Rating: 
Summary: I NEVER Thought I would read a romance novel
Review: Last September, a friend of mine had plans to attend the Romantic Times Convention in Toronto, Ontario. Her college roommate was supposed to go with her and at the last minute pooped out. SOOO I went. I had never read an entire romance novel in my life. I thought I would be bored to tears. My friend bought me Beneath a Blood Red Moon to read before we went. I finished it in two days (and I work full time). I was very impressed and very entertained. I can't stand fluff books and have never made it past 50 or 60 pages of the traditional romance novel. But this was very enjoyable. I am looking forward to the sequel. At the convention Shannon/Heather said they might come out around Halloween - I hope so. I want more!!
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting Concept Butchered by Bad Writing
Review: Maggie Montgomery is a ready-to-wear designer in an up-scale section of the Vieux Carre when, one day, she is visited by two police officers who question her about a trail of blood drops leading from a brutally decapitated body, right up to her front door. The senior detective, Sean Canady, is the latest grandson of one of Maggie's lovers. Maggie is a vampire, you see. So, to sum up the rest of the plot in one sentence: She and Sean start sleeping together, while trying to look for the decapitating killer, even though Maggie really should know who it is from the very beginning.I thought the basic plot for this book was interesting, but the author has neither the skill nor the talent to write it. She introduces us during the first chapter to the man who made Maggie a vamp, Alec DeVereaux. This little scene, however, has very little -- if any -- point. The story would have been much better served if the prelude was eliminated, or at least moved to the middle as a flashback. The Jack the Ripper element, as well, should have been excluded. It's cheesy, and as soon as it materializes, it sucks all the suspense from the murder mystery. The author also had a tendency to unnecessarily list or repeat certain facts. For example, most people with an eighth-grade education in America know about DRACULA, the book by Bram Stoker, yet this author feels the need to list when it was written, by whom, what about -- all things that are redundant to the average reader, and that do not serve a purpose towards furthering the plot. Yet these are all trifling details. The author's real weakness is in her dialog. She seems to have no idea how people express themselves in reality and appears to be stuck in a really bad melodrama, with an over-zealous tendency towards exclamation points ("You cannot be evil, you cannot! I will not believe it, I will not!" "She has died; she will become one of the creatures!" Have you seen my sock! I think I have an ingrown toenail!). As far as the action and descriptions are concerned, the author has no flow or sense of the words that she is putting on the paper. She is simply unable to communicate ideas, let alone emotions, effectively. Hence, this book was very, very awful. There are some books over which one can only wonder, how do these people get published? and this is one of those books. I would not recommend BENEATH A BLOOD RED MOON to anyone. If you are looking for a truly romantic vampire story, with some historical flashbacks, I strongly suggest THE VAMPIRE DIARIES as an alternative.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent supernatural romance
Review: New Orleans police officer Sean Canady is stunned by the second decapitation to hit the city in a week. Still, an experienced veteran of the force, Sean keeps his cool as he goes over the crime scene. Earlier in the week someone mutilated a prostitute. Now a pimp is dead. In spite of the brutality of the attacks, very little blood appears near the corpse or for that matter the previous body. Tiny drippings of blood lead to the nearby Magadalena's Boutique. Sean and his partner interview the employees and the owner, Magdalena Montgomery, but no new clue surfaces. That night a fellow officer and an employee of the boutique agree to meet at a jazz club. Separately, friends of Sean and Magdalena persuade them to go too. When Sean and Magdalena meet again, their initial attraction grows. However, Sean has to capture a weird, vicious serial killer that seems to relish sucking the blood of his victims. As he diligently works the case, Magdalena wonders if history will repeat itself with another Canady helping kill a rogue vampire. She also doubts that their love for one another can cross species as he is a mortal and she is a member of the undead. BENEATH A BLOOD RED MOON is an excellent vampire romance that augments the plot with elements from the police procedural sub-genre. The pulsating story line blends extremely well together as the audience enjoys an exciting, entertaining, and enticing novel. The cross-species romance includes two wonderful lead characters that will garner reader empathy. The secondary cast provides a taste of the Big Easy leaving fans of the supernatural romance wanting Shannon Drake to return with more tales of vampires in love. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Great Read!
