What do you think?
Rate this book
Vampire Close
Fiona MacPhee is a woman with a mission--and a very dark secret. Sidekick to Joan Armstrong, a famous demon hunter, Fiona must scour Edinburgh for the answer to a cryptic prophecy before an ancient evil rends the veil between the worlds at Samhain. She can't afford any distractions. Especially not from Rory MacLaren. A handsome, charming rogue, Rory has also been a vampire for 260 years. When Rory catches Fiona in a deserted wynd after midnight, his offer of help could not be better--or more suspiciously--timed.
Vampire Close - Voted # 7 in All About Romance's Top Ten E-Books Poll
Vampire Close was a finalist in the Best Heroine category of the Ancient City Romance Writers' Anne Bonney Readers' Choice Award
Rated 4 Stars in Romantic Times BOOKreviews
"This is a wonderfully imaginative story with intriguing characters, two romances, a bit of mystery and even some horror. The relationships that grow among the main characters are well defined, and their accents have an authentic sound. The ending leaves you longing for more." - Susan Mobley, Romantic Times
"Susanne Saville tells a tale of ancient history and old battles and how they are affecting the future of the world as we know it." - Candy, Sensual Ecataromance.com
"This is a very exciting and fast moving vampire story.... The characters are very vivid as is the author's description of Edinburgh both above and below ground. ... This is a team that I would love to see more of." - Maura Frankman, The Romance Studio
"In Vampire Close, Ms. Saville gave her vampire more life than he had any right to lay claim to. Rory was a rascal of the first order with as much natural charm as a woman could want from a Scottish vamp. ... Vampire Close was a lovely novel to pass the time with, and would make a perfect read for readers that love witty banter between protagonists." - Tara, LoveRomances.com
"Vampire Close is full of suspense and exciting scenes that will have your jaw dropping to the ground. ... Ms. Saville is definitely an author to watch out for!" - Klarissa, JoyfullyReviewed.com
FIVE Flags from Euro-Reviews!
"Not only is this a book of twists and intrigue, but [of] love and forgiveness. Miss Saville's use of the Gaelic language as well as the modern day language of the Scottish shows a great depth of research and knowledge of their speech." - Debbie, Fallen Angel Reviews
Vampire Close - Voted # 7 in All About Romance's Top Ten E-Books Poll
Vampire Close was a finalist in the Best Heroine category of the Ancient City Romance Writers' Anne Bonney Readers' Choice Award
Rated 4 Stars in Romantic Times BOOKreviews
"This is a wonderfully imaginative story with intriguing characters, two romances, a bit of mystery and even some horror. The relationships that grow among the main characters are well defined, and their accents have an authentic sound. The ending leaves you longing for more." - Susan Mobley, Romantic Times
"Susanne Saville tells a tale of ancient history and old battles and how they are affecting the future of the world as we know it." - Candy, Sensual Ecataromance.com
"This is a very exciting and fast moving vampire story.... The characters are very vivid as is the author's description of Edinburgh both above and below ground. ... This is a team that I would love to see more of." - Maura Frankman, The Romance Studio
"In Vampire Close, Ms. Saville gave her vampire more life than he had any right to lay claim to. Rory was a rascal of the first order with as much natural charm as a woman could want from a Scottish vamp. ... Vampire Close was a lovely novel to pass the time with, and would make a perfect read for readers that love witty banter between protagonists." - Tara, LoveRomances.com
"Vampire Close is full of suspense and exciting scenes that will have your jaw dropping to the ground. ... Ms. Saville is definitely an author to watch out for!" - Klarissa, JoyfullyReviewed.com
FIVE Flags from Euro-Reviews!
"Not only is this a book of twists and intrigue, but [of] love and forgiveness. Miss Saville's use of the Gaelic language as well as the modern day language of the Scottish shows a great depth of research and knowledge of their speech." - Debbie, Fallen Angel Reviews
Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
1 person is currently reading
157 people want to read
About the author
Susanne Saville
13 books147 followersForeward Reviews INDIEFAB 2015 Book Of The Year Award finalist in erotica
2014 Romance Writers of America National Conference speaker.
Secretly a Lovecraftian gelatinous, betentacled horror.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 26, 2010
Well, despite the critiques of some of the other reviews on this site, I for one am a fan of this book. I found no grammatical or mechanical errors in the edition I read, and I had not a problem with any perceived brevity in the fighting sequences. I did have a problem with Joan Armstrong, the demon-slaying, brash-as-balls American whose in-your-face attitude and complete lack of subtlety do much to promote a healthy American image overseas. But that's my personal beef with a fictional character, not with the story itself. That, imo, was nicely done and unique enough, with its Edinburgh setting of cobblestone streets and underground vaults. The romance between Fiona, who's hiding her vampirism, and Rory, who blatantly displays it, is believable and heartfelt.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2009
I found Vampire Close to be a mix of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Twilight. I really liked how strong the characters of Fiona and Jane were and with vampires being so popular right now, I think this book will be able to find a large audience. The story is interesting and there's romance, mystery, a little Scottish history and an intriguing twist that leaves the reader wanting to know more about these characters.
