Bring on the Night

WVMP Radio #3

by Jeri Smith-Ready

WHAT’S BLOOD GOT TO DO WITH IT?

Recovering con artist Ciara Griffin seems to finally have it all. A steady job at WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock ’n’ Roll. A loving relationship with the idiosyncratic but eternally hot DJ Shane McAllister. A vampire dog who never needs shots or a pooper-scooper. And after nine years, it looks as if she might actually finish her bachelor’s degree!

But fate has other plans for Ciara. First she must fulfill her Faustian bargain with the Control, the paranormal paramilitary agency that does its best to keep vampires in line. Turns out the Control wants her for something other than her (nonexistent) ability to kick undead ass. Her anti-holy blood, perhaps? Ciara’s suspicions are confirmed when she’s assigned to a special-ops division known as the Immanence Corps, run by the Control’s oldest vampire and filled with humans who claim to have special powers. To a confirmed skeptic like Ciara, it sounds like a freak fest. But when a mysterious fatal virus spreads through Sherwood—and corpses begin to rise from their graves—Ciara will not only get a crash course in zombie-killing, but will be forced to put her faith, and her life itself, in the hands of magic.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Vampires, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Adult, Zombies

399 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 8, 2010

About the author

Jeri Smith-Ready has been writing fiction since the night she had her first double espresso. A steady stream of caffeine has produced twelve published novels for teens and adults since 2001.

Jeri lives in Maryland with her husband and two cats, who often play tag-team "sit in the author's lap and keep her from writing." (The cats, that is, not the husband. Though, actually...)

Reviews

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ciara turns into a vampire in this one. Human-to-vampire transformation scenes are always so interesting to read - especially in this series, where being a vampire actually ISN'T all it's cracked up to be. In fact, it's basically consigning yourself to another form of death, and it was fascinating to see how Ciara's relationship with her friends and fiancé changed.

My least favourite thing about this book is the time jump. Two years have passed between the end of the last book and the start of this one; it feels as though many milestones in the characters' lives have been glossed over for the sake of fast-forwarding Ciara and Shane's relationship, and showing their stasis in comparison to David's marriage-and-kids schtick.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a note: I would give this book 4 1/2 stars out of 5 but I can't figure out how to do that here - just wanted to let you know.

Review:
I am not one for putting spoilers in my reviews. But what to do when a book is almost one giant spoiler? This was one of hardest reviews I’ve written. I loved the book and want to tell you why…but how to tell you that without ruining anything. Hmmmm......So here’s my attempt at a non spoilery – yet interesting book review.

Bring on the Night is about Faith.

Ciara’s lack of it.

Shane’s complete, blind belief in it.

How many pieces of your soul will you sell to protect those you love?

And oh yeah – there are zombies!

Bring on the Night reminded me of a three act play.

Act 1: The set up to the story. Things are better than they have ever been.
Act 2: Then they are not.
Act 3: The aftermath.

Ciara’s finally finishing up her college degree and has just completed her training with “The Control” – a secret government agency whose mission is “to balance the safety and well-being of humans AND vampires.” Yeah right. They aren’t named The Control for nothing….they blackmailed her into service and they are exerting an ever increasing amount of control over Ciara & Shane’s lives.
Despite the Control looming over them, Ciara and Shane have never been happier – they’re living together, she’s helping to plan best friend Lori and David’s wedding. That is until dead bodies start popping up. They have reason to suspect it may be one their own. Jim, one of the vampires that works as a DJ at the WVMP radio station has been acting more and more reckless.
But what they uncover is something much more sinister. A plague is spreading, the dead are rising and the events that unfold change their lives forever.
The tone is very different for Bring on the Night than in the previous two books in the series. It’s more introspective. I loved it. I really like when people get pushed to their breaking points and see how they handle it. Everything changes and no one will be the same. Relationships are different, the dynamics have shifted.
That’s not to say there isn’t plenty of Jeri’s trademark witty dialogue, musical influences and vampy goodness at every turn. While it is a darker book it’s still action packed!
OK - that’s it for non-spoiler intel! So instead, I’m going to wrap up my review by giving you my top 5 reasons that you should go buy this book (and the first two – Wicked Game & Bad to the Bone if you haven’t read those yet).

Number 5 – The Control. Government secrecy, manipulation and intrigue at its finest. I love me some secret government conspiracies!
Number 4 – Zombies! Seriously….who doesn’t love zombies??
Number 3 – More vampires! The other vampire DJ’s are starting to play a much larger role in the series, which I think is a good thing. Lots more Regina – there can never be enough Regina in my opinion!! And even more of elusive vampire Monroe.
Number 2 – Sexy, sexy Shane. I have a somewhat unhealthy (or so my husband tells me) obsession with this particular vampire. And oh –yea ..that David guy is still there for those of you who are David fans……lol.
The Number 1 reason you should go buy this book??– Here’s the deal. Jeri has this planned as a five book series. She is signed through book 4 (which is tentatively titled "Let it Bleed" – due out 7/2011 – AWESOME title!). I NEED book 5 (tentatively titled "Lust for Life")! So we need lots of people to buy Bring on the Night and show their love. Consider it a personal favor. You’ll have my undying gratitude – my undying devotion and ….ok sorry that’s all I got but it would make me very very happy!

Loved: I love these characters so much and I was thrilled to see them all back. The series is really taking a big leap forward with this book and I like it.
Nitpick: The solution to the plague storyline felt overly complicated to me. There were a lot of loose ends to wrap up (which she did) but there were several explanations when one would have been fine. I wasn’t feeling the David & Lori relationship. David didn’t seem to show much feeling towards Lori and she was off making wedding plans most of the time.


****If you have read the book and would like to discuss the "big events" that occur I have set up a special spoiler section on my blog to discuss everything that happened - http://www.fwiwreviews.net/2010/08/en... ****

[Eperdu · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first thing that put me off the series was the passing of time between book 2 and 3. As another reader said, they thought they'd missed a book since so much time had passed. I quite agree.

The continued unresolved sexual tension between David and Ciara is tiresome. I think it's been drawn out too long. I felt that Ciara's time at Control was too short and I would have liked to have seen more of her training. To jump into the world 2.5 years after book 2 and right into her training and then right back out of training within a chapter is disorienting.

