LOVE AT STAKE
Victoria Davies
Release Date: 1/27/13
Genre: Paranormal Romance
SYNOPSIS:
Abbey is the lone human working for Fated Match, a company that pairs members of the supernatural community with their eternal mates.
To snag a young vampire socialite as their next client, Abbey journeys to the home of Lucian Redgrave, the oldest vampire on the East Coast. But he’s not willing to allow his vampire daughter to use the agency… unless Abbey can first find his perfect match in a month.
As Abbey coaches Lucian through his dates, she can’t deny the chemistry between them. But humans are toys for vampires, and risking her heart isn’t a part of the plan.
Tagline: Hunting for love is a pain in the neck…
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REVIEW:
Love at Stake was a whole lot of fun. I just love the “falling for the matchmaker” troupe, and the paranormal twist here made it even more enjoyable. I kept sneaking back to the book when I was supposed to be doing schoolwork…no self control!
Fated Match claims to use both science and matchmaking to find their clients’ mates. At the opening of the novel, they’re setting their clients up with 80% matches, but Abbey argues to her boss they should go higher due to the high number of misses they’ve recently had. Lucian, however, tells her that science can’t possibly predict a true mating bond–and the novel’s outcome suggests he’s absolutely right. According to their profiles, Abbey and Lucian aren’t even 50% compatible.
But of course it’s their differences that make them so perfect for one another….
I liked that both Abbey and Lucian had issues that they had to work through before they could really come together, and that they did so in a realistic way. I also loved that Abbey was such a strong person. Even though her job demanded that she keep Lucien a happy client, she didn’t let him push her around. She stood up to him (and to her boss, and to her rebound guy, another strong alpha male) when she needed to and defended her right to be human throughout the book.
Take that, Bella Swan!
Abbey struggled a bit with body image issues (though, really–her boss is a siren. Can you blame her?) but it didn’t consume her and become annoying as it sometimes can. If only there were a nine-hundred-year old guy who appreciates “curvy” women out there for all of us, right? 😉
The plethora of supernatural creatures served by Fated Match was mind boggling–and at times, giggle-worthy. How exactly do “were-mice” work? Are they really mouse-sized? On second thought, maybe I don’t really want to know…and “were-squirrels”? The mind revolts…
By the time Lucian and Abbey got to their happy ending, I believed in it 100%. They’d worked through their problems–both singly and together–but still stayed true to who they were. They complemented each other nicely–Abbey added some much needed color (literal and figurative) to Lucian’s life, and Lucian helped Abbey to see that many of her preconceived notions about humans vs. supernaturals were just wrong.
I’ll bet she keeps on wearing her “Team Human” shirt, though. Especially when in his company. 😉
Finally, can I just say that I think we should absolutely take a cue from the supernatural community in this book? Gifts given on a first date sounds like an awesome idea, IMHO…
4 stars/B+ rating
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
AUTHOR BIO:
My love for writing started young. Luckily I had a family who encouraged believing in magic and embracing imagination. From stories quickly scribbled in bright pink diaries, my love of storytelling developed. Since then my characters may have evolved and my plots may have grown decidedly more steamy but I never lost my love of the written word. Writing is not only a way to silence the wonderful voices in my head, but it also allows me to share my passions with my readers. I hope you enjoy my titles!
Currently I write from Toronto, Canada. While I have a healthy love for the unknown, this corner of the world will always be my home. Website Facebook Goodreads