Customer Reviews

The Bride of Casa Dracula (Casa Dracula)

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Milagro and Oswald are planning for their upcoming wedding. Being a successful plastic surgeon Oswald has a hefty income which he expects Milagro to spend, spend, and spend at the fanciest stores around. Ready to help her with the details is Nancy, Milagro's rich, air-head acting, fashionista, best bud. In fact Nancy insists she is the best qualified for the job and eventually browbeats Milagro into giving it to her. Nancy was evident in Midnight Brunch, (Book 2) but in the current story we get to know her more intimately. She has an offbeat look at the world, similar to Mil's, except her words have a distinctly upper-crust tone. Her commentary is biting, funny, and right on target.

Because Oswald wants everything to go well with the Vampire Council, Milagro reluctantly agrees to their demands - no physical relations with her fiancee until the wedding and participation in a secret wedding ritual. For the latter their must be a special co-ordiator. Milagro is shocked when that turns out to be the sexy, Eurotrahy Cornelia Ducharme. Not only is she a magnet for every man within sight, she is also the sister of Ian, a hunk whose lust and perhaps love for Milagro knows no bounds. Oswald hates him.

So much more goes on in Milagro's wacko world peopled with weirdly wonderful characters including wild man biker Pepper, Joseph Arnold owner of the local nursery as well as a gorgeous bod; and the nutty professor Don Pedro who claims he has shared mind altering experiences with shamans around the world. This book is another hilarious addition to the Casa Dracula series!

The third installment of Milagro's adventures did not disappoint. I still have a major crush on this sexy, saucy, independent converted vampiress despite her affection for that uptight plastic surgeon (I'm not bitter!) I was so proud of her when she took on the vampire establishment, finally realized her writing talents, showed a modicum of domestic abilities and still looked great in that white vinyl mini-skirt.

Seriously, Marta again wrote a majorly entertaining novel, with lovable and loathable characters in appropriate proportions, a plot that keeps you reading and that signature Marta wit.

I don't want to give too much away but I especially loved the way the book ended. I was soooo nervous that she would marry the wrong man!

The Bride of Casa Dracula is the third book in Marta Acosta's vampire series. It also happens to be my favorite book in the series. Milagro de Los Santos is getting married to her boyfriend Oswald Grant. She will finally be officially part of the family that has taken her in and shown her what a real family should be. But things aren't quite the same at Casa Dracula, Winnie and Sam have moved out and Daisy has gone to doggy heaven. With Edna and her young lover off traveling and Oswald busy with work, Milagro is feeling a bit lonely. Luckily she has a ton of wedding plans to take care of including some very weird vampire rituals to prepare for. As strange things begin to occur, including a dangerous accident and strangely hateful pranks, Milagro is left wondering if someone wants to do her harm or just prevent her wedding to Oswald. If that's not enough, the Council wants her to sign a loyalty oath and her former rival for Oswald's affection, Cornelia, is back to "help" with the nuptial festivities.

Through all the trials that Milagro has to face, she never lets her troubles get her down for long. She's the kind of person I think a lot of us wish we could be, a woman who knows her worth, is strong and has the courage to face the truth and not back down from it. Milagro never wavers in her convictions despite what others think and that's quite possibly her most endearing trait. In a lot of ways I feel like she's way more intelligent than me but still one of those chicas you would love to have as a friend.

The Bride of Casa Dracula is an amazing book with some of the most intensely sexy and emotional scenes of the whole series. Marta Acosta does all that without revealing the naughty bits (so to speak) which takes a great amount of skill. The book ends on a hopeful note that will leave you satisfied and at the same time looking forward to the next book.

Book 3 of the Casa Dracula series opens with a different Casa Dracula... er, Grant household... than we've seen before-- the family Milagro has come to love is no longer around. Edna, Oswald's grandmother, is off with her new boy-toy, Thomas Cook (from book 2), cousin Sam and his wife Winnie are living in their own home with their baby, cousin Gabriel is off doing whatever his security work requires, and her plastic surgeon fiance, Oswald, is working long hours with little time or patience for Milagro.

