Misled

Carnal Thirst #1

by Sylvia Day

Special Task Force agent Derek Atkinson has a craving for luscious vampire Sable Taylor. But Sable is a bounty hunter, which makes him direct competition in the capture of wanted criminals. Despite the obvious attraction between them, she won't give him a chance and after two years, he's tired of waiting for her to come around. So he's got a plan to give them both what they want...each other.

Genres: Romance, Paranormal, Vampires, Paranormal Romance, Erotica, Science Fiction, Fantasy

Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2005

About the author

Acclaimed for her signature emotionally charged storytelling and the psychological complexity of her characters, Sylvia Day is a number one bestselling author in twenty-nine countries, with translations in forty-one languages and over twenty million copies of her books in print. Day is the #1 New York Times, #1 USA Today, #1 Sunday Times, #1 Globe and Mail, #1 Der Spiegel, and #1 international bestselling author of over twenty award-winning novels, including six Sunday Times, ten New York Times and thirteen USA Today bestsellers. Visit the author at sylviaday.com

Reviews

[Rain · Rating 3 out of 5]

*2.5* Ummm could I get a little more plot to go along with the abundant space sex pls?

Vampires in space. He’s a manwhore who has been obsessed with her for two years. Once they have sex, (don’t worry, it doesn’t take long) he’s even more obsessed. He’s never felt this way with anyone else before blah blah blah.

There was a concerning overuse of the word ‘cream’ to the point where I was worried she had some sort of infection going on.

[CS · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bullet Review:

DNF at 16% or Chapter 2.

Almost totally forgot about this gem. I just couldn’t take it seriously. I know, I know, it’s smut, you’re not supposed to take it seriously. But I was giggling, and not in titillating anticipation. More out of how silly our torture hero was.

I had to look back at my kindle to remember I tried to read and gave up. Oh well.

[Francesca the Fierce (Under the Covers Book Blog) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was posted at Under the Covers

Well, it is not often that I say this but there is such a thing as too much sex in a book. I usually enjoy Ms. Day's writing and the stories she comes up with, but in this mix of paranormal and sci-fi I have to say I think the actual storyline fell a bit short.

There is a story, it's not all sex 24/7, don't want to give you that impression. Sable is a bounty hunter and Derek is some sort of special agent. Sable is trying to bring in some big guys and Derek, who is "on leave" from work is being most helpful. Of course the only reason Derek is hanging around is because he's been lusting after Sable for over two years and has decided to finally make her his.

But nothing is as it seems. There's more to Sable and even to Derek than meets the eye, they are not just bounty hunter and special agent. That was my favorite twist of the story.

They are, however, both vamps. And being in close proximity and working together they both have needs to fulfill. Blood and sex. From the beginning, their relationship means more to both of them than just sex but Sable is fighting it every step of the way.

But again, like I said, I would've given this a higher rating had it been a bit less sexual. I think when she's trying to fix her ship would probably not have been the most appropriate time for Derek to think "damn I have to have her right now". Everything should have their place and time and reason. *shrugs* But this may be just me.

For a short story it did manage to cover a lot of ground as far as what was going on. There's the bad guys Sable is chasing down, Sable is being chased down by someone who wants her dead probably, there's a traitor in the agencies ranks, and then there's also the issue of Sable's maker wanting her to come back to him and playing at being his mate.

All in all it was entertaining and since I already got the next one I will be reading it soon.

[Christine (KizzieReads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have liked more story and background rather than the little given. While she knows how to write sex scenes, then can be quite vulgar at times.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Sylvia Day is best known for her contemporary romance Crossfire series (which I love!) but she has also written a lot of other stories varying from historical romances to erotic science fiction like Misled and the Carnal Thirst series. I snagged this story from Amazon months ago when it was offered as a freebie but for some reason (probably my mountain of a to be read pile!) I'd hadn't got around to picking it up until recently.

Sable is an undercover agent posing as a bounty hunter while she is working a top secret case, she has been in the field for a long time and has to keep her true identity firmly under wraps so that nobody can discover what she is up to. Derek is also an Agent but he doesn't know that Sable is undercover. They have been attracted to each other for a long time but Sable can't risk starting anything with him in case her cover story is blown. Derek has spent two years trying to capture Sable's attention and he is fed up of waiting for her to notice him which makes him very determined to finally make her listen. He's owed some time off so he sets out to help her capture her latest bounty, and to prove to her what a fabulous couple they would make.

