Cocktails and Books

When I received the email from the publicist regarding Tina Folsom's Scangaurds Vampire series, I figured what the heck and added more books to my ever threatening to fall over TBR pile. When I read the first line of this book, I wondered how I could have overlooked this author and this series.

Set in San Francisco we meet Samson, owner of Scanguards and the apparent leader of the group of vampires. Since he over heard his ex-girlfriend make disparaging remarks about him, he has problems with a certain part of him standing at attention. Thinking they are helping him, his friend (and employees) hire a vampire stripper to come and try and work out his problem with him. Unfortunately, he mistakes the woman who came bagging on his door asking for help as the stripper instead of a woman fleeing danger that she was.

Delilah Sheridan, an forensic accountant in town consulting, thinks Samson is the most gorgeous man she's ever seen. Even though they met under less than stellar conditions, she can't stop thinking about him or falling in deeper with him as they begin an affair that rocks her world. But her world soon starts crumbling when she is repeatedly followed by a man who keeps threatening her and she finds out that Samson is not at all what she believes him to be.



Samson has to be one of the best vampires ever written. Who would have thought a vampire would have performance problems after overhearing someone's insensitive comments? But that's exactly what happens with Samson and it makes he seem more human and down to earth. It's that vulnerability that draws you in. Of course, the hot monkey sex that he loves to engage in doesn't hurt either, but even then that vulnerability is right under the surface.

Delilah was an odd character to engage with. She comes off as very cold and impersonal, but then suddenly ignites when she's with Samson. Her families tragic story does lend itself to her coldness, and you could see where she really was a lonely person who just wanted to feel loved, but there were just times when I couldn't connect with her when she went from the cold person to fully engulfed with desire because Samson happened to be near.

Loved the secondary characters of Amaury, Ricky and Thomas, each with their own place with the Scanguards enterprise. It will be interesting to see how each of them fit into the Scanguards network and just exactly what Samson's role is, other than the owner.

Loved the start to the series and can't wait to see what's next. Amaury was such a dark character in this book that I have a feeling this story is going to be a rollercoaster.