This post is part of the Spanking A-Z Blog Challenge. What’s that I hear you ask? Check out my page here for more information.
Despite my worryingly obsessive fangirl love for Renee Rose, there are still a few books of hers which I haven’t read. I am working my way through them now because astonishingly, even the prolific Renee can’t quite manage to write books faster than I can read them.
I recently read Deathless Love having had it quite near the bottom of my to-read list (although still above the Black Ops one which sounds a bit weird, frankly.) There were a couple of reasons I had delayed reading it for so long. It’s partly because it’s not historical and I always think I’m not going to enjoy modern-day spanking romance quite so much. There’s too much damn consent required you see, everyone needs to be on the same page discipline-wise.
Mostly though it was the vampires. I don’t know what happened between me and vampires. I was a huge fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer back in the day and spent many a private hour enjoying 18-rated fantasies involving bad boy vampire, Spike.
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| Angel was adorable and all but he would have definitely been friendzoned, you know? |
So what put me off them? I don’t think it was just the Twilights. There are some really great fictional vampires out there. Buffy, The Lost Boys, Being Human – all great. I never really warmed to Anne Rice’s vampires though . Hell, even Bram Stoker’s original book was quite annoying. Particularly when all the characters got together to compare notes. I think I lost patience with it at that point.
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| Count Duckula is, of course, totally awesome |
I think the problem with vampires is that they’re so inconsistent. No two legends the same and each modern adaptation has to mess with it further. So Buffy’s vampires couldn’t use mirrors but they could be photographed, in Being Human, they could neither be photographed nor filmed whereas Twilight had vampires that could be both photographed and seen in mirrors.
Sometimes vampires can’t go out in daylight at all, sometimes it’s only direct sunlight that’s a problem, others blithely state “it’s a myth that vampires can’t go out in the sunlight” and leave it at that. Of course, some vampires fucking sparkle in the sunlight because apparently their author got them muddled up with fairies or something.
Dracula in Bram Stoker’s novel needed to sleep in the soil of his homeland which is a detail you never see used in modern vampire stories. Presumably because it’s sort of stupid.
Renee’s vampires (and I hope she will forgive me for saying this) are quite Twilight-y. They eschew human blood, they hang around in a little ersatz family group, they’re beautiful, they’re wealthy, they worry about their souls and Gods place for them in the universe. The threat from the outside older badder vampire is also quite similar to the plotline across the Twilight books.
They don’t twinkle though. Thank god.
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| Fox and Dom from Deathless Love. Almost possibly. Dom’s on the right. |
That said, I really, really enjoyed the book (and the follow-up short story ‘Deathless Discipline’). The heroine, Kate, a singer and musician is fun and super-cool. I would have totally wanted to hang out with her when I was in my early twenties. Well, I’d quite like to hang out with her now but I am lot less cool now than I used to be. I could have done with Kate being a bit more freaked out by finding out that some of her best friends were mythological creatures of the night. Or at least if she was going to be quite so nonchalant about it, incorporate some kind of “Ah, it all makes much more sense now” light bulb moment.
Dom, the owner of a club where Kate’s band plays, is a suave, sexy vampire. His super vampy powers of smell enable him to know whenever Kate is turned on which is a bit eww but presumably very handy for the gentleman concerned. He’s able to detect Kate’s penchant for being spanked just by uttering the word ‘spank’ in her presence.
They don’t mess about once Dom has decided to give Kate the spanking she wants. Dom tries to keep his distance but given that he’s a hero in a romance novel, you can guess how well that works out for him.
And my goodness but the sex between the two of them is hot. There’s a scene where the protagonists have sex three times in close succession because the hero is having a really bad day (like life-threateningly bad) and apparently roughly taking his girlfriend in a variety of positions is the best way to de-stress. Man, I loved that scene. I’ve had to re-read it several times now for, y’know, research purposes.
“Can you stand it one more time?” can be a very sexy sentence in the right context.
So despite my reservations, I did really enjoy this book. The vampirism added to rather than detracted from the story and I quite liked Dom’s background, knowing that he had been a nobleman in Renaissance Italy and a mobster in prohibition America.
