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romancejunkie1025's review
4.0
Tall, Dark, and Vampire is a wonderful addition to any reader’s shelf, but fans of the Amoveo series will find it especially great to read. Full of the humor that you always experience with Humphreys’ writing but with a bit of a darker twist, there is love and passion, action and discovery, reunions and changes, Olivia and Doug’s story is worth every second. Doug and Olivia are so obviously soul mates that experiencing their fears and watching them deal with their issues shows that even the most powerful and deadly beings are as human as the rest of us in the end. It was also great to meet other individuals in Olivia’s world, maybe giving us a glimpse of future stories in the series. I am glad I gave this spin-off a chance and look forward to reading the next story, though I will look forward to reading future possible Amoveo stories too. Keep them coming Ms. Humphreys!
Rating: 4.5 stars
For full review see my blog at: http://romancewitchreviews.blogspot.com/2013/07/arc-review-tall-dark-and-vamprie.html
Rating: 4.5 stars
For full review see my blog at: http://romancewitchreviews.blogspot.com/2013/07/arc-review-tall-dark-and-vamprie.html
inmyhumbleopinion's review
5.0
Tall, Dark, and Vampire is the first in a spin-off series by the fab Sara Humphreys. I’ll admit it took a bit for me to get into it but once I did I couldn’t put it down. The characters are engaging and the story sucks you into a world of vampires, shape shifters and other creatures that go bump in the night. Because it is a spin-off you don’t have that awkward getting to know the world that the story takes place in. The author is already comfortable there and even if you haven’t read any of her other books you will be comfortable there too. The story is fast paced and will keep you wondering just what is going to happen next.
shannon_cocktailsandbooks's review
4.0
Olivia has been a vampire for 300 years she has made the best of it and does what she can to help those who are in need of help. She runs a nightclub in NYC called of all things The Coven and she and her small coven work and live there. She was in love when she was turned and her one true love was killed so the entire time Olivia has been a vampire she has also been celibate. Olivia is also a bit unusual in other ways for instance about 20 years ago she started dreaming very hot, sexy dreams about her love the thing is vampires don't dream.
Doug is a cop, a homicide detective, he is good at his job but he can never keep a relationship going with any woman. Doug's problem is that no woman can live up to the smokin' red-head he has dreamed about forever. When he comes across the woman of his dreams she just happens to be all wrapped up in a murder investigation. What's a guy to do.
I loved the perfect mix of murder mystery and hot romance that Tall, Dark and Vampire has. We get an awesome paranormal love story that gives us true love with a side of reincarnation. The push/pull of the hero and heroine not only being on different sides of a murder investigation but also mortal/vampire makes for a lot of juicy dilemmas and plot twists, the whole while there is a sick-o out killing young people who have been out dancing at The Coven and Olivia and Doug must stop it. This has just the right mix of humor, sex, suspense, love and duty. Overall a really great read.
Reviewed by Carin for Cocktails and Books
Doug is a cop, a homicide detective, he is good at his job but he can never keep a relationship going with any woman. Doug's problem is that no woman can live up to the smokin' red-head he has dreamed about forever. When he comes across the woman of his dreams she just happens to be all wrapped up in a murder investigation. What's a guy to do.
I loved the perfect mix of murder mystery and hot romance that Tall, Dark and Vampire has. We get an awesome paranormal love story that gives us true love with a side of reincarnation. The push/pull of the hero and heroine not only being on different sides of a murder investigation but also mortal/vampire makes for a lot of juicy dilemmas and plot twists, the whole while there is a sick-o out killing young people who have been out dancing at The Coven and Olivia and Doug must stop it. This has just the right mix of humor, sex, suspense, love and duty. Overall a really great read.
Reviewed by Carin for Cocktails and Books
booklovinmamas's review
5.0
Review also posted on Book Lovin' Mamas
Tall, Dark, and Vampire has now become my favorite book from Sara Humphreys (of course knowing Sara, I will end up loving the next book even more...I have a hard time deciding since her books always manage to capture my interest the minute I read the first page). This debut book into her new series, Dead in the City, was speculator from beginning to end. I had already loved the character Olivia from Undone, and I was intrigued to find out more about her in Tall, Dark, and Vampire and who she ended up with.
I give this book 5 full moons and highly recommend it to paranormal romance readers out there and readers who love reading vampire romances.
Tall, Dark, and Vampire has now become my favorite book from Sara Humphreys (of course knowing Sara, I will end up loving the next book even more...I have a hard time deciding since her books always manage to capture my interest the minute I read the first page). This debut book into her new series, Dead in the City, was speculator from beginning to end. I had already loved the character Olivia from Undone, and I was intrigued to find out more about her in Tall, Dark, and Vampire and who she ended up with.
