Book Review: Vampire Vacation by C.J. Ellisson

Vampire Vacation
(The V V Inn #1)
By C.J. Ellisson

Blurb: 
Meet Vivian. She's a 580-year-old vampire who exudes sex, has a talent for drama, and is passionate about two things: her human husband, Rafe, and their resort for the undead. Her ability to project physical illusions has created the perfect vacation spot-a dark, isolated Alaskan hideaway where visitors can have their wildest fantasies come true.

Vivian knows the best performance requires perfect timing, but the powerful vamp is put to the test when she discovers a corpse in a locked guestroom minutes before the next arrivals. Always cool-headed, Rafe hides the body, convinced he and Vivian can find the culprit without disturbing their guests. Juggling the increasingly outrageous demands of their customers while tracking a killer isn't easy.

Will their poking and prodding give them the answers they need, or will it uncover secrets Vivian would kill to protect?

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Paul's Review: 

Imagine how cool it must be to be a vampire; superhuman strength, centuries of knowledge, no money troubles, etc.  Where would a vampire go to get away and both indulge his every desire and do it in a safe place?

This reviewer has never really asked the question "Where does a vampire go to unwind for a while?" However, CJ Ellisson weaves a very entertaining take on what a vacation for a vampire would look like while also including intrigue and a whole lot of steamy sex.  The owners of the VV (Vampire Vacation) Inn are Vivian and Rafe;  Vivian's real name is Alexandria, and she is a 500+ year-old former enforcer for the vampire council, while her husband Rafe (who calls her Dria)  is a human.  Vivian and Rafe run the VV Inn way out in the wilds of Alaska where it is dark for the vast majority of the day, and they cater to the every taste and whim of vampires from all over the world who come to the VV Inn for its unequaled service, discretion, and safety.  The bar at the VV Inn serves an interesting array of alcoholic drinks and coffee; what makes them interesting is that Vivan laces them with a small amount of her very potent, aphrodisiac blood.

Vivian is a very frisky and seductive vampire who is an expert flirt and tease and enjoys a lot of hot sex with her human husband.  Vivian is very powerful, and she and Rafe often communicate and even pleasure each other telepathically; she can also read others' thoughts and feelings, manipulate people's memories, and is such a seductress that everyone in the room with her wants her and wants her bad.  In addition to having vampires under her roof, Vivian also employs a half-werewolf who is always trying to bed her (and who would surely die a very slow, painful death at the hands of Rafe due to his strength and ferocity - despite the fact he is only a human).

As if all of this going on under one roof was not enough, CJ Ellisson adds intrigue to the mix when a very old and dangerous enemy of Vivian's (whom she thought was dead) finds the inn and starts killing her guests brutally in their suites to terrorize her.  Vivian and Rafe and their whole staff and even the vampire guests must pull together to fight this very serious threat.

This was a very good book and one to read with your significant other close by (you will thank me later).  It was very cool to see an extremely powerful vampire woman and a human man united by love and loyalty and how they ran a very unique business together - while fighting a potentially game-changing threat at the same time.  Reading the rest of CJ Ellisson's books is something to which I look forward. 

Rating: 4 Stars - I Loved It