Audio #Review: The Vampire...In My Dreams by Terry Spear - 4 Wine Glasses

Title: The Vampire...In My Dreams
Written by: Terry Spear
Narrated by: Elizabeth Phillips
Length: 6 hrs and 26 mins 
Series: Vampire Chronicles (Spear), Book 1
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:12-19-14
Publisher: Terry Spear
Links: Goodreads | Audible | Amazon | B&N
Source: Author
Rating:  4 out of 5 Wine Glasses

Proving a guy is a vampire for the glory it will bring seemed like a good idea to Marissa Lakeland. At the time. Until Dominic Vorchowski needs Marissa Lakeland's help to fight the vampire who made him the way he is. No problem. She's a witch. Witches can handle it. But vampires don't exist, and there's nothing in a witch's training that deals with a creature that doesn't exist. So using her wits, she'll manage, right? If the creature of the night doesn't get her first. As a centuries-old vamp, Lynetta doesn't lose ever, and she doesn't intend to now.

Yet, Marissa can't let the vamp have her way, not when Dominic's life depends on it. And so does her own. 

Linda's Thoughts:
I thought he should know the truth.
"Some say that I'm a ... well a ..." I hated to say what others teased me mercilessly about... "A... slow learner."
He shrugged as if to indicate that it didn't mean anything to him, but seemed anxious about what to say to console me. Finally, he reached out and touched my hand. "Yeah, but they don't have life mates whose destines are written in the stars." I wanted to groan out loud. I was a slow learner and was to be mated with a vampiric human whose old flame wanted me dead. How was this a good thing? 

THE VAMPIRE ... IN MY DREAMS by Terry Spear is a bewitching, action-packed vamps tale targeted to a YA audience, but easily enjoyed by all ages. This is a story of young love vs. evil. I listened to the audio edition. 

I'm thrilled that Terry is back to writing about vamps as I initially became hooked on audios with her darling YA KISS OF THE VAMPIRE, which featured smokin' hot vampires, a cute and friendly witch, and a cruise ship of partying teens on spring break. I highly recommend it. You can read my review of it here. THE VAMPIRE... IN MY DREAMS is another entertaining read of the same ilk.

Marissa Lakeland is our strong-willed heroine in this book. She has a feisty outlook and a tender heart. She's a witch-in-training and is on a mission to prove that vampires don't exist when she learns that they do! She has an immediate attraction to Dominic, our vampiric hero, and there's a good reason for that as it is written in the stars that they are destined to be soulmates. Dominic had the unfortunate experience of meeting Lynetta, a centuries old vamp who is determined to force Dominic to replace the lover she lost hundreds of years ago. Dominic desperately needs Marissa to help him defeat the evil Lynetta and thereby remove her curse on him. Of course, Lynetta wants Marissa dead.

I loved both Marissa and Dominic and found myself holding my breath often while listening fearing the outcome as they did battle with Lynetta and her evil blood-sucking consorts. The story is told in the hero's and heroine's alternating point of views and that helped me connect to both of them quickly. Attending Witchcraft High School with both of them brought back fond memories of Hogwarts :-) Yes, that wasn't a typo; Dominic attended the school too - you'll have to read the book to find out how and why. Marissa's and Dominic's bantering and dialogue were completely endearing, captivating and oftentimes humorous . Watching them both try out and learn how to use their magical powers together and with Marissa's friend enforced the truism that we're stronger together - so there was a moral to this story too.

One of my favorite scenes was when Marissa first came to Dominic's defense using a whirligig stake pulled from her mother's pansy garden. I alternated between gasping and laughing out loud at her antics. Here's an excerpt from that scene:

Lynetta bared her wickedly sharp pointed canines and hissed. Her long black hair hung wildly to her hips, tangled and teased by the breeze. She was petite like me but as strong as a male body builder. Her grip on Dominic remained iron tight. Her soul-less black eyes, vacant and without a care, really ate away at my heart. I surveyed the yard for any kind of weapon I could use against the vampire. My heart surged when I spied a colorful whirligig attached to a wooden stake embedded in my mother's pampered pansy garden nearby. Without a second's hesitation, I dashed for it and yanked it out. Running at the vampire, I screamed at the top of my lungs, "Death to the blood sucky vampire!" which gave me some courage. It wasn't every day I had to beat one vampire off of another when they didn't even really exist!

Following please find a few other favorite quotes:

Go ahead and try. I'll attempt to loosen up. 
Her muscles tightened when I took her hand in mine. 
"Do you know any self-hypnosis?"
"I guess I'm tensing too much." She took several deep calming breaths then tensed her muscles and relaxed them, repeating the steps several times. The pulse in her wrist slowed to normal. 
I nodded, grateful that Marissa was such a treasure despite my initial concern she might be more like the teen witch that had turned me into a frog.
---

"You have a mother?"
His mouth quirked with humor.
"Yep, and a father too! Every kid normally has one of each to begin with.
He was teasing me in an affectionate way...
---

"I didn't give you a parting kiss." I tried to ignore the audience of witches and concentrate on the kiss. Dominic jumped right in and helped me with a sexy lingering sizzling hot kiss. By the time we broke free, I was sure my cheeks were rose red. For a minute I felt like I might swoon and Dominic held my arm to keep me upright and pressed his lips against my cheek and whispered, "You sure know how to send a guy to the moon, Marissa."

The narrator, Elizabeth Phillips, did a great job bringing the characters to life. It was easy to tell the characters apart from her voice. Her pauses and voice inflections utilized at the perfect times enhanced this delightful tale. I would not hesitate to listen to her again. 

This book is the first installment in Terry's new Vampire Chronicles series. Intriguing secondary characters- including Kate, Marissa's best friend, and James, Dominic's brother - need their stories told too now! Since this book is described as Book 1, I hope that means that there will be a sequel!

Terry's books are always treasures. In this book, Terry has blended young witches, a sexy love-struck vampire and some evil bloodsuckers in a delightfully unique urban fantasy. If you crave a sweet, fun, well-paced paranormal tale, I highly recommend Terry's THE VAMPIRE... IN MY DREAMS!