High Stakes (Vegas Vampires, #1) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Apr 05, 2010 Kristen rated it really liked it

Shelves: paranormal-romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This cracked me up! The characters were fun. It's not often I think of that when I pick something out of the trash... I mean romance section... but I was laughing so often when reading this! And, Alexis is a girl after my own heart. When I read the line "sang dan mahk ki" I literally said out loud "yes!" And every time I read the word "ki hap" I was excited. Clearly Ms. McCarthy knows a little something about Korean Martial Arts.

It was totally refreshing to read something that wasn't this epic This cracked me up! The characters were fun. It's not often I think of that when I pick something out of the trash... I mean romance section... but I was laughing so often when reading this! And, Alexis is a girl after my own heart. When I read the line "sang dan mahk ki" I literally said out loud "yes!" And every time I read the word "ki hap" I was excited. Clearly Ms. McCarthy knows a little something about Korean Martial Arts.

It was totally refreshing to read something that wasn't this epic battle for good vs. evil in this genre. Paranormal romance is all essentially the same story - over and over again with different names (although I can't tell you how many versions of the name "wrath" or "wraith" I have seen, and are they really all that different?) for the good guys and different names for the organization of baddies. To totally be a political story line - President of all the undead registered voters with his enemy being the other candidate... what a nice refreshing change. Of course, it is a little more then that - since how often do candidates try to bump each other off - or at least scare each other that much by attempting? And that's part of what made it funny. Plus, there was just enough tension between Alexis and Carrick that I thoroughly enjoyed the love story too.

I had 2 complaints. First, there were so many open questions still at the end that sort of just got ignored for the wedding. I mean it was like things skipped 2 weeks forward and the author forgot to tell us what happened in those two weeks. I am hoping that we get the filler in the next book. Also, the whopper in the last chapter - who is Gwen (I get that she's Carrick's sister, but there seems to be more to it then that) and what will we see from her next?! But I am excited to get my hands on the next book to find out.

Second complaint - the love scenes were just ok. When I pull a book from this section of the book store, I am looking for a little fantasy. And here, they didn't leave me breathless and with pink cheeks, the way I like to be left after reading these books. But again, maybe we'll see better in the next ones. If JR Ward is the standard for the steaminess, these fall way short. But if JR Ward is the standard for plot - I think these just edged her out, if for no other reason then having an original take on a vampire romance plot. ...more

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Mar 27, 2008 Christina T rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-5-stars, paranormal-romance, 1-in-the-series, humor

When Alexis decides she needs to save her sister from being brainwashed by a rich playboy in Sin City she has no idea what she is getting herself into. Alexis is a busy Lawyer who thinks her sister Brittany is in way over her head with Ethan Carrick. Alexis talks Brittany into going home and letting Alexis take her place as his "bimbo" on his arm because she thinks Brittany is way too sweet and innocent for the job and would just get hurt. What Alexis doesn't realize is that Ethan is the preside ...more

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Feb 20, 2009 The Flooze rated it it was ok

Shelves: vanquished_2009, paranormal-romance

I'd read some of McCarthy's short stories in the past and thought her funny. High Stakes is the first in the Vegas vampires series. Starts out a tad juvenile, with the main character constantly trying to kick a guy in the cajones before she's even heard a word from him.

As the book went on, I started to enjoy it-not for the main characters, but for the peripheral ones. I never took a shine to leading lady Alexis, but was intrigued enough by all of the other characters that I've got the second bo ...more

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Feb 21, 2010 Adele rated it liked it · review of another edition

This book was a bit slow to start off. but once you got itno it it wasn't that bad. it has a few jokes put in which overall makes this book readable. if i was to reccomend this book i'd say form your own opinion. i will read the second book, just to see what it's like. ...more

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