Again, with the passing of time it was a way for the author to write what she thought should happen with the characters and make it seem realistic/plausible. It seems that it was expected that weddings, school, training, etc should happen and they really didn't add anything to the story at all. It was all this hype to push the story forward in time and it was a waste.

I believe this book was longer than the first two in words but it had no more actual content.

That said, the mysterious and fatal virus was an interesting take. It worked in the story but it was a stretch at times. The new characters we met were stereotypical and too obvious for my tastes.

This book was my least favorite of the series (so far). I still like the author and hope that future books have the kinks worked out. I just felt this book was a bit of a flop.


Rereading: 2019.

I liked this even less on the re-read. I am not a fan of the way this story went in this and won’t continue reading the series. Holds zero interest. Re-reading is an interesting thing ... hah

[Krys · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the WVMP books by Jeri Smith-Ready. They make me happy. Last night I picked up Bring on the Night... and I just finished it. They're fun, they're quick. They are a hell of a read.

I think I liked this one the best so far. Smith-Ready always manages to tell very inventive stories, but in this one she has surpassed herself. In the town of Sherwood, Ohio there is a fatal outbreak of a very extreme bout of chicken pox. At the same time Ciara and company encounter the walking dead, zombies!

....zommmmmm.....biessssssss....!!!

The story gets really tasty from there. Lots of character developments that made me squeal aloud, lots of surprises. It won't mean much if you haven't read Wicked Game or Bad to the Bone but it made me very happy.

...and playlists!! I love it when authors include playlists to their books. Jeri Smith-Ready and Rachel Caine do this with their books. Music nerd that I am, I always compile them from what I have in my I-tunes. Interesting to note, I was reading a very good sex scene in this book when Marilyn Manson's cover of Sweet Dreams came on in the playlist.

Kinda Hot. Not gonna lie. I was into it.

(Why yes, I do blog with this mouth. Frequently.)

Suffice it to say I liked this book. A lot. I want the next one. Badly. A year off? Bugger. A whole year will reduce me to a shuddering pile of want. It's a pity really.

5 of 5 stars. This really is the best WVMP book so far.

- review courtesy of www.bibliopunkkreads.com

[Adrian Phoenix · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm lucky enough to have read an advance copy of the manuscript and loved the book. I think all of Jeri's fans, in particular the WVMP fans will love this book too once it's released.

Awesome!

[ALPHAreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Bring on the Night’ is the third book in Jeri Smith-Ready’s WVMP vampire radio series.

WVMP is the most unique vampire urban fantasy out there. Hands-down. In this world American vampires are under jurisdiction of the ‘International Agency for the Control and Management of Undead Corporeal Entities’, otherwise known as ‘Control’. Vampires need to be monitored by the Government because being undead has a few draw-backs. Mainly, vampires get mentally ‘stuck’ in the era in which they were turned, and they need the Control to help assimilate them into modern society and maintain a connection to this era. Another side-effect of vampirism is psychological ticks and oddities – most vamps develop OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) in various forms, partly because of the strain it takes them to live in current times and the mental/sensory overload of being a vamp.

Ciara Griffin is the main protagonist of WVMP. She grew up as a con-artist and stumbled across the great vampire conspiracy when she applied for a job at vampire radio, WVMP. The radio station is a Control company designed to shelter vampire DJ’s while also keeping them connected to the modern world – the DJ’s are able to play music from their decade, but interact with modernity.

Over two books Ciara has befriended these vampires, and fallen in love with 90’s DJ vampire, Shane. Ciara has also gotten mixed up with Control and become an agent for them.

This book follows on from the events of ‘Bad to the Bone’. In ‘Bring on the Night’ Ciara is finishing her Control training, completing her university degree and getting serious with Shane. Very early on in the novel Shane proposes to Ciara, and despite all human/vampire odds, Ciara agrees. Her fellow Control agents aren’t all as thrilled with the engagement, however;

“Ciara, listen.” David’s voice dipped. “Be Shane’s girlfriend, live with him as long as you can stand it, but don’t take this step. If you could look ten or twenty years down the road, you’d see all the things he can’t give you.”

But Ciara and Shane’s happiness is put on hold in wake of a chicken pox pandemic spreading through Sherwood. Ciara never had chicken pox as a child, and she is exposed to at least 2 other diseased people. The chicken pox plague breaks out at the same time that cadavers (i.e.: Zombies!) are spotted around town. It all coalesces to be a big ol’ bag of ‘holy hell’ for the WVMP crew and Control.

You know those war movies where the troops proceed in orderly fashion, taking on the enemy as a single-minded unit? And then you know those other war movies where the battlefield is complete fucking chaos?
This was the latter. This was the undead ‘Braveheart.’

‘Bring on the Night’ is perhaps the most important novel in the WVMP series thus far... because Ciara turns into a vampire. This is HUGE! With other Urban Fantasy series, readers have a fair idea of where vampire/non-vampire characters stand. Sookie Stackhouse fans know that Sookie isn’t going to be bitten any time soon because Ms. Harris has said as much, and it goes against her beliefs. Likewise, nobody was particularly surprised when Cat was turned fully vamp in Jeaniene Frost’s ‘Night Huntress’ series. But in WVMP Ciara being turned was totally up in the air. It could have gone either way, total 50/50. And I, for one, was shocked by Smith-Ready’s choice to turn Ciara. I think Smith-Ready also set the first half of the book up as a red herring of sorts, because with Shane’s proposal came Ciara’s worries about their human/vampire differences. I thought that was a hint at the rest of the series... and then Smith-Ready goes and turns everything on its head by vamping Ciara.
OH. MY. GOD.

I loved Ciara’s transition to vampire. It’s quite realistically handled, even the mundane side of things (waiting for your fangs to pop, for example). But more than that, Ciara’s turning is an emotional exploration. Smith-Ready really delves into Ciara’s grieving. And Ciara doesn’t just mourn the obvious things like sunshine – she laments losing her favourite foods, and her lost independence now that she is reliant on blood donors for her survival. Jeri Smith-Ready beautifully and sadly explores Ciara’s loss of life, and she does so with a totally new perspective. Ciara sees her need of willing blood donors as a sign of dependency, and a loss of independency – she likens drinking from blood donors to begging for scraps of food. I never thought of it that way, but I could understand Ciara’s sadness and fear completely.

But for all the negatives, Ciara’s vampirism allows her and Shane to have forever. This novel, more than the first two, delves into Shane and Ciara’s relationship. There’s a lot of delicious hot n’ heavy between them in ‘Bring on the Night’, and it is wonderful! Shane has always been a very romantic, intense guy. But in this third book he exceeds his previous romantic endeavours and becomes a hot combination of Alpha/Beta hero gorgeousness;

Shane raised his trembling hands like he wanted to seize me. But instead he rested them gently, one on each of my cheeks.
“Ciara.” He bent low and brushed my lips with nothing but his breath. “I’d have kicked God’s own ass to get you back with me.”

Shane and Ciara are one of my favourite UF pairings... and I love them even more after ‘Bring on the Night’. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the ending will have you tearing up and going “awwww!”.

This third book also has some kick-ass action and horror cool. One of my favourite scenes in the novel involved “incompetent zombie cheerleaders”. And that says it all, I think.

‘Bring on the Night’ is one of the best Urban Fantasy novels I have ever read, and it is a compliment to one of the most original UF series out there. Jeri Smith-Ready outdoes herself; she completely changes the trajectory of the series, overhauls her main protagonist and brings some seriously mushy romance to an otherwise zombie-butt-kicking novel. Amazing! I can’t wait for fourth book ‘Let it Bleed’ coming August 2011.

[Larissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Previously Published by me on The Book Lovers Inc blog: Book Lovers Inc


Warning: Contains spoilers if you haven’t read the previous books in the series.



OMG I so love this series and Jeri has done it again, in spades! Bring On the Night is the third installment is the fabulous WVMP Radio series and it is the best one yet.


Bring On The Night starts about 2 years after the events in Bad To The Bone and things had never been better for our lovely Ciara Griffin and of course, that’s when everything goes downhill. A plague is spreading and the body count just gets higher, Zombies are showing up and Ciara’s life might end at any moment and there’s really nothing she can do about it.


I found myself gasping throughout this book, Jeri took Ciara’s story to a new level and I was completely shocked by it. However she has told me herself that she had it all planned since the beginning, so i can just say WOW! I did NOT see that coming and I can’t wait for more.
I love this series and the uniqueness that the author has brought to the Vampire table. Jeri’s vamps are so interesting because of their weakness. After being turned they tend to suffer from Temporal Adhesion, which is to say that psychologically they have trouble dealing with the changes the world has gone through and they tend to be stuck in the year/decade when they were turned.


The WVMP Radio Vamps are lucky because they DJ in radio shows that feature the music from the period when they died, that way they can have that connection with their past and are able to deal with the present much better. How cool is that? I love it and the fact that music is such a great part of the series too.


Ciara is not your garden variety heroine. She was raised by con artists and until the events in the first book of the series she lived on the road. She has grown and changed so much throughout these novels and in bring On The Night she is back better than ever.
Let’s not forget that our boy Shane is back, just as swoon worthy as usual. His and Ciara’s relationship really suffer and evolves in this book and it made for an amazing read.


Bring On The Night is an amazing addition to one of my favorite series ever and it definitely makes my Top Reads of 2010 list! If you haven’t read this series you cannot seriously call yourself an Urban Fantasy fan! Go out and get this series right now! If you have read the series and haven't read this book yet, Oh My, get ready for a wild and wonderful ride!

[Mello ❣ Illium ✮Harry✮ ☀Myrnin☀ Torin Ichimaru · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, that was interesting. I knew from reading the blurb of the last book (total spoiler!) that Ciara was going to change into a vampire, but I was not expecting it to happen under those circumstances. I didn't realize that she would regret it so much and have so many doubts. Her relationship with Shane went all topsy turvy, too. Some of that was annoying. But I realize that they needed to be able to work through the issues of Shane's belief that his soul-and Ciara's-were damned because of what they had both chosen and Ciara's non-belief. That scene between her and Monroe at the cemetery hurt to read, though. I hope it doesn't ruin their relationship. I <3 Monroe.

Also, there were zombies. And apparently, Control has more problems than they realize. I wonder how that will all play out.

I got really drawn in reading this. This isn't the most exciting series, but something about it draws me in and doesn't let me go once I start reading. I think it's the originality. These vampires are very different (save for key elements) from the usual vampires I read about. The way they are is just fundamentally different.

I worry about Jim, though. In book 1, Jim was a little suspect, but he helped Ciara as much as he was able to when they were trapped at Gideon's. In book 2, he seemed more off-balanced and really tried to seduce Ciara. Now, he doesn't even try to back off. Spencer has to kick his ass just to get Jim off of her. She'd better not get caught out alone with that guy. Jim's not the best guy around, but I hope he doesn't end up needing to be killed or locked away in a Control cell.

[Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems like Ciara's life is never normal or boring, especially since she started working at the radio station. I mean come on how many people lived as grifter's when they were kids, have a vampire for a boyfriend, and even has a vampire dog. She also has to start working for an organization she really doesn't want to, to repay a debt for her boyfriend.

With all of this craziness going on it is a wonder that she even has any normal aspects to her life at all. But she does somehow manage to do normal or as normal as she can quite well. So it is no surprise at all that all hell breaks loose and her normal flies right out the window. So much happens in this book it is sometimes hard to keep up.

So without spoiling things here is what you have to look forward to in this book. More about the secret Control agency, zombies, weird diseases, Ciara and Shane having to face up to just what they mean to each other and just how far they are willing to go to be with each other, discord within the DJ ranks, and many, many people having to face and reevaluate their beliefs as they are shaken to the core.

With all that has happened in this book it will be interesting to see where things go from here.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a little too tired to grasp it all, but a summary would be that it's a very poignant and thoughtful kick-ass adventure. The Big Bad was a little lame because I didn't feel emotionally invested, but it totally wasn't the point. The book was about love and trust, faith and self-confidence, loss and love again. Many different kinds of love are portrayed. Faith is examined, reexamined, turned upside down and made to dance a little jig. The author took the story in directions I never expected, and I'm not surprised to that degree very often. Plus katanas, vampires, zombies, chicken pox, a lot of music, hot sex, and the bestest vamp dog ever. Like I said, a thoughtful, touching, violent, lovely, crazy, surprising WVMP adventure. I'd give it 4.5 stars if I could.

