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Half-Moon Hollow #1.5
Driving Mr. Dead
A standalone novella introducing a new side of Half Moon Hollow—featuring a freewheeling courier and the stuffy vampire she has to transport.Miranda Puckett has failed at every job she’s ever had. Her mother just wants her to come home, join the family law firm, and settle down with Jason, the perfect lawyer boyfriend. But when Jason turns out to be a lying cheater, Miranda seizes on a job that gets her out of long-distance vampire transportation. Her first assignment is to drive vampire Collin Sutherland from Washington to sleepy Half Moon Hollow without incident—no small feat for a woman whom trouble seems to follow like a faithful hound dog! And she has to do it without letting her passenger—the most persnickety, stuffy, devastatingly handsome vamp she’s ever met—drive her crazy. As she and Collin find disaster on the roads, they also find an undeniable spark between them. Could Miranda have found the perfect job and the perfect guy for her?
194 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 27, 2011
159 people are currently reading
2976 people want to read
About the author
Molly Harper
61 books8,166 followersMolly Harper is the author of more than 40 romance titles including the Half-Moon Hollow series, the Mystic Bayou, the Starfall Point series, and her first murder mystery, A PROPOSAL TO DIE FOR. She lives in Michigan with her family. For more information, go to www.mollyharper.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 685 reviews
September 21, 2013
Is there any such thing as a "road book"? If there is, this is definitely it. Miranda, who through no fault of her own has failed at just about every job she has put her hand to takes a job driving a vampzilla (I made that word up...it means a difficult and demanding vampire...I made it up so I get to say what it means) from Washington to Kentucky.
Just about every thing that can go wrong, goes wrong up to and including the complete destruction of their car.
As they cross the country, Collin (the aforementioned vampire) softens and their relationship develops from awkwardly formal to casually friendly.
Molly Harper writes light and fluffy books. She does occasionally venture into the more dramatic but never moves too far from what she does best....books filled with clever and witty banter, ridiculous situations and loveable characters.
Just about every thing that can go wrong, goes wrong up to and including the complete destruction of their car.
As they cross the country, Collin (the aforementioned vampire) softens and their relationship develops from awkwardly formal to casually friendly.
Molly Harper writes light and fluffy books. She does occasionally venture into the more dramatic but never moves too far from what she does best....books filled with clever and witty banter, ridiculous situations and loveable characters.
August 10, 2012
This was a cute, flirty, and humorous vampire-lite romance. The career-challenged Miranda Puckett must drive the gorgeous but seriously uptight vampire Collin Sutherland across country to deliver a secret and valuable package. Mishap after mishap ensues! Imagine 'Trains, Planes and Automobiles', but instead with the romantic duo who at first didn't care much for each other. This one made me laugh.
I listened to this one on audio, but I'd recommend you just read it. I enjoy Molly Harper's writing voice, and the story delivered. But I didn't enjoy the audio-book narrators voice nearly as much. The male voice for Collin drove me nuts, he sounded like a dork and not a hot sexy vampire. The rest of the narration was excellent though, I thought her 'Miranda' was well done.
I listened to this one on audio, but I'd recommend you just read it. I enjoy Molly Harper's writing voice, and the story delivered. But I didn't enjoy the audio-book narrators voice nearly as much. The male voice for Collin drove me nuts, he sounded like a dork and not a hot sexy vampire. The rest of the narration was excellent though, I thought her 'Miranda' was well done.
November 25, 2019
Some plausibility issues but lots of fun.
August 8, 2012
Quick review:
Cover: Fitting
Rating: NC-17
Steaminess: Steamy
Thumbs Up: 4
Overall: Almost felt like a Jane redo but still good
Characters: Well written
Plot: It did feel like Chevy Chase’s vacation.
Page Turner: Yes
Series Cont.? Yes
Recommend: Yes
Book Boyfriend: Colin
SUMMARY (50 words or less)
This wasn’t slap your knee funny all the way through, but it had it’s moments. Molly Harper has a way of delivering one liners that will make you laugh out loud to the chagrin of those around you. This was shorter than a novel but definitely long enough.
To see my full review and yummy pic, check out my blog post below.
http://mybookboyfriend.blogspot.com/2...
Audio Review
Amanda Ronconi does a great job with Molly Harper’s books. She is well timed at delivering lines that will make you burst out laughing. The only thing, the voices she used for the leads were the same ones she uses for Jane and Gabriel. Thus I had an adjustment period in the beginning of the book.
Cover: Fitting
Rating: NC-17
Steaminess: Steamy
Thumbs Up: 4
Overall: Almost felt like a Jane redo but still good
Characters: Well written
Plot: It did feel like Chevy Chase’s vacation.
Page Turner: Yes
Series Cont.? Yes
Recommend: Yes
Book Boyfriend: Colin
SUMMARY (50 words or less)
This wasn’t slap your knee funny all the way through, but it had it’s moments. Molly Harper has a way of delivering one liners that will make you laugh out loud to the chagrin of those around you. This was shorter than a novel but definitely long enough.
To see my full review and yummy pic, check out my blog post below.
http://mybookboyfriend.blogspot.com/2...
Audio Review
Amanda Ronconi does a great job with Molly Harper’s books. She is well timed at delivering lines that will make you burst out laughing. The only thing, the voices she used for the leads were the same ones she uses for Jane and Gabriel. Thus I had an adjustment period in the beginning of the book.
February 10, 2012
Driving Mr. Dead was a cute, light and funny read (I actually listened). Molly Harper has an excellent sense of humor and Mr. Dead was no exception to her witty character dialogue and inner monologues.
I read quite a few reviews complaining about the narrator of the audio book but I actually liked her. She was energetic and made Miranda come alive for me. Her "light" accent for Collin wasn't perfect but I still enjoyed her performance.
I read quite a few reviews complaining about the narrator of the audio book but I actually liked her. She was energetic and made Miranda come alive for me. Her "light" accent for Collin wasn't perfect but I still enjoyed her performance.
