Things That Go Bump in the Night V

Haunted Redemption by Melani Blazer

Lili is back in Sycamore Springs and has ‘let’ herself be coerced into helping at a haunted house on Halloween with her friends from high school. Dressed as a sexy vampiress she is ready to have fun, even if the skirt is a little shorter than what she’s used to.

After arriving at the house she is reminded of a Halloween almost ten years ago when her date had ditched her at this very haunted house. Wondering about Scott wouldn’t do her any good so she goes on to have a great time scaring people. When she receives an invitation upstairs from a mysterious man named Scott, she finds herself in an unbelievable situation. Monsters aren’t real, are they?

What a great way to start an anthology! This was a fun romp through small town life with a wonderful paranormal twist. Small town girl goes to the big city and comes back thinner and with more confidence, this isn’t an unusual premise, but Melani Blazer adds her own unique perspective by adding the seductive vampire. Scott is an intriguing character that really spoke to me, the tortured soul looking for surcease. I do love a dark, broody man. Ms. Blazer has always been an auto buy for me, this just reinforces that.

Embrace Forever by B.J. McCall

On the station Galus, a race of men and women risk their lives to save a number of planets from a deadly asteroid belt. The foremost of these is Dauthus, the commander of Galus. Three prisoners are taken to him and he will use them as he sees fit. Brasov, the disowned son of a powerful man, Phan, the lovely pleasure slave sentenced for stealing, and Jastra, the slave purchased for a million ocktars, they all find themselves with unique roles in their new master’s pleasure.

What a wonderful surprise this was. This is an extremely erotic story that combines the paranormal and science fiction very well. Embrace Forever took a difficult topic, slaves, and turned it into a sensual feast. B.J. McCall does a great job fleshing out an entirely new version of vampire. Space vampires have come onto the scene and I love it!

Cassandra's Enchantment by Cynthia Williams

Cassandra was only eighteen when she found herself in an arranged marriage with a ten-year-old stepson. Years later after her husband has died and life has continued on, the lines between stepmother and stepson have blurred a bit. With only eight years between them, Phineas has been fighting an attraction to his stepmother for years. Little does he know that Cassandra has also been trying to keep him in the role he’s played for years. Thanks to the meddling of the Matriarch of the Drake clan they may be able to fulfill their fantasies.

What a wonderful way to end an anthology. Cassandra's Enchantment is a wonderfully naughty tale containing witches, shape shifters, and vampires. It was interesting to see racism in this story, the feeling that witches are better than the other groups. I really hope that we get to hear more about these illustrious families and how the others fulfilled their destinies. Hopefully this will be a series.

When I read the blurbs for the stories in this anthology I was a little disappointed that they wouldn’t be interconnected as the other Things That Go Bump in the Night anthologies have been. Boy was I wrong. These stories weave together in a wonderful way that allows you to read them one after the other or separately. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and cannot wait until next year for the next one!

Reviewed by: Serena