Customer Reviews

Samson's Lovely Mortal (Scanguards Vampires #1)

5 star:		(104)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I do believe I have found my favorite erotic book for this year and it also has my favorite genre paranormal. This book is romantic, witty and pure down right hot. The author does a wonderful job in how she brings this erotic romance together. I was floored as I keep reading and the story keep getting deeper. It has humor, twist and turns, suprise's danger, villains, a excellent cast of vampire male characters the author can run on and OMG the sex is amazing there is a little spanking and rear door. This is not a short Novella it has over 300 pgs.

Samson is owner of Scaguards, (in other words he is filthy rich) he has a mishap that leaves him impotent. He tries everything even goes to a shrink. When his birthday come his friends let him know there is a stripper on the way. So his day is getting worse he cant get it up and now he has to have a stripper there needless to say he is not a happy camper. Until someone comes crashing in his door.

Delilah lives in New York and works for Scaguards and is sent to California to help audit at the office there. Little does she know on her way home one night after getting take out she is walking in the pouring down rain and some man tries to hurt her. She runs to the closet house and asks for help. Little did she know the owner would think she is the stripper.

Things I loved.
I loved how the author takes you into the hero and heroine past and helps them over come their issues together, it just makes for a better romance for me. I also loved how the author introduces you to the next character in this book, so you already know him and what he's like. The book reads more like a paranormal romance added with the erotic, its something I've been looking for.

This is the first book I've read by Ms. Folsom and I had no idea whether I would like it or not when I purchased it. The idea of a vampire alpha male with erectile dysfunction intrigued me, particularly in an erotic novel. The book was not what I expected. It was interesting. I enjoyed the world Ms. Folsom created very much. Her characters had a depth to them that was surprising for a light read. Samson and Delilah (corny choice of names but I got used to it) were a very well matched pair. They had good chemistry and were well developed, although they could have been developed more thoroughly. The secondary characters were just as interesting, particularly Amaury who I never thought I would like but came out sympathetic in the end. That was a big surprise, since I am usually not sympathetic to these type of characters at all, no matter what their excuses are. She managed to write a womanizing, unfeeling male who you end up feeling sorry for and wanting to find a happy ending. Good thing her next book is his story. Back to this story, and without giving the story away any more than the blurb already does, the relationship between the two main characters is what drives the tale. The plot is very simple and predictable, but that is usually the case with erotic novels. It is different from the usual vampire story, funny at parts, and a satisfying read overall. It kept my interest, and I will read the next book in the series to see where it goes. If you have a free afternoon and nothing else to read, give it a try. It's not the next Black Dagger Brotherhood, but it is a pretty solid erotic light read.

NO SPOILERS or plot summaries. Recommendations included.

HIGH LEVEL: I really don't know what the heck Ms. Folsom was thinking - I nearly didn't bother with this because of the title. (I stopped looking at covers a long time ago.) EXCELLENT Book 1 in a vampire-themed paranormal romance/erotica series. Definitely more to this story than just the erotica- great plot, great characters, all around well written. Tone is feisty with a good dose of humor, a splash of violence and menace, a bit of romance and plenty of lust. Paranormal concepts limited to standard vampire mythology - no other monsters or madness.

SEXUAL CONTENT: Lusty m/f encounters- oral & anal. Explicit, but straightforward. Nothing really crazy- no ménage, BSDM, fetishism or voyeurism.

CHARACTERS: Great cast of characters. Not quite a boy's club set up, but close with Samson running a company employing vampires who are also his friends. Supporting characters were surprisingly well developed, making banter between the bunch a fun part of the story. Both Samson and Delilah are funny and well developed. While both were strong willed, neither of them was overly dominant or painfully submissive. Delilah was a great female lead as she was spunky and independent while allowing enough vulnerability to show through. There is no fear of having to sit through a silly story about a weak woman getting swept off of her feet. And Samson isn't so strong that he needed to be tamed either. It was well balanced.

PLOT: Romance paramount, power struggle/greed subplot. Pacing is excellent: consistent and medium intensity. The sense of humor is immediately apparent in the set up: a vampire with performance issues and a budding romance between "Samson" and "Delilah." Once you're past the blatant comedy, the story manages to deepen and intensify. Stakes expand beyond the romance to danger to both their lives and his company from greedy, jealous rivals. Overall it wasn't too complicated, but provided a good framework for the story. It also provided a chance to get to know the other characters enough that I can't wait to read their stories too.

BOTTOM LINE: Recommended. Great story, satisfying is just about every possible way. I love these characters and can't wait to keep reading about them!

RECOMMENDATIONS: (Many of these are darker and more intense...)

