VAMPIRES NEVER SAY DIE (Slaying It 2) by Gloria Duke-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 20, 2024

You thought life was hard for a vampire? Try being the newest Slayer on the block. Yet just when Carrie Adams thought it couldn’t get any worse, she learns that in the world of the unexpectedly supernatural, nothing is ever what it seems. Meet Carrie Serious. Disciplined. Focused. But as an aspiring actress, she’s at the mercy of casting directors who barely glance at her headshot before making snap judgments about her talent based solely on her looks.

She feels powerless…until one night she goes from snarling at her obnoxiously attractive coworker (musician-slash-bartender Nick Stokes) to wanting to kill him. Literally. Turns out Nick has become LA’s latest vampire and she is his chosen Slayer…a decidedly unwelcome job that comes with an overnight super-bodybuilder-buff physique, the ability to conjure a sword made of fire, and a new gang of supernatural enemies out for her blood. Nick swears he’ll help her. Carrie swears she’ll figure out how to help herself. But in a Hollywood-bright world of typecasting, can a Slayer and her sworn vampire nemesis break free of their assigned roles…and discover the deeper emotions there for the staking?

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REVIEW: VAMPIRES NEVER SAY DIE is the second instalment in Gloria Duke’s contemporary, adult SLAYING IT paranormal, romance series. This is twenty-four year old, bartender/Slayer/ struggling actor Carrie Adams, and bartender/musician Nick Stokes’ story line. VAMPIRES NEVER SAY DIE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from first person perspective (Carrie Adams) VAMPIRES NEVER SAY DIE focuses on the relationship between Carrie Adams and Nick Stokes. Carrie Adams and Nick Stokes are co-workers but have never gotten along but things go from bad to worse when, one morning, Carrie Adams wakes up, jacked with new muscles and supernatural powers, and her target is our hero Nick Stokes. Nick is a recently turned vampire and his presence has turned Carrie into a vampire slayer, a slayer who wants nothing to do with killing our story line hero. What ensues is the building but tempestuous relationship between Nick and Carrie, and the potential fall-out when Carrie meets another Slayer who is determined to take down the man with whom Carrie is falling in love.

The world building focuses on the vampire/ slayer relationship; Carrie’s overwhelming need to kill that which she doesn’t understand, issues of body image and Hollywood’s expectations, and Nick’s need to prove not all vampires are evil or dark.

The relationship between Carrie and Nick is an enemies to frenemies to lovers in which Carrie is battling that which comes naturally, and Nick struggles to keep his vampire in check. Working side by side proves easier as time passes by but someone else is targeting our story line couple. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate.

We are introduced to Carrie’s friends Liv and Heather, slayer Jenn Muldoon, as well as Nick’s bandmates and fellow vampires Quentin and Zach.

VAMPIRES NEVER SAY DIE is a story of secrets and lies, power and control, vampires and slayers, acceptance and love. The premise is entertaining but dry -touted as a rom-com, the laughable moments were missing. The characters are energetic ; the romance is tepid, I didn’t feel the palpable sexual attraction.

On a side note, I am not a fan of the cover, just no.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy