Kitt

Previously posted at Paperback Dolls.The Vampire Voss is the first in Colleen Gleason’s exciting new Regency Draculia Trilogy. Set in 1804 London, Ms. Gleason mixes two of my favorite genres together – the paranormal and the historical romance – something I wish more authors were out there doing.I haven’t had the pleasure of reading Ms. Gleason’s Gardella Vampire series (although I do own them and hope to get to them soon!) so this is my first time into her world. I like how she was able to capture everything we love about both genres. The masquerades, the parties, the gentleman’s clubs, and propriety of a historical while still enabling us to feel as though we’re reading the paranormal.I also liked her heroine, Angelica Woodmore. She’s not particularly funny, witty, or even incredibly intelligent. She’s just average with one exception – she has an ability known as ‘Sight’ where she’s able to see the death of whomever she comes in contact with. This particular gift is what has gotten the interest of our hero piqued.Voss Arden, Viscount Dewhurst, is a member of the Dracule – a man who’s made a Covenant with Satan himself leaving him with the Mark. This ‘Deal’ gives him power, strength, immortality and complete freedom with no consequences for his days on earth or the actions thereof. Except, there’s a problem with Voss that I just can’t get past- he’s spoiled, selfish, arrogant, egotistical. Mostly he’s a manipulator. While he loves to collect his information and solve his puzzles or make jests and games he only aspires to trick and manipulate and to take from others for his own gain – this includes Angelica.At no point do I feel Voss is redeemed. His attempt at the end feels like just a little too small, a little too late. Because of this, I also wasn’t sure of what I was reading. While I know this is a historical paranormal romance it reads more like an urban fantasy- the romance just wasn’t there. By over two thirds of the book, Voss and Angelica still don’t even

Alisha

Quick Take:An apt subtitle for this book would be "Vampirism: Good for the Body, Bad for the Soul." It's an enjoyable mix of Enlish high-society and paranormal intrigue, wrapped in some beautiful use of the English language.Vampirism. Sometimes it's a blessing, sometimes it's a curse. In this particular series, it's a chocolate-covered piece of poison, a trick touted as a treat. ^_^ At least, that's the implication based on the plot of this book.The name of the story makes it pretty clear that, though this is a paranormal romance, the ultimate focus is on the development of vampire protagonist Voss, the Viscount Dewhurst; it just so happens that female lead Angelica Woodmore is the impetus for this change. Given the fact that he's thoroughly selfish and unapologetic--and thus could have been difficult to connect to--I was glad that the author managed to make Voss come off as likable and somewhat relatable.At first, I was a little bit thrown with the names and titles that come fast and furious at the reader. With a bit of note-taking and further reading, however, it settled into something manageable. What remained was a good dose of intrigue. The pacing of the book is rather like an adventure (there's not a whole lot of sitting about, musing about nothing), but there's also plenty to recognize from the era and the setting of early 19th century London.One of my favorite aspects of the tale was the language used to describe everything from physical surroundings to dialogues and inner thoughts. I found myself reading extra slowly and savoring the words; I'd like to say that the language melted seamlessly into the background, but it was just so…pretty (but NOT overly flowery). It made everything else--the characters, the plot--that much more...more. (Ha; clearly I don't possess any of Gleason's aptitude for vivification!)When reading a vampire story, which is undeniably trodden territory, it's nice to find little details that add a little something different to the lore.

Jessica (a GREAT read)

I received this E-ARC from NetGalley.When I heard about Colleen Gleason's new historical paranormal romance series, I was excited and couldn't wait! The Vampire Voss is different than her Gardella Vampire Chronicles, but still has the same kind of feel to it in some respects.The vampire rules are about the same, but there might be a detail or two that are different. I will admit, that in the beginning I was a little lost, there was a lot of names floating around, some who were present and others who weren't, so it took me a couple of pages to get caught up. Eventually things do simmer down to just a few names.This series definitely has some potential. Angelica has a special talent, a morbid one really, in that when she touches a person's personal item, she can see when they will die. And many people are curious about her talent and wish to use her for their own purposes. Including the vampires.Told in multiple third person point of view, sort of makes things a little hectic because it's hard to tell whose mind we're in at first, but it becomes apparent soon enough.The storyline was fairly decent. I still favor the Gardella Vampire Chronicles more, but this one wasn't too bad. Vampire hunting isn't the main storyline, so there's a fresh change there. And there's quite a few steamy romance scenes with varying levels of "steam".All in good fun, and the next two novels will star other characters that we meet in this book as well, so I will be curious to read their stories as well. Overall I give it a 3.5/5 stars. A very nice read, I would've scored it a little higher had all the name dropping not confused me so early on.

Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker Queen of the Undead

3.5 out of 5. Here is my problem- I finished this book, thought it was pretty good but I wasn't wowed by it. However, I don't think it was the author's fault or the story, I think I'm just tired of vampire stories or certain paranormal stories and I want more out of my book.I just found myself yawning while reading and it wasn't in the middle of the night.Here is my other problem, I remember what I didn't like about the story, but can't remember much good other than I finished it. What I didn't like-1) Voss- the author makes him to be an unlikeable character at the beginning. Usually when the author does this, the readers learn of the main character's redeeming qualities later in the story. Or, we find out the reasons why we don't like him. However, in The Vampire Voss, Voss's character just rubbed me the wrong way (not the good kinda rubbing!).2) The pace of the story- ok, well that explains the earlier yawning. It was really slow at parts.This is a scattered brained review and maybe I'll rewrite it when I can think about it more but overall, I liked the story but wasn't wowed.

Kaity

Review originally posted on Bitten Books and given 5 stars.This book was an absolutely brilliant blend of the best aspects of historical romance and paranormal romance. I love the masquerades and other parties, gentlemen's clubs, forgotten propriety and general atmosphere of historicals. Gleason fit those all in seamlessly with my favorite paranormal aspects; a dark, cocky vampire hero, heart racing plot, seduction and especially the heroine's discovery of another world. This is the first historical paranormal romance I've read. I was expecting the different halves of the book to clash and stand out from one another. Instead, everything flowed wonderfully and I was left completely immersed in a supernatural regency England. I would definitely recommend this to any readers familiar with one genre and looking to try out the other, you won't be disappointed.Not only was this new England as pleasure to read about, but I also fell completely in love with Angelica and Voss. Often times when the hero starts out as a rake, he doesn't remain in character after meeting the heroine which many readers find frustrating including myself. Gleason did an amazing job keeping Voss true to himself, allowing him to grow and not torment the reader too much while doing so. Angelica was a dream come true to read about. I adored her. She was funny and unbelievably caring. She wasn't weak but at the same time I felt she was very true to the time period.I have very few complaints about this book. First off, I hated Chas and Maia and I think we were supposed to like them, especially since the sequel features Maia. I found her annoying and obnoxious. I liked Chas until he actually appeared in the story, then he became an inconsiderate, self righteous jerk. Maybe the reader is meant to feel this way, because I certainly don't see anything redeemable about him. Several pages from his 'POV' lead me to believe otherwise though. I really trudged through those pages though, definitely didn't need a

KarenH

Although I find vampire heroes to be extremely sexy, I'm not a big fan of the paranormal genre. Since most of the stories are structured in a contemporary or futuristic setting, the possibilites for creating complex fantasy worlds are endless and PNR authors unleash their imaginations and run with it. The majority of them are quite successful and that is great but I feel like the fantasy worlds overshadow the romantic aspects of the stories and I end up bored to tears with all the detail. I'm simple. I like pure romance ...particularly historical. So when I read my friend Fani's review of the first book in a series about vampires in Regency London, my curiosity was piqued. With history already in the books, would it be possible for a PNR story to actually focus on romance?Absolutely! The Vampire Voss is the first installment in Colleen Gleason's trilogy of the Dracule, a group of wealthy nobleman residing in London at the turn of the 19th century who, at some point in time, had each sold his soul to the devil in exchange for immortality. Voss, the Viscount Dewhurst, is a mercenary and therefore somewhat of an outcast among the Dracule as his sole purpose for pleasure/profit is to gain vital personal information about a member and use it against him. At 28 going on 150, Voss is rich, fashionable, titled and handsome beyond words, using any of these qualities to seduce women and destroy men - for nothing more than the amusement of the folly.Until Voss meets Angelica Woodmore. Angelica has the ability to see into the future and embraces the gift wholeheartedly...most notably giving newly betrothed young women a glimpse at what their life will be like when married. This way, the girl can back out of the engagement before it is too late. Just a small step towards equality from Angelica's point of view. When Voss learns Angelica has the Sight, he plans to seduce her to obtain information about her brother, Chas, a notorious vampire slayer. However, his plans are interrupt