February 10, 2016
This was a fun quirky read. Miranda and Collin made a fun odd ball couple. Miranda is a walking disaster of a human that has agreed to drive Collin, a vampire that has to control everything around him. But with Miranda around the unknown becomes fun as they travel to their destination creating havoc in their wake.
July 2, 2012
Serial rolling-stone, Miranda Puckett, is on the first day of her new job for Beeline – driving vampire’s cross-country as their personal chauffer. And her first client has perfect timing – providing Miranda with some much needed Washington-to-Kentucky driving/thinking time to sort out her ever-destructive life and butt-dialling ex-fiancé.
It’s just a shame that Miranda’s maiden voyage is with Collin Sutherland. A pretentious, reclusive, up-tight vamp with sixteen-pages of instructions for his chauffer and a silver suitcase that he refuses to talk about.
This is going to be one long road-trip to Half-Moon Hollow . . . and along the way there will be car-boobs, muggings, MC Hammer and Hawaiian shirts. Oh, joy.
‘Driving Mr. Dead’ is the 160-page novella set in Molly Harper’s ‘Jane Jameson’ universe.
What is the appropriate reaction when one of your favourite, funny authors writes a special little novella treat set in her established-series universe? Why, fan-girl squealing – of course! And let me assure you, Molly Harper’s ‘Driving Mr. Dead’ is entirely deserving of your peals of squeals!
Harper introduces us to Miranda Puckett – employee to daytime vampire concierge, Iris Scanlon, who readers met in ‘Nice Girls Don’t Bite Their Neighbours’, and who has her own spin-off book coming out this month called ‘The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires’. Miranda is a wayward soul with itchy feet and an ever-changing resume. She has been a cruise ship dogsbody and magician’s assistant but her favourite job of all was as professional photographer. In recent years she has tried squeezing herself into a life that pleases her parents – as paralegal and fiancée to the white-picket-fence good boy, Jason. But that’s all gone up in smoke after Jason’s discovered text message, professing his love for his best friend (and Miranda’s maid-of-honour), Lisa. Miranda has taken the chauffeuring job at Beeline, partly to reconnect with her crazy-wild-card roots, but also to take a week or two of space and decide if she can accept Jason’s apology and re-proposal.
Miranda’s first client is Colin Sutherland, a vampire with a silver suitcase, anal-retentive sixteen-pages of chauffeuring instructions and “more issues than National Geographic”. Miranda and Colin get off to a bad, finger-breaking start, and things just get worse from there . . . but as the miles tick by and the ludicrous bad-luck keeps knocking them around, Miranda starts to shed Colin’s many pretentious layers and get to his deeply hidden sexy centre.
I loved this novella! And I mostly loved it because it’s *so* Molly Harper. Honestly, I can’t think of any writer I'd trust more with tackling a hilarious, cross-country vampiric road-trip. She just had to write this because there’s nobody else more qualified. Period.
And she does such a darn good job! As if anyone needed proof that Harper has an untapped resource in exploring the ‘Jane Jameson’ universe, beyond her hilarious vampire-librarian heroine, ‘Driving Mr. Dead’ will assuage you of any lingering doubts and get you suitably excited for ‘The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires’. Of course, a few ‘Jane’ favourites make appearances – but I won’t spoil who because their random pop-up is just too delicious!
Miranda and Colin absolutely steal the show in this buddy-road-trip-plot-gone-awry. They are exact opposites; she the wild child free-spirit, accident-prone cool chick. While he’s a stuffy recluse, with some serious old-world appeal;
Last but not least, there was the fact that he was gorgeous in a tortured Byronic, Edward Rochester-meets-Lucius-Malfoy sort of way. He made me want to climb him like a proper British tree, for no other reason than that wrinkling his clothes would annoy him severely and, I hoped, provoke him into spanking me. He made me dizzy. He made my ears ring.
Wait, no. That was my phone.
I love anything and everything that Molly Harper writes. This novella is just the cherry on top of an already brilliant, established paranormal comedy series that keeps readers in blushes and chuckles. Brilliant!
It’s just a shame that Miranda’s maiden voyage is with Collin Sutherland. A pretentious, reclusive, up-tight vamp with sixteen-pages of instructions for his chauffer and a silver suitcase that he refuses to talk about.
This is going to be one long road-trip to Half-Moon Hollow . . . and along the way there will be car-boobs, muggings, MC Hammer and Hawaiian shirts. Oh, joy.
‘Driving Mr. Dead’ is the 160-page novella set in Molly Harper’s ‘Jane Jameson’ universe.
What is the appropriate reaction when one of your favourite, funny authors writes a special little novella treat set in her established-series universe? Why, fan-girl squealing – of course! And let me assure you, Molly Harper’s ‘Driving Mr. Dead’ is entirely deserving of your peals of squeals!
Harper introduces us to Miranda Puckett – employee to daytime vampire concierge, Iris Scanlon, who readers met in ‘Nice Girls Don’t Bite Their Neighbours’, and who has her own spin-off book coming out this month called ‘The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires’. Miranda is a wayward soul with itchy feet and an ever-changing resume. She has been a cruise ship dogsbody and magician’s assistant but her favourite job of all was as professional photographer. In recent years she has tried squeezing herself into a life that pleases her parents – as paralegal and fiancée to the white-picket-fence good boy, Jason. But that’s all gone up in smoke after Jason’s discovered text message, professing his love for his best friend (and Miranda’s maid-of-honour), Lisa. Miranda has taken the chauffeuring job at Beeline, partly to reconnect with her crazy-wild-card roots, but also to take a week or two of space and decide if she can accept Jason’s apology and re-proposal.
Miranda’s first client is Colin Sutherland, a vampire with a silver suitcase, anal-retentive sixteen-pages of chauffeuring instructions and “more issues than National Geographic”. Miranda and Colin get off to a bad, finger-breaking start, and things just get worse from there . . . but as the miles tick by and the ludicrous bad-luck keeps knocking them around, Miranda starts to shed Colin’s many pretentious layers and get to his deeply hidden sexy centre.
