/5
2/5
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Drugs and Alcohol - 1/5
1/5
Summary
A Very Vampy Christmas is a cute, holiday¬themed addition to the Love at Stake series. I honestly didn't care much for Don Orlando, the infamous Latin vampire lover and soap opera star. In the previous book of the series, he came off as a comically melodramatic playboy who sleeps with nearly every woman he meets, but this short story shows a wholenew side to him that I didn't expect. Readers get to find out that he's not the man we thought he was, and in fact, he has a very sympathetic and mysterious past. He turns out to be a really stand¬up guy who truly is worthy of Maggie's love. I really liked Maggie when she was introduced as Darcy's friend in Vamps and the City. She struck me as a kind, caring woman whose story of being turned vampire tugs at the heartstrings. She had a mad crush on Don Orlando, and wanted nothing more than to become his leading lady. Well, she got her wish, but he didn't end up being all she thought he would be, which broke her heart. Once he starts opening up to her though about his past, she wants nothing more than to help him find his family in hopes of reconciling with them in time for Christmas. A Very Vampy Christmas has a delightful cast of secondary characters. Ian, one of the Scottish guards, helps Maggie and Don Orlando with their investigation. Between his Scottish accent and kilt and him not being able to get people to believe he's not a kid but a centuries¬old vampire, this guy is adorable. I can't wait for his book, All I Want for Christmas is a Vampire. We get to meet the New Orleans coven master, and two transvestite vampires who are a total hoot. Don Orlando's family ends up being a mixed bag of personalities who were a lot of fun too. This novella had a few weaknesses. The romance was sweet, but it would have been nice to have a littlemore build up. The one brief love scene felt kind of rushed too. The Christmas theme only orbits the periphery of the story with very little actual celebration of the holiday present. The supposed family curse wasn't very well explained either, but overall, A Very Vampy Christmas was an entertaining diversion that I enjoyed reading. A Very Vampy Christmas can be purchased as a standalone novella in e¬book format and can also be found in the print anthology, Sugarplums and Scandal. Review provided by The Hope Chest Reviews (http://www.thcreviews.com)