I give this book 5 full moons and highly recommend it to paranormal romance readers out there and readers who love reading vampire romances.
josiee19's review
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Good paranormal romance that had me smiling and giddy in all the right ways but lacking in character development and the plot was a bit thin.
loverofromance's review
4.0
This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.
First Impressions
Tall Dark and Vampire is an interesting read and I was quite curious to see what this author would do here. I do know that this series and the Amoveo series are loosely connected. I have had this one on my kindle for quite a long while, but I really was in the mood for a paranormal and it’s been a while since I have indulged in a vampire romance. And unfortunately, this one didn’t quite work out for me as many of this authors’ books have. So I was disappointed in this reading. I had such higher expectations than what I received in this book here. I will say that the first half of the story is solid, I went into this book really enjoying it but the middle of the story just fell flat, and not until the end did it wrap up nicely. So while I will always recommend this author and even this series (I read book 3 in the series a while ago and it was a five star read for me) so I think it just wasn’t a fully consistent read in what I expected but a solid story was delivered here.
Summary
The story sets off with our heroine, Olivia Hollingsworth, who has been having dreams for the past twenty years of a man she once knew, the love of her life who was killed when she was turned into a vampire. But now its been three hundred years and vampires shouldn’t have dreams, but she is experiencing them with more intensity. Olivia is head of her coven, but when there is a human that is killed and one of her vampires in her coven is the prime suspect she comes face to face with a cop and the man she has been dreaming of, who is the spitting image of her long lost love….Doug Paxton. Doug is human and is a police officer and detective, and he is determined to find out who is brutally killing humans, but there is an intense connection that he feels for Olivia and while he suspects she knows more than she is letting on, he also can’t deny what he is feeling for her. But when they are attacked and his partner is murdered and he has almost killed himself, Olivia saves his life but it comes at a cost, he is now a vampire and he is full of feelings of anger and hurt towards Olivia. Even if he doesn’t understand this new world he is living in, he also can’t deny the feelings he has for this vibrant woman that seems to know him more than anyone else ever has. But as Olivia and Doug work together to find out why there are so many rogue vampires being made, they also could be in more trouble than they realize…..
What I Loved
There were quite a few elements to this story that I actually really enjoyed here, and I was so drawn to this story here. I especially drawn to the reincarnation aspect of the story. My heart just broke for our heroine, who just has so much depth of love for Doug and he has no memory of her. She also is experiencing evidence of being a bloodmate to Doug which certain leadership of the vampire league find threatening because if you have a blooded mate, you can walk in the sun. I really was so interested by the set up of this story and seeing the way that the author built up the certain vampire plot device that was developed in the story. I did have a fun time with Olvia’s coven and the vampires that she is over. She definitely has her hands full with some of them. But she was such a wonderful heroine, in how she is a true leader and balances out firmness with love and affection. And she always has faith in her love to Doug. Even when he has anger towards her, she is so gracious with him and I truly admired her as the heroine of the story. There are aspects of the hero that I did enjoy. I admired that he was always willing to do that right thing and even be willing to sacrifice himself if need be. He is a fighter and I did like how well he takes to being a vampire once he gets over his anger.
What I Struggled With
There was only one aspect of the story that I truly struggled with here and that is the hero.. I struggled with his character so much. Once he gets turned he gets so angry and bitter towards Olivia and I just couldn’t understand it especially when she saved his life. He just puts all the blame on her shoulders and I could understand at first being angry or hurt at losing yourself, but to be honest, I struggled with his character at times for much of the book and when he turns against Olivia I just couldn’t reconcile enjoying his character enough as it took much enjoyment from the story.
Overall View
Tall Dark and Vampire is a sexy, heart-filled paranormal romance that sets up the series in a thrilling tale of vampire lore, a fated love, and a second chance story to deliver a satisfying turnout.
This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.
First Impressions
Tall Dark and Vampire is an interesting read and I was quite curious to see what this author would do here. I do know that this series and the Amoveo series are loosely connected. I have had this one on my kindle for quite a long while, but I really was in the mood for a paranormal and it’s been a while since I have indulged in a vampire romance. And unfortunately, this one didn’t quite work out for me as many of this authors’ books have. So I was disappointed in this reading. I had such higher expectations than what I received in this book here. I will say that the first half of the story is solid, I went into this book really enjoying it but the middle of the story just fell flat, and not until the end did it wrap up nicely. So while I will always recommend this author and even this series (I read book 3 in the series a while ago and it was a five star read for me) so I think it just wasn’t a fully consistent read in what I expected but a solid story was delivered here.