I loved this novella! And I mostly loved it because it’s *so* Molly Harper. Honestly, I can’t think of any writer I'd trust more with tackling a hilarious, cross-country vampiric road-trip. She just had to write this because there’s nobody else more qualified. Period.
And she does such a darn good job! As if anyone needed proof that Harper has an untapped resource in exploring the ‘Jane Jameson’ universe, beyond her hilarious vampire-librarian heroine, ‘Driving Mr. Dead’ will assuage you of any lingering doubts and get you suitably excited for ‘The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires’. Of course, a few ‘Jane’ favourites make appearances – but I won’t spoil who because their random pop-up is just too delicious!
Miranda and Colin absolutely steal the show in this buddy-road-trip-plot-gone-awry. They are exact opposites; she the wild child free-spirit, accident-prone cool chick. While he’s a stuffy recluse, with some serious old-world appeal;
Last but not least, there was the fact that he was gorgeous in a tortured Byronic, Edward Rochester-meets-Lucius-Malfoy sort of way. He made me want to climb him like a proper British tree, for no other reason than that wrinkling his clothes would annoy him severely and, I hoped, provoke him into spanking me. He made me dizzy. He made my ears ring.
Wait, no. That was my phone.
I love anything and everything that Molly Harper writes. This novella is just the cherry on top of an already brilliant, established paranormal comedy series that keeps readers in blushes and chuckles. Brilliant!
December 21, 2014
I should start this review by admitting that I am a certified Molly Harper fangirl! I just discovered her hilarious brand of paranormal romance earlier this year and have read almost everything she's written. I will say that, even with all the expectations I had, I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked this book and its characters. There are quite a few things I expect when I read a Molly Harper book and Driving Mr. Dead went above and beyond on almost all accounts!
The first thing that comes to my mind when thinking of Harper's writing is a plucky, often hapless heroine who is thrown into an unusual situation and deals with in very comical ways. For this book, Miranda Puckett is our lucky lady. She is an impulsive woman who seems to have had almost every job one can think of. Her current position is as a chauffeur for a vampire concierge service and her main mission is to safely transport vampires from one place to another with the help of some nifty protective measures on her car, the Batmobile.
I really liked Miranda's personality and determination. She has had to go through some difficult situations in her life and in this book yet she seems to take things in stride, for the most part. I thought the subplot of her dealing with her possibly wrecked engagement to be really poignant especially when she muses over how much she changed herself for the guy. It was really nice to see her find someone who appreciated all the crazy, wonderful things about her.
Collin was a very unique hero especially for a vampire. He is old (in years, not looks) and pretty stodgy at the beginning. There are some obvious OCD tendancies in his personality which I thought was a fun twist on the "normal" paranormal hero. Collin has real reasons for his hermit-like existence, but I won't go further into those in an effort to avoid spoilers. As a character, I thought he showed alot of growth in a few pages as he learned how to relax and enjoy his immortal life.
Collin and Miranda were a hilarious couple. They went through absolutely everything on this road trip and learned to lean on each other in order to get through it. It was really sweet to watch their interactions transform from irritation to attraction over the course of the book. Plus, like any good Harper book, there was plenty of spicy, funny sex.
All in all, I really liked this slightly shorter than normal book from one of my favorite authors. I should also add that some of my favorite parts also included a few quick appearances from the old Jane Jameson gang. Dick Cheney FTW! If you are a fan of Harper's writing or just funny paranormal romance, I highly recommend this book.
The first thing that comes to my mind when thinking of Harper's writing is a plucky, often hapless heroine who is thrown into an unusual situation and deals with in very comical ways. For this book, Miranda Puckett is our lucky lady. She is an impulsive woman who seems to have had almost every job one can think of. Her current position is as a chauffeur for a vampire concierge service and her main mission is to safely transport vampires from one place to another with the help of some nifty protective measures on her car, the Batmobile.
I really liked Miranda's personality and determination. She has had to go through some difficult situations in her life and in this book yet she seems to take things in stride, for the most part. I thought the subplot of her dealing with her possibly wrecked engagement to be really poignant especially when she muses over how much she changed herself for the guy. It was really nice to see her find someone who appreciated all the crazy, wonderful things about her.
Collin was a very unique hero especially for a vampire. He is old (in years, not looks) and pretty stodgy at the beginning. There are some obvious OCD tendancies in his personality which I thought was a fun twist on the "normal" paranormal hero. Collin has real reasons for his hermit-like existence, but I won't go further into those in an effort to avoid spoilers. As a character, I thought he showed alot of growth in a few pages as he learned how to relax and enjoy his immortal life.
Collin and Miranda were a hilarious couple. They went through absolutely everything on this road trip and learned to lean on each other in order to get through it. It was really sweet to watch their interactions transform from irritation to attraction over the course of the book. Plus, like any good Harper book, there was plenty of spicy, funny sex.
All in all, I really liked this slightly shorter than normal book from one of my favorite authors. I should also add that some of my favorite parts also included a few quick appearances from the old Jane Jameson gang. Dick Cheney FTW! If you are a fan of Harper's writing or just funny paranormal romance, I highly recommend this book.
April 20, 2012
4.5 of 5 Stars
One night, I needed a book that I knew would make me laugh and lift my spirits, so I picked up Driving Mr Dead by Molly Harper, and I was not disappointed. What do you get when an anal-retentive, reclusive vampire must travel cross country with a fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants, accident-prone woman? The answer is hilarity, entertainment, and a spark of romance.
I love Miranda, she is a woman who is open to trying new things, she doesn't like being confined and reformed into being the model of the perfect daughter and wife, so while she is trying to figure out what to do with her life and how to handle her cheating fiancé, she accepts a job offer, to drive a vampire across the country. The vampire is far from easy going, he has demands and is determined to keep to a set schedule, despite various road trip set backs. The pair is set to clash from the start, but as they say, sometimes opposites attract.
