Passionate Thirst (Candace Steele, Vampire Killer, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Cameron Dean (Author)
Key Phrases: passionate thirst, Dru Benson, San Francisco, Lucas Goldfinch (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In her debut paranormal romance, Dean strives for a mix of sensuality and action à la Laurell K. Hamilton, but the result more closely resembles a grown-up Buffy clone. That's not to say that her tale isn't entertaining. Indeed, Dean's silver stake–wielding vampire killer, Candace Steele, has chutzpah, a smart mouth and a major chip on her shoulder. As the reader learns through lengthy flashbacks, Candace fell hard for a sexy vamp named Ash. But after a too-hot encounter almost killed her, Candace vowed to shake off her vampire lover and reinvent herself in Vegas as a security guard with a dangerous hobby—beating bloodsuckers at their own game. She finds herself in over her head, however, when she's assigned to protect her casino's big-ticket draw, pop sensation Temptation McCoy. Guarding Temptation wouldn't be so bad—if she didn't have a powerful vampire for a manager. When headless bodies turn up, indicating a larger plot at play, Candace finds herself relying on Ash for help, and their sexual pyrotechnics—not the vamp-killing action, of which there is little—will quench the thirst of readers seeking steamy, albeit conventional paranormal fare. (Nov.)
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Product Description
JUST ANOTHER NIGHT IN SIN CITY

Candace Steele is as tough as she is alluring. For her, killing vampires isn’t just a job–it’s personal: She’s still haunted by erotic memories of an all-consuming affair with Ash, a seductive vampire who thrilled her–and then nearly destroyed her. Now, working undercover in a Las Vegas casino, she seduces the most powerful undead–right before she drives a stake through their unbeating hearts.

When hot-ticket singer Temptation McCoy sweeps into town for a major concert, Candace is tapped for security. But after meeting Temptation, Candace feels the cold, tingling sensation that can mean only one thing: There’s a vampire in the diva’s entourage. To complicate matters, Ash suddenly appears in Sin City, vowing to do anything and everything to draw Candace back into his arms. Overwhelmed by desire and suspicion, she lets down her guard . . . a move that could cost Candace her life.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (October 31, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345492536
• ISBN-13: 978-0345492531
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #493,394 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 1 in The Candace Steele, Vampire Killer Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun & Sexy Paranormal Romance, November 3, 2006

By	loonigrrl (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

I had been keeping my eye on this one for awhile. I rushed out to buy it the day it came out and . . . it was exactly what I was hoping it would be: a fun, interesting book, with a strong heroine and a steamy romance.

Candace Steele works undercover as security at a successful Las Vegas casino and does her best to protect the locals and tourists alike from the blood suckers. A year and a half ago, Candace met and fell in love with the mysterious, sexy and compelling Ash. She didn't realize it until she was already in love with him, but he was a vampire. A very powerful vampire. He loved her as well and wanted to turn her into a vampire like him so they could be together forever. Candance wasn't exactly opposed- until it was almost too late. She was able to recover from her near death experience and she discovered that she had better vision, better hearing and a built in vampire radar. When a popular singer, Temptation, comes to town, Candace realizes that she just may be the only one to save her from her vampire manager set on making Temptation his drone.

Cameron Dean skillfully jumps back in time to elaborate on Candace's relationship with Ash as he, in the present, arrives in town to win her back. The chemistry between Candace and Ash is great, because there's more to it than a few empty sex scenes. Instead, we actually get to read about the beginnings of their romance and how they fell in love, and how deep their feelings go. When we finally read about the attack that set Candace on a life of vampire killing, it's to discover that she may not have been the only one to suffer from that night. Passionate Thirst is a fun book with likeable characters, a compelling romance and an interesting story. It looks like a sequel may not be too far off in the future- I will definitely be looking forward to it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Vampires in Vegas, January 17, 2007

By	Joshua Koppel (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Candace Steele (don't call her Candy) fell in love with a mysterious man. It turned out he was a vampire. But his bite, while not enough to kill her, gave her the ability to detect vampires. Candace now works at the Scheherazade casino working the floor in a harem outfit but really working for security. Her boss knows about vampires and uses her to keep them out of the casino. She uses her ability to locate and kill the upper echelon of vampires, the ones who bite humans. Now Candace has to cover security on a pop star who has a powerful vampire in her retinue.

As Candace tries to protect the star, things begin to move in the vampire world. There are killings near a strip club and Candace is inexplicably connected. Then, Ash, the vampire that bit her returns. And so returns all of her love and desire for him. Somehow she must do her job and straighten out her personal life while keeping her life and her humanity.

A pretty good little yarn. Not quite a romance novel but close. Lots of explicit sex and language with love always being confused with sex. This is not Buffy but it was obviously influenced by it. Candace may work security and hunt vampires, but she is only mediocre when it comes to being a detective. That makes her a little more real. The ending is good and makes you want to move right into the next book in the trilogy (luckily the were published close together). These vampire are fully capable of having sex even if it is pointed out that their blood does not move through their body. And Candace's cold feeling never seems to be around when she is hot for a vamp. But those are minor concerns and do not detract from the book. Check it out.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Suprisingly good and seriously misplaced in bookstores ..., December 8, 2006

By	D. Rumbold (Tualatin, or USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I had to hunt down this book. I figured it would be in horror or at least science fiction. After all, that's where you find it's predecessors in the first person, female urban fantasy.

Unfortunately, it is being marketed as romance. Yes, there is sex in this novel - very well written, steamy if unprotected sex. However, at its core, Passionate Thirst and it's sequels are mysteries.

Candace Steel, the lover and victim of sexy, charismatic vampire Ash, has fled him after a horrifying, near fatal encounter. Escaping from the damp and chilly world of San Fransisco, she ends up in the polar opposite city Las Vegas! There she works as a cocktail waitress ... or does she?

She has made herself into a self-trained vampire killer in order to wipe the feelings for Ash from her heart. It didn't work. When vampires begin to die at someone else's hand, Candace must solve the mystery before she ends up as collateral damage. To do this she needs Ash. Which may be even more dangerous.

Like the early Anita Blakes and Merry Gentry novels, sex is part of the story but not the only part. Candace is witty, strong and damaged. But it doesn't take her 15 books to work out her personal issues - or at least some of them.
Bibi, her Jewish showgirl friend is a kick in the tutu as are many of the side characters.
Ash is sexy and distant.
The writing is fresh, clean and fast paced.

I hope to see more than just these three and I hope they stay the same caliber.