Review And Giveaway of de Sang: Embrace Your Blood Lust by C.D. Hussey

Title: de Sang: Embrace Your Blood Lust (Human Vampire #2)
Author: C.D. Hussey
Source: Author Request
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format: eBook, 152 pgs
Release Date: October 23, 2011

When the famous artist and self-proclaimed king of the Vampires, Lohr Varius, brings his collection to the gallery Kate Miller works at, he awakens a desire in her that has nothing to do with art and everything to do with Living Vampires. That desire leads her to underground blood bar, La Luxure, where she finds herself inexplicably drawn to the cocky bartender claiming to be the "real deal".

But it isn't long before she discovers not everyone is as they seem, and as the crimson-eyed bartender warns, not everyone is safe.


Rating -

Sexual -

My Review:

This is the second in Hussey's 'paranormal but not supernatural' Human Vampires series. This sequel doesn't disappoint. The story and characters pull you in from the first paragraph. Those who read the first book, La Luxure, will recognize most of the characters here. If you didn't, don't be concerned, it is a totally stand alone story set in the same bar and locale.

Slade is the gorgeous and seriously built thirty-something bartender. He is tired of the singles scene and wants to find what Armand and Julia (bar owners and friends) have found - love and acceptance. Running the bar in Armand's absence, he doesn't have a chance to go out and find someone, he figures someone will just have to come to him there in the bar. When she does, he's blown away not only by her looks but by her feisty hellcat nature.

Kate is a young twenty-something lady a bit into the Goth scene who decides she wants to learn more about the Vampire subculture she's heard about. When she finds she is attracted to Slade, who she thinks is a playa, she is shocked at herself but she can't seem to stay away from him.

Lohr, a favorite artist of Kate's, is a painter and photographer enjoying moderate success and has declared himself the king of vampires. She is stunned when he comes onto her and is later creeped out by his attentions even though he seems to be her type - the opposite of Slade. Turns out she has reason to be wary of him.

The author says, "I look at La Luxure like you're viewing New Orleans and the [vampire subculture] through a tourist's eyes. And with de Sang, you already live there." While you certainly can read this book without having read the first one, I suggest reading the first one for the mystery and intrigue and stay awhile to read this second and get to know the characters and the subculture a little better.

The sexy scenes in this one are so hot, I think I saw steam coming out of my computer while I was reading it. There are a couple scenes in the bar, one on a motorcycle and when they get to the bed, oh my...

I fell in love with Slade in this story. And of course Armand from the first book is pretty awesome too. Hussey is able to draw you into the story and doesn't let you go until the end.

I was lucky to be on the editing team for this story and before you think that gave me undue bias for this story, check out my review of the first book which I read and reviewed.

Giveaway
Giveaway and Contest Policy
Giveaway open Oct 26-29, 2011 (midnight)
This is an International Giveaway

C.D. Hussey is giving away an electronic set of both La Luxure and de Sang from Smashwords or Amazon.com to three lucky winners. Leave a comment with your email address to enter.

Review La Luxure by C.D. Hussey

Title: La Luxure: Discover Your Blood Lust (Human Vampire #1)
Author: C.D. Hussey
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format: eBook, 241 pgs
Release Date: April 15, 2011
Author Website


Deep in the heart of the French Quarter, where the Bourbon Street revelry is nothing more than a far off whisper, underground blood-bar La Luxure beckons those with darker tastes through its narrow archway.

When tourist Julia Brown stumbles unwittingly into Luxure, she first thinks it's nothing more than a swanky Goth club. But when a patron is found dead on the street, drained of blood and covered in bites and marks, Julia begins to fear there's something more sinister lurking below the sleek interior.

And at the center of it all is Armand Laroque, who awakens a lust she never knew existed and a temptation impossible to resist.



Rating -

Sexual -

My Review:

This is the first in Hussey's Human Vampire series. The setting is New Orleans for a brutal murder, a Goth-like bar and vampire sub-culture in this steamy romance. Hussey's characters are so genuine and authentic it is almost like watching a live performance.

Julia, the female lead, is a witty 29 year old civil engineer and "token vagina" in the male dominated field attending a conference in New Orleans. She likes "her romance novels to be a little edgier, with leather clad, tattooed vampires that had drug problems, or were once sex slaves. The occasional werewolf was nice, or angst-y warlock, especially a tormented, sorcerer werewolf. She'd put away the historical novels years ago in favor of darker, rawer, urban fantasies." (Hmm, sounds like someone you know? {smile}.) Julia thinks she is a "boring, nerdy engineer" and Armand is a "super sexy vampire".

Armand, the male lead, is owner of La Luxure ("Lust" for those who don't know French), a Gothy vampire sub-culture bar, and one of the leaders in the Sang Community in New Orleans. He is inexplicably drawn to Julia the minute she comes in his bar. After he talks with her for a while, he actually finds himself falling for her.

This is a great story with a twist many won't see coming and a hot, hot, hot dream sequence, a shower scene which is well... steamy {grin} and the scene on the couch — ooh, la la!

Paranormal romance and vampire romance genre fans should put this on their wish list.

Warning Spoiler Alert!!!
This does have a HEA ending. While this is a paranormal romance, it is not supernatural. Confused? That's ok, read it and you'll see what I mean.