Dangerous Romance Book Reviews

The Vampire VossRelease Date: March 22nd, 2011Publisher; MiraNumber of Pages: 384Genre:Vampire Regency Paranormal RomancePublisher Blurb: Voss, also known as Viscount Dewhurst, relishes the sensual pleasures immortality affords. A member of the Dracule—a cabal of powerful, secretive noblemen marked with a talisman that reveals their bartered souls—the mercenary Voss has remained carefully neutral…until Angelica.Angelica Woodmore possesses the Sight, an ability invaluable to both sides of a looming war among the Dracule. Her very scent envelops Voss in a scarlet fog of hunger—for her body and her blood. But he is utterly unprepared for the new desire that overcomes him—to protect her.Now Voss must battle his very nature to be with Angelica…but this vampire never backs down from a fight. ------------------------The Gardella Vampire Chronicles, is a series written by Colleen Gleason. She is now writing a spin off series on the Vampires, and this is book one of an upcoming Trilogy. Book Two, The Vampire Dmitri comes out April 19th, only a month after The Vampire Voss.The Vampire Voss is a wonderful mash-up genre putting together a traditional Vampire mythology (there are some rules specific to her world) with a very fresh, Regency love story. She has spun off from a series about Vampire Hunters to one focusing on the Vampires, and the Vampire Voss will be first in a trilogy.It is written with deeply nuanced characters with great back stories that Gleason deftly wove throughout the book so you weren’t getting frontloaded with background information, yet at the same time within just a few pages, I knew a surprisingly lot of information.The story starts with Dmitri, Lord Covingdale playing cards at underground ultra private area of ultra private White’s Gentlemen’s Club, one just for vampires who were offered immortality in exchange for some bad deeds to be paid when called upon by the dark angel himself. The men (all distant relatives of Vlad Tepes) were offered this gift

Sana Zameer

4.5 StarsColleen Gleason has been on my TBR for ages and I regret reading this so late. What an enjoyable read this was. I liked Gleason's writing style. It was discriptive but not too flowery and it had a distinct vibe of the Victorian era that I enjoy very much. Her spin on vampire mythology is unique and interesting. Her vampires are evil, blood-thirsty creatures of the night, who are vicious. Each of them are visited by Lucifer himself, in a dream, and given the gift of immortality after they have sold their soul to the devil to do his biddings. They have a mark on their back that signifies their broken soul. Each vampire has a weakness to something. It's their "Kryptonite" and it can be any common thing, like a plant or gem. The Draculia protects this secret at all costs from each other. Now about the plot: I think the author handled the romance and paranormal aspects of the book quite well. The pacing got a bit slow in the middle and it got heavier on the paranormal side which I really didn't mind. The characters were well developed and relatable. Voss Arden, the Viscount Dewhurst is kind of an anti hero. He is selfish, immoral and a trickster. He collects oiher peoples secrets to gain leverage over them. He is an unapologetic manwhore who only uses other people for his gain. Voss is a very complex character and he's the one I most enjoyed reading about. Even with all his bad behaviour I couldn't help falling for him. Angelica Woodmore has the gift of sight. She can see other peoples death. That is how she met Voss, when she predicted his friend's demise. Her gift can be dangerous if it's in the wrong hands, so Voss try to keep her safe from a vicious vampire, Cezar Moldavi, who's trying to get back at Angelica's brother Chas by abducting her, though Voss have his own nefarious purpose to fulfill.Another interesting aspect of the story was the underlying sexual tension between Dimitri, the Woodmore sisters guardian, and Maia. They both are strong and hard-head

Cheryl

Viscount Dewhurst otherwise known as Voss usually strays from the spotlight. Voss is also part of an exclusive member of the Dracule. Members of Dracule are gentlemen that have been branded with a mark to show that they have given up their souls and became…yep, you guessed it…vampires. Angelica and her two sisters are under the care of Lord Corvindale, while their brother Cas is gone. Angelica and her sisters are gifted with the gift of “sight.” Angelica embraces the gift, while he sisters depise their gifts. Voss and Lord Corvindale hate each other. So when Voss meets Angelica and learns she has the gift of sight, he plans to use her to get at Lord Corvindale. Voss is surprised by the feelings he has towards Angelica. I have been a fan of Mrs. Gleason’s, since her Garden Vampire Chronicles series. Her newest trilogy, the Regency Draculia is off to a great start. I thought Voss and Angelica made a nice couple. Angelica is independent and not afraid to speak her mind. Voss on the other hand is not used to a woman like Angelica and needs someone like her in his life. This is why I thought that they made a good couple together. There was not a lot of romance going on in this book but that is alright with me. If there had been a lot of romance, I don't think I would have liked this book as much. The element I liked the most was the historical aspect. It took me back in time and I felt like I was experiencing everything through Angelica’s eyes. The Vampire Voss is one tasty delight. Seconds please!

