The Vampire Voss by Colleen Gleason Series: Regency Draculia #1
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Published by: Mira on April 1, 2011
Format: eARC
Pages: 384
Source: NetGalley
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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 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 possess 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.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
When it comes to writing smart and sexy historical paranormal romances…Colleen Gleason delivers!
Voss Dewhurst loves the gift of immortality. From money to women he has it all and doesn’t apologize for it. Life couldn’t be better…until he meets Angelica Woodmore. When Voss learns of Angelica’s special ability he sees an opportunity to seduce Angelica, use her gifts to his advantage and sate his hunger all at once…what he doesn’t expect is to find that his hunger for her goes beyond blood. Angelica stirs up long lost desires in Voss, desires that excite yet frighten him. To be with her he must forsake the self-indulgent life he’s lived for 148 years, something he’s not sure he can do.
Voss is conniving, a rake and vampire who I couldn’t get enough of! Sure he starts off as a villain more than a hero but his transformation is remarkable. He’s the character that grows on you throughout a book and quickly becomes a favorite. It’s great to see a vampire with traditional traits reminiscent of Interview with the Vampire’s Lestat. A tortured hero is always great but I find the arrogant, un-apologizing vampire with flair for the dramatic enticing. Angelica was the perfect compliment to Voss. She’s outspoken, adventurous and independent for her time. The sexual tension was extreme and at times too much to bear…I found myself yelling “enough already” during many scenes! The story focuses mainly on the beautiful love story between Voss and Angelica rather than their sexual relationship but do not be discouraged, there are a few steamy scenes to satisfy those who like a little smut with their romance!
Another highlight of this book are the wonderful supporting characters, some of which seem to take over at times with their humor and charisma. Some I love (Dmitri), some I hate (Maia), but all are well developed and entertaining. You can also see some relationships between characters developing in The Vampire Voss that will undoubtedly transcend into the following books.
I must admit I was a bit apprehensive about this book, having read Colleen Gleason’s Gardella series. Loving that series, I thought I’d end up comparing the two…how many historical paranormal romances can you write before they all seem similar, right? Wrong! The world building is just as original as her previous series and her attention to historical detail takes you on an exciting journey of the Regency Era. This new trilogy is filled with lust, betrayal and the power of love. Readers who are fans of the Gardella Vampire Chronicles will love this series and new readers will find a new guilty pleasure!
And lastly, don’t judge this book by its cover…trust me it does the story no justice!
Great review! I love the synopsis for this one, but the cover puts me off a little.