[Lisa Kessler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fabulous read!!! WOW!!!

I recommend you read the first two books so that you get the real impact of vampire friends and human friends in this book!!! I wish I could tell you more without spoiling it!

There is a huge OMG moment that will make your jaw drop and changes everything...

Not to mention that this series with OCD vampire radio DJs is so different and fun!

Defintiely grab a copy! You'll love it! :)

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only thing I didn't like was that this book started almost 3 years after book 2 ended, with a relationship btw two characters that were no where near dating, suddenly engaged in this book. Sorry but that was too much for me. I have read books in a series that did that, but I understand why it was that way. In this book I didn't really see the point. Other than that, it was a great addition to the series. And this time, there were zombies. Braiiiiins...

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been one of my favorite series' and I liked this book, although it had some things that seriously bugged me, so this was not my fave of the series so far. Still, most of the book was great, so I gave this the fourth star.

So, one of the best things about this series for me is Ciara. She is conflicted and not perfect, and that makes me love her because she feels real. She also doesn't suffer fools, and she doesn't do guilt, which I also love about her. So when she gets turned into a vampire in this book, and then proceeds to have all kinds of guilt, and weepy, whiny dramatic angst for numerous chapters I was seriously annoyed. It just didn't in any way fit with my vision of who Ciara is from the earlier books, so it bugged me - a LOT! But fortunately, after that gets sorted, the book goes back to the stuff I love. You know: murder, mayhem, zombies, bad magic . . . the usual! ;-)

I love the world this author has created, and I love all the supporting characters in it. I love the way she works dark humor into the book. There were several times when dramatic things are happening, and someone - usually, but not always Ciara - says something that made me laugh out loud even though laughing was totally NOT appropriate at that particular moment.

Aside from the bit of drama I didn't like, this book had all the things I love about this series, and I look forward to reading the next book!

[Samuel Lubell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another urban fantasy with vampires, this time running a radio station. Ciara gets involved with a quasi-governmental organization that polices supernatural beings. But when she catches a deadly disease, her only hope may be becoming a vampire herself. The one interesting idea here is Ciara has a sort of anti-faith so her blood can cure holy water burns. I might have liked this better if I had read the previous two books in the series but nothing here compels me to seek them out.

[Shipofools999 · Rating 4 out of 5]

They are all vampires now. Ciara is turned. Shane and Ciara are engaged. Jim is crazy. Shane and Ciara now work for Control. Not directions I wanted to see any of them go.

[Susie Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

SPECTACULAR

[Andrew Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing book in an awesome series

[Frankie Ness · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story, theme, speed, and style is very much the trend 10 years ago: campy, chaotic, and full of fun adventures.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bring On the Night by Jeri Smith-Ready is the third installment in the WVMP series featuring Ciara Griffin, a former con artist, who works as a marketing director for WVMP, while at the same time, continuing to try to actually graduate from college after 9 years of going thru the motions. Now, Ciara only has to take one more class before she can actually graduate. If only things were that easy in this series.

It has been nearly 3 years since the events of Bad to the Bone where Ciara agreed to become an agent with Control or the International Agency for Control and Management of Undead Corporeal Entities (UCE’s) as a condition of allowing Shane McAllister to continue to see his family without being transferred to Alaska. She gets through her training class, and ends up graduating as an Agent. She, in turn, gets a very unusual assignment; working with a group of humans and vampires who have magic in them. Of course, with Ciara, it’s all about her unholy blood due to her non faith.

The main difference in this installment is the course of the story itself. Ms. Ready-Smith takes her story and character in the same direction of author Jeaniene Frost and her Night Huntress series. The main character, Ciara, changes in a big way, which obviously not only gives the story a different direction to take, but falls into the annoying category of changing a character for the sake of gaining more of an audience, or just for the sake of it. Sorry, but, I truly wish authors would keep their characters who they are, and not what they believe readers want them to be. Thankfully, characters like Sookie Stackhouse won’t ever become a vampire because the author doesn’t believe it will do the story justice. Will Ciara’s character and personality change as well? One can only hope that she doesn’t suddenly gain unbelievably corny powers over other vampires and humans as well. I don’t want to read the next book and find that Ciara suddenly has clairvoyant or precognitive abilities all of a sudden.

The first two novels in the WVMP series have surrounded the DJ’s themselves. The DJ Vampires are Shane, Regina, Jim, Monroe, Noah, and Spencer, along with Jeremy, who is the only human, but wants desperately to become a vampire. The fact that they are vampires, who play the music of the generation for when they were changed, made it just that much more fun to read about. I’ve always loved that about this series. I liked the fact that none of the vamps play, or have the same tastes. I like the different chapters being formulated around actual music and bands for which I’ve followed for many years.
One of the more interesting facts about the vampires is the side-effect of being a vampire. It includes psychological ticks and oddities – OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) in various forms like when Ciara knocks over pencils and Regina is forced to stop and pick them up.

Ciara main squeeze has continued to be 90’s DJ and vampire Shane McAllister. Things go way deeper with their relationship in this book, and Shane is forced to look at his beliefs about GOD and the next world. Ciara and Shane’s happiness is put on hold in wake of a chicken pox pandemic spreading through Sherwood. Ciara never had chicken pox as a child, and she is exposed to it. This leads to a wild story where zombies are called forth by a vampire necromancer, and the DJ’s themselves, find themselves on the front lines of a major battle to save their city.

It’s awfully hard not to spoil things when reviewing this book, so, I’ll just stop here and say that yes, Ciara and Shane’s romance goes into orbit, and it’s hot and steamy which will please the PNR lovers. It’s also about faith and belief. Something you really don’t find in these kinds of books. Shane, as you know, as always felt that he was damned to hell for being a vampire. Now with the direction that this story has taken, he will have to rethink that faith yet again if he expects to have a HEA with Ciara.

I enjoyed the additional story lines for Regina and the rest of the DJ’s, especially a steamy scene between Regina and Ciara. I didn’t enjoy the creepiness that is Jim’s attempts at lurking Ciara into his web of bizarreness, or the fact that he might be insane. Of course, there is a small cliff hanger of sorts when Ciara’s boss informs her that they found something in her blood that she needs to know, then promptly walks off the stage without telling her anything more.