Summary
The story sets off with our heroine, Olivia Hollingsworth, who has been having dreams for the past twenty years of a man she once knew, the love of her life who was killed when she was turned into a vampire. But now its been three hundred years and vampires shouldn’t have dreams, but she is experiencing them with more intensity. Olivia is head of her coven, but when there is a human that is killed and one of her vampires in her coven is the prime suspect she comes face to face with a cop and the man she has been dreaming of, who is the spitting image of her long lost love….Doug Paxton. Doug is human and is a police officer and detective, and he is determined to find out who is brutally killing humans, but there is an intense connection that he feels for Olivia and while he suspects she knows more than she is letting on, he also can’t deny what he is feeling for her. But when they are attacked and his partner is murdered and he has almost killed himself, Olivia saves his life but it comes at a cost, he is now a vampire and he is full of feelings of anger and hurt towards Olivia. Even if he doesn’t understand this new world he is living in, he also can’t deny the feelings he has for this vibrant woman that seems to know him more than anyone else ever has. But as Olivia and Doug work together to find out why there are so many rogue vampires being made, they also could be in more trouble than they realize…..
What I Loved
There were quite a few elements to this story that I actually really enjoyed here, and I was so drawn to this story here. I especially drawn to the reincarnation aspect of the story. My heart just broke for our heroine, who just has so much depth of love for Doug and he has no memory of her. She also is experiencing evidence of being a bloodmate to Doug which certain leadership of the vampire league find threatening because if you have a blooded mate, you can walk in the sun. I really was so interested by the set up of this story and seeing the way that the author built up the certain vampire plot device that was developed in the story. I did have a fun time with Olvia’s coven and the vampires that she is over. She definitely has her hands full with some of them. But she was such a wonderful heroine, in how she is a true leader and balances out firmness with love and affection. And she always has faith in her love to Doug. Even when he has anger towards her, she is so gracious with him and I truly admired her as the heroine of the story. There are aspects of the hero that I did enjoy. I admired that he was always willing to do that right thing and even be willing to sacrifice himself if need be. He is a fighter and I did like how well he takes to being a vampire once he gets over his anger.
What I Struggled With
There was only one aspect of the story that I truly struggled with here and that is the hero.. I struggled with his character so much. Once he gets turned he gets so angry and bitter towards Olivia and I just couldn’t understand it especially when she saved his life. He just puts all the blame on her shoulders and I could understand at first being angry or hurt at losing yourself, but to be honest, I struggled with his character at times for much of the book and when he turns against Olivia I just couldn’t reconcile enjoying his character enough as it took much enjoyment from the story.
Overall View
Tall Dark and Vampire is a sexy, heart-filled paranormal romance that sets up the series in a thrilling tale of vampire lore, a fated love, and a second chance story to deliver a satisfying turnout.
tarana's review
3.0
This was a good story, but an ok read. I'm just not into the vampire erotica thing, so my last book by this author. However, if you LIKE this sort of paranormal thing, you will probably enjoy it.
zimebelle's review
3.0
Been awhile since read a good ole vamp tale. Like the modern paranormal world building and that it was our leading lady who was our fang lead.
lisajo85's review
3.0
Sara Humphreys' first installment in this spin-off series from her Amoveo novels is unfortunately brief and unconvincing. While the world building and passion will leave readers breathless, TALL, DARK AND VAMPIRE just isn't the most believable romance.
Olivia tries to live a normal life...well, normal considering she is a vampire running a nightclub in New York City. She has spent the last three hundred years pining for the one true love she lost in a brutal murder, but she doesn't know fate has a huge surprise in store for her. When Detective Doug Paxton walks into her club, Olivia is reunited with the man she swore to love for eternity.
Doug may not remember loving Olivia in his past life, but he knows he is finally face to face with the woman that has invaded his dreams for years. As he tries to focus on finding the person responsible for the brutal killings near Olivia's club, he can't help but wonder why she feels so familiar to him. Fate has brought them together again, but this time Olivia won't let anything tear them apart.
If I were to dissect this book in multiple parts, there were plenty of things that I loved. The characters are fun and well crafted, adding interesting personalities to this paranormal world. The people that Olivia surrounded herself with made a great and unique family. They were charming, humorous characters and gave the novel a lighthearted feel. A few will be familiar to fans of Sara Humphreys' Amoveo series, but new readers will have no trouble jumping right into the action.
Another thing I appreciated was the world building. The author uses general vampire lore...some that is kept in traditional form and other things that she gave her own unique twist. It kept this particular journey into the paranormal genre interesting and fresh. TALL, DARK AND VAMPIRE spends plenty of time involved in the action and excitement from this classic good versus evil tale. The lives of her vampire hierarchy and the dark world were beautifully descriptive, leaving me eager to learn how it would develop throughout this series.