So that leaves Milagro pretty much on her own to begin planning her upcoming nuptials to not-a-vampire Oswald and meeting with the Vampire Council's Rules Committee to get their approval for the wedding.

This book was an enjoyable and often emotional continuation of and conclusion to the journey started in the previous two Casa Dracula books: Happy Hour at Casa Dracula and Midnight Brunch.

As in the previous books, Bride is multi-layered-- there's witty dialogue, eccentric characters and often oddball situations. Acosta's crazy whodunits are not to be missed because even though you might guess the WHO, the REAL fun is trying to figure out WHICH Who done WHICH What! And let me be clear that even if you think you've figured it all out--you haven't.

But underlying all is Milagro's (often subconscious) quest for belonging and finding her place in this world. In Bride, she thinks she's found it, but then starts to question what's right... and what's wrong; who she is... and who she isn't; what love is... and what it isn't; what she wants... and what she doesn't.

Several times while reading Bride, I wanted to put my arm around her and say "Girlfriend, we need to talk.", but you know what? Milagro figures out a lot of the answers to those questions all on her own. And even though she draws the right conclusions, it doesn't make it any less emotional for her AND the Reader.

Not too long ago, in an online group that I occasionally visit, a librarian needed recommendations for paranormals that she could put on the shelves for her patrons; specifically, she was having trouble finding paranormals that were not full of graphic sex. Well, the Casa Dracula series immediately came to mind (it's sexy, but not sex filled; trust me, you won't miss it), and after I posted about this witty and warm series, it turns out I was not alone. I highly recommend this series, although I think that reading The Bride of Casa Dracula as a standalone might deprive the reader of building the emotional connection created in the first two books.

Marta Acosta's distinctive wit continues to show through in The Bride of Casa Dracula as Milagro De Los Santos is planning her wedding to Oswald. However, nothing is ever simple when you have a little vampire blood involved.

Two ceremonies actually have to be arranged --one public and one vampire. With each, there is a wedding planner to help deal with the finer points (Nancy, best friend from college and she of style and social grace, and Cornelia Ducharme, who may or may not have Milagro's best interests at her (vampire) heart).

There are other things Milagro must deal with on her own: adjusting to changes at the ranch (with beloved family and friends moving on), ghost writing a biography of peculiar man who fancies himself a shape shifter, managing her temper with the Vampire Council Rules Committee, and dealing with constant run ins with the "Dark Lord" (and one time lover) Ian Ducharme.

It's a lot to contend with but the challenges are faced with humor and charm. Milagro is not a run-of-the-mill heroine, and that is what sets The Bride of Casa Dracula series apart from other paranormal romance... She faces the absurdity of the vampire world with strength and spirit as she finds happiness in her true nature.

The "Casa Dracula" series continues to entertain because it continues surprising turns. While the situations are outrageous, the characters are genuine (and genuinely funny). These are people that you'll be glad to meet up with again.

Milagro De Los Santos is flying high. She is engaged to the love of her life, Oswald Grant. She has a ghost-writing project to keep her busy and a firm grasp on her red-coloured cravings.
Never mind that she and Oswald are fighting constantly, minus any make-up sex since the vampire council has banned copulation until the wedding. She is writing a memoir for Don Pedro, a self-proclaimed shapeshifter who also happens to be a complete nutbar. And Milagro's blood cravings are only under control when she's not around her ex-beau Ian Ducharme. . . the man who makes her blood fizz and her chichis ache.
But apart from that everything is fine. . .

The first two books in the series were all about our protagonist, Milagro De Los Santos, wanting to fit in. Milagro wanted to fit into her fiancées family and to be a part of the vampire society she had been infected into. But this third book is about what happens when the square peg has been rammed into the round hole. . .

Marta Acosta has some powerful writing juju going on in this third instalment of the `Casa Dracula' series. Ms. Acosta draws on some fabulous references throughout `Bride'; rapid-fire allusions that swirl within the text and enrich the paranormal. Oswald and Milagro's pre-marital struggles feel like a head-nod to Pygmalion, with Oswald as Henry Higgins trying to change his flower-girl into a lady she's not. On a baser level it felt as though Milagro was a wolf trying to be tamed.