Kt

When their brother goes missing, the Woodmore sisters are placed in the care of a very reluctant Earl, in order to protect them from evil members of the Dracule. Lord Dewhurst, or Voss has always prided himself on his conquests of blood and flesh. However that all changes when he meets Angelica Woodmore. She isn't like the others, least of all being her Sight abilities. Even though they come from opposite worlds, they are quickly drawn to each other. Voss finds himself wanting to protect her, but what is the bigger threat; the opposing members of the Dracule, or he himself who longs with the desire to feast upon her flesh.I've only read one other "period" book in the past, so it took me a little while to get used to rules of propriety and the other mannerisms of the book. The rules of propriety and other things were slightly baffling to me, but the author did do a good job of setting them up well. In fact I actually didn't care for the main character's sister, Maia at first since she continually lectured Angelica on propriety as well as controlled her with "an iron fist." However, after reading the entire book I realize that Maia was actually being a very good sister, by ensuring that Angelica didn't socially sabotage herself. The book is set in such a time where a proper lady's only goal in life is to marry well and produce at least one heir. I have a feeling I will enjoy the next book more, as I have had time to get used to the setting, and the society's rules, so less of my focus will be spent on those ideas.While Voss's and Angelica's relationship was very slow in progression, I enjoyed their relationship. Looking back, I think the slow progression actually makes sense given the time period and the level of society they were in. I am glad that despite the risks, Angelica was bold at times and stepped outside of propriety's strict rules and mannerisms to at least explore a little bit between her and Voss. Of course several complications arise that severely set ba

Yodamom

Colleen Gleason, writes with great attention to historical detail, making it easy to lose oneself in the tale. It is the time of Emperor Bonaparte, he is preparing to war with England. The rules of society are very strict, women are coddled. The world is unaware of the Draculia that live among them, powerful and wealthy. They are immortal and live off their blood, leaving humans mostly unaware. They are mostly alone rarely trusting one another. Voss, one of the least trusted, collects weaknesses and blackmail evidence on all of them. To him "information is power". The Dracuiia are hunting for the Woodmore women, there have been rumors they have abilities that may be of value. Dimitri, their temporary guardian becomes tangled in a fight of wits and blood to save the girls. One of the girls is kidnapped and the Darculia most try to put aside their mistrust to save them.The Draculia are cursed, powerful, manipulative, inhuman, and vicious at times. They are also loving, careful and sexy. I really enjoyed this vampire book it was more vampire and less romance.

jD

This book is scheduled to be released on March 22. This is my first Colleen Gleason book and I can see that she is talented but the book had too much going on and it was not well organized. There were technical and creative flow problems. On the technical side, my ebook was not well formatted on my Kindle. At least I hope that was the problem otherwise, readers will get frustrated with conversations and scenes bleeding into one another. I had to constantly reread to find where the break was supposed to be. The creative flow problem hit me straight off. I did not like the feeling that I was dropped into the middle of a story or a rapidly moving stream of people. It felt like the continuation of a previous book but it is referred to as the first in a series.On the plus side, I love the period -- England cowering in fear of Napolean while referring to America as the colonies. Gleason did a superb job of describing the complex layers of clothing from that period and the strigent social rules. It is clear she did her homework. She also did a great job of building Voss into an unrepentent rake. He was a very naughty boy. Of course, as with all romance books, we need to see him brought low by a heroine he does not see coming. That would be Angelica. She is the sister of a vampire hunter named Woodmore (family name) who has run off with a evil vampire's sister. The vampire badguy was not amused and wants his sister back or revenge thus he targeted the Woodmore sisters. This element of the story was never developed to my satisfaction, it only provided motive for conflict.Woodmore has left his three unmarried sisters in the care of Demetri, a vampire, that is his friend. Demetri and Voss are frienemies but mostly enemies. Voss knows that the sisters have Gyspy blood and that one of them has the 'sight' and can see true death. He wants unfettered access to that knowledge so he goes after Angelica once he sorts out she is the one. After an awkward and slow start, the book goes