I'm going to be upfront and say that as an erotic romance the focus of this story is definitely sex rather than world building. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, after all it is incredibly hot sex and I definitely enjoyed reading it, but I want to put it out there because if you go into this expecting something else you could be disappointed. These characters spend a lot of their time going at it like bunnies - in bed, up against the wall or on pretty much any solid surface that is available to them - they have scorching chemistry and this story will definitely leave you in need of a cold shower or two. Although sex is the main ingredient there is more to the story and I did enjoy what we saw of the world and getting to know both of the characters.

Misled is a very quick, hot read and it's one I'd definitely recommend when you're in the mood for something spicy. I have to admit I would have loved it to have been longer so it could have had a little more depth but that isn't always what I'm looking for and I'll definitely be picking up the sequel (Kiss of the Night) at some point in the future.

[Krissy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh

[Sharona · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a one day read for me. I enjoyed this book and am happy I discovered this author. There is a LOT of sex in this book and not much plot. Please understand that is NOT a complaint, Haha. The sex scenes are very well written and very passionate. I believe that every sexual encounter was necessary to fully understand the characters. I recommend this book for passionate vampire lovers! A must.

[Darcy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really like this author, so I was surprised that after reading 1/3 of this one I gave it up. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it just didn't grab me or could keep my attention. I didn't really care for either character. In the end this one just wasn't for me.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first Sylvia Day book I have read, it won't be the last. That woman can write some sex and there was a lot of it in this book! I liked the story line too! LOL!

[Zibbernaut · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jesus Mary and Joseph... this was just SO not my thing. I knew Sylvia was a very popular writer so I figured I'd check out something small by her but oh my god. SO MUCH SEX. SO MUCH SMUT. Literally every 2 pages they were boning down. And I am not even exaggerating. Any second they were not going at it, they were thinking about it, and aroused anyway. Often times I read adult romance and just skip the sex scenes since they're not my cup of tea, but I would have had to skip this entire work had I done that for this.

I think it was also just the language that was used to describe what was going on. The c word, as well as an overabundance of the word 'cream'. Her cream, his cream, their cream, it was everywhere. And that's just a gross way of putting it in my opinion.

[Luz T · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vampires in space! It was a good read, the sexy times did seem to over take the storyline but it still was a fun book to read.

[Aglaea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Vampire meets science fiction meets erotica. I really don't care for vampires in erotica, I've just discovered but hey ho. As for the rest of my review, please don't let the kids see it okay.

There is a thing called too much sex. I think I've written this once before and I'm equally stunned now. But perhaps it is a special talent of vampires to be in action mode, then Super Horny, then have all the sex and all the orgasms and be completely depleted of energy, then five minutes after be in focussed action mode once more. And repeat. Because they are at it like rabbits.

There's a sex scene, then a couple of paragraphs of something else, then steamy sex with perfect bodies bending and panting and coming and coming and coming once again. The most amazing thing is that from the first time together this vampire couple have mind-blowingly perfect sex every.single.time. And they just can't get enough of each other. Sure, some of it got me all hot and bothered, but sadly I'm no vampire who jumps from on to off and back to on at lightning speed. It's just too much somehow, too much sex.

The sex talk itself is okay, but a few words stab my mind horribly: cream, rosette, and baby. I just can't. If you ever have planned to write an erotic novel and intend to make me read it, I fear there might be consequences. In particular cream made me want to throw the words out the window, burn them up and bury them deep, because they were like ice-cold showers amidst supposedly hot vampire sex. Drinking blood right before climaxing really isn't doing it for me either.

As characters they are nearly perfect, too, with only minimal flaws not even worth mentioning, and despite a few hiccoughs along the way, they're the perfect couple and barely have any misunderstandings or communication problems in the grand scheme of things.

Fascinatingly enough, this is a novella. For its length, quite a bit of stuff has been packed into the story, but the plot consists to around 80% of sex, which ends up being too much for me.

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read several of Sylvia Days books lately, and have enjoyed them all. This is one of her earlier works, and contains lots of sex (of course) Unlike her other books, I acually think the two characters in this novel jump into bed with each other too soon. I know, they have been attracted for two years, but I wouldn't mind getting to know them a liiiiittle bit better before they hit the sack.

If you like sci-fi and vampires, you might want to give it a try.

[Noura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why did i not read this book sooner?

It's been a while since i last read a SD book and boy, am i now reminded of how hot her stories could be! This book is about sex, sex sex and an interesting story about a kick-ass bounty hunter female vamp on a mission and a hunky hot vamp hero who seems to be in the way. Both are not what they seem. A fast read that would and should make you reach for your B.O.B.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sable, a vampire working undercover, has a soft spot for fellow agent Derek. Now he´s waited long enough and is about to let her know that time´s up. What will she say about him laying down the law?
Fantasy, paranormal, investigation and lots of smutty fluff.

[Kjen · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars*** It was not that bad for a short story. I like the author...Bared To You was excellent, but this lacked the same feel. She does write awesome love scenes, but the character motivations lacked depth. I always feel that way with novellas...don't know why I keep reading them.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good PNR/vampire read but the futuristic setting made it a little far fetched. The plot was a little loose but it was still a quick read & am willing to try the next book in this Carnal Thirst series.

[Nicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

It never ceases to amaze me how much actual plot and story Sylvia Day manages to get into her books because there's just SO much sex. And this novella wasn't any different. Very interesting story that kept me involved all the way to the end.

[LauraSt · Rating 5 out of 5]

So hot I thought I was gonna faint.
Amazing and with a great plot too.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe if this were a novel vs. a novella there wouldn't be the jarring jumps in action, logic, and story. Steamy sex scenes, interesting world, though.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

[Nadine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vampires in space. And lots of sex. Sounds like a win to me. And, again...vampires in space!

[Mike Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

In my defence, I didn't realize at first that this was erotic science fiction. It was late at night, I needed a book to read on my commute the next day, and I was surfing the virtual shelves at my municipal library online when I stumbled across this. I had set my search parameters for "science fiction" and "mature adult", which I thought would eliminate young-adult books from the results. The blurb for this one mentioned vampires, bounty hunters, and spaceships. I though, "what the heck, let's give it a try."

The two main characters, Derek and Sable, are vampires in an unspecified future that somewhat resembles Star Trek (there's a "Deep Space 12" space station). There's a touch of Star Wars, too, in the form of hyperdrives (instead of warp engines) and one character's "lightsword", which remains strapped to the character's thigh but never gets used. Vampires, or "vamps", are caused by a viral infection. They appear to be immortal (although the oldest is only about six or seven hundred years old), have retractable fangs that extend when they're excited, can walk on walls and ceilings (and maybe even hover/fly), can move so fast that humans can't see them, etc., etc. Derek is an agent of the Special Task Force, which is some kind of law enforcement agency. Sable is a bounty hunter, who is often after the same bad guys as Derek. Derek wants Sable. Derek gets Sable. Sable wants Derek, too, but has secrets she's afraid will make him reject her. They have a lot (a LOT!) of explicit sex on starships, at Task Force headquarters, and in hotels on faraway planets. In between mind-blowing orgasms (vampire sex is very intense), they chase down bad guys, but mostly they have vigorous sex.

I have nothing against erotic fiction, vampires, or space police, but this mash-up of all three, while competently written, is overdone in its sex scenes and weak in its plot. The author, Sylvia Day, is today a best-selling romance novelist. This 2005 short novel (146 pages) appears to be one of her earliest works (and was published six years before Fifty Shades of Grey made this kind of book so popular). So I'll assume she was still learning her craft when she wrote this. Although this is book 1 of a series, it is a complete story and there's no need to continue on if you don't want to. It's a quick read and passes the time on a commute.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: Misled is extremely mature and not suitable for under 18s.

Misled is definitely different. I mean it's about vampires in space. Not something you read every day anyway. I liked that it was a very quick and easy read too - something I've been needing lately.

The setting felt quite futuristic, slightly "Star Wars-like" in a way (I really don't know what else to compare it too...). The setting is definitely unusual for vampires too.

The characters, Sable and Derek, are definitely likeable, however, the book is so short that I didn't really feel like I got to know them at all. Probably didn't help that there was more sex than actual plot/character development. And the characters jump into bed far too early too (and never stop!). However, the story is told from the alternating perspectives of Sable and Derek so this did help the characterisation a bit.