Milagro's ex-lover and still-crush, Ian Ducharme, plays a vital role in this third book. . . even more so when his wacko sister, Cornelia Ducharme, comes to help plan Milagro and Oswald's wedding. Ms. Acosta has said that she drew on Henry and Mary Crawford of Jane Austen's `Mansfield Park' for the characters of Ian and Cornelia. The Austen hat-tip is wonderful and befitting these twisted siblings, even more so when the Ducharme's layers are peeled back. Cornelia Ducharme reminded me of Daisy Buchanan, and in fact the Grant mansion prompted me to think of Gatsby's sprawling estate. . . even more so for the nostalgia Milagro feels for her first few months living with the Grant's. I also couldn't help but think that Milagro was Ian's green light at the end of the dock.

The exploration of duality is explored when shapeshifters are introduced to the Casa Dracula universe. Then there's the Greek mythology and the story of Persephone. Pomegranate seeds permeate the text - both literally and metaphorically. Milagro as Persephone caught between two worlds, always trying to live in both but belonging to neither. This theme is encapsulated in Milagro's choice between two men - sweetheart Oswald and bad-boy Ian. And furthermore by Milagro's wish for all the normal things; love, family, white picket fence... while she's also desperate to fit into the hush-hush vampire society.

The duality conflict has been a staple of all the Casa Dracula books. The series is first and foremost a comedy-of-manners, and Ms. Acosta has always explored social niceties and hierarchies via Milagro's Latina heritage. This has been one of my favourite aspects of the Casa Dracula series - that for all its paranormal tagging, the books have also been an exploration of modern bigotry. It's not just vampires who are society outcasts. . .
Milagro has been referred to as a common Mexican girl; she has been relegated to the maid's quarters and been the `odd one out' in her group of blonde-haired blue-eyed university friends. Ms. Acosta has written some corker observations about Mexican Americans and their standing in society.
Acosta writes laugh-out-loud, so-wrong-it's-right social observations that keep me thinking and chortling throughout the book.

One of my favourite things about this third book is the romance. Right from book one Milagro has been caught between two men - the safe and steady Oswald, and the dark and brooding Ian Ducharme. I have always been Team Ian, and my reasons felt justified by his appearance in this book.

I don't want to say how the book ends because it concerns Milagro's final, romantic decision. I will say that the love triangle is solved, beautifully and messily. I cried. . . but I won't say if it was tears of joy or frustration. But I will say it was an ending that left me panting for the fourth and final book `Haunted Honeymoon'.

Plot Summary: Milagro De Los Santos is a proud, curvy Latina with interests in gardening and writing. Her engagement to vampire Dr. Oswald Grant should be a no-brainer, considering that she's also a vampire, but obstacles keep coming up like she's running the 100 meter hurdles. The Vampire Council doesn't recognize Milagro as a card-carrying vampire, and they do everything they can to force her to heel like a dog. Milagro has friends and `frenemies' trying to gain control of her big day, and in the middle of this, a series of suspicious happenings has Milagro suspecting there's a malicious saboteur at work.

Well color me surprised. I picked this one up purely on impulse because of the cover art and title, and while I fully expected this to be a fluffy bit of fun, my expectations as to the writing were modest if not low. I decided to start it this morning with my cup of tea, and as the morning progressed I kept telling myself, just one more chapter, until there I was at lunch time still wearing my bathrobe!

This is an utterly charming book, and Acosta has a way with words that I very much envy. Too many times authors create these sassy, irreverent heroines who are all attitude without evidence of having a soul. Not so with Milagro. Her humanity is ever-present despite her vampire status, and she stands out for being kind-hearted without becoming a push-over. All of the digs Milagro takes for being a full-figured Mexican woman while surrounded by pencil-thin wasps had me grinding my teeth and wondering how white-bread blandness ever became the ideal of anything. Milagro's Latina heritage and personality combine to make her a spicy and unpredictable woman.

The dialog is a real treat, and it constantly snaps, crackles, and pops with humor, sarcasm, and witty insights. I take this story as one more cautionary tale against the perils of planning a big wedding, and it's comical to see how many hoops Milagro must jump through to marry her vampire fiancé. Toward the middle of the book, I felt like I was watching the Titanic sail to its doom, and without giving any spoilers, I'll say that I'm extremely happy with how it ended.