Fiendishly Bookish

3.75 StarsIndividual conflicts take precedence in Colleen Gleason’s debut book The Vampire Voss, the first in a new Regency vampire trilogy about the Draculia-an ancient race of vampires descended from Vlad Dracul, who have sworn allegiance to Lucifer and in turn carry the mark of the covenant. It is their internal discord, the inescapable warring between the lure of The Mark, and the last remaining vestiges of their humanity that is the true lure in Gleason’s plot. In Voss, Gleason introduces a moderate swathe of characters early on, setting the stage of not only the first book, but those that will follow in its wake. We get an introduction to two swoonworthy vamps: Voss Arden, Viscount Dewhurst, and brooding Dimitri, the Earl of Corvindale. Later on, we meet Narcise Moldavi, who has inexplicably disappeared with vampire hunter Chas Woodmore.Gleason has portrayed Voss as an enigmatic character, who traffics in information much in the way that Lord Akeldama does in Gail Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate series. He exploits it, he barters it, and if needed, he uses it for blackmail. Information has and will always be his ace. When he returns from the Colonies, he has an objective in mind. That is to track down which of Chas Woodmore’s sisters possesses the legacy of Sight and exploit that tidbit of information as best as he can. With Woodmore missing, his sisters Angelica, Maia, and Sonia have all become the wards of the Earl of Corvindale, a vampir. That liaison places them directly in the bulls-eye of Cezar Moldavi, the leader of a faction of vampir who have a blood feud with the Earl of Corvindale. Even more difficult, there is no love lost between Voss and Dimitri, preventing him from even getting close to the Woodmore sisters. Voss must ferret out which sister is gifted, and utilize that information before Moldavi becomes hot on the trail. But Voss never envisions getting entangled with one of Chas’s sisters, least of all Angelica Woodmore, and forced to flee wit

Tammy Walton Grant

Now THIS is a what a vampire cover should look like. Dark, ominous, and frightening - look at his eyes, for goodness sake! I really liked this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes Regencies, vampire stories and/or PNR. It has a great set-up and what I thought was a fresh spin on the original vampire legend, including a couple of unique tweaks of legendary vampire "weaknesses" thrown in for good measure. All of these things kept me reading the book long past the point where it wasn't really working for me as a romance. By the end I didn't really care about Voss and Angelica nearly as much as I was interested in the relationship between her sister Maia and Dimitri, Earl of Corvindale. I can't WAIT to read their book -- they had so much chemistry they stole every scene they were in. Back to Voss and Angelica. I found Voss very interesting . He is a very complicated creature and as the book progresses CG peels back the layers so you see how he got to be where he is. When we meet him he is kind of shallow, manipulative and plays both ends against the middle - always making sure that his behind is covered. He is a collector and sometime keeper of secrets - by that I mean he keeps them until he can benefit by exposing them. Even he doesn't realize how mercenary he has become until he falls in love with Angelica. That's where the book didn't quite work for me - I'm always suspicious of a bad boy being transformed by the power of lurve , so I wasn't really buying what Gleason was selling. No matter, the story itself more than makes up for the lack of connection I had with the romance. So in the end, here's what I liked about it: it had great world building, an original story, unique spins and tweaks of the vampire legend, it felt like a Regency that just happened to have vampires in it. It was believable and well-told with compelling, realistic characters. Voss was great -- self-absorbed, mercenary and bored. Angelica's sister Maia and Corvindale were my favour