If I had to describe Driving Mr Dead in one phrase it would be, a really fun read. The antics and accidents that befall Miranda and Collin (said anal-retentive vampire) are surprising, hilarious, and completely unpredictable. Miranda is in the middle of some pretty big life changes, and trying to figure out a new path for her life. Collin has been secluded for so long, and it takes Miranda to pull him out of his shell. The pair make a great match and combined with their hilarious story, I absolutely loved this quick, fun read.
Readers, if you enjoy paranormal books, chick lit, humorous books, anything that will make you smile, I highly recommend this book. Let's face it, sometimes you just need a book that will make you smile, and Driving Mr Dead fits the bill. It is a short novel, which makes for a really quick read that I very highly recommend. After reading this book, I am more excited than ever for Molly Harper's next release, The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires, which features many of the characters from this book and the Jane Jameson series.
One night, I needed a book that I knew would make me laugh and lift my spirits, so I picked up Driving Mr Dead by Molly Harper, and I was not disappointed. What do you get when an anal-retentive, reclusive vampire must travel cross country with a fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants, accident-prone woman? The answer is hilarity, entertainment, and a spark of romance.
I love Miranda, she is a woman who is open to trying new things, she doesn't like being confined and reformed into being the model of the perfect daughter and wife, so while she is trying to figure out what to do with her life and how to handle her cheating fiancé, she accepts a job offer, to drive a vampire across the country. The vampire is far from easy going, he has demands and is determined to keep to a set schedule, despite various road trip set backs. The pair is set to clash from the start, but as they say, sometimes opposites attract.
If I had to describe Driving Mr Dead in one phrase it would be, a really fun read. The antics and accidents that befall Miranda and Collin (said anal-retentive vampire) are surprising, hilarious, and completely unpredictable. Miranda is in the middle of some pretty big life changes, and trying to figure out a new path for her life. Collin has been secluded for so long, and it takes Miranda to pull him out of his shell. The pair make a great match and combined with their hilarious story, I absolutely loved this quick, fun read.
Readers, if you enjoy paranormal books, chick lit, humorous books, anything that will make you smile, I highly recommend this book. Let's face it, sometimes you just need a book that will make you smile, and Driving Mr Dead fits the bill. It is a short novel, which makes for a really quick read that I very highly recommend. After reading this book, I am more excited than ever for Molly Harper's next release, The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires, which features many of the characters from this book and the Jane Jameson series.
June 6, 2015
4.5 stars
Driving Mr. Dead was such a fun read! I loved both of the main characters in this one - this is a case of where the clumsy down on her luck heroine was written wonderfully! The story was engaging, and I couldn't wait to see what sort of scrape Collin and Miranda would find themselves in next!
Driving Mr. Dead was such a fun read! I loved both of the main characters in this one - this is a case of where the clumsy down on her luck heroine was written wonderfully! The story was engaging, and I couldn't wait to see what sort of scrape Collin and Miranda would find themselves in next!
February 9, 2022
This is a short story that takes us from the crazy doings in Half-Moon Hollow to Washington where we have another story of a vampire who is living alone. The new characters along with the old characters are suited to the environment that they inhabit. Each person/vampire is unique in their own way whether it is the powers they wield or simply the way they choose to live their life. Because this is a road trip story for the most part it is also about the locations that they find themselves in, which are not always clearly defined other than to name the state or city they land in.
Miranda Puckett has not had much luck with jobs, she has been a magician's assistant, a photographer, and recently a bride none of which has worked out in the long run. Miranda gets a job with Beeline, the vampire concierge service as a driver. Her first assignment is to drive Collin Sutherland, a reclusive and fastidious vampire from Washington to Kentucky in order to deliver a package to Ophelia Lambert the council official.
Well as luck would have it Miranda's luck has not changed and life keeps throwing curveballs at her as she tries to get her client to his appointment on time. This of course is not made any easier by Collin who has so many demands that he almost makes it impossible to do the job. The biggest thing is can they work together when things get really dicey and they want to keep a job and not disappoint someone.
I indulged and both read and listened to this book so that I could have it playing at work. I sat at my desk and laughed out loud at some of the situations they found themselves in. I do appreciate Amanda Ronconi for being a great voice for these characters and making them come alive for me. This was just another excellent entry in the Half-Moon Hollow series and can't wait to dig into more.
Miranda Puckett has not had much luck with jobs, she has been a magician's assistant, a photographer, and recently a bride none of which has worked out in the long run. Miranda gets a job with Beeline, the vampire concierge service as a driver. Her first assignment is to drive Collin Sutherland, a reclusive and fastidious vampire from Washington to Kentucky in order to deliver a package to Ophelia Lambert the council official.
Well as luck would have it Miranda's luck has not changed and life keeps throwing curveballs at her as she tries to get her client to his appointment on time. This of course is not made any easier by Collin who has so many demands that he almost makes it impossible to do the job. The biggest thing is can they work together when things get really dicey and they want to keep a job and not disappoint someone.
I indulged and both read and listened to this book so that I could have it playing at work. I sat at my desk and laughed out loud at some of the situations they found themselves in. I do appreciate Amanda Ronconi for being a great voice for these characters and making them come alive for me. This was just another excellent entry in the Half-Moon Hollow series and can't wait to dig into more.
October 20, 2016
I absolutely LOVED Driving Mr. Dead. This is just a novella (which I was pleased to find in audio), but Molly Harper fits so much in that time frame, it will leave your head spinning!
Miranda is one of the best characters yet. Her life up until now has been one disaster after another. She's really put her all into everything she's done, but she just can't get a break. So when this job pops up for Beeline, she's hoping that this time she'll find something she can do that won't be a total mess.
This job is to drive Collin Sutherland across the country to deliver some rare book to the Council. Collin is the perfect travel companion for Miranda. Or at least I thought so. He was so rigid, with so many rules. The perfect to opposite to Miranda, enough to drive her nuts while she deals with her own personal problems.
These two could not get themselves into enough trouble. They go from problem after problem, each making me die with laughter. I'm not sure if Collin just adjusts or if he is really starting to enjoy himself. I don't think he really believed Miranda could be as cursed as she says until they slowly try to make their way back to the Hollow.