This is the third book in the Casa Dracula series, and I'd recommend this to anyone looking to read some vampire fantasy with a nice dose of romance, heavy on the humor, and non-existent gore. I'll be looking up the first two books for certain; no word on book four yet.

This, the third of Milagro's adventures, continues the clever,
witty, and fast moving saga.
I never know what is coming but do know that
it will be interesting. Milagro is one saucy woman who deals
with livf as it comes. She expresses a myriad of emotions from joy to sorrow. The characters who join in her adventures are complex
and so real though not necessarily alive. Did I say I love this series?
More, more, more....

OMG!! I can't get over how great this book is. I really liked the first two, but this one is the best. I read so many books, that I rarely get giddy over what happens, but this book made me giddy. I really want to just write what I loved about the book, but I can't do that without giving important things away. Everyone needs to run out and buy this book when it is released on September 16th.

Milagro De Los Santos is living a great life. She is engaged to a wonderful man , but having problems planning the wedding. She is trying to balance being her own person with being the person Oswald wants her to be. I felt that she was struggling with this more than the vampire council. The regular cast of characters is present, although we don't see much of Edna or Winnie. My favorite character, Ian, is back and causing trouble for Milagro. The Bride of Casa Dracula is quite a ride and full of surprises. I was very sad when I reached the end of the book. I can't wait to find out what happens next for Milagro.

more reviews at www.thebookgirl.net

She's ba-a-a-a-ck! My favorite new heroine, Milagro De Los Santos, is planning her wedding to the fabulous Dr. Oswald Grant. But her life is never a straight and easy road, and here it is further complicated by trying to comply with the bizarre requirements of the Vampire Council and provide her fiance's long-established and well-respected family with a proper vampire wedding, while never relinquishing her own integrity and independence. She cannot and will not suppress her natural skepticism and humor, and even on the brink of her marriage, she finds that much of their world is still a mystery to her, a mystery which only deepens during her solo trip to meet with the Council's Rules Committee and later when she has a car accident she does not believe is an accident, her engagement ring and wedding dress disappear, and she finds herself being shadowed by a wolf/dog.

Milagro's old friend Nancy decides to take over as her wedding planner. The fascinating Ian Ducharme and his mysterious and seemingly vindictive sister Cornelia reappear to complicate matters further. You really never know what will happen, and I stayed up much later than I should at my age, just to find out.

Although she has been drawn into a vampire world, Milagro is as real-life as they come. She loves the Grants and the sense of finally belonging to a family, after being raised as the superfluous outsider in her parents' home and losing her adored and adoring grandmother. She has twice survived infection with vampires' blood, and enjoys heightened senses and abilities. But she will always be different, not quite one of them, a "normal human chica" whose culture informs her identity and who cannot resist "poking the bear" now and then. Surrounded by wealth, with gifts freely offered to her, Milagro insists on earning her own way, agreeing to ghost-write the truly incredible memoirs of the very peculiar Don Pedro Nascimento. Don Pedro and other new characters continue to enter Milagro's life in unexpected ways, and she is open, accepting, and sometimes a bit naïve in allowing them in.

Milagro is also coping with the loss of a beloved friend, finding that the joy of unconditional love is matched by the grief of its passing, though eventually that sadness is tempered by wonderful memories.

Like most of us, Milagro finds that even the love of a fabulous man does not automatically ensure security or blind us to the charms of the many other beautiful, interesting, and attractive men in the world. She lives in a diverse world, is fiercely loyal to her friends, whether longtime or newly acquired, and nothing about her life is predictable. Her life seems crazy, and even the Grants begin to wonder about her sanity. As her new friend Joseph Alfred observes, Milagro is a "complicated chick."

As she struggles to be truly accepted for who she is, Milagro learns that she is really the heroine of her own life. For me, she is everything that Elizabeth Bennet was when I was a teenager, a woman I wish to emulate and long to know. A great friend is back, and there is nothing I enjoy more than hearing about the new adventures in her life.