Sonette

This book was a totally unexpected but amazingly enjoyable read. I have been wanted to read the Gardella Vampire Series by Colleen Gleason, recommended to me by a Goodreads friend, for quite some time now and just never seemed to get around to it. The Vampire Voss was therefore the first of her books that I have picked up and I must admit I am adding Colleen Gleason to my favourite author list right after I finish this review. SUMMARYThis book follows Voss, Lord Dewhurst, a 140 something year old Vampire living in regency England. As I don’t want to spoil anything for those of you who have not read the book as yet I shall stick with the Goodreads summary on this one, which goes something like this:Regency London – a dizzying whirl of balls and young ladies pursued by charming men. But the Woodmore sisters are hunted by a more sinister breed: Lucifer’s own. Voss, also known as Viscount Dewhurst, relishes the sensual pleasures immortality affords. A member of the Dracule – a cabal of powerful, secretive noblemen marked with a talisman that reveals their bartered souls – the mercenary Voss has remained carefully neutral… until Angelica. Angelica Woodmore possesses the Sight, an ability invaluable to both sides of a looming war among the Dracule. Her very scent envelops Voss in a scarlet fog of hunger – for her body and blood. But he is utterly unprepared for the new desire that overcomes him – to protect her.WHAT I LIKEDThe Vampire Voss has everything that I like in a book. It is set in Regency England, it’s a romance with a fantastical twist and has a dark and sinister edge. What more could one really want? I absolutely loved the characters in this book. The author fleshes out the characters to such an extent that it allows you to really connect with them and become invested in what their futures will bring. At first Voss’ arrogance and pure obsession with the pursuit of pleasure is quite irritating and it seems that he has no hope of ever being likable in any way. Bu

Stephanie G

Viscount Dewhurst, or Voss, has spent the last one hundred and forty plus years living for pleasure and only caring about himself. As a member of the Dracule, he uses his vampiric abilities to get what he wants and obtain any information that will give him advantages over others. When he learns that the Woodmore sisters are being hunted by a depraved vampire bent on revenge, Voss uses the opportunity to get close to the Woodmore sister with the power of sight. But Angelica Woodmore will not be easily seduced.Angelica and her sisters are being hunted by monsters she never knew existed. Her gift of sight has made her more of a target than the others. Angelica has been warned of Voss and has even seen his darker side but still can't help be drawn to him. When things become dire, Angelica will learn if Voss is the evil creature from her nightmares or the only man who can save her.Voss denies himself nothing. He will drink as much blood as he wishes and have any women he wants. Even if he has to use his vampiric powers of persuasion. He has also made it his mission to obtain personal information about others, which he then will use for financial gain or favors. Voss is unapologetic in everything he does and I loved that about him. He seeks out Angelica for her sight but she is immune to his hypnotizing powers. As you'd expect, Voss starts falling for Angelica and his priorities change from using her to saving her. Angelica is able to handle her gift of being able to see other people's deaths very well. She's intelligent and will fight to survive. Apart, these two were intriguing and compelling characters but I felt no real connection when they were brought together. I thought there was lust on Voss' end and slight desire from Angelica but when the big declaration of love came, it didn't feel genuine enough.Angelica's sister Maia stood out as well as Dimitri, the Earl of Corvindale. When Angelica and Maia's brother earns the wrath of another vampire, he must go into hidin

willaful

Current invented vampire mythologies include vampires created by science and those created by, essentially, good magic. Gleason’s mythology is a much more traditional, dark one, in which vampires are made through bargains with Lucifer and controlled through a mark on their shoulder which compels them to do evil. (They can also be made by other vampires, but that's apparently not common.)Not to criticize any series in which vampires are good (or neutral) but I enjoyed seeing this darker side again, because of all the interesting moral implications. Our hero Voss, though not blatently evil, is self-centered, pleasure seeking and has little difficulty following the demands of his mark (Unlike his antagonist Dimitri, destined to be hero of a later book, who clearly goes through agony resisting his.) But that starts to change when he meets Angelica and finds himself being compelled to drain her blood.I had some trouble getting into this book. The pace is leisurely, the world-building not that enthralling, and I never really fell in love with the characters. But the last third flew by and I was glad I had stuck it out. Gleason has definitely done something different here in paranormal romance and it was quite satisfying. The upcoming sequels look quite interesting too, one about the long-suffering, evil-resisting vampire Dimitri and one about a female vampire in love with Angelica's vampire-hunter brother.