Let it bleed will be the 4th installment in the WVMP series and it is expected to release August 2011/

•Lust for Life — Fall 2012 (final novel in series)

[Teresa Mary Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

More Reviews Here: Readers Live A Thousand Lives

Bring On The Night was another great installment in the WVMP Radio series. These books continue to be addictive in the best way possible. The characters continue to be wonderfully developed and the plot will not let you down. It is very different from the last two in the series and Jeri adds another paranormal twist into the mix here. So, please do yourself a favor and read this book.

One of my favorite aspects of Bring On The Night is that three years have passed since the last book. A lot has happened in those three years and I loved getting a look into these characters futures. Most series take place over a relatively short amount of time, so some aspects have to be assumed (like you have to assume the relationship is going to last.) However, you didn’t have to do that here, you were able to see that Ciara and Shane made it three years, so if the book ends with them together it isn’t a stretch of the imagination to think that they are in for the long haul. Hopefully that convoluted thought made sense.

I also truly enjoyed that Jeri expanded the paranormal aspect outside of simply vampires. Now we get zombies as well and personally I think zombies are awesome. They have become my newest obsession, so that was a pleasant surprise for me. I always love books that acknowledge the fact that if vampires exist, well then isn’t it possible that everything else does as well. I must say, that out of all the paranormal creatures she could have chosen, zombies is probably one of the best. They are not as overdone as witches, werewolves, and angels; so it gave the series a refreshing twist.

This book truly surprised me by being nothing what I expected it to be, and I loved that. I love pleasant surprises (bad ones are no fun.) Since I jumped right into Bring On The Night after Bad to the Bone, I did not read the blub for it. Therefore, going into the book I expected a lot of the book to deal with Ciara and her training at Control. I thought that the mystery would take place during her training and that it would deal with sabotaging other agents or something like that. So naturally I was surprised when all of Ciara’s training takes place within one chapter at the very beginning of the book. Instead of what I expected, I got something that was so much better. I got a mystery with lots of twists and turns and a book that nearly broke my heart but at the same time made me laugh.

Ciara has grown a lot since the last book. She has managed to stay in a long term relationship with Shane, despite her commitment issues. She has come a long way since her con-artitst days. She is still a super strong character and I truly appreciate her wit. However, this book lets us see Ciara break a little bit and that was something different. She is less sure of herself and gets lost for a little bit. It made Ciara seem more realistic to me, because everybody can break at some point.

Shane continues to be one of my favorite characters in the history of the world. Jeri did a fabulous job with him and she managed to pull together a bunch of great characteristics. However, he is not too perfect and that makes him believable. He makes mistakes and at one point I was a tad disappointed in him. However, those little speeches he makes are just made of swoon and those clearly make up for every time I start to get upset with him (which, let’s be honest, is not often.) Along with more yummy Shane, we see a lot more of the other vampires in this one. I enjoyed getting to know them all better and seeing what their life is like. In particular, I really began to appreciate Spencer’s character in this one. As one final character note, Dexter the lovable vampire dog is still great.

All in all, the WVMP Radio series continues to be highly addictive. Now I think I’ll begin counting down the days until I get my hands on Lust for Life.

[Jessica Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bring on the Night by Jeri Smith-Ready

Goodreads Description:

WHAT'S BLOOD GOT TO DO WITH IT?

Recovering con artist Ciara Griffin seems to finally have it all. A steady job at WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll. A loving relationship with the idiosyncratic but eternally hot DJ Shane McAllister. A vampire dog who never needs shots or a pooper-scooper. And after nine years, it looks as if she might actually finish her bachelor's degree

But fate has other plans for Ciara. First she must fulfill her Faustian bargain with the Control, the paranormal paramilitary agency that does its best to keep vampires in line. Turns out the Control wants her for something other than her (nonexistent) ability to kick undead ass. Her anti-holy blood, perhaps? Ciara's suspicions are confirmed when she's assigned to a special-ops division known as the Immanence Corps, run by the Control's oldest vampire and filled with humans who claim to have special powers. To a confirmed skeptic like Ciara, it sounds like a freak fest. But when a mysterious fatal virus spreads through Sherwood--and corpses begin to rise from their graves--Ciara will not only get a crash course in zombie-killing, but will be forced to put her faith, and her life itself, in the hands of magic.

Why did I pick this?

It should be obvious. If it isn't, I'll explain....this series rocked my face off. I read all of them one right after the other. I couldn't stop. I just had to know what happens.

What did I think?

Out of all of the books in this series, this one was my favorite. There was so much going on. I loved every word and I devoured it.

Shane and Ciara seriously get better with every book. I absolutely adore their characters. They are so perfect for each other and it was so much fun reading Ciara almost just play it off. The emotions that were rolling off these pages was really intense at times. This book had me laughing, crying, and wanting to toss my book in frustration at times. But this book was nothing but badass.

Oh how I simply cannot get enough of Franklin in this book. The interactions that he has with Ciara are my most treasured. They always make me laugh. Franklin adds that certain something that is part of the glue that holds this book together. I loved reading more about him and seeing a glimpse of his personality and personal life. He has to be one of my favorite characters ever. He holds a special place in my heart. Especially after this book.

This book had my heart racing and my mind reeling the entire time. Non. Stop. Action. Oh! And ZOMBIES! Once I read there were zombies, it kicked this book from badass to EPIC.

This series is totally going into my favorite series category. It's just so different than anything I've read before. I've said this before and I'll probably say it a lot more, but when you start reading for a blog, you read ALOT. Sometimes the stories start to sound the same. Now, that's not saying the authors are stealing ideas, it's just they have the same concept. This series broke the mold and it blew my mind.

I encourage you to read this series. Seriously. Do it. You won't regret it.

Favorite Quote:

"I was just playing." The gob of drool on my chin made me a liar. "When's he coming back?"

"I know cheerleaders are an auto-uncool in your grunge-boy book," I told Shane," and you never would've looked at me twice. At football games you would've been too busy getting stoned under the bleachers with your ironic friends, making fun of everyone in school spirit." ..."I would've looked at you," Shane said finally. "A lot more than once."

[Meaghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the third installment in the WVMP series and in my opinion it is the best one. That summary up there is good, but it does not even come close to summing up everything that happens in this book. There is also one EVENT (I put in all caps because it is a big deal) that I am not even going to attempt to talk about because I would not want this surprise ruined for me, so I am not going to do that to you. Let me just say, it is big and you will definitely know it when it happens.