The Jane Jameson, and now the Half Moon Hollow books have become a go to for a good lighthearted laugh. The characters are so over the top and have lives that just make you shake your head.
Amanda Ronconi truly makes this series! She brings out the wonderful craziness of each character. I loved her accent for Collin, especially during the different phases of his character.
This is definitely a series binger for me!This review was originally posted on Rantings of a Reading Addict
Miranda is one of the best characters yet. Her life up until now has been one disaster after another. She's really put her all into everything she's done, but she just can't get a break. So when this job pops up for Beeline, she's hoping that this time she'll find something she can do that won't be a total mess.
This job is to drive Collin Sutherland across the country to deliver some rare book to the Council. Collin is the perfect travel companion for Miranda. Or at least I thought so. He was so rigid, with so many rules. The perfect to opposite to Miranda, enough to drive her nuts while she deals with her own personal problems.
These two could not get themselves into enough trouble. They go from problem after problem, each making me die with laughter. I'm not sure if Collin just adjusts or if he is really starting to enjoy himself. I don't think he really believed Miranda could be as cursed as she says until they slowly try to make their way back to the Hollow.
The Jane Jameson, and now the Half Moon Hollow books have become a go to for a good lighthearted laugh. The characters are so over the top and have lives that just make you shake your head.
Amanda Ronconi truly makes this series! She brings out the wonderful craziness of each character. I loved her accent for Collin, especially during the different phases of his character.
This is definitely a series binger for me!This review was originally posted on Rantings of a Reading Addict
January 8, 2012
Amanda Ronconi isn't terrible as a narrator but she needs to work on the male voices and maybe add a faint British accent to her repertoire.
Molly Harper or Molly Harper White as the author's name was given in the audiobook isn't a terrible writer. I think the decision to make this story a novella was a good choice. I was getting pretty tired of the heroine's klutziness about the 3 hour mark.
Any way, Miranda Puckett was the non-lawyer daughter in a family of lawyers. She had never really found her role in the world and was currently working for a company that drove vampires after flaming out in a rather long list of unusual jobs.
Her first assignment was to transport a vampire and a metal briefcase half way across the country to present the contents of the case to the head of the Vampire Counsel in Half Moon Hollow. The vampire in question, while good looking, had done his best to try to control his environment. He had not considered with the fact that Miranda was a walking disaster.
It begins with a bit of a bang but loses impetus about half way through. The ending is pretty damn dull except for the wind up of Miranda' engagement. The long discussion Miranda had with the mother unit near the end was the worse part.
I wouldn't spend a lot of money on it.
Molly Harper or Molly Harper White as the author's name was given in the audiobook isn't a terrible writer. I think the decision to make this story a novella was a good choice. I was getting pretty tired of the heroine's klutziness about the 3 hour mark.
Any way, Miranda Puckett was the non-lawyer daughter in a family of lawyers. She had never really found her role in the world and was currently working for a company that drove vampires after flaming out in a rather long list of unusual jobs.
Her first assignment was to transport a vampire and a metal briefcase half way across the country to present the contents of the case to the head of the Vampire Counsel in Half Moon Hollow. The vampire in question, while good looking, had done his best to try to control his environment. He had not considered with the fact that Miranda was a walking disaster.
It begins with a bit of a bang but loses impetus about half way through. The ending is pretty damn dull except for the wind up of Miranda' engagement. The long discussion Miranda had with the mother unit near the end was the worse part.
I wouldn't spend a lot of money on it.
August 1, 2012
3 1/2 stars! Nice way to spend an afternoon. No earth-shattering plot, cute couple, with some amusing moments.
Miranda is assigned to drive Collin, a vampire, across the country so he can deliver a package. Along the way they encounter more than their fair share of mishaps, and their annoyance with one another turns into attraction. What I enjoyed is that they didn't fall head over heels in love, but rather explored what they were feeling for each other, and the relationship developed slowly. Sweet ending, satisfying enough, but with much of Miranda and Collin's future left to the imagination. I would love to see a follow-up book for these two.
The narrator, Amanda Ronconi, was excellent and injected the right amount of feeling into each character.
Miranda is assigned to drive Collin, a vampire, across the country so he can deliver a package. Along the way they encounter more than their fair share of mishaps, and their annoyance with one another turns into attraction. What I enjoyed is that they didn't fall head over heels in love, but rather explored what they were feeling for each other, and the relationship developed slowly. Sweet ending, satisfying enough, but with much of Miranda and Collin's future left to the imagination. I would love to see a follow-up book for these two.
The narrator, Amanda Ronconi, was excellent and injected the right amount of feeling into each character.
August 1, 2017
3.5 Stars
October 17, 2015
4-4.5 stars
This was a really good story. I liked both Miranda and Collin very much...although it did take a bit to get to like Collin as he was a bit of a prick in the beginning. LOL.
Miranda works for Beeline, a concierge service for Vampires that's owned by Iris (the heroine from book #1, The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires). She's had bad luck with jobs in the past and is determined to do a good job as a driver for Beeline. Miranda also hasn't had much luck with men, having recently broken up with her fiance, Jason, who won't accept the breakup and keeps bugging her to get back together.
Collin is a very prim and proper Vampire that's a couple hundred years old. He has a fear of flying and because of this, he hires Beeline to drive him from Washington to Half Moon Hollow in order to deliver a package to Ophelia of the Vampire Council. He's very much a loner (although he does have some reasons for wanting solitude) and his attitude tends to make sure things stay that way.