The passion and chemistry between Olivia and Doug was delectable. Sara Humphreys can write steamy love scenes that leave you short of breath, but the romance to support it just left me confused. The first half of the book, the two protagonists hardly spent any time together and the second half had too much going on to develop a solid romance. The premise of this instant love connection was supported by a reincarnation plot. I loved this in theory, but it could have been developed and explained just a little bit more. I found myself wanting to know more about Doug's previous life with Olivia and why their bond was so strong now. Yet in TALL, DARK AND VAMPIRE, I felt like I was just supposed to believe they were meant to be together, with nothing to support it.
I read nearly 300 pages, but for as far as the story developing, I felt like I read half that. It seemed as if the lengthy descriptions of the world building left the main characters looking a little flat. Their justifications for various actions throughout the novel just did not match. Doug for instance was furious about his change in circumstances halfway through the book, but one chapter later he miraculously understood everything and all was forgiven. He seemed to move through the motions way too quickly and left me wishing I understood why.
If I didn't have such high expectations for the romance, TALL, DARK, AND VAMPIRE would have been a stellar read for me. The excitement and action from this dramatic vampire world certainly left me satisfied and curious to know more. I would like to believe my disappointment in Doug and Olivia's romance was just a fluke in this case. I was charmed by this undead family and as this series develops, I would love to get to know them all better.
Lisa Jo @ The Romance Reviews
Olivia tries to live a normal life...well, normal considering she is a vampire running a nightclub in New York City. She has spent the last three hundred years pining for the one true love she lost in a brutal murder, but she doesn't know fate has a huge surprise in store for her. When Detective Doug Paxton walks into her club, Olivia is reunited with the man she swore to love for eternity.
Doug may not remember loving Olivia in his past life, but he knows he is finally face to face with the woman that has invaded his dreams for years. As he tries to focus on finding the person responsible for the brutal killings near Olivia's club, he can't help but wonder why she feels so familiar to him. Fate has brought them together again, but this time Olivia won't let anything tear them apart.
If I were to dissect this book in multiple parts, there were plenty of things that I loved. The characters are fun and well crafted, adding interesting personalities to this paranormal world. The people that Olivia surrounded herself with made a great and unique family. They were charming, humorous characters and gave the novel a lighthearted feel. A few will be familiar to fans of Sara Humphreys' Amoveo series, but new readers will have no trouble jumping right into the action.
Another thing I appreciated was the world building. The author uses general vampire lore...some that is kept in traditional form and other things that she gave her own unique twist. It kept this particular journey into the paranormal genre interesting and fresh. TALL, DARK AND VAMPIRE spends plenty of time involved in the action and excitement from this classic good versus evil tale. The lives of her vampire hierarchy and the dark world were beautifully descriptive, leaving me eager to learn how it would develop throughout this series.
The passion and chemistry between Olivia and Doug was delectable. Sara Humphreys can write steamy love scenes that leave you short of breath, but the romance to support it just left me confused. The first half of the book, the two protagonists hardly spent any time together and the second half had too much going on to develop a solid romance. The premise of this instant love connection was supported by a reincarnation plot. I loved this in theory, but it could have been developed and explained just a little bit more. I found myself wanting to know more about Doug's previous life with Olivia and why their bond was so strong now. Yet in TALL, DARK AND VAMPIRE, I felt like I was just supposed to believe they were meant to be together, with nothing to support it.
I read nearly 300 pages, but for as far as the story developing, I felt like I read half that. It seemed as if the lengthy descriptions of the world building left the main characters looking a little flat. Their justifications for various actions throughout the novel just did not match. Doug for instance was furious about his change in circumstances halfway through the book, but one chapter later he miraculously understood everything and all was forgiven. He seemed to move through the motions way too quickly and left me wishing I understood why.
If I didn't have such high expectations for the romance, TALL, DARK, AND VAMPIRE would have been a stellar read for me. The excitement and action from this dramatic vampire world certainly left me satisfied and curious to know more. I would like to believe my disappointment in Doug and Olivia's romance was just a fluke in this case. I was charmed by this undead family and as this series develops, I would love to get to know them all better.
Lisa Jo @ The Romance Reviews
wilovebooks's review
5.0
Vampires, action, and romance. I loved Olivia. She's a 300 year old vampire who can take care of herself, though she still pines for her lost love. Doug is a detective and good at what he does and he's shocked when he meets the literal woman of his dreams. There were so many great characters. This book kept me reading too long because I couldn't put it down. I need more of this series. The only good thing about waiting too long to read a book is having the next book to read right away. If you like vampires, do yourself a favor and try this one.