October 27, 2009
Fiona MacPhee and her demon slaying partner, Joan Armstrong, are on an important mission to prevent the world's end at the hands of an ancient and powerful vampire named Miklos. Fiona and Joan reluctantly accept the assistance of roguish vampire Rory MacLaren in their quest. Rory, smitten with Fiona, offers her the chance to be at his side for eternity. The more time Fiona spends with Rory, the less she is able to ignore her desire for him. But before she gives in to Rory, she must come to terms with who she really is and decide if he can accept the truth she has been keeping from her own best friend.
"Vampire Close" would have been a much better novel had it gone through several more edits and drafts before going to print. Given that this is a self-published novel, Ms. Saville's work did not get the editing attention it required. Several instances of poor editing caught my eye as I read the novel, from incorrect and over usage of ellipses (throughout the novel), using "complimented" instead of "complemented" (p. 9), and spacing issues (p. 10, 82, 138, 225, and 255).
Additionally, the character of Rory MacLaren, who is supposed to be charming and roguish, came across as overbearing and rather annoying. I kept finding myself wishing that demon slayer Joan Armstrong would finish the deed, or move over and let Buffy the Vampire Slayer take care of business.
One of the best parts of any paranormal romance novels are the action scenes. The first action scene (p. 130) with Joan Armstrong lasted only about two paragraphs. There was not enough description or creativity put into this scene to satisfy me; I actually had to go back and read it again, thinking I had missed something important. Another battle scene takes place at the end, and is a bit more satisfying, but still lacking.
If Ms. Saville is able to find more reliable critique partners for her work and a more responsible and knowledgeable editor, I would be interested in reading more of her work.
"Vampire Close" would have been a much better novel had it gone through several more edits and drafts before going to print. Given that this is a self-published novel, Ms. Saville's work did not get the editing attention it required. Several instances of poor editing caught my eye as I read the novel, from incorrect and over usage of ellipses (throughout the novel), using "complimented" instead of "complemented" (p. 9), and spacing issues (p. 10, 82, 138, 225, and 255).
Additionally, the character of Rory MacLaren, who is supposed to be charming and roguish, came across as overbearing and rather annoying. I kept finding myself wishing that demon slayer Joan Armstrong would finish the deed, or move over and let Buffy the Vampire Slayer take care of business.
One of the best parts of any paranormal romance novels are the action scenes. The first action scene (p. 130) with Joan Armstrong lasted only about two paragraphs. There was not enough description or creativity put into this scene to satisfy me; I actually had to go back and read it again, thinking I had missed something important. Another battle scene takes place at the end, and is a bit more satisfying, but still lacking.
If Ms. Saville is able to find more reliable critique partners for her work and a more responsible and knowledgeable editor, I would be interested in reading more of her work.
May 24, 2010
I really hate to give negative reviews, but I'm sorry, this book needed a lot of work before it was published. Descriptions were over-the-top, the characters weren't fleshed out, and overall, the story should have been more filled out.
When I started this book, I felt like I missed the first fifteen minutes of a movie and I'm right in the middle of a scene, a bit lost; it was quite discombobulating. The main love interests, Fiona and Rory, are both Scottish and that's how it's written, so there's dinna, och, cannae, ken, etc., which really distracted from the story. Maybe if only one character spoke like that, it might have been bearable, but with two of them, it was just too much. Fiona herself was unlikeable, prejudiced, oblivious to her "sexpot" looks, and way to innocent to be believable for her age, while Rory's forceful, generally undesirable, and doesn't even seem like a vampire other than his fangs. What's really missing from the book is emotion. I felt nothing, other than mild dislike, for anyone or anything -- I just didn't care about these people. Joan, an American demon hunter and Euan, a Highland-born Brit (or "Sassenach" as Fiona disdainfully calls him) deacon, were slightly better at first, but there still was not enough shown for me to have a personal interest in them. The plot was vaguely described, and frankly, not very interesting. Nothing was shown, it was just told, mainly through an abundance of gabbing, so I never got the sense of urgency and the book just meandered into its finale.
