#BookReview: Vampire Trouble by Sara Humphreys - 4.5 Wine Glasses

Title: Vampire Trouble
Series: Dead in the City #2
Author: Sara Humphreys
Format: eBook/Mass Market Paperback, 320 pages
Publication: July 1st 2014 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | ARe
Source: NetGalley
Reviewer: Linda
Rating: 4.5/5

Shane Quesada, a four-century old vampire sentry, is known for cold, unemotional precision when hunting rogue vampires.
Maya Robertson is a youngling vampire who will not be controlled—and to prove it, she rejects Shane’s protection—only to find herself in over her head with an alpha werewolf.
Soon, a war between the coven and the werewolf clan ignites, and Maya and Shane flee to Louisiana, where their passion for each other grows—as does Maya’s power. When she finds herself at the center of the conflict, will she finally trust Shane with her life—and her heart?

Thoughts:
Vampires, Weres... from New York City to the Louisiana Bayou!  Oh My!

VAMPIRE TROUBLE by Sara Humphreys in a very enjoyable, spicy paranormal romance!  It is the second book in her Dead in the City series.  It can easily be read as a standalone as Sara fills in everything you need to know to enjoy it by itself.  However, I would recommend reading the series in order as there are interconnected characters and Dead in the City #1, TALL, DARK and VAMPIRE, was such a fantastic read also!

Sara describes her Dead in the City series thus:  "A paranormal series about a coven of vampire chicks in NYC who are searching for their blood-mates and taking a bite out of the Big Apple along the way. New York City nightlife never looked this good."

VAMPIRE TROUBLE is the story of Shane Quesada and Maya.  Shane is a sexy, four-centuries-old warrior vampire.  He's currently a sentry for the Presidium's New York City facility which governs supernaturals there,  He was Mr. Dependable, known for his cold, calculated precision and his steadfast adherence to duty before "wildcat in the sack" Maya came along and short-circuited his concentration. It had been centuries since Shane has wanted a woman for more than her blood.  Now that same woman has turned his life topsy turvy as she is the object of his desire and the bane of his existence.

Maya is a youngling, a relatively new vampire having been turned just five years before after a savage attack that left her near death.  As the story opens, she's a bartender for The Coven, the club owned by one of the new czars of New York City and her maker.  Maya is cute, blond and impetuous with seriously deep issues that she hasn't shared with anyone.   But ignoring her problems while she's awake, doesn't help.  She can't evade her torment as it plagues her dreamscape as a repeating nightmare from which she cannot escape.  She takes her frustration out on human men that she hunts to feed from and to exert her power over in her ineffective quest for revenge.  Desiring more freedom and desperately seeking respite any way she can, she leaves The Coven's employ to work for the Rat, a vamp known for his shady dealings.  On her first night of work, she rashly and childishly ignites a keg of trouble that threatens to blow apart the peace accord between the vamps and the weres.   One of the supporting characters describes Maya thusly: "You're a little bit of a thing, but I hear you're good at stirring up big trouble."

The chemistry between Shane and Maya was palpable.  Stubborn doesn't begin to describe each of them.  They both fought their attraction to each other... tooth and nail.  I wanted to shake first Maya, then Shane.  But... when they were together they produced the most heartbreakingly beautiful, yummiest sex ever.
Maya wrapped one leg around him, writhing against him as she threaded her fingers through his hair and held him to her, urging him on.
"Never stop touching me that way," Maya rasped."

My favorite scene was a rooftop interlude in the Louisiana Bayou,  OMG... it was awesome!  I was SWOONING at the incredible storytelling as they came together.

There's humor too:  Here's an example:
"I am waiting for you in the living room... the very pink living room.  I do hope that when we acquire a home of our own, after this nonsense has passed, you will not insist on bathing the entire space in shades of bubble gum."

AND there's wisdom shared:  "All creatures are capable of darkness, but not all choose to succumb to it."

I greatly enjoyed the updates on favorite characters from the previous book interwoven into this story.  Without a doubt, fans will find this addition to the series highly satisfying.

Bottomline:  Sara's writing is smooth and fluid!  Her word building and character development are first rate.  She keeps the adrenaline climbing with non-stop action, plenty of passionate paranormal, mystery, romance, humor and heat right up to the hit-the-spot happy ending.  If you love stories featuring HOT vamps with a dab of man-candy weres, erotica with a dash of humor, you must read VAMPIRE TROUBLE!