Book #15: The Undead Next Door

The fourth book in the Love at Stake series, Kerrelyn Sparks' The Undead Next Door doesn't stray far from the established format. Human and vampire meet and fall in love. Danger, suspense, humor and explicit you-know-what usually complete the package. Hello, it's a romance novel.

Heather is a single mother with an adorable four year-old daughter, and a redneck jackass ex-husband. She also has a live-in nanny (who we're supposed to think is charmingly amusing and eccentric). Although throughout the course of the story, Heather, who is a teacher, is conveniently on summer break and therefore doesn't have to worry about working. Heather is also a size 12 and is repeatedly and maddeningly referred to as fat. No, she doesn't fit into couture. But who does?

Jean-Luc is a 500 year-old vampire and world famous fashion designer. We're supposed to believe that Jean-Luc decides to open a high fashion boutique in a tiny little Texas town in order to go into seclusion, because he's become too famous and the press have started to wonder why he never ages. I had a very hard time suspending my disbelief that Parisian high fashion would land in small town hill country for any reason.

For once in this series, the heroine catches on fast. Heather realizes almost right away that there's something off about Jean-Luc and actually comes to the conclusion that he is immortal. Although, even though she was able to make that mental leap, she actually had a hard time also realizing that he was a vampire. Because there are so many non-vampire immortals running around somewhere?

I've mostly enjoyed this mind candy series, however the next time one of the female characters calls someone a "rascal", I'm going to fling myself off of a building. I don't even think grandmothers say "rascal" anymore.