My Initial Reaction...
I've had so many Felicity Heaton books on my TBR for such a long time, so when I saw this short holiday novella I decided it was time. I really really enjoyed it and will definitely be making my way to her other books as soon as possible.
The Characters...
For a novella, the characters in Vampire for Christmas, were remarkably well developed. Shannon and Rafe both work for the Agency hunting down demons and vampires and the like. Shannon had an encounter in her past, which unfolds for us as the story progresses, that made her want vengeance. Working for the Agency just made sense. Rafe is her vampire partner. And after two years working together, he's in love with Shannon. If she's honest with herself, she loves him too. But she's too scared to love a vampire after what happened to her, and the big question is - will she let down her defenses before it's too late?
I enjoyed the relationship between Rafe and Shannon - it felt natural and not forced at all. Felicity did a good job making me believe that these two characters had a long history that I believed, even though I didn't actually get to see it. That's so important for me, because I really don't go for insta-love and was thrilled that this didn't even feel like it. As for their background stories, they were developed well, but I really didn't find myself caring too much. I knew that Shannon had something bad happen to her, but I really didn't care if I ever found out. I guess I wasn't invested in the characters at that level. That was fine though, because I cared about them in their present and the back story only served to make the present a little more complicated.
The Story...
Technically Vampire for Christmas has a plot besides the romance between Rafe and Shannon. Their work for the agency has them fighting some goo demon. I frequently forgot that the demon was part of the story and found it more funny than scary or something to be worried about. He flew slime at them... slime that seemed to be nothing more than gross. So there was never any anxiety or feelings of danger on my part. It was neat to see Shannon holding her own, to an extent, with the demon and Rafe though. I did find myself wondering how these two had survived for two years, considering the trouble they were having fighting off this laughable goo demon.
The real story in Vampire for Christmas is the relationship between Shannon and Rafe. And that was very well-written and enjoyable (as I've already suggested above). Felicity is very good at creating a believable relationship and sexual tension is so few pages. And when she gets to the good stuff... it's oh so good! Hot, sexy, steamy!
I have to say I was a little disappointed by how small a part Christmas played in the story, since I did pick it up as a holiday read. It's part of the story, yes. But it could have easily been left out and the story wouldn't have been changed at all. So it was a backdrop of little importance and that made me a little sad. Oh well, I still enjoyed the novella.
Concluding Sentiments...
Vampire for Christmas is fun, sexy paranormal romance. Don't expect to be thrilled by the action or thrown into the holiday spirit, since both elements are backdrops for the romance. But if you like a quick read with some great sexual tension that does pay off by the end, this is one for you!