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Vampire Romances #11
Dead Sexy
In The Still Of The Night
The city is in a panic. In the still of the night, a vicious killer is leaving a trail of mutilated bodies drained of blood. A chilling M.O. that puts ex-vampire hunter Regan Delaney on the case, her gun clip packed with silver bullets, her instincts edgy. But the victims are both human and Undead, and the clues are as confusing as the vampire who may be her best ally--she hopes. . .
Master of the City, Joaquin Santiago radiates supernatural power like heat from a blast furnace, but he's never met a creature like Regan Delaney. She intrigues him, fires his hunger, and unleashes his desire, but before he can enter her world, or she his, they must confront a vicious, elusive killer who is an enemy even to his own. . .
"Sexy, fast-paced, gritty, this is Amanda Ashley at her best! A must read!" --Ronda Thompson
The city is in a panic. In the still of the night, a vicious killer is leaving a trail of mutilated bodies drained of blood. A chilling M.O. that puts ex-vampire hunter Regan Delaney on the case, her gun clip packed with silver bullets, her instincts edgy. But the victims are both human and Undead, and the clues are as confusing as the vampire who may be her best ally--she hopes. . .
Master of the City, Joaquin Santiago radiates supernatural power like heat from a blast furnace, but he's never met a creature like Regan Delaney. She intrigues him, fires his hunger, and unleashes his desire, but before he can enter her world, or she his, they must confront a vicious, elusive killer who is an enemy even to his own. . .
"Sexy, fast-paced, gritty, this is Amanda Ashley at her best! A must read!" --Ronda Thompson
385 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2007
49 people are currently reading
1054 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
January 18, 2012
I really saw a difference between this book and Amanda Ashley's other books. I actually enjoyed the different reactions that this book brought. I guess the only thing that kept me from loving this book was Regan Delaney's refusal to admit and accept vampire Joaquin Santiago.
Now, before the pitch forks are brought out about how 'he's a vampire of course she wouldn't accept him' and other counter opinions, you must first know who Santiago is. Never once did he trick, pressure, threaten, or any other possible way attempt to force Regan to be with him. He had the patience of a saint and experience that had kept him alive for centuries, yet he wasn't so disconnected from his humanity that he was barbaric. He wasn't a tortured soul who hated what he was, nor was he ruthless in his ways to hunt. All in all, he was perfect.
Regan Delaney on the other hand has been recently re-picked up by the police force for her vampire hunter expertise when killings once again begin hunting the town. Vampires, who are supposed to be limited to the local park only, are the key suspects, but with a visit from Santiago, Regan learns a werewolf is actually behind the attacks and apparently the force field doesn't keep all the vampires in the park.
They more they help each other with the case, the more feelings that begin. Yet, even though she's known from the start what he is and has not seen any violence from him, she refuses to allow herself to care. He on the other hand, is surprised to find that after losing the one and only love of his life, that he has once indeed fallen in love again.
Everything changes when his old enemy, Vasile targets Regan. Attacking her in her apartment, he bites her, calling Santiago's bluff, before escaping.
Now, the full moon looms ahead and the two of them begin their hike to find a shaman who Santiago has heard has a cure for werewolves. Many adventures later, they find the shaman dead, but she speaks to his wolf. Now her only chance at breaking the spell is by killing Vasile herself.
The following full moon, she does indeed shift. Luckily from consuming Vasile's blood in a fight, Santiago can also shift. They spend the full moons chasing each other and having a good ol' time. I loved reading these parts.
Santiago knows that allowing Regan to kill Vasile will take away his thrust to revenge the lost of his loved woman, but with his growing love for her, wether human or wolf, allows him to shift his focus away from vengeance.
Yet, Regan continues to hold onto her picture of a normal life. One with a husband and kids, something he can't give her. Although she does love him, she keeps him at arm’s length.
Its during their separation that she realizes nothing of her dreams matter if she's unhappy and the only time she isn't unhappy is when she's with Santiago. Going to him, she finally tells she's ready to be his and proposes.
The day to be wed, Vasile captures her, killing her friend Michael Flynn in the process. Forced into taking him as her mate, she's nearly over taken when Santiago finally arrives. With the last of her strength after receiving a fatal throat injury, she shoots him, ending her curse.
