Review: The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires by Molly Harper
The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires by Molly Harper
Half-Moon Hollow #2
Iris Scanlon, Half-Moon
Hollow’s only daytime vampire concierge, knows more about the undead
than she’d like. Running all their daylight errands—from letting in the
plumber to picking up some chilled O neg—gives her a look at the
not-so-glamorous side of vampire life. Her rules are strict;
relationships with vamps are strictly business, not friendship—and
certainly not anything else. But then she finds her newest client, Cal,
poisoned on his kitchen floor, and only Iris can help.
Cal - who would be devastatingly sexy, if Iris allowed herself to think that way - offers Iris a hefty fee for hiding him at her place until he figures out who wants him permanently dead. Even though he’s imperious, unfriendly and doesn't seem to understand the difference between "employee" and "servant," Iris agrees, and finds herself breaking more and more of her own rules to help him - particularly those concerning nudity.
Turns out what her quiet little life needed was some intrigue & romance—in the form of her very own stray vampire.
Cal - who would be devastatingly sexy, if Iris allowed herself to think that way - offers Iris a hefty fee for hiding him at her place until he figures out who wants him permanently dead. Even though he’s imperious, unfriendly and doesn't seem to understand the difference between "employee" and "servant," Iris agrees, and finds herself breaking more and more of her own rules to help him - particularly those concerning nudity.
Turns out what her quiet little life needed was some intrigue & romance—in the form of her very own stray vampire.
Iris Scanlon makes her living by being Half-Moon Hollow's only daytime vampire assistant. In other words, a glorified errand runner for the tasks vamps would rather not bother with. Because of this she has a healthy understanding of the way they work and as a result has implemented a strict no personal involvement clause, be it in friendship or something more. But when she finds her latest client, Cal, poisoned, she knows she's in for trouble. Persuaded by an obscene amount of money into sheltering him, she reluctantly agrees to take him back to her home. She's breaking her hard set rules left and right, and his surly behavior isn't helping the situation. Yet she can't help her mind wandering towards the rugged sexiness with him and if she isn't careful all those boundaries may come crashing down.
I really loved Iris in the last Jane Jameson book, so I was really happy to see that she would be getting her own spin off book. She is a personal assistant extraordinaire to the vampires, catering to their every whim, yet she still has a healthy does of wariness towards them. So much so, that she avoids actual contact with them at all cost, always ensuring she finishes her duties well before dark. Some would think she was paranoid, but she actually is pretty smart, as even if you put aside the potential safety risks, there still is the issue of the vampires being rather clingy. And nothing is worse than a clingy vampire. *shudders* As it stood, she hardly had a life, and allowing them any leeway, would have spelled for disaster. Of course all of those hard set rules came crashing down when she had to rescue Cal. Of course, there were desperate circumstances and a substantial amount involved, but it still was hilarious to watch Iris try to cope with her carefully constructed life falling apart at the seams due to one rather unruly vampire. It only got more interesting once the tides started to change in their relationship and clothing became optional.
The relationship between Iris and her teenage sister, Gigi was really heartwarming. In so many cases you see siblings resent each other when one of them in put in a lasting position of authority. Yet, in this case that didn't happen, and the bond between the two of them couldn't be any stronger. Of course there is the typical teenage issues and conflict, but those only made for some pretty hilarious interludes. Iris could think up some pretty hilarious ways to thwart Gigi's complaints and small rebellions. Things really got interesting when Cal started throwing in his own methods, especially when they involved a boy Gigi was dating.
Even though this book is a spinoff from the Jane Jameson series, it can easily be read separately without the reader being lost. Jane and the rest of the gang do make cameo appearances, but their roles are rather small overall. Of course if you haven't read Jane's book you will probably want to after reading this one. Just like I have come to expect from Molly's books, The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires was an incredibly sexy and fun romp that had me laughing so hard at times that I was crying. These books are my go to whenever I want a lighter read that is guaranteed to brighten my mood. Seriously, I cannot recommend this book, any higher. You will want to run out and purchase this book as soon as possible. Trust me, you'll be glad you did.
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Previous Books:
- Driving Mr. Dead