As I've said, there's really not much to the plot, however, in some way the plot was actually quite quick in a way. I admit I was a bit confused at times because of the plot twists (when there was a plot), but everything ties up in the end. Though the ending wasn't the most climatic.

I did enjoy Misled, but I wish there was a bit more to the plot and characterisation. It's definitely a book for over 18s only and those who like very mature and explicit reads. I'm definitely good to look into reading more by Sylvia Day.

This review and many more can be found at My Expanding Bookshelf

[MasterSal · Rating 1 out of 5]

You know you’ve got a gem on your hands when you start skimming the smutty parts in a smutty book in the hopes that this will end soon. Note the sarcasm dripping from my fangs please.

I know this is an erotic book but I was expecting a modicum of plot. I’ve read better on free websites. Lord this was awful. None of supernatural world made any sense and neither did the space faring setting. This was a poor excuse for some acrobatic sex and even that got dull. The so called couple were awful. I wanted to slap the hero for being a stalker and then turn around and slap the heroine for stupid actions. Sigh - my palm itched a lot when I read this.

I really must stop borrowing books from my library online after 10:00. I have a uncanny knack of picking the worst crap. Maybe it’s the library algorithm that puts the worst on top of my recommended list. And that makes more logical sense than some of the plot points in this novel.

[DesiMusing · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is interesting at first. The premise that two individuals have known each other for a while and one is fighting their attraction to the other. But I wish it was purely that story. Instead we skip and fast forward without even mentioning the sexy times of cat and mouse I’m sure the couple has had in the past. The angst of waiting is missed and not taken into account. I found the word I wanted to use, there is no SLOW BURN. Honestly I wanted more of that, it would’ve been so much sexier. Overall this is a quick read if you want a delve straight into the the soft porn that is knowing that the main individuals will shag. And they shag a lot. So if you need something to get off to, here’s your story. But in terms of plot development and character mischief, it just lacks a bit. That’s why I don’t rate this higher or lower than a three star. It’s just neutral for me, as someone who prefers my sexy times and a great plot at once.

[Gemini · Rating 3 out of 5]

First read in 2013. Vampire sci-fi erotic romance novella.

This is book 1 but it appears now that book 1 and 2 are sold as a bundle rather than separately any more (2nd book looks at a different couple in same universe).

It’s a good enough read for what it is - liberal use of the word creamy notwithstanding haha. I get that authors will sometimes run out of words (especially for sexual scenarios) but this was a overkill.

This was packed with sex scenes that were pretty hot, including: some hot vampire kissing, dirty talk, creampies, eating her out, blowjob, fingering, ass play (both of them), anal.

I haven’t read book 2 and own the Kindle version of this book so if I come across the 2nd book in a library will read it but won’t purchase it.

[Patrice · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh “masculine satisfaction” and “lithe body” were used way too many times.

Overall this book did not impress me. The plot meh at best. The characters had little development before they become together. This whole book happened in the span of a few weeks and there are already talking about marriage and soul mate. The only justification for the swift plot is supernatural vampire powers that allow for a heightened since of awareness of ones feelings. Which also made sense if the vamp could block the other from reading. Ugh, again made no sense. I kept having to go back and read earlier parts of the chapter because the details weren’t adding up. Poor writing and organization.

[Kim Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m still on a mini break from reading Midnight Sun. Getting through this book was a little tough. It makes it a little challenging when the story doesn’t really go anywhere. While I enjoyed the many romantic scenes in the story, I felt like there was too much of that and not enough story. I was waiting for more details to emerge about their past lives, including human lives. I wanted more detail about their jobs, what era they were in and even what world they were in. If you want a quick romance with not much of a story then this book is for you. I didn’t dislike the book, I just wanted more. Either way, I’m still going to check out the second book in the series.

[Sarahlynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The novella is my least favorite romance form. I didn’t realize this was a novella until I had it. I read it for completion and will read the sequel for the same reason. In novellas, something often feels like it gets short shrift: characterization, emotion, or plot. In this case, all suffer. This plot is hastily sketched, summarized, outlined. Sentimentality is unearned emotion, which describes what happens here and in many romance novellas. Everything is simultaneously too much and not enough. We do not truly know any of the characters who thus appear to act erratically. This novella is mostly extreme, exaggerated sex. The sex is hot, if you don’t mind skimming a bit off the top.