Vegas Vampires Books 2-4

Author: Erin McCarthy
Series: The Vegas Vampires, Books 2-4
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Genre: Paranormal Romance

The USA Today bestselling author of High Stakes returns to Sin City, where you can get bitten by the gambling bug or by the sexiest vampire you've ever seen...

Politics makes strange coffinfellows. Vampire Seamus Fox is supposed to be the campaign manager for a Vampire Nation presidential candidate. But instead, finds himself running around Vegas, keeping tabs on the candidate's wife and female entourage.

Seamus has had his fill of women. A disastrous and deadly love affair has haunted him for over two centuries. Talk about baggage. But suddenly he finds himself obsessed by a mysterious stripper who dances behind a screen. The sultryyet shy Cara Kim whets his appetite for more. But leave it to Seamus to fall fangs over feet for that rarest of Vegas attractions... a good girl.

After a sudden runin on the street, though, they may soon have a lot more in common...

Title: Bit the Jackpot
Start & Finished: 3/13/08-3/14/08
Published: 2006
Pages: 304

A celibate vampire and a virgin stripper make up the unlikely pair in Erin McCarthy’s Bit the Jackpot, the second story in her paranormal romance Vegas Vampires series. Seamus Fox is the campaign manager from the first book High Stakes who is undeniably sexy but also a bit of a prude... until he met Cara Kim.

Erin McCarthy did such a fantastic job creating such an entertaining plot with even more interesting characters than in her first paranormal romance High Stakes that I had to read the next book in the series. Besides, she left a few things unresolved that I was curious about such as who won the vampire election (which still isn’t solved by the end of the story) and whether the people who tried to kill off some of the characters ever got caught.

Yes there are a few groan worthy moments, even quite a few predictable moments but McCarthy’s stories are also very sexy and hilarious (I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a vampire walking his girlfriend’s dog, have you?). The characters are strong, even the minor characters but I did think it was a little odd how some minor characters overshadowed others. Alex’s sister Brittany (who is the main character in the next story Bled Dry) takes a backseat to the scatterbrained (or as Seamus puts it “child/puppy/porn star) Kelsey a few times.

At least in Bit the Jackpot the major story plot ends and you don’t need to read the next story to find out what happens. The problems coming up are hinted at though. I doubt anyone would want to stop reading this series in the middle but this romance can stand alone. A refreshingly light read.

Only in Vegas can a on-night stand with a vampire beat the odds-from the national bestselling author of Bit the Jackpot and High Stakes...

Hooking up with a vampire has its risks- but getting pregnant usually isn't one of them. Tell that to Brittany Baldizzi, who finds herself in the family way with no father in sight. After their one night of passion, vampire Corbin Jean Michel Atelier disappeared off the face of the earthor at least off the Vegas strip...

Corbin is a vampire with a cause, secretly trying to find a cure for his condition. But when he finds out Brittany is pregnant with his child, Corbin can't keep his parental instincts from trumping his bloodsucking ones. Even when showing his hand could cost him the woman he can't help but love...

Title: Bled Dry
Start & Finished: 3/14/08-3/15/08
Published: 2007
Pages: 288

Poor Brittany! As of being pregnant from a one night stand with a vampire who hates what he is and is searching for a cure isn’t stressing enough, her child will be the first known threequarter vampire in history. The third story in Erin McCarthy’s funny, light paranormal romance Bled Dry is all about the unexpected and how the Vegas vamps overcome the hurdles thrown at them.

I liked this book but if I was to pick one of the stories in the series as my least favorite Brittany and Corbin’s would have to be it (and if this was the first story I doubt I would have continued the series). Not that it’s not hilarious and even has some cool scenes (like when Brittany gets kidnaped) but compared to the others it just falls short. I guess it’s because Corbin strikes me as a scientist and not really a vampire.

Skipping a book in a series is never an option for me but I really wouldn’t recommend doing it in the Vegas Vampires series since each book takes previous things and continues with it (the vampire election is won during this story). Plus you get to find out what Ethan, Alex, Seamus, Cara, Kelsey, and Ringo are all up to and that’s worth going with Brittany and Corbin to parenting classes any day.

A night of indulgence...

Gwenna Carrick is a woman with a history- 900 years of it. As the vampiress ex-wife of the notorious vampire Robert Donatelli, she has to keep a low profile. Not easy when she's bathed in the neon glow of Las Vegas- especially when there's a whole online group of vampire slayers bent on dealing her her last hand.

Can feel like eternity...

A wild night with a stranger was not in the cards for Gwenna. But that's exactly what happened when she met the ruggedly handsome detective Nate Thomas. Their passion made her feel... well alive again. But when Donatelli catches wind of the tryst, he's determined to clean house, with Nate the first on his to- off list. Gwenna knows she hit the jackpot with Nate and won't let her ex stand in the way. But the two soon realize they have far more enemies than Donatelli - both on the Strip and underground...

Title: Sucker Bet
Start & Finished: 3/15/08
Published: 2008
Pages: 304

The fourth and current story in Erin McCarthy’s fang-tastic Vegas Vampire series; Sucker Bet, follows the story of Gwenna Carrick (sister to the vampire president Ethan, who starred in the first story High Stakes) and a cop named Nate as the fall for one another in the entertainment capital of the world.

Gwenna is one of my favorite vampires in this series because after spending over half of her life (or is that un-life?) living in a drafty old castle and hiding from the world; well mainly her ex-husband, she’s ready to get a backbone and start having fun! Besides, all of the other books in this series are about a male vampire finding their mate and it’s about time a vampiress took the lead.

Sucker Bet was another fine example at how well the author can juggle her minor characters and their subplots (a lot of loose ends are tied up, someone gets married, a few people die, and there is even a mystery) but it never becomes confusing. I sincerely hope McCarthy does continue this series someday but until then I guess I’m just going to have to enjoy her many other books (including her decadent Sin series).

The Vegas Vampires Series: High Stakes, Bit the Jackpot, Bled Dry, Sucker Bet

Erin’s personal page has a few FAQ about the series and there’s an interesting interview about why the author (and her characters) love Vegas. The vampire band The Impalers in Sucker Bet became an actual real life band when Erin McCarthy and Kathy Love approached a local New Orleans band with the idea and the rest is history. In their official website you can find out more about the band as well as read excerpts from the books and the online serial too.