Miranda has some issues on the way to pick up Collin and so she shows up late. Collin makes sure that she's aware of his annoyance over her lateness and everything else she does that offends him. He's very exacting in his wishes...this is made clear by his 16 page rider to the contract that lists all his "requirements" for the trip. Miranda does her best to do a good job but Collin seems determined to be displeased with her very existence (at first). As if this isn't bad enough, Miranda also has to deal with her mother calling constantly to bug Miranda over her inadequacies as a daughter because she won't be "happy" in a manner that is acceptable to her family. Her family are lawyers and her ex-fiance is a successful lawyer that they like so they also don't approve of her breakup, even though she broke up with Jason for very good reasons (can we say cheater?!?!). TBH, I wanted to slap her mother a few times because she treated Miranda's likes and wants like they didn't matter and just wanted her to conform to what they want even if it kills Miranda inside.
On the trip, the time that Miranda and Collin spend together help them to get past some of the difficulties between them. They come to an understanding of sorts and start to like each other more as things progress. This is a good thing because the trip is the epitome of "Murphy's law" where anything that can go wrong, does go wrong. They have multiple mishaps but Miranda is determined to keep them going and deliver Collin on schedule. The trip is supposed to be a time for her to decide whether or not she'll give Jason another chance but she finds that the longer she's away from him, the more she find herself getting back to her true self and the less she wants to be with Jason (which ends up being a very good thing). Collin however, finds the real Miranda to be a refreshing change and enjoys being with her. Even with all the trouble that find them, the longer they are together, the more sure Collin is that wants more with Miranda. There are a few things that have to get straightened out but the story does end with a good start to a HEA for Miranda and Collin.
I really enjoyed this story. Miranda was a fun and interesting heroine that I really liked. I really liked Collin as well. He started out being a pain but quickly became a really good hero. The story was a good one and very fun as well. I'd recommend this story (and the series). :)
* note - I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator did a great job as usual.
This was a really good story. I liked both Miranda and Collin very much...although it did take a bit to get to like Collin as he was a bit of a prick in the beginning. LOL.
Miranda works for Beeline, a concierge service for Vampires that's owned by Iris (the heroine from book #1, The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires). She's had bad luck with jobs in the past and is determined to do a good job as a driver for Beeline. Miranda also hasn't had much luck with men, having recently broken up with her fiance, Jason, who won't accept the breakup and keeps bugging her to get back together.
Collin is a very prim and proper Vampire that's a couple hundred years old. He has a fear of flying and because of this, he hires Beeline to drive him from Washington to Half Moon Hollow in order to deliver a package to Ophelia of the Vampire Council. He's very much a loner (although he does have some reasons for wanting solitude) and his attitude tends to make sure things stay that way.
Miranda has some issues on the way to pick up Collin and so she shows up late. Collin makes sure that she's aware of his annoyance over her lateness and everything else she does that offends him. He's very exacting in his wishes...this is made clear by his 16 page rider to the contract that lists all his "requirements" for the trip. Miranda does her best to do a good job but Collin seems determined to be displeased with her very existence (at first). As if this isn't bad enough, Miranda also has to deal with her mother calling constantly to bug Miranda over her inadequacies as a daughter because she won't be "happy" in a manner that is acceptable to her family. Her family are lawyers and her ex-fiance is a successful lawyer that they like so they also don't approve of her breakup, even though she broke up with Jason for very good reasons (can we say cheater?!?!). TBH, I wanted to slap her mother a few times because she treated Miranda's likes and wants like they didn't matter and just wanted her to conform to what they want even if it kills Miranda inside.
On the trip, the time that Miranda and Collin spend together help them to get past some of the difficulties between them. They come to an understanding of sorts and start to like each other more as things progress. This is a good thing because the trip is the epitome of "Murphy's law" where anything that can go wrong, does go wrong. They have multiple mishaps but Miranda is determined to keep them going and deliver Collin on schedule. The trip is supposed to be a time for her to decide whether or not she'll give Jason another chance but she finds that the longer she's away from him, the more she find herself getting back to her true self and the less she wants to be with Jason (which ends up being a very good thing). Collin however, finds the real Miranda to be a refreshing change and enjoys being with her. Even with all the trouble that find them, the longer they are together, the more sure Collin is that wants more with Miranda. There are a few things that have to get straightened out but the story does end with a good start to a HEA for Miranda and Collin.
I really enjoyed this story. Miranda was a fun and interesting heroine that I really liked. I really liked Collin as well. He started out being a pain but quickly became a really good hero. The story was a good one and very fun as well. I'd recommend this story (and the series). :)
* note - I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator did a great job as usual.
June 4, 2012
3.75 stars. Couldn't resist the blurb for this fun paranormal romance. Accident-prone, black sheep of the family, Miranda, is hired to drive a stuffy, OCD vampire across country to deliver a secret package. Their route is marked by catastrophes, confessions and a reluctant admiration.
This is the road trip from hell! I couldn't believe how badly things could go wrong for our heroes. It was hilarious. The author perfectly captures Collin's gradual awakening when faced with Miranda's irrepressible force-of-nature personality. The comeuppance Miranda delivers to her faithless ex-fiancé is very satisfying.
I'm not a huge fan of this author's vampire series but this short standalone just hit the spot.
This is the road trip from hell! I couldn't believe how badly things could go wrong for our heroes. It was hilarious. The author perfectly captures Collin's gradual awakening when faced with Miranda's irrepressible force-of-nature personality. The comeuppance Miranda delivers to her faithless ex-fiancé is very satisfying.
I'm not a huge fan of this author's vampire series but this short standalone just hit the spot.
November 26, 2017
4 1/2
This was a really fun quick read. Miranda is prone to unforeseen incidences occurring. She is quirky, exuberant and full of life. Collin is the client being transported from Washington to Half Moon Hollow. He is surly, fastidious, and introverted. He has a multiple sheet stating his rules for this trip. He soon discovers that nothing happens the way he thinks it is going to and instead of getting angry at Miranda, he is enjoying it all. It was very much a very short version of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, where there is only cars, walking, and buses involved. Very fun.
1st read May 18, 2015
Re-read November 25, 2017
Was really a great second read too.
This was a really fun quick read. Miranda is prone to unforeseen incidences occurring. She is quirky, exuberant and full of life. Collin is the client being transported from Washington to Half Moon Hollow. He is surly, fastidious, and introverted. He has a multiple sheet stating his rules for this trip. He soon discovers that nothing happens the way he thinks it is going to and instead of getting angry at Miranda, he is enjoying it all. It was very much a very short version of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, where there is only cars, walking, and buses involved. Very fun.
