Book Review: Blood and Whiskey

Blood and Whiskey: A Cowboy and Vampire Thriller

Authors: Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall

Published by: Pumpjack Press

Release Date: March 24^th, 2012

Source: Kindle E-book gifted by authors

Where to buy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble 

Audience: 18 and over

THE RUNDOWN:  

Wanted: Lizzie Vaughan, Dead or Alive. Relationships are always hard, but for a broke cowboy and a newly turned Vampire, true love may be lethal. After barely surviving an undead apocalypse in The Cowboy and the Vampire, Tucker and Lizzie hightail it back to quirky LonePine, Wyoming (population 438), to start a family. But she's got a growing thirst for blood and he's realizing that mortality ain't all it's cracked up to be when your girlfriend may live forever. With a scheming Vampire nation hot on their boot heels and a price on her head, how far will Lizzie and Tucker go to protect their unlikely love? Blending evolution, religion and an overly sensitive cow dog named Rex, Blood and Whiskey drags the Vampire myth into the modern west, delivering double-barreled action, heart-pounding passion and wicked humor.

WHAT WENT DOWN:

With a title like that, it’s no wonder while reading this book I felt like shouting out, “Bite me!” and “Giddy up!” This sexy and thrilling sequel to Hays and McFall’s first novel, The Cowboy and the Vampire, gives us a deeper connection to the heroes we met in its predecessor. Protagonists Lizzie and Tucker are still going strong and continue to surround themselves with very colorful characters. Plot was rich and the settings familiar, yet surprisingly otherworldly (even in Wyoming).

The authors did not disappoint when it came to action, nor did they fail in giving us some real tearjerker moments. The cowboys and their leader Plummer, our main protagonist, provided much conflict, as did the other vampire leaders in the world, but to a lesser extent. Dad, who I would dub as the tragic hero, was definitely the highlight of the entire novel. He’s a rich contrast of traits: stubborn and lenient, kind yet stern, funny and serious, and optimistic and defeatist.  He’s definitely a memorable character and I was glad to have met him.

Blood and Whiskey definitely kept me laughing throughout most of the book. The humor was both light and dark, but always tasteful. Overall, I absolutely loved it! I can’t wait for more from these wonderful writers.

Favorite quote: “Vampire-sicles,” Tucker said. “There’s a flavor that ain’t gonna catch on at the Tastee Freeze next summer.”

THE “DOWN LOW”:

More of a thriller, like its title says, this book still managed to produce some pretty sweet…and some very hot moments. Vastly apparent how much they feel for each other, Lizzie and Tucker always seemed to take those private moments to physically show their affection. Sometimes it was with lingering glances or light touches, and other times it was with a combination of heavy breathing, hands roaming, and deep sucking…of blood.

There was also the surprising tension between foreign hottie, Rurik, and the heroine Lizzie. Perhaps not sexual in nature, it definitely was interesting to see if anything would and could happen between those two. The mistrust and uneasy political climate between the two made the tension all the more enthralling and it kept me craving interaction between the two.

And last, but most certainly not least, came what I thought was the HOTTEST (and most tragic) couple in this book: Virote and Elita. Calling it love at first sight would not be accurate in this case. More like lust at every turn. Virote worshipped Elita, body and soul, and Elita allowed herself to become attached to Virote, something that I’m sure in her long Reptilian existence had not happened often. Alone, each of these women is sizzling in her own right, but together, they are scorching, explosive even. Unfortunately, their pairing had to end as Virote’s life did in her quest to become a Vampire, but their connection will forever live on.