Review: The Quick and the Undead by Kimberly Raye

Published November 26th 2014
 by Bell Bridge Books

The Quick and the Undead had a new concept for me - vampire cowboys. I like historical cowboy romances and I like vampires. What more could I ask for?

The Tombstone Ten are running a Wild West experience in Tombstone, Texas. They had all been turned into vampires by the same person about 200 years in the past. They did some robbing of the rich or "deserving" and shared with those who needed it. Raye doesn't make a big deal out of this.

What Kimberly Raye does make a big deal out of is Boone's romance with Riley. Boone is the Sheriff of this town. Riley is a travel blogger visiting the resort in order to write about it. She's had some bad experiences in the past with her ex-husband who was abusive. So in spite of their chemistry it's a little surprising when they hook up. Riley is witness to a brutal attack on one of the employees. Boone decides that she needs protecting and spirits her away to a private cave.

My objection is how quickly lust becomes instalove. You have a previously abused woman falling for another alpha male who is keeping her in a cave "for her own good." It smacks of Stockholm syndrome. And the book ends in a cliffhanger. I would give the second book in this series a chance.

It is a romance and the sex scenes are very steamy. They could almost qualify the book as erotica.

I gave the book 3 stars because I liked it, but I didn't love it. There were some places I had trouble suspending my disbelief. But, if you like steamy paranormal romance and don't mind the instalove, then this book might be for  you.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Teaser Tuesday - The Quick and the Undead by Kimberly Raye

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of  Should Be Reading.

Anyone can participate. just do the following.

Rules:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t  give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

We've got vampire cowboys running an old west town called Tombstone as a resort of sorts. The 9 of them were all turned by the same sire. They don't know where he is now. But, they decided to buy the land that Tombstone is on and make a go of it because they are all tied to the land from being turned there. 

In this scene about 20% into the story (Chapter 3), Riley, a travel blogger, has arrived in the town to find out that there is no internet or cell phone reception. They are allowed to use a landline though to call out. She calls her associate Andi on the phone to make arrangements for Andi to do the posting for her.

"I'll be here. Right here in my same old apartment, watching the same old reality TV because not everybody can be living the dream." (said Andi.)

"Yep. I'm living it all right. I had two packs of peanuts for lunch and spent the entire plane ride next to a woman who told me all about her last gallbladder surgery. She gave me so many details, I could probably do the operation myself if you're ever in need." (Riley said.)

I think it characterizes the relationship between Andi and Riley. Andi is the stay-at-home type who lives vicariously through Riley's adventures. I'll have to read more to see if this is accurate.

What's your teaser this Tuesday? Are you reading a book you got for the holidays? Please share a link or your teaser in the comments and I'll check it out! Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Waiting on Wednesday #64 - Process by Sarah Stodola and The Quick and the Undead by Kimberly Raye

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. 

This week I am waiting on 2 unrelated books. The first book is Process: The Writing Lives of Great Authors by Sarah Stodola.  

This sounds like a good book if you like to read about how authors write. In particular this book states that what sets it apart from others of its type is that "Process puts the true methods of writers on display.Each chapter contains a mini biography of one of the world’s most lauded authors, focused solely on his or her writing process. Drawn from both existing material and original research and interviews, Stodola brings to light the fascinating, unique, and illuminating techniques behind these literary behemoths." It's supposed to focus on really how they write and not techniques as much. This book is due out January 20, 2015 from Amazon Publishing.

The second book I am waiting on is coming out December 31, 2015
It sounds like a hot paranormal romance which I haven't read in a while.  "Welcome to Tombstone, Texas, where anything is possible, even your wildest fantasy. Once a haven to outlaws, Tombstone is now a tourist town that gives travelers a taste of the old West. What visitors don’t realize, however, is that the super-hot cowboys, gunslingers, and lawmen walking the streets aren't actors—they’re originals. These ancient vampires claimed Tombstone two centuries ago. 
So step right up, folks, and book your trip today! The outlaws of Tombstone will be waiting . . .
Travel blogger Riley Davenport loves her job, travelling to the most exotic places in the world. Even better, it keeps her one step ahead of her stalking ex. The last thing she wants in her life is a strong alpha male. But that’s exactly what she gets when she comes face-to-face with Sheriff Boone Jarrett, a hero right out of her most erotic fantasies. 
Boone isn't just the law in Tombstone, Texas. He’s also an ancient vampire and the target of a crazed killer. He certainly doesn't have time for romance. But a temporary fling? Now that he can handle." Should be interesting. I like the premise that it's vampires instead of re-enactors that are staffing the town. I am curious about the world building and what sorts of powers/tolerances the vampires have and how they came to live as a group in this town. I hope the author pays as much attention to that as to the romantic parts.

So, what book or books are you waiting on this week? Leave a link or some other information in the comments below. I'd love to check it out and add to my TBR list.