I will not talk about aforementioned event, but I will talk about other things in the book that I liked. I did like that this book fast forwards to two and a half years after the last book, because Ciara has established a routine in her life and her con-artist past has not made her run yet. She is doing the one thing that that scares every ex con artist, establishing roots. She and Shane are still living together and his post-it notes have not managed to drive her insane, but the time has come for her to start training to be a member of Control. Ciara manages to get a reduced training time and only has to be there for a month, but she is miserable for every second of it. Once she finally does get to go home, she is met with strange behavior in her home town. People keep dying from some mysterious mutation of chicken pox and some of those deaths hit a little close to home. I was actually surprised by some of the deaths in this book, which makes me sad because I, of course, don’t like seeing people die. I do however, like the fact that Jeri does not let everyone have happy endings. I know that sounds sick, but things in life are not always happy and it makes the story more real for me when there are low points.

There are issues that have been building since book one and they are starting to cause major problems. While they do play some part in this story I have a feeling they will continue to gain speed and snowball in future books. Jim has definitely been one of those issues. His anger and bullying habits have been there from the beginning, but I think his age is starting to show and he is turning into something different than he once was. I have a feeling this is going to blow up big time in the next book, but I guess time will tell on that one.

I have also loved watching Shane and Ciara grow together. Shane helps Ciara get over her trust issues and Ciara is working on teaching Shane things from this century. They compliment each other very well and are learning how to be in a relationship together. However, their relationship is put to the test in this book because “the event” has them both questioning what they believe in and how they are going to get through it as a couple. I am not going to say more then that, so you will have to read and see what I mean.

I don’t really think I can talk about this much more, because I want to talk about what happens and that will just ruin it. So just know that after chapter 16, Ciara’s world gets rocked! I was almost flipping pages too fast to see what was going to happen. So, here is my advise:

1. Go read the first two books, Wicked Game and Bad to the Bone

2. Then go read Bring on the Night

You will be so happy you did it. Jeri has put a new spin on the whole vampire myth, that is refreshing and addictive. Plus, you will not have to read all these reviews and go “what is the event” because you will know and be happy

[Vi · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I’m working my way through this series, I have to say that I’m really liking it a lot more. I found myself more interested and engrossed with Bring on the Night as I kept reading it. Maybe it was because the characters were more established or that the plot is pretty unique and entertaining, but this one definitely held my attention a lot longer than the first two did. I think it was because this book takes place a few years after the last one left off, a lot of things have changed and I think it was the confusion of not knowing and the shock of learning what has happened since then that got me engrossed in this one. Jeri continues to amaze me with her ability to create a fun and riveting story with equally intriguing characters. One thing I’m learning is that I can never know what to really expect from each book in this series. After reading the synopsis, I usually have a good picture in my head of how things will turn out, but Jeri flips it in a whole other direction and I really love how she surprises me.

Ciara is one character I am really growing to love. I always liked her from the beginning, but her life was still very much superficial in the previous books. Here, you see a whole other side to her, for obvious reasons you’ll see once you read the book, and I loved learning more about her character and seeing how she handles her situation with Shane and the growing threats that surround her life. She faces some pretty tough decisions in this book and a lot of things change, but I think Jeri handled it in a great way. I’m also really starting to like Shane more. You can see how much he really cares for Ciara and the lengths he’ll go to in order to make her happy and keep her safe, and vice versa.

As always, my favorite part of the story would have to be the slew of vampire DJs. They are all so lively and different, and they each get a good amount of time “in the spotlight”, which is great because I love it when an author can write a story with an ensemble cast, and do it well. I don’t know about you, but I think my favorite secondary character is Regina. She’s one of those caring, understanding characters who tries to hide it with a tough exterior and I liked that about her. She definitely steps it up for Ciara in this one and I liked how their relationship progresses. I also liked Jeri’s take on zombies, what brings them back to life, how they survive, etc. It was different, in a good way, and watching the whole “vampires vs. zombies” thing play out was pretty cool.

Overall, I definitely found myself becoming more of a fan of this series after reading this book. I don’t know if I just wasn’t paying enough attention in the previous books, but this one felt like a turning point for me, and things just clicked better and I got invested in the story and the characters a lot more than I did before. I really want to see how it all ends and exactly what kind of antics and craziness Ciara and the gang get into next. Bring on the Night is filled with hilarious dialogue, quite a few insane twists, and enough sexual tension to rile you all up. I really enjoyed this one and am so glad I’m sticking through this series.

[Cuddle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ciara Griffin is an ex-con artist, but now she is spending her time differently. Trying to finish up her bachelors degree, enjoying living with her vampire/DJ boyfriend Shane McAllister and their vampire dog Dexter, and training for the paranormal paramilitary agency, the Control. Life is busy for Ciara and it is about to get crazy on top of that. A strange and fatal virus starts spreading all over her city of Sherwood leaving no human safe, and someone is causing corpses to rise from their graves leaving no one, not even vampires safe.

This is probably one of the hardest book reviews I have had to write in a really long time. I have literally sat here staring at my monitor for an hour and just thinking about what I just read. The problem is, the teeniest of details could totally spoil the whole book for readers. My goal here is to tell you how wonderful this book is without spoiling you, and convincing you to run out and buy it right now! How about I just tell you, RUN OUT AND BUY THIS NOW! Did it work? Hm, fine, here is my review.

Bring on the Night is the third installment in the WVMP Vampires series. The absolutely best part about these books are the characters. Jeri Smith-Ready writes them in a realistic way making their personalities shine through, and as a reader you get to know all their quirks and what makes them special. They feel like friends and you end up caring about what happens to each one of them. In Bring on the Night readers get to see a deeper side of the DJs and gain a better understanding of what they go through daily.

One of the most important parts, for me, was that the characters have to dive in and face their fears. The fear of losing someone, whether it be to death or from growing apart. The fear of their faith or lack of faith shaping their lives and making them into people they don't really want to be. And the fear of not living up to the expectations put in place for them by their elders. In Bring on the Night we really get into Ciara's head and see what she is feeling about her lack of faith, her relationship with Shane, and what scares her most.

