The Vampire With the Dragon Tattoo by Kerrelyn Sparks

 

 

Och-totally Dougal fan-girling here! The Vampire with the Dragon Tattoo is the 14^th book in the Love At Stake series, and my first Kerrelyn book. I can say without a doubt that I will be reading the other 13.  Kerrelyn does a fabulous job of reminding us of Dougal’s Scottish heritage by peppering in the doona, dinna, and of course Och. She does it in a way that isn’t overwhelming and she doesn’t make the mistake of converting all of his words to phonetic pronunciation of that wonderful brogue. She just tickles us with it once in a while. Also, I love love love the teasing between Dougal and his heroin, Leah. I found myself laughing out loud so many times during the reading and completely unable to stifle it-so be forewarned, ‘cause it does tend to garner a few odd looks. Five HUGE hearts Kerrelyn.

 

Dougal is a Scottish, kilt wearing, pipe playing Vampire. *I know, drooling already* About 4 years ago he lost one of his hands in a battle and the loss has really been hitting home lately. After losing the hand he had been taken off the mission roster, and given a cushy position guarding one of the vamp families. His last mission was over a year ago, and he only got that one because he had been the only one available. He couldn’t even console himself with his music, because his prosthetic hand just wasn’t nimble enough to allow him to play anything other than slow tunes that depressed him even more. And to make it worse, it seems that everyone that crosses paths with him has to comment on his missing appendage in one way or another. Something has got to give or he may just blow.

Leah is a geneticist prodigy, having completed her doctorate at the tender age of twenty-one. She entered college at the age of fourteen. Due to that, and the fact that she is so completely brilliant she has been the target of many pranks by her peers. When she arrives at the Romatech facility where she has just taken a position , she finds a party, with the all of her new patients, in full swing. She is immediately uncomfortable-having always been a sidelines kind of girl, and when her new employer, Abby, notices her agitation she offers to show her the lab, and Leah jumps at the lifeline. Only to wish she hadn’t been so quick; when it appears that the Romatech employees have decided to prank her already. The blood samples that Abby has given her to view are completely abnormal, tampered with obviously, because Abby then tries to convince her that the blood is from her husband…a vampire. The Romatech head honchos can only wait and hope that Leah can accept the surreal world she has been dropped into, because they desperately need her expertise to save thousands of human lives.