Luscious Craving by Cameron Dean

rating (Candace Steele Vampire Killer, #2)
Paranormal Romance

WHERE’S THERE’S BLOOD, THERE’S PASSION

Sexy vampire killer Candace Steele is back on the Las Vegas strip and determined to steer clear of Ash, the seductive vampire whose smoldering allure begs her to surrender to the dark side. But determination may not be enough when Candace’s job at the glitzy Scheherazade casino drives her right into the center of Ash’s deadly domain, for there are rumors of a New Year’s Eve vampire assault on the casino, and only Candace can stop it.

With the clock ticking down to the fateful night, Candace isn’t sure if she can resist the overwhelming desire she feels for Ash, but she has run out of choices. She must go to Ash for help; even though she knows that the price he’ll expect in return is nothing less than her body and her soul.




Even if I was in a paranormal romance mood big time when I read this, I still wasn’t in the mood to being crowded by sex scenes right off the bat. Luscious cravings lives up to its name with a sexual dream in the first chapter, and continuing sexual episodes of some kind almost every chapter thereafter. Still, I could skim and ignore it since there was an actual plot at the same time, plenty at stake, tense motions, and a hurried pace.

It opens with the heroine still reeling from a traumatic event with a vampire she fell for, shaking off her urges to be with the guy and lead a somewhat normal life, or else normal for her. She’s now turned to being a low-key vamp assassin while continuing her job as a cocktail waitress in the local casino. She can’t ignore much for long, though, as vampire politics start inching into her work and she has to face up to everything she’s been fighting to avoid so she can overcome it.

The ending leaves off with a bit of frustration and a lot of unanswered questions urging the reader to pick up the third. Skimming reviews, I saw enough of the third revealed to be glad for once that there are spoilers so I know to avoid it. The ending of the trilogy apparently angered a lot of people, and I can only be glad of my emotional investment being slight by reading the second, not the first and not the third. With that turnout, it won’t be a trilogy I’ll complete. I already get pissed enough at books as it is.

Candace is a likeable villain, even if she’s controlled a little too much by her hormones. She doesn’t make stupid decisions, she faces most things head on, but she really needs to fight the sexual itch sometimes. Ash is awesome but a lot of his involvement with the story leaves so many questions and answers waiting to be revealed. There’s a lot of serious bad at play with other characters, which I’m assuming is wrapped up with the third.

Despite some flaws, I did enjoy it and the reading was quick. Plenty kept happening, my interest was hooked, and even though the bedroom scenes were frequent, they were actually well written with a hot touch. It's worth a read for Paranormal fans, but I think you'd get a better grasp of the characters reading the first book before starting this one. Just be aware the third will likely irritate you.


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