I had a few other problems, but nothing that wouldn't give certain events away. Maybe die-hard paranormal romance fans will like this, but it became a chore to complete and I ended up disliking it the more I read, so it just wasn't for me.
Received for review through the Goodreads First Reads program.
When I started this book, I felt like I missed the first fifteen minutes of a movie and I'm right in the middle of a scene, a bit lost; it was quite discombobulating. The main love interests, Fiona and Rory, are both Scottish and that's how it's written, so there's dinna, och, cannae, ken, etc., which really distracted from the story. Maybe if only one character spoke like that, it might have been bearable, but with two of them, it was just too much. Fiona herself was unlikeable, prejudiced, oblivious to her "sexpot" looks, and way to innocent to be believable for her age, while Rory's forceful, generally undesirable, and doesn't even seem like a vampire other than his fangs. What's really missing from the book is emotion. I felt nothing, other than mild dislike, for anyone or anything -- I just didn't care about these people. Joan, an American demon hunter and Euan, a Highland-born Brit (or "Sassenach" as Fiona disdainfully calls him) deacon, were slightly better at first, but there still was not enough shown for me to have a personal interest in them. The plot was vaguely described, and frankly, not very interesting. Nothing was shown, it was just told, mainly through an abundance of gabbing, so I never got the sense of urgency and the book just meandered into its finale.
I had a few other problems, but nothing that wouldn't give certain events away. Maybe die-hard paranormal romance fans will like this, but it became a chore to complete and I ended up disliking it the more I read, so it just wasn't for me.
Received for review through the Goodreads First Reads program.
November 19, 2009
Fiona MacPhee, sidekick to Joan Armstrong, must decipher a poem, in order to stop an ancient evil vampire named Miklos from bringing back his lover and ending the world. With a vampire recruit named Rory MacLaren and a deacon named Euan St. Clair, the four searches for Miklos and try to decrypt the prophecy before it is too late. However, these new recruits do not make it easy for Fiona and Joan. In addition to Rory and Fiona’s growing attraction, Fiona is hiding a deep dark secret from her best friend!
This book needs to go through more editing and the story needs to be more developed. Also, the characters, the plot, and the fighting scenes are all lacking in detail and development. Another fault is Rory and Fiona’s relationship. They got together too fast, automatically becoming an item and lusting for each other. Mainly, everything was all over the place. The main conflict was barely elaborated on and the fighting scenes were short and vague. Furthermore, the resolution seems rushed. Especially when Joan found out Fiona’s secret as the Fury and broke off their friendship and in an instant, they become friends again. In addition to that, Joan and Euan go over to Fiona’s place and fall asleep there leaving themselves defenseless to two vampires! There is no way people can forgive and forget in just one day.
This book needs to go through more editing and the story needs to be more developed. Also, the characters, the plot, and the fighting scenes are all lacking in detail and development. Another fault is Rory and Fiona’s relationship. They got together too fast, automatically becoming an item and lusting for each other. Mainly, everything was all over the place. The main conflict was barely elaborated on and the fighting scenes were short and vague. Furthermore, the resolution seems rushed. Especially when Joan found out Fiona’s secret as the Fury and broke off their friendship and in an instant, they become friends again. In addition to that, Joan and Euan go over to Fiona’s place and fall asleep there leaving themselves defenseless to two vampires! There is no way people can forgive and forget in just one day.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2009
This is one of those books that I wish I had 1/2 stars. That being said, I would give this book 3 and 1/2 stars.
It was a fun little story that mixed romance with an exciting plot. The love story between Rory and Fiona was wonderful.
Many romance novels include a lot of sex scenes, which don't get me wrong there are a few scenes, but Sabille presents them tastefully. She really nails the romance between them.
It did take me a little while to get used to the dialect, but I was drawn in a few chapters in.
It was a fun little story that mixed romance with an exciting plot. The love story between Rory and Fiona was wonderful.
Many romance novels include a lot of sex scenes, which don't get me wrong there are a few scenes, but Sabille presents them tastefully. She really nails the romance between them.
It did take me a little while to get used to the dialect, but I was drawn in a few chapters in.
October 4, 2018
FYI - For those of you who LOVE to listen to Scottish accents, VAMPIRE CLOSE is now available in audio book!
Go listen to the sample - SEXY SCOTTISH ACCENT! On Audible and On iTunes
Note: Previously published by New Concepts Publishing
Go listen to the sample - SEXY SCOTTISH ACCENT! On Audible and On iTunes
Note: Previously published by New Concepts Publishing
October 13, 2009
this was a fun read. vampires, mystery, and lots more.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews