What Bites in Vegas...

From the USA Today best-selling author, a vampire-meets-girl story set in the city that never sleeps-except during daylight.

He's a bloodsucking freak of nature. But, unlike other politicians, Ethan Carrick is actually a nice guy. Not to mention a very hot, wealthy, casino-owning vampire. It's an election year for vampires, which means he'll first have to escape his opponent's hit men. Then he'll have to find a suitable First Lady, preferably here in Vegas.

Brittany Baldizzi fits the bill. She's smart, pretty- and sweeter than a glass of diabetic O-Negative. But her protective sister Alexis steps in with a message for Ethan: Bite me. It's then that he realizes it's the sexy, no-nonsense Alexis who raises his stake. And as much as she denies it, Alexis wouldn't mind a romp in the coffin with him. But can a mere mortal, even one who risks her life for him, make a centuries-old, womanizing vampire feel something entirely new?

Title: High Stakes
Author: Erin McCarthy
Series: Vegas Vampires, Book 1
Start & Finished: 2/15/08
Published: 2006
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Pages: 309
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Las Vegas may be over a century old but some of it’s inhabitants are much older in Erin McCarthy’s High Stakes, the first book in her Vegas Vampires series. Very cute, fun, and funny just with added vampire politics.

Ever since the latest Vegas Vampires came out Sucker Bet, I’ve heard mention of this series but it took me awhile to finally get around to it. When I did I was pleasantly surprised because Erin McCarthy is a really great author! All of McCarthy’s characters are funny and yet they still have depth, even the minor ones. Her writing style reminded me a bit of MaryJanice Davidson and I even have to say that I almost like her better.

The main two characters Alexis and Ethan are really strong characters... by which I mean, they are both stubborn and yet likeable. I know a lot of people don’t believe in the “love at first sight” that is so prevalent in romance books but I found their story a bit more believable because of the setting. People and obviously vampires, fall in love in Vegas every day!

High Stakes introduces you to all the characters and doesn’t focus too heavily on the romance between Ethan and Alexis and in doing so kind of stretches itself a little too thin in places. My biggest complaint however, is that the book throws too much information at you and then doesn’t resolve itself by the end of the book. You have to read the next book in the series to find out what happens and there is a big difference between setting up the audience so they’ll want to read the next book and leaving loose ends dangling. This book kind of toes the line a bit, however, I was willing to overlook my little nitpicks because this is just such an interesting and funny series!

I was able to find a 2006 interview at All About Romance Novels with Erin McCarthy which mentions the books she had coming out that year (including High Stakes). Romance Novel TV also has an interview but it’s a video interview (sorry you have to click the link to get to it).

Vegas Vampire Series:
High Stakes
Bit the Jackpot
Bled Dry
Sucker Bet