The plot has many twists and turns but these unfolding events never seem forced, but like the natural progression the characters and the story should take. I really respect this part of the books, because I never feel like the author is a dummy (or thinks I, as a reader, am the dummy) and didn't think fully about what she was writing or find other ways to move the plot forward.

Overall this series is still one of my favorites. I love that each chapter is a song title, and it's relevant to what is going on in that chapter. I can't wait to see what unfolds for Ciara in the future, because things are sure to get more hectic for her after events in Bring on the Night. :)

If you're looking for spoilers, Jeri Smith-Ready is going to have a discussion, probably on her Facebook, that will have spoilers. For now, they are supposed to stay under wraps! I will let everyone know when the spoiler discussion is up, no worries.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book in the amazing WVMP series brought so many new aspects to the table, I couldn't put it down! Our favourite Vampire DJs are back and dealing with more trouble than they've faced before. I loved every moment.

There's a bit of a time jump between books 2 and 3, and I'll admit I thought I'd missed something at first. I was almost certain there was more to the story than what was in front of me - but that was probably because I wanted to see every detail of Ciara and Shane's life, I didn't want to skip anything. Even with the timeline hiccup, I loved where we jumped into the story. Ciara is in the middle of training for her time with The Control, learning the best way to attack and move around rogue vampires. There's action and sarcastic comments right from the start. I love getting straight into a story with action - can't mess up with a few heart pumping scenes.

In the previous books we found out that Ciara has special properties within her blood - a gift, a power or just religious scepticism; either way, her blood has vampire healing potential. But it turns out she's not the only one with special gifts. It makes sense that if one person shows up with a power, there might be others out there who also have a little magic...or a lot. Trouble brews for Ciara and the vampire gang when they discover one of these extra powers is necromancy and suddenly protecting the world from vampires doesn't seem so important, not when the necromancers are raising the dead. You would not believe how thrilled I was at a zombie invasion - and I'm not a big zombie fan. I love when authors don't stick to the basics in their series - I've never come across vampires and zombies in the same book. It was fun and exciting and the mystery of who was raising the zombies and how they could be stopped made it so hard to put the book down.

Part of me didn’t expect to learn so much about the vampires so soon. Maybe it’s just me – because I read the series so close together, I still sort of think of the vampires as these mysterious beings, but it shouldn’t have surprised me so much to learn more about them in the third book of a 4 book series. That being said, I loved it! We got to see more of the vampire OCD-ness – how it begins, the reaction to it, its continued effect on the other vamps. We come across sunlight, more holy relics and even learn about the difference between willing donors and ordinary humans! There’s so much to the WVMP vampires and while ‘Bring on the Night’ is not the first book to feature newly turned vampires, we definitely learn more this time around.

And of course, our favourite DJ vampires are tied up in all the vampire/human/zombie drama - or adding to the drama. Their tight little group is falling apart at times, mostly through Jim, but he's not the only vampire with issues. It's hard not to get frustrated with a couple of DJs, but you have to love most of them in the end.

I can't wait to see what happens next.

5/5 stars

[Roberta R. (Offbeat YA) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excerpt from my review - originally published at Offbeat YA.

Pros: Original take on the overused vampire theme. Interesting, mostly tridimensional characters. Lots of adrenaline, even in the not-action-driven moments.
Cons: More graphic sex scenes in this one (if you aren't into the stuff) - even an almost-threesome with two girls involved. Gorier than the previous chapters. Radio station and music play a big role in the series, but they're less prominent almost nonexistent in this installment.
Will appeal to: Those who like this series...duh. I wanted to address another point, but it would be too spoilery...

This is darn tough. Because really, writing a review for Bring On The Night means providing a big, huge, ginormous spoiler. Just one thing, but it's the very core of the book. On the other hand, without the spoiler, there would be no review at all. Or maybe...well, since Karen from "For What It's Worth", for example, was able to do it, I hope I can figure out a way to do the same thing myself. I'll address the big spoiler in question with *****. Let's see if it works...
The novel opens two years after the events that took place in Bad to the Bone. And for the first time, Ciara's narrative mode is the past tense. Only in the last chapter she switches to present tense (this is purposely stressed by the author with the sentence "Ah, back in the Now, where I belong."), and my best guess is that Smith-Ready thought it fit to have Ciara recounting the ***** event as a thing from the past, since at the end of the book she has finally come to terms with it.
We left Ciara blackmailed by the Control (see book 1 and 2) into giving them a year's worth of service - and samples of her own blood - in exchange for Shane's well-being. As the book opens, she's completing Indoc(trination) and is going to find out what her final destination is, as far as Control corps are concerned. In the meantime, her relationship with Shane has taken off, and I mean seriously. The station is in the background - big sigh - but anyway, it sounds like everything's going fine there. Though I'm beginning to question the apparent ongoing success of WVMP, what with it being a vintage station in a world where everything grows old so quickly. (Especially since there seemed to be some small problems back in book 2). Maybe the vamps' strong allure makes up for it? Anyway, this almost idyllic setup comes tumbling down when a supposed chicken pox epidemic begins to spread around and people start to die. This will have a mighty impact on the WVMP happily dysfunctional family, and will change forever the lives - or unlives - of some of its members. [...]

Whole review here.

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeri Smith-Ready's WVMP series has, from the start, been a refreshing splash of color on the blood red landscape of vampire fiction. (And that is possibly the worst opening sentence I've ever written for a review.) Fortunately, she is a much better writer than I am. If you haven't read any of this series yet, make your way over to Wicked Game and start there. You'll want to follow these characters from their literary genesis.

The problem with reviewing Bring on the Night is trying to write a meaningful review while avoiding spoilers about some pretty big plot points. Rest easy; I won't give away anything juicy here.

For the first couple of chapters, I struggled with this book, the way I often do with new entries in series. I have a horrible memory and it takes some time for me to remember who all the people are and what has happened to them up to this point. Fortunately, Smith-Ready has cooked up a memorable cast of characters, on down to the supporting cast, and it didn't take long for me to get drawn back into their world, even if I couldn't remember the detailed plot points of the previous two books.

Once I was hooked back in, Bring on the Night grabbed me and wouldn't let go. This is easily the best of the series so far. We're introduced to some undead of an entirely different stripe, which is cool, but more important than our new baddies is the fact that our familiar characters gain a new depth here. We've had two previous volumes to get to know them; now we're getting an even more satisfying, emotional look at them, and it pays off big time.