Dying, he begs her to let him turn her, but she refuses. Playing dirty, he promises to meet her on the other side. Not wanting him to die with her, she gives him permission.
Upon waking up was another big difference between this and Ashley's other books. She actually takes it really well. There's no hatred, which she never really focused any anger towards him. She never blamed him and when she wakes a vampire, the same holds true.
My big thing was she didn't remember about Flynn until after they had been together and were planning the wedding. I felt she should have remembered soon.
Using an old favor a priest owed him; they were married and are destined to spend eternity together
Now, before the pitch forks are brought out about how 'he's a vampire of course she wouldn't accept him' and other counter opinions, you must first know who Santiago is. Never once did he trick, pressure, threaten, or any other possible way attempt to force Regan to be with him. He had the patience of a saint and experience that had kept him alive for centuries, yet he wasn't so disconnected from his humanity that he was barbaric. He wasn't a tortured soul who hated what he was, nor was he ruthless in his ways to hunt. All in all, he was perfect.
Regan Delaney on the other hand has been recently re-picked up by the police force for her vampire hunter expertise when killings once again begin hunting the town. Vampires, who are supposed to be limited to the local park only, are the key suspects, but with a visit from Santiago, Regan learns a werewolf is actually behind the attacks and apparently the force field doesn't keep all the vampires in the park.
They more they help each other with the case, the more feelings that begin. Yet, even though she's known from the start what he is and has not seen any violence from him, she refuses to allow herself to care. He on the other hand, is surprised to find that after losing the one and only love of his life, that he has once indeed fallen in love again.
Everything changes when his old enemy, Vasile targets Regan. Attacking her in her apartment, he bites her, calling Santiago's bluff, before escaping.
Now, the full moon looms ahead and the two of them begin their hike to find a shaman who Santiago has heard has a cure for werewolves. Many adventures later, they find the shaman dead, but she speaks to his wolf. Now her only chance at breaking the spell is by killing Vasile herself.
The following full moon, she does indeed shift. Luckily from consuming Vasile's blood in a fight, Santiago can also shift. They spend the full moons chasing each other and having a good ol' time. I loved reading these parts.
Santiago knows that allowing Regan to kill Vasile will take away his thrust to revenge the lost of his loved woman, but with his growing love for her, wether human or wolf, allows him to shift his focus away from vengeance.
Yet, Regan continues to hold onto her picture of a normal life. One with a husband and kids, something he can't give her. Although she does love him, she keeps him at arm’s length.
Its during their separation that she realizes nothing of her dreams matter if she's unhappy and the only time she isn't unhappy is when she's with Santiago. Going to him, she finally tells she's ready to be his and proposes.
The day to be wed, Vasile captures her, killing her friend Michael Flynn in the process. Forced into taking him as her mate, she's nearly over taken when Santiago finally arrives. With the last of her strength after receiving a fatal throat injury, she shoots him, ending her curse.
Dying, he begs her to let him turn her, but she refuses. Playing dirty, he promises to meet her on the other side. Not wanting him to die with her, she gives him permission.
Upon waking up was another big difference between this and Ashley's other books. She actually takes it really well. There's no hatred, which she never really focused any anger towards him. She never blamed him and when she wakes a vampire, the same holds true.
My big thing was she didn't remember about Flynn until after they had been together and were planning the wedding. I felt she should have remembered soon.
Using an old favor a priest owed him; they were married and are destined to spend eternity together
August 12, 2011
This one is bad! Regan, the heroine of the story, is a strange mixture of character ideas. On the one hand she is a fearless (ex) vampire hunter on the other hand she is so squeamish that can’t bear to see a vampire drink synthetic blood. One wonders how she actually managed to slay any vampires if the sight of blood makes her feel ill. Her reasons for becoming a vampire hunter are clichéd – yet again we are served up a half-baked revenge motive (a vampire killed one of her friends.) If you like paranormal romance just try J.R. Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Lara Adrian, Kresley Cole or Lynsay Sands – don’t waste your time with Dead Sexy.