1st read May 18, 2015
Re-read November 25, 2017
Was really a great second read too.
September 7, 2020
This little novella from Molly Harper is ridiculous. And Fun. A very secretive and important vampire, who does not like to travel, or drive himself, hires Miranda, a new hire at the vampire transport business to drive him and his incredibly important package to Half-Moon Hollow.
Of course everything that could go wrong does. The dynamic between the two characters is very fun. There is no real surprise in this book. We can tell from the beginning how it is going to end up. But, the road to get to the end is worth a few hours of listening.
Of course everything that could go wrong does. The dynamic between the two characters is very fun. There is no real surprise in this book. We can tell from the beginning how it is going to end up. But, the road to get to the end is worth a few hours of listening.
November 19, 2012
Narrated by Amanda Ronconi - Narration 5+*s
Story 4.5 stars
This one kept me laughing from start to finish, narrator Amanda Ronconi is perfect, love her with Molly Harper's books.
Story 4.5 stars
This one kept me laughing from start to finish, narrator Amanda Ronconi is perfect, love her with Molly Harper's books.
September 27, 2012
Snarky, flirty and laugh out loud funny! Thank you Keri for the great recommendation - one of my favorite reads this year.
August 11, 2016
Adorable novella with great characters
September 24, 2015
Another fun read from Molly Harper! With a special guest appearance from our favorite vampire, Dick Cheney :)
September 9, 2016
So hilarious! Reminded me a lot of Jane - so accident prone.
March 18, 2019
I think I much prefer the Hollow spin offs to the Naked Werewolf spinoffs. The cameos from Jane Jameson series feel more natural. That could be largely because they take place in the Hollows whereas the werewolf series takes place in a remote Alaskan town. Nevertheless, while not as humorous as Jane Jameson series, the Hollows feels closer to the original series.
My favourite part is the conclusion. After jumping from job to job, Miranda finds what she is looking for. She is able to wed her passion with photography and her day job as a vampire concierge. Her job takes her to new places and adventures. The set up was great for the conclusion.
The story revolves around Miranda and Collin. Miranda is a new hire in Iris' concierge business. She is tasked with delivering Collin to Ophelia. Collin has a package for her.
The journey is a lot more complicated than it sounds. Miranda is a disaster magnet. She deals with her on again off again fiancee, thieves masquerading as concerned citizens, destroyed cars, and so on. During this, Miranda and Collin get together.
The task, which she built up to be this important thing turned out to be delivering a teddy bear. She later finds out that it was really rare and was mollified. She was offered to stay on the job and she accepted.
My favourite part is the conclusion. After jumping from job to job, Miranda finds what she is looking for. She is able to wed her passion with photography and her day job as a vampire concierge. Her job takes her to new places and adventures. The set up was great for the conclusion.
The story revolves around Miranda and Collin. Miranda is a new hire in Iris' concierge business. She is tasked with delivering Collin to Ophelia. Collin has a package for her.
The journey is a lot more complicated than it sounds. Miranda is a disaster magnet. She deals with her on again off again fiancee, thieves masquerading as concerned citizens, destroyed cars, and so on. During this, Miranda and Collin get together.
The task, which she built up to be this important thing turned out to be delivering a teddy bear. She later finds out that it was really rare and was mollified. She was offered to stay on the job and she accepted.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2021
This is actually quite cute
We have Miranda whose jobs prospect is going nowhere now working as a vampire taxi driver . She have to pick up the eccentric vampire Colin and deliver him and his treasure to Half Moon Hollow in one piece. Throughout the way , they run into a lot of mishaps and troubles . Miranda can hardly stand Colin and vice versa but they eventually warm up to each other during the trip. They are so cute together.
I only wish I have read the Jane Jamison series before this because events from that series are mentioned here. SPOILER!!
We have Miranda whose jobs prospect is going nowhere now working as a vampire taxi driver . She have to pick up the eccentric vampire Colin and deliver him and his treasure to Half Moon Hollow in one piece. Throughout the way , they run into a lot of mishaps and troubles . Miranda can hardly stand Colin and vice versa but they eventually warm up to each other during the trip. They are so cute together.
I only wish I have read the Jane Jamison series before this because events from that series are mentioned here. SPOILER!!
September 22, 2012
I'm not really a fan of bandwagon authors. But I admit that Ms Harper's books are really nice to read: they make you laugh and forget the world for a while.
Driving Mr Dead is a fun way to spend a few hours, as long as you forget this is supposed to be PNR. As in How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf, the guy could have been the usual recluse millionaire and nothing (and I mean nothing) would have changed.
If this isn't a problem, you'll love this novella. I think it is even better than How to flirt. I had a smile stamped on my face all the time. AND it gets better and better! There are no fake I love you in it! After a 4-day trip they do not fall head over heel and declare love unending. :D
(Why I call them bandwagon authors? Because they seem to jump on the fad bandwagon. This year the fad is historical? I'll write that. Vampire are all the rage? I can do it. Mind you, this is not at all a "j'accuse". It doesn't imply any judgement. I simply believe the paranormal in the genre should make some real appearance. More of a fantasy, less a normal contemporary. Think of world-building, etc. Ms Harper is a great author, but clearly she writes contemporary romance. The heroine's concern are not how to avoid monsters, but how to present them to the family.)
Driving Mr Dead is a fun way to spend a few hours, as long as you forget this is supposed to be PNR. As in How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf, the guy could have been the usual recluse millionaire and nothing (and I mean nothing) would have changed.
