Passionate Thirst

September 25, 2006
In her debut paranormal romance, Dean strives for a mix of sensuality and action à la Laurell K. Hamilton, but the result more closely resembles a grown-up Buffy
clone. That's not to say that her tale isn't entertaining. Indeed, Dean's silver stake–wielding vampire killer, Candace Steele, has chutzpah, a smart mouth and a major chip on her shoulder. As the reader learns through lengthy flashbacks, Candace fell hard for a sexy vamp named Ash. But after a too-hot encounter almost killed her, Candace vowed to shake off her vampire lover and reinvent herself in Vegas as a security guard with a dangerous hobby—beating bloodsuckers at their own game. She finds herself in over her head, however, when she's assigned to protect her casino's big-ticket draw, pop sensation Temptation McCoy. Guarding Temptation wouldn't be so bad—if she didn't have a powerful vampire for a manager. When headless bodies turn up, indicating a larger plot at play, Candace finds herself relying on Ash for help, and their sexual pyrotechnics—not the vamp-killing action, of which there is little—will quench the thirst of readers seeking steamy, albeit conventional paranormal fare.