April 22, 2009
I am not sure why i keep trying to read her books. I never like them, and they are all identical. "oh you are a monster! meep! never mind. i knew you 2 days. i love you. lets get married and have babies!"
it was a shame that this one was so terrible. the plot had some potential. vamps being an endangered species kept in what essentially sounds like high security ghettos. the rest of the book made my head hurt. if you find me skipping over sex scenes rolling my eyes you know you are in trouble.
it was a shame that this one was so terrible. the plot had some potential. vamps being an endangered species kept in what essentially sounds like high security ghettos. the rest of the book made my head hurt. if you find me skipping over sex scenes rolling my eyes you know you are in trouble.
August 2, 2009
woowee another great one from amanda ashley. great start middle and end. the character and the love story was great. the bad guy was sooo evil so when he got what was coming to him i wanted to soo stand up and cheer. very good. and it is nice to read an romance novel with paranormal elements and not to be crazy with sex that made me extremely happy.but all in all so awesome. it is one i could see myself read again. i like all of her vampire novel they are all different in their own ways which is cool also. i need to get them all. i have to figure out how many there are. but wow!
September 17, 2009
Amanda Ashley has an amazing flair for words. Dead sexy is filled with EVERYTHING you could possibly want in a vampire novel. Her use of imagery is unreal. Ashley immediately makes you believe you're the protaganist - a quality I always look for in a book. Epic :)
October 22, 2007
AWESOME!!!!!! I wish there was some sort of sequel. I really enjoyed. I will have to check out some of her other books and I will let you know!!
March 1, 2009
werewolves are not as hott as vamps
July 11, 2009
yikes this is not a book that I would own or even read a second time. definatly not sexy lol. I usually give any book a shot but this one was not high on my list
October 31, 2009
I loved this one!
March 2, 2010
Love it
June 21, 2010
awesome
January 13, 2012
Could not put it down.
July 12, 2008
absolutly enjoyed this book! Kept my attention all the way through.
January 30, 2009
If you like vampire romance-- read this one!
May 21, 2012
excellent book, excellent author! Guarenteed read!
March 5, 2010
Steamy towards the end. But keeps you wanting more.
October 14, 2010
Loved it!
April 13, 2011
Jouaquin and Regan are great characters, and the chemistry between them was great. A little slow in parts, and the action scenes are short. Okay story.
March 31, 2011
vampire hunter teams with vampire to hunt down a werewolf. he saves her from the werewolf but makes her a vampire. will she still love him?
September 11, 2014
The book is lacking in a romance part. I would prefer more relationship building. Some Regan's reactions are not convincing.
May 2, 2019
French amateur anal young student
This is the blessing of being an only child : you have your parents' undivided attention.
This is the curse of being an only child : you have your parents' undivided attention.
This is not a little book (in fact this physical ARC weighed in at a chunky four hundred and forty nine pages) and yet I devoured it. This was the kind of effortless reading that, though the subject matter isn't all sunshine and roses, just.. flows. I had no idea what it was about (I mean, again, forever, I repeat : once upon a time I probably did know, but #TeamNoBlurbs) and went in blind. And was basically laughing, and enchanted, from page one.
Mom wanted to name me Miracle, but Dad (not usually the voice of reason, but willing to make an exception here) intervened -- is it your dream to have Miracle get his ass kicked every day, honey?
Reynolds' voice is.. charming, hysterical, sweet, and his hero is all that and more, too. This Groundhog Day-esque YA story, about the average guy who meets a girl, does it all right, only for things to unexpectedly end completely wrong, was so, well, unexpected. It's full of emotion (seriously I think I broke down into almost-tears like three times), and feels, and heart, with awesome parent representation (and some less than awesome rep, too), and #ownvoices content. Not to mention characters who make the right choices, and the wrong ones, and screw up, but who also get a second chance. And maybe a third, or a fourth, and yet still somehow screw up those do-overs even more (maybe because they get a do-over), but always with the best intentions.
"I like to take things slow."
"Yeah, you do. At this rate, you'll have to hope they find a way to freeze our bodies so that they can defrost you in two hundred years and you can ask her to go steady. You know, right after you do that whole fake yawn-and-stretch thing and slip your arm around her shoulders. Smooth move, by the way. Spoiler alert, she never sees it coming."