Do I want Renee to write any more stories regarding the sexy vampire trio? Well, if I say ‘no’, it’s only because in an ideal world, Renee would spend the bulk of her time writing her delicious Regency Westerfield books. Because, even after Deathless Love, I’ll still choose cotillions and corsets over immortal bloodsuckers. And I really need to know what’s in store for Kitty Westerfield’s friend, Wynn. I think there needs to be a sexy man with strong views on discipline somewhere in her future.
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| There you go, Renee. I made you a cover. You just need to do the words now. |
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I am one of those people who loves a good vampire book, but tries to pretend that I don't read vampire books– you know, because I am above that stuff.
This is literally my favorite Renee Rose book. I understand your misgivings, but I think it's freaking hot start to finish. And that picture is not Dom and Fox, I think I have a crush on Fox, even though he's gay, and he doesn't look like that.
I loved this book. But, seriously, you need to read Safe in His Arms! Get that off the bottom of your list! It is one of my Renee favorites! So flipping awesome.
So now I have to go buy another book. This blog hop is costing me a bundle. I loved Twilight. Absolutely insisted I wasn't going to read the series and then one night my daughter left it on the table. I'll just look through it I told myself, but before I knew it I was hooked. Took a hoard of teenage girls in my van to several midnight screenings. Now I must go buy Renee's book. Resistance is futile as your description has tempted me beyond my powers of restraint. Sigh
I LOVE that you included three of my favorite all time vamps : Angel, Spike, and of course, Duckula, Count Duckula!!!!!! <3 Deathless Love is also still my favorite Renee Rose book. I've also read almost every vampire novel ever penned even some really awful ones like The Vampire Journals (new spin but awful)
That is totally Dom and Fox. Except they're younger-looking. And sexier. And dress differently. And look completely different. And aren't Armstrong and Miller.
Other than that, completely the same. 🙂
Yes ma'am! I have accordingly just this minute bought 'Safe in His Arms". How is that for obedience?
So I never read Twilight or saw the movies, but you're not the first to say Deathless love compares, so somehow it must've slipped in via mass consciousness. I believe in that shit! 🙂
My favorite vampires are from JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood, but I also *might* admit to having read most of Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse books (the True Blood series). I got up to book 11 before I decided I'd had enough.
And OMG YES– totally agree about contemporary spanking romance and the problems with consent. It's definitely why I prefer to read and write historical.
And What?? You think my black ops is weird? Well you're weird! Oh, sorry. (collects herself). Yes, it probably is weird. I'm quite weird, you know.
I'm so pleased you have my Fenton Fandago cover prepared for Wynn's story. I will get busy on it! 😛
Definitely read Deathless Love. Dom is a very hot and sexy vampire. There's also a short story 'Deathless Discipline' which is free on Amazon but you should read 'Deathless Love'.
Also I hope your spending spree includes my books. Go on, you might as well. 🙂
I just said it SOUNDS weird. Megan made me go and buy the book so I'll soon know if it actually IS weird or not.
Not that there's anything wrong with weird…
oh and THANK YOU. sorry, I'm so rude! Thank you, thank you, thank you for featuring my book today! I love you, Etta Stark!!!
One of my favorite edits of all time was when someone crossed out the word weird with the note "weird is a weird word"
thank you, Stevie!
You go, Etta. Work that shameless self promo, because if you don't, no one else will.
I concur– buy Etta's books while you're at it. I do.
It is one my favorites too, Casey– thanks! 🙂
🙂 thanks, Megan and Etta! Wow, Megan, you have some sway around here…
I actually prefer the fact that an author can create their own mythos of the vampire. If you do it right, it really makes you think. I actually liked the Twilight vamps, though not Carlisle or his wife – ugh, get a vampire backbone please. I did love Aro though.
I haven't read this yet, though I do own it. Once things get below the fold on my kindle, I may never see them again.
But when it comes to vampires? I love the unapologetic ones. "We're vampires, you're food. Deal with it." 😀
Great post, Etta!
I loved Spike and Angel!
And Dom was super hot!
loved this book!
It was so much fun!
Oh, and I loved Sookie, and still adore BDBH!
paranormal guys are just plain hot!
But then again, I always have had a thing for older guys.
🙂
Wow! I'm liking the power! Hope you enjoy it!
older guys– ha ha ha!! you crack me up