Fani *loves angst*

4.5 starsWell, it's obvious me and Gleason have a chemistry, because I like her writing so much, I'm willing to forgive her faults in plot or heroes that I usually wouldn't, and still enjoy her books very much (like in The Rest Falls Away). However, I'm happy to say I didn't need to forgive her anything in this book: I loved the writing (of course), the plot, the selfish, rakish hero who did not have a personality transplant and become a besotted fool the moment he met the heroine, as is often the case with rakes. I also loved the heroine who had a good mind in her head at all times and I loved the subtle -but so interesting- twists in the vampir myth she added. In short, I loved this book.The story goes like this:Chas Woodmore has disappeared for quite some time. Before he did, he asked his sisters to contact the Earl of Corvindale if such an event occured. Corvindale, a vampire but also Woodmore's friend, has promised to act as their guardian should the need arise. The one to inform Dimitri that Woodmore has disappeared, is none other than Voss, Viscount Dewhurst, a man who is in no way a friend of his. In fact no vampire likes Voss, because he likes to gather information about them and use it for his own advantage. And Voss does see in this occasion a fine opportunity; One of the Woodmore sisters is rumored to have the Sight. That could gain him some very valuable information and thus more power. While her brother is missing and before Dimitri assertains his authority over them, he plans to meet her and use her for his own nefarious purposes. But things seem to go awry... Angelica's scent tempts Voss the way no one else's has for over a century. He soon finds himself wanting her -and her sweet blood- more and more but wanting to protect her at the same time. But when his bloodlust hits, even Angelica is not safe...This was a dark, intense book, where Gleason made me feel as if I was in a hidden corner actually seeing all these things come to life: the secret vamp

Mandi

Known to most as Viscount Dewhurst, Voss Arden, is a 148 year old vampire who loves to be immortal. Voss, along with his other vampire brethren were not born into this lifestyle. Lucifer came to them individually in a dream, leaving his Mark on them, and when they awoke, they were vampire. They have found others throughout their life, and have banded together in a sense. Voss thrives on learning other people’s secrets. Knowing information is the key to many things and he makes it a game to learn as much as he can about others. While he is not gaining intel, he is usually bedding and drinking from many women. His newest conquest is to learn which of the Woodmore sisters has The Sight.Angelica Woodmore learned from an early age that when she touches an object belonging to someone else, she can see a picture of this person’s death. So she is able to estimate how old and where this person will die. This is a curse and a blessing. She currently charges people for use of her Sight, and uses the money to fund an orphanage. But she has also seen her sister’s future deaths, and carries this burden within herself.Now, Angelica’s brother Chas has disappeared with Narcise Moldavi. Narcise is Cezar Moldavi’s sister. Unknown to Angelica, Moldavi is a vampire, and not well liked by other vampires. With previous instructions from Chas, Angelica and her sisters new guardian until Chas returns is Dimitri. Dimitri is also a vampire, one that doesn’t want to be saddled with mortal women, but will keep them safe at all costs. Dimitri and Voss have a complicated history, and are not on the best terms. When Voss starts sniffing around Angelica, vampire tensions flare. But it is when Moldavi makes an appearance, Angelica needs to decide who she is safer with.The Vampire Voss is the first in a new series by Colleen Gleason. I have previously read her other historical paranormal series, The Gardella Chronicles and absolutely adore those books. In this series however, each book does have a HE

Kristyn Hammond

Reviewed at A Turn of Page.**e-ARC made available for Kindle through NetGalley**I’ve read a ton of vampire novels. You might say that I’m a vampire novel junkie. I love the Gothic, and vampires are a natural extension of the gothic — heck, I’m doing my Master’s thesis over the Gothic. So when I started this book, with a terrible feeling, I nearly put it down again. The problem? I didn’t like it from the start. I didn’t like Voss, at all, which made bearing him difficult. I didn’t particularly like the Woodmore sisters, or Voss’s vampire buddies, Brickbank and Eddersley, I didn’t like any of them… except Dimitri. I loved him from the word go, which is what kept me reading. It certainly wasn’t Voss.At least that’s the way it began. I grumpily picked up my Kindle and kept reading, I made it my bedtime task to read a few “pages” (percent?) and try to get it read. That’s when something happened… I actually started to like the book. Somewhere along the line, Voss’s character grew on me, Angelica grew on me, they all grew on me. Don’t get me wrong, I still love Dimitri above all else, he’s an amazing character and I cannot wait for The Vampire Dimitri to hit shelves. Voss started, along the way, to become a sympathetic character, I began to connect with his emotional journey and the darkness under his rake-like shell. He became something more than a completely self-interested monster, he became a man I actually rooted for! I wanted him to succeed, I wanted Angelica to want him. I, quite frankly, couldn’t stop turning the pages.Of course, this is a review, so I’m not going to spill the ending. I’ll just say this, I was very satisfied with how the novel ended.Okay, now that I’ve spoken about my likes, I must say that there are things I didn’t like, too. Mostly, those things go to formatting. Since the book’s not out yet, and I’m not sure it’ll be available for Kindle at all, I’m certain they’ll fix the formatting. One thing I hope they make certain to fix is how the book goe