If this isn't a problem, you'll love this novella. I think it is even better than How to flirt. I had a smile stamped on my face all the time. AND it gets better and better! There are no fake I love you in it! After a 4-day trip they do not fall head over heel and declare love unending. :D
(Why I call them bandwagon authors? Because they seem to jump on the fad bandwagon. This year the fad is historical? I'll write that. Vampire are all the rage? I can do it. Mind you, this is not at all a "j'accuse". It doesn't imply any judgement. I simply believe the paranormal in the genre should make some real appearance. More of a fantasy, less a normal contemporary. Think of world-building, etc. Ms Harper is a great author, but clearly she writes contemporary romance. The heroine's concern are not how to avoid monsters, but how to present them to the family.)
July 21, 2013
I have mixed feelings about this book
I mean I do love some things about it, but there are other things I'm not too crazy about.
Let's start off with the setting of the book, where apparently vampires live among us with very little background or explanation as to how they came to live the way that they do in society. That was the first thing that ticked me off
With that said, I do like the idea that, with the world that they live in, there is a business that caters to driving vampires from one place to the other. I thought I was a really smart idea
I did like the main characters. Miranda Puckett was a failure at every job she took and the black sheep of her family. She took this job hoping to be able to think about her future and whether or not she wanted the life she had created. She was really funny, resourceful (you buy into her abilities because she did work in so many industries, they contributed in her skills) and she is not afraid to speak her mind
Colin was an absolute riot! A vampire with OCD and a germaphobe made his interaction with Miranda really delightful and hilarious as one disaster after the other hindered their road trip
The romance, was predictable ... although they didn't just fall into each other's beds at the first couple of days ... it took a couple of days but it was predictable none the less ... especially with the cheating fiancée
Good but not great ... I could dive into this series sometime in the future
3/5 starts
I mean I do love some things about it, but there are other things I'm not too crazy about.
Let's start off with the setting of the book, where apparently vampires live among us with very little background or explanation as to how they came to live the way that they do in society. That was the first thing that ticked me off
With that said, I do like the idea that, with the world that they live in, there is a business that caters to driving vampires from one place to the other. I thought I was a really smart idea
I did like the main characters. Miranda Puckett was a failure at every job she took and the black sheep of her family. She took this job hoping to be able to think about her future and whether or not she wanted the life she had created. She was really funny, resourceful (you buy into her abilities because she did work in so many industries, they contributed in her skills) and she is not afraid to speak her mind
Colin was an absolute riot! A vampire with OCD and a germaphobe made his interaction with Miranda really delightful and hilarious as one disaster after the other hindered their road trip
The romance, was predictable ... although they didn't just fall into each other's beds at the first couple of days ... it took a couple of days but it was predictable none the less ... especially with the cheating fiancée
Good but not great ... I could dive into this series sometime in the future
3/5 starts
February 19, 2012
Not a fan of the cover. I'm to the point, though, where I'll read anything Molly Harper chooses to write. Her books are always fantastic and this was no exception. It's a little shorter than her other work, which may explain why it isn't available in physical book format.
For all its length, or lack thereof, it's still an excellent story. Miranda is a wonderfully quirky heroine and her desperation and tenacity when encountering roadblocks (figurative and literal) is wonderful. This transportation job, conveying Collin Sutherland across country on a very important delivery, is important to her for both personal and professional reasons. Throw in a growing attraction for her client and you have a recipe for madcap adventure.
But what I really enjoy about Harper's stories are the romances. She throws these very human (whatever their actual race) people, with all their idiosyncrasies and flaws, and shows you how they match up with each other in ways that only they ever could. It is deeply satisfying.
The one caution I have in recommending Harper's books is that she doesn't shy from the occasionally explicit scene (sometimes with actual sex). This book is no exception. If that bothers you, best you be forwarned.
For all its length, or lack thereof, it's still an excellent story. Miranda is a wonderfully quirky heroine and her desperation and tenacity when encountering roadblocks (figurative and literal) is wonderful. This transportation job, conveying Collin Sutherland across country on a very important delivery, is important to her for both personal and professional reasons. Throw in a growing attraction for her client and you have a recipe for madcap adventure.
But what I really enjoy about Harper's stories are the romances. She throws these very human (whatever their actual race) people, with all their idiosyncrasies and flaws, and shows you how they match up with each other in ways that only they ever could. It is deeply satisfying.
The one caution I have in recommending Harper's books is that she doesn't shy from the occasionally explicit scene (sometimes with actual sex). This book is no exception. If that bothers you, best you be forwarned.
October 30, 2012
LOVED IT!
I wish it was longer. Miranda was a walking disaster and she was perfect for the oh-so organized Collin.
This story was too short. I loved it and wished it was wayyyy longer.
In this story, Miranda P is the family screw up. Name a job, she's had it. Name an accident, she has been involved or caused it. she is a walking disaster. Miranda is going through a trial separation with her fiancee, so she is using her latest gig, which is chauffering vampires, to get some distance and clarity from fiancee.
New Job involved transporting Vampires using her batmobile, which is pimped out so the vampire can ride in the coffin while she drives. Her first real gig is the stuffy recluse Collin. Boy does he have a stick up his butt and that made him and Mirand clash from the get-go.
The rest of the ride was a hilarious adventure as Collin attempts to deliver a package to Ms. Orphelia within a certain time period while Miranda's tendency for chaos threatens his deadline. Watch for the fireworks to turn into personal fireworks!!!
I wish it was longer. Miranda was a walking disaster and she was perfect for the oh-so organized Collin.
This story was too short. I loved it and wished it was wayyyy longer.
In this story, Miranda P is the family screw up. Name a job, she's had it. Name an accident, she has been involved or caused it. she is a walking disaster. Miranda is going through a trial separation with her fiancee, so she is using her latest gig, which is chauffering vampires, to get some distance and clarity from fiancee.
New Job involved transporting Vampires using her batmobile, which is pimped out so the vampire can ride in the coffin while she drives. Her first real gig is the stuffy recluse Collin. Boy does he have a stick up his butt and that made him and Mirand clash from the get-go.
The rest of the ride was a hilarious adventure as Collin attempts to deliver a package to Ms. Orphelia within a certain time period while Miranda's tendency for chaos threatens his deadline. Watch for the fireworks to turn into personal fireworks!!!
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