Review: I enjoyed Love Bleeds' blend of steamy romance and good action.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 07 7, 2011
Love Bleeds was a smexy, steamy read. I don't usually read erotica because I find myself wondering where the plot went. And while I like smex just as much as the next lady, I need plot more. However, I enjoyed Love Bleeds' blend of steamy romance and good action.Kat and Nina are the two main females in the book. Nina, whose personality is pretty great upfront, is a believer of vampires, while Kat, level-headed and strong-willed, scoffs at such ridiculous ideas. Kat and Nina are vacationing in Dublin and stumble upon a club, which just so happens to be home to a rock band of vampires. Joseph is the lead man and Phillip is the guitarist. Joseph has been around for some time, but Phillip is still fairly new to his afterlife and is not happy about his situation, at all. Until he meets Nina, of course. A woman can soothe a savage beast, right? Joseph is an interesting, serious, vampire who acts cool and collected, but he's obviously lonely and unfulfilled. He's instantly attracted to Kat, who then instantly looses her cool points. She becomes a wimp pretty quickly, which was disappointing. I know it's just a story and the plot needs to be moved along, but the `instantaneous love' was very unbelievable, especially coming from Kat. The relationship development is minimal, but that is pretty common in erotica. Who needs relationship drama when you have smutty activities to keep you busy?The characters I enjoyed most had minute roles and I found myself yearning for more of them. Nigel, the Irish bartender, has quite the personality and even performs a little bar dance for our entertainment. I was instantly interested in Lucas the bouncer, but he's in a scene or two, and gone like the wind. Max, the band's manager, is Irish and probably the most believable character of them all. He was very Papa Bear-like and I enjoyed all of his commentary and concern. As far as characterization goes, it's pretty minimal. However, the author did a fantastic job of creating a villain that makes your skin crawl and sends you whimpering in to a corner. Vampire Slade is a character that you don't want to meet in a dark alley. He is a malevolent, vindictive, merciless bastard who gets his kicks by terrorizing humans and preying upon women. We are confronted with a SOB who is out for blood and determined to take down as many people with him. He is a sick, disgusting, foul creature.The author uses multiple POVs, which I don't have a problem with. However, there are a few instances where you are in one character's head and within the same paragraph/page, you are in another character's head. It was quite confusing. Another thing I found odd was the use of the setting. The story is set in Dublin, and I was all ready for some hot Irish speak, yet we're given minimal accent and really no cultural application. All in all, this book is not one you will pick up for substance, but one you will pick up for steamy scenes and a few laughs.