Stake and Dust

I received a copy of Stake and Dust by Karen Michelle Nutt from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first book by Karen Michelle Nutt that I have read, but I was intrigued by the summary and glad that I received a copy to preview as I am happy to report that the book did not disappoint.

Yes, the plot was a little predictable and the lead characters (Cassandra Hayes and Tremayne Graystone) made me want to jump into the pages to shake both of them, but it was a fun read - and a quick read. A good fantasy novel to unwind with!

I wasn’t sure quite what to expect with this book, but I should have known this author would deliver, and deliver she did. Stake and Dust is less intense than other books I have read by this author, and the lightness lends itself to the storyline. It’s almost a bad joke: A vampire hunter and a vampire meet in a bar… Haha! Make that a vampire hunter who is trying to prove to her family that she can ‘go it alone’ and a vampire, pretending to be human; combine that with a strong attraction, and you have the makings of a funny ‘what will they do next’ type of story.
This author has a truly addictive writing style that just sucks you in. It is relaxed but action-packed. Light but emotional. Her characters are always well developed, and Cassandra and ‘Mr Green’ are no exception. Although, I think my favourites may have been Tremayne’s bar groupies. Those are two added another element to the story with their wisecracks.
I’d highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys supernatural fantasy with a good splash of romance, and quite a few laughs.

A Lamia, a sea creature worthy of John Keats' prose, teams up with a vampire with serial tendencies. When young promising artists are found dead, the Preternatural Bureau sends Cassandra Hayes to the Hamptons to help a fellow hunter track down this lethal duo. She's only spoken to Mr. Green once on the phone and when she meets him in person, he is not what she expects. His hunting skills are spot on, but there is something the man is hiding, and she's determined to find out what it is despite the attraction developing between them. Tremayne Graystone, a vampire from one of the oldest septs, is not pleased when he finds a dead hunter left on the doorstep of his pub. He should have never answered the hunter's phone, but someone is trying to frame him and he wants answers. Surely he can masquerade as Mr. Green, the hunter Cassandra is supposed to meet, before she figures out his true identity and stakes him. She's a Hayes, from a long line of vampire hunters, and fraternizing with the enemy is simply not done, but as they work together and follow the clues, the lines become blurred when he falls for the hunter's charms.
The book was decent. The plot was not bad. I liked both main characters. I recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

Now that was an interesting read. Left me with a bit of a craving, of course, but quite enjoyable even so.

Cassandra Hayes and Tremayne Graystone end up working together to solve a series of murders when the latter answers the phone of a hunter found dead at his doorstep. Pretending to be a human, the vampire finds himself in a terrible dilemma as Ms. Hayes is someone he's quickly becoming addicted to - and he knows there is no telling what will happen once he tells her the truth of who he really is, especially since she comes from a family of vampire hunters.

OK, this was an intriguing story, and admittedly I was hooked from the start. The plot was nice and the pace just right, plus the cast of characters made things even better and more aesthetic, with their many different personalities and the witty dialogues. (Sheerin, especially, was my personal favorite - hey, I find him hot, back off!)

However, what cost the book two stars from perfection - and really, what a downer - was the fact that there was no final... physical confrontation of the main couple's feelings. So much sexual tension, and, at least from Tremayne's side, not exactly subtle - the guy wanted Cassandra, and it was obvious as hell - yet no... action. And no satisfaction for yours truly, you all know how I feel about unresolved business on the matter. For God's sake, a man as wonderful and sensual as Tremayne deserves some action between the sheets, don't you agree?

But that's just personal preference and taste, so don't mind me. I'm actually planning on reading more books from this series and this author - the storytelling was good enough to have me come back for more, at the very least, and that's commendable.

***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***