I feel like the last 30% was maybe the weakest but honestly I couldn't tell you how I would've preferred things go to get to the end. It was necessary to the story even if I didn't as love it as much as the main half. I would definitely still recommend and I think this is going to get a lot of love when it releases; or at least I hope it does! Definitely more buzz required for this one.
This is the blessing of being an only child : you have your parents' undivided attention.
This is the curse of being an only child : you have your parents' undivided attention.
This is not a little book (in fact this physical ARC weighed in at a chunky four hundred and forty nine pages) and yet I devoured it. This was the kind of effortless reading that, though the subject matter isn't all sunshine and roses, just.. flows. I had no idea what it was about (I mean, again, forever, I repeat : once upon a time I probably did know, but #TeamNoBlurbs) and went in blind. And was basically laughing, and enchanted, from page one.
Mom wanted to name me Miracle, but Dad (not usually the voice of reason, but willing to make an exception here) intervened -- is it your dream to have Miracle get his ass kicked every day, honey?
Reynolds' voice is.. charming, hysterical, sweet, and his hero is all that and more, too. This Groundhog Day-esque YA story, about the average guy who meets a girl, does it all right, only for things to unexpectedly end completely wrong, was so, well, unexpected. It's full of emotion (seriously I think I broke down into almost-tears like three times), and feels, and heart, with awesome parent representation (and some less than awesome rep, too), and #ownvoices content. Not to mention characters who make the right choices, and the wrong ones, and screw up, but who also get a second chance. And maybe a third, or a fourth, and yet still somehow screw up those do-overs even more (maybe because they get a do-over), but always with the best intentions.
"I like to take things slow."
"Yeah, you do. At this rate, you'll have to hope they find a way to freeze our bodies so that they can defrost you in two hundred years and you can ask her to go steady. You know, right after you do that whole fake yawn-and-stretch thing and slip your arm around her shoulders. Smooth move, by the way. Spoiler alert, she never sees it coming."
I feel like the last 30% was maybe the weakest but honestly I couldn't tell you how I would've preferred things go to get to the end. It was necessary to the story even if I didn't as love it as much as the main half. I would definitely still recommend and I think this is going to get a lot of love when it releases; or at least I hope it does! Definitely more buzz required for this one.
June 30, 2023
wishy washy heroine
OMG, she was a former vampire hunter and she was like a mouse afraid of her own shadow and couldn’t even tell when a kill was a vampire or not. The world building was good. But she was afraid of EVERYTHING. It was painful.
OMG, she was a former vampire hunter and she was like a mouse afraid of her own shadow and couldn’t even tell when a kill was a vampire or not. The world building was good. But she was afraid of EVERYTHING. It was painful.
November 25, 2020
Spineless heroine and awkward insta love... but there was something of interest in the plot
January 20, 2025
Reread. Still found it a good read. I will be reading the rest of this series too.
August 31, 2024
Loved this book!
September 5, 2024
I didn't love this book. I didn't even like this book, but I finished it so that's saying a lot. The FMC is Regan Delaney, an Ex-Vampire Hunter. The MMC is Joaquin Santiago, a Vampire. Regan and Joaquin team up together to solve a series of murders that keep occurring in their city. The plot sounds amazing, but it was lacking in my opinion. Some of the wording just didn't make sense- it seemed like "old-timey" writing, which okay, I can see that working for a historical vampire book, but this book was set in modern times, not in the "olden day". I did not like the FMC at all! She was supposed to be an Ex-Vampire Hunter so I picture her as being brave and having some balls, ya know? But no, she was meek and had no backbone and was always talking about how scared she was. She irked me...a lot! The only reason I finished the book was because I liked Joaquin. I love vampires and he was a good one. I didn't like the "Indian" part of the book. I understand that it was Joaquin's history, but I didn't feel like it fit well in the story or the modern setting. Also, I've never read a book where a Vampire is only a Vampire and not a Shapeshifter or Werewolf but somehow Juaquin could shapeshift into anything he wanted to. If it would have been a bat, okay sure I wouldn't question it, but he shifted into a black werewolf. Cool, but huh?? To me, it was just weird. The murders weren't truly explained as to why they were committed. I guess the murderer did it just because he was mean... They did solve it though, so I guess there's that. The only reason that I'm giving it 2 stars instead of 1 is because I did like Joaquin and there were some cool aspects to the story even though I questioned a lot it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2013
There were so many things about the characters and story that just irked me. Regan, the female MC, is a vampire hunter who is so wimpy that one has to wonder how did she ever survive her first hunt.
