Dead and Dateless
by Kimberly Raye
Published by Ballentine Books
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Reviewed by Kate Dancy
In Dead and Dateless, Kimberly Raye's second novel of Vampire Love, the reader catches up again with Lil Marchette, a born vampire who runs a dating service for the vampire community. Business is booming for Lil, but she finds herself having a bad day when she's accused of murder. She turns to Ty Bonner, her sometimes lover who is appropriate for lustful thoughts, but not a lasting commitment for help. She hopes Ty will be able to both protect her and help clear up this "misunderstanding" with the police.
The novel follows the latest hot trend in romance, comedic paranormals. The writing style is supposed to be breezy and fun with a "chick-lit" feel. Unfortunately, the heroine, Lil is unlikable. She's materialistic and shallow, and her inner monologue plays like that of a 15-year-old girl, rather than a relatable woman. She spends a lot of time brand name dropping, which had the effect of yanking me out of the story.
The hero, Ty, is also difficult to get a feel for. I found him to be strangely broody and brusque, without much to recommend him either. The secondary characters are mostly stock characterizations.
Unfortunately, I found the book to be tedious to read and very easy to put down.
Armchair Interviews says: If you're looking for a well-written paranormal comedy, give Dead and Dateless a pass and look elsewhere.
Author's Web site: http://www.kimberlyraye.com