Smith-Ready takes some chances here and doesn't fall victim to the "everything is the same in the end" trap of series fiction. Because of that, the vampire DJs at WVMP seem like real people, and our main character Ciara comes alive in entirely new ways. Her character development is fantastic here.

As always, Smith-Ready gifts us with a playlist to accompany the story. Do yourself a favor and listen while you're immersed in the book. Follow the characters as they Tweet if you're so inclined. You can dismiss these things as accessories, but I see them as a brilliant way of fleshing out a fictional world. That kind of immersion is only going to make this ride even more fun. Enjoy!

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two and a half years after the events in book #1; Ciara just completed her training at Control and finishing her study. Her relationship with sexy vampire DJ, Shane was moving forward (he proposed to her). Her best friend, Lori, was marrying Ciara's boss, David. Things were going nicely ... or not. Because suddenly, there seemed to be cases of deadly chicken pox epidemy and then .... zombies were rising!

Oh, my, I love this series more and more. I think this one is my favorite (and the best) yet. One of the things that makes it better, partly, is the use of past tense. The prior two books use present tense. I never think that I will have problem with tenses (English is not my native and my own language doesn't recognize tenses) but somehow this book flows so much better. Or maybe because I'm already feeling so acquainted with the characters.

I'm not at all surprise with what happens with Ciara: her becoming a vampire. That is pretty much what a "human" lover of a vampire ends up anyway.. I do hope that her magic blood means something in her new state though ... but I think it might not in the way I want it to be. I love her relationship with Shane, it's so romantic and tender. Shane is so in love with her, and the idea of his voice becoming an antidote when Ciara is under spell makes me feel warm and fuzzy. And my GOD, he makes her a song!!!

I enjoy the more visible roles of the other vampire DJs, like Monroe or Spencer. I love that small moments of Ciara with Noah or with Spencer. Or even with Regina. The only one I miss is Dexter, the dog doesn't have big role in this *pout*. Oh, except to make Ciara feels better.

Plot-wise? Well, bringing zombies is definitely a plus point. It's fun to read the fight between the undead and the dead dead. The story moves fast and almost without a hitch, which makes it easy for me to keep turning the pages (oh, except when I stopped for few days to catch up with a couple of M/M romance).

This book is not without loss though. After Travis, in book #2, another character bites the dust. It might not be a major character but it still makes me sad.

All in all, a very satisfying sequel to the series. I truly can't wait to read the next book. From the excerpts, that book will take place as immediate after this one, because the first chapter is taking place on Lori and David's wedding.

[All Things Urban Fantasy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

BRING ON THE NIGHT picks up 2 1/2 years after Bad to the Bone and initially the giant leap forward feels a little disorienting. Honestly, I’m not sure why there is such a big gap between books 2 and 3. Several times during the first few chapters I checked to make sure I hadn’t missed an entire book (I hadn’t) or maybe a bridging novella somewhere (nope). There easily could have been another book, or two, before this one, but it feels almost like when a TV show gets cancelled and the writers throw all the major plot developments that they’d been saving into the last few episodes. That’s not the case with BRING ON THE NIGHT since there are already two more books planned for this series, but it feels like it.

So here we are, 2 1/2 years down the road, Ciara is finishing up her mandatory orientation/boot camp for the Control, Shane has been rebuilding his relationship with his human family, and he and Ciara are living together in domestic bliss with their vamp dog Dexter. Life couldn’t be better until the dead start rising, and the living start succumbing to lethal virus of mysterious origins.

BRING ON THE NIGHT is a game changer for the series in a lot of ways (several I which I can’t even begin to talk about with out spoiling the entire book). Characters evolve and reveal themselves in surprising yet satisfying ways, decisions are made that will irrevocably change the lives of everyone at WVMP Radio, lives are lost, new love is found, and nothing will ever be the same.

As vague as I’m forced to be in this review, I can say that BRING ON THE NIGHT is the best in the series to date, and I really love how Jeri fearlessly made some tough, bold changes this time out that have paid off in the most exciting installment yet. I still question the big time gap between books, and the “bad guy” was little more than a convenient prop for a different plot element, but for me, a new and much needed energy has been injected into this series. Book 4, tentatively titled LET IT BLEED, will be released Summer 2011, and after BRING ON THE NIGHT it’s anyone's guess what will happen next.

Sexual Content: References to homosexuality. A scene where two women make out while a man masturbates. Several sex scenes in varying graphic detail.

[Patti TheLoveJunkee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been waiting for Bring on the Night since I read the last page of Bad to the Bone. This is a great series and Bring on the Night did not disappoint. As a matter of fact, I think it' my favorite of the three books in the series so far. If you haven't read this series before, the (very) basic premise is that the radio DJs at this station are all vampires. Each is from a different era, and in this world vampires are "stuck" in the era they died in, they have a lot of trouble with change (and OCD). Ciara is an employee of the radio station, and dates one of the DJs, sexy Shane (he's stuck in the 80s). Needless to say, each book has a great soundtrack!

There is a lot going on in this book but Ms. Smith-Ready makes it flow smoothly:

~Ciara's started her service with the Control, and she's been assigned to the super-secret division, which she's not happy about.

~There is a mysterious illness spreading around the town that is killing residents, including some who are very close to Ciara.

~There are zombies - I'm not gonna lie, there is one particular scene were the zombies cracked me up, I could just imagine the looks on the faces of the characters in the book while they watched what was going on!

~One of the vampire DJs goes missing.

~Shane and Ciara's relationship takes some pretty major turns, and they are both forced into serious soul searching.

You know how sometimes you read a book and you really like it but there are parts you kinda skim *cough~lessers~cough*? I didn't do that here at all. Ms. Smith-Ready weaves such a good story I had no need nor want to skim. Now, honestly, I kind of guessed some of the plot, but I didn't know how Ms. Smith-Ready was going to take me there; the journey was completely enjoyable. (I can't go into specifics without giving away spoilers, but her attention to the nuances of the vampire OCD habits is always fascinating.) I read this book everywhere: at work, at home, the grocery store, waiting at the shuttle stop near my job... I had four pages until the end of the book when I got off the shuttle and had to wait about three hours until I could pick the book backup again and finish. It was totally worth the wait; I loved the ending!!!