The story had potential to be interesting, but never reached that potential. It wasn't horrible, just never really compelling.
One of the issues that bothered me the most was a continuity issue in terms of the vampire MC. We learn early on that he is no longer "trapped in the death-like sleep of his kind, weak and helpless until the setting of the sun." Later, he explains to Regan that he discovered he "was no longer held captive by the Dark Sleep." Yet, throughout the whole book he was forced to go into hiding for the "Dark Sleep". Why the author would tell us that the main vampire is not governed by the need to sleep during the day, and then never show us the same, is beyond me.
When I picked this up, I was looking for something light and easy from my vampire bookshelves. I guess, in terms of that, this fit the bill. It was a quick read, with no earth-shattering ideas.
The story had potential to be interesting, but never reached that potential. It wasn't horrible, just never really compelling.
One of the issues that bothered me the most was a continuity issue in terms of the vampire MC. We learn early on that he is no longer "trapped in the death-like sleep of his kind, weak and helpless until the setting of the sun." Later, he explains to Regan that he discovered he "was no longer held captive by the Dark Sleep." Yet, throughout the whole book he was forced to go into hiding for the "Dark Sleep". Why the author would tell us that the main vampire is not governed by the need to sleep during the day, and then never show us the same, is beyond me.
When I picked this up, I was looking for something light and easy from my vampire bookshelves. I guess, in terms of that, this fit the bill. It was a quick read, with no earth-shattering ideas.
September 27, 2013
Characters: Joaquin Santiago-ancient vampire
Regan Delaney-vampire hunter
Plot: flows well
Dialogue: For the most part, believable. Joaquin, especially spoke the way you would expect a centuries old vampire to speak. There were a couple of instances where the pace of the dialogue seemed a bit premature.
In summary:
This book is not what I expected. The title is deceiving. I expected a promiscuous vampire, but Joaquin is anything but.
This book is a fun, easy read. It is not a problem to pick up where you left off. It is something good to read if you are waiting around an airport or for a doctor's appointment.
Regan Delaney-vampire hunter
Plot: flows well
Dialogue: For the most part, believable. Joaquin, especially spoke the way you would expect a centuries old vampire to speak. There were a couple of instances where the pace of the dialogue seemed a bit premature.
In summary:
This book is not what I expected. The title is deceiving. I expected a promiscuous vampire, but Joaquin is anything but.
This book is a fun, easy read. It is not a problem to pick up where you left off. It is something good to read if you are waiting around an airport or for a doctor's appointment.
August 14, 2010
This book was good enough to hold me over during a boring afternoon, but did not wow me. The different aspects to it were too familiar (reminding me of the Anita Blake vampires, and other popular series), so I kept wondering how much of those books influenced the author in this tale. That said, while I have yet to be bowled over by an Amanda Ashley novel, I still enjoy them enough to read them.
For my full review of this book (synopsis, opinions, and some of my favorite parts), visit my webpage here:
http://www.maryse.net/books/book-revi...
For my full review of this book (synopsis, opinions, and some of my favorite parts), visit my webpage here:
http://www.maryse.net/books/book-revi...
December 27, 2010
This book was just ok for me...it took me forever to read and lost my attention quite a few times. I liked the female character Regan, but it was hard to warm up to Santigo...his first name bugged me!!! I kept seeing this mental image of Joaquin Phoenix and he isnt all that sexy to me! Amanda Ashley's style was just ok for me as well...it seemed like at time she was trying to make the story futuristic but then would revert back ho hum normal stuff.
Overall, the idea for the story was solid, just came up lacking in execution for me...
Overall, the idea for the story was solid, just came up lacking in execution for me...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews