REVIEWED by Jen B.
TITLE: The Vampire and the S.A.
SERIES: The Vampire and… #4
AUTHOR: J.P. Bowie
PUBLISHER: MLR Press
LENGTH: 110 Pages
RELEASE DATE: February 2, 2018
BLURB:
Special Agent Bryan Walker is both excited and apprehensive when the director of the F.B.I.’s paranormal division chooses him to partner with vampire Viktor Karnov on a mission in Russia. Viktor is a legend within the ranks of the F.B.I., a perfectionist and a loner, and unimpressed with Bryan’s lack of field experience. The two don’t exactly hit it off on their first meeting, but after a forced trial run Viktor agrees to partner with Bryan.
In Moscow they face a cabal headed by Alexander Krychev that threatens to bring down President Petr Volstoy, a democratic leader who has reinstated civil rights for minorities, and whose lover is vampire, Louis Cadinot. Viktor and Krychev are old enemies, Krychev being responsible for Viktor’s only failed mission, and the death of friends.
To add to the chaos, Viktor recognizes Bryan as his destined mate but fights the primal need to claim him because of the danger that surrounds them, and his pledge to bring Krychev to justice. However, sometimes Fate has its own way of stacking the deck, and making sure that no matter what the odds, the winner takes all.
REVIEW:
I love this series. It’s a lot of fun and really enjoyable. Unfortunately, this might be my least favorite of the series. It takes us away from the vampires we know for the most part, though we’ve met the characters previously. Russian President Volstoy and vampire lover Louis are seeking help to thwart what they will believe an assassination attempt. Certain individuals are stirring alarms and must be taken out of the picture, and Viktor is called upon to assist. Bryan is brought on as Viktor’s partner in the mission.
Viktor is not happy about having a partner, let alone someone like Bryan. But, Bryan proves himself quite capable and Viktor quickly recognizes his attraction to Bryan as his mate. Bryan shares that attraction, but Viktor’s arrogance gets in the way a bit. Both agree to not act upon anything until after the mission. Of course, things don’t quite go as planned. 🙂
I liked these guys, but I had trouble connecting with them initially as a couple for some reason. Keeping it lighthearted in my mind helped me enjoy this, but it lacked the excitement and adventure of the previous installments. It was nice to see Louis and his mate doing well, but I definitely missed the other guys. I hope there is more in store for this series and that perhaps it gets back to its roots a bit more and brings back that pizazz that I fell in love with in the beginning.
RATING: 