1. Lara Adrian's Kiss of Midnight (The Midnight Breed, Book 1) - darker, more violent, but incredibly intense. Vampires protect the world from their evil brethren.
2. Dana Marie Bell's Dare to Believe (The Gray Court) - sexy, light, humorous para-romance with all manner of fae: Sidhe, dragons, leprechauns, vampires and more.
3. Kresley Cole's slightly more adventurous and intricate magical romance series (never mind the ridiculous title): A Hunger Like No Other (Immortals After Dark, Book 1)
4. Jacquelyn Frank's Jacob (The Nightwalkers, Book 1) - demons, were, vamps and other fae finding their better halves in races that should be the enemy
5. Larissa Ione's Pleasure Unbound (Demonica, Book 1) - demon centric romance series that sets up a demon-run hospital under a human city. Odd mix of lighter writing and darker subjects.
6. Sherrilyn Kenyon's Fantasy Lover - Dark Hunter series with shifters, vamps and Greek gods. The first book is not as good as the rest- it just gets better and better.
7. Erin McCarthy's High Stakes (Vegas Vampires, Book 1) - this is para-romance, not erotica, but is pretty funny and down to earth
8. J.R. Ward's Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 1) - also darker, more violent and incredibly intense vampire romance series. Vampires protect the world from their evil brethren. Vivid glimpses into the evil perspective as well.
9. Gena Showalter's The Darkest Night (Hqn) - sexy, demon-possessed immortals looking for true love in a world of hidden magical creatures.

A vampire who can't get it up . . . who can resist? From its quirky premise to its heart-felt conclusion, this is a light, lively romance packed with fresh twists, snappy dialogue, and steamy sex. A perfect escapist read.

I am really surprised that this book is rated so highly.
It's difficult to find a romance novel with any sort of depth, characterization, or plausible storyline, and this one isn't any different. The paranormal aspect isn't even good- if it's going to be there, I like it to be emphasized. The only reason I'm giving it 2 stars is because the sex isn't completely terrible, and the dialogue and general writing style is decent.

The basic plot: human and vampire meet, fall in lust/love instantly, vampire has to protect human from something so they move in together for a few days- and then I stopped, so I don't know what else happens. It was just too much of an overused story and I felt no connection to the characters. I really feel no desire to continue reading it, even though I was about 40% through it when I stopped. This is strange for me, as I always feel that it's necessary to finish a story even when I don't like it very much.

It's kind of an x-rated twilight, if that tells you anything. But for free, you can't beat the price and everyone else seems to have enjoyed it, so maybe you should check it out.

I've become a little jaded after reading so many VP Romances. But when I happened upon Tina Folsom's Scanguards Vampires I was beyound thrilled. That first sentence just pulls you right in and left you wondering, " OK where is she going with this". But I quickly fell in love with Samson and his girl Delilah. OK, no big mistery to the plot but the love story captured me and left me wanting more. Book 2, Amaury story is sitting on my Kindle waiting to be read. I hope tina continue the series. I enjoy her writing style.

My first thought when I finished this book was, "Wow! That was awesome!". My next thought was, "Damn, there better be another book". (And there is, yay!)

The first line definitely gets your attention and it didn't let go from there. There was a small part where you got some character back story that went a little slow but not enough to lose the momentum. The suspense part of the story wasn't that involved and I figured out at least one of the "bad guys" fairly soon. However, it was enough intrigue to keep me interested.

What really drives this story is the romance between Samson and Delilah. My favorite part of the book was the main love scene between them. I think the author did a fantastic job on this part. The actual sex scene flowed very well. The scene was actually fairly long but it wasn't all about the sex. It was intimate, emotional, and even playful at times. It really helped to create the connection between them.

The attraction between Samson and Delilah grows as they try to figure out the mystery behind who is after Delilah. Samson is worried about how Delilah will react to his being a vampire. He knows she is the one he is meant to be with, he feels their connection and senses her pain from a past secret regret. He just needs to convince Delilah they were meant to be together.

This book is an erotic paranormal romance so there is explicit and graphic sex. There is one short scene between some secondary characters that includes rear-door activity, but other than that it is straight-forward m/f romance. For an erotic romance there was a very good balance between sex and story. I definitely recommend this one to lovers of vampire romance. The next book in this series is Amaury's Hellion.

I have read all the major authors from Laurell K Hamilton to JR Ward. This book was great I loved it. I read it until I was finished. The best part of this series is the ability for a vampire to blood-bond with a human. If you are looking for a great read with steamy accents this is the book for you.

While the plot is relatively straight forward, the love story is what makes this book a fantastic read. Samson and Delilah are meant for each other. They have a connection they don't understand at the beginning, but the more they explore each other, the more it becomes evident that there's only one outcome, namely that they have to end up together, no matter the obstacles. I'd previously read a couple of short stories from this author, but her vampire books are much much more evolved. They are not as dark as JR Ward's Brotherhood, but a much lighter read and with much more humor. Recommended.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, but I loved the premise, first that the vamp hero was impotent, second, that he falls in love with an auditor. That's my profession and it's pretty rare to find a romance heroine with that profession so I just had to get the book. It didn't disappoint me. The parts of the story dealing with her profession were accurate and I loved both of the characters. Samson was a typical sexy, but brooding vamp, but he falls hard for Delilah and isn't afraid to show it. Delilah gives as good as she gets and doesn't have any silly TSTL moments. The plot was engaging and moved along well. All in all, an enjoyable PNR, a bit more on the erotic side, but nothing too outrageous.