Review: Once I picked it up I couldn't put it down until I was finished. I liked how she portrayed the vampires (it was a different angle than most). I just loved the book. I would recommend it to anyone. The only thing that upsets me is that this book is only one in a trilogy. I think she should write more books with vampires than just three.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the Best, but Ok
Review: Parts of this book kinda sucked, no pun intended. Mysterious murders are happening in New Orleans, and drops of blood from one of the victims lead to the store owned by Maggie, who is a vampire and has lived for quite a while. Sean Canady is determined to solve this case, and that involves getting some info out of Maggie, and trying to idgnore his growing attraction to her. Will they solve the case and live to tell the story? First, it bothered me that it talked about all the men in Maggie's past, none of which I really wanted to know about. Some of it was necessary, but otherwise I didn't want to know. It also bothered me that Sean was supposed to be some sort of reincarnation of another Sean Canady in the past, whom Maggie had also loved. That just made it seem like Maggie didn't love him for himself, but because he was the same man she had loved before. I don't know if what I just said makes any sense, but I just think that her love for him should have been an independant incident. Also, a lot of time was spent in the past, or on characters who weren't the leads, or even that important secondary people. There were so many people that I got confused. Other then those complaints, this book was really very suspenseful and exciting and a passable romance, and I very much recommend the sequel about Lucian, which is When Darkness Falls. Also, if you enjoy vampire romance I suggest Christine Feehan who writes wonderful stories. Happy Reading!
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining, but definitely needed a better editor
Review: Shannon Drake's BENEATH A BLOOD RED MOON is a compelling paranormal romantic adventure. It is set in the fascinating city of New Orleans, and begins at the scene of a brutal murder. Lieutenant Sean Canady, veteran homicide cop extraordinaire, and his greenhorn partner Jack Delaney, find droplets of blood leading from the practically bloodless corpse to a side entrance of Montgomery Enterprises, the haute couture shop owned by Maggie Montgomery. This grisly murder is only one of a rash of killings that have been plaguing New Orleans recently; it appears that a Jack the Ripper copycat is lurking, determined to make a name for himself. Or does the killer want revenge? After all, Maggie is a vampire who's been around since before the Civil War. She's met a lot of people in her "lifetime," some of them enemies. Most compelling of all these encounters in her past was another Sean Canady, Civil War hero and love of Maggie's life. Maggie finds herself drawn to present-day Sean. Is he a reincarnation of her beloved, and if so, can she keep him safe from her enemies? Not to mention tell him the truth about herself and live some form of happily ever after? Drake's straightforward tone and concise style make Sean and Maggie's tale a gripping one; a reader can almost see and feel - and possibly even live - the events that take place. The characters are realistic and likable. Sean is one of those guys you'd like on your side when things go wrong. Maggie, despite (or perhaps because of) being a vampire, is an extremely down-to-earth person. The combination of these two leads is very appealing. The evil stalking them is very pervasive and demented, and its inevitable defeat is quite satisfying. Lucian is great as the enigmatic and cynical leader of the vampires. There is just enough violence and gore to make this a good horror novel, just enough emotion to make it a good romance. There are few too many loose ends for my satisfaction, but then, this is a part of a trilogy, so perhaps my questions will be answered later. The only major complaint I have about this book is the innumerable typos. Sean's family plantation is alternately referred to as Oakville and Ashville. Present-day Sean also gets referred to as both Captain and Lieutenant. There are also so many misspellings that I was tempted to take a red pencil to the pages myself. Ms. Drake is a major writer in this genre under several names; you would think this would entitle her to a better editing staff. In spite of these irritating errors, BENEATH A BLOOD RED MOON is still a good read for people who like paranormal plots in their romance novels. Even though I enjoyed this book "in spite of" a lot of things, I look forward to reading the next installment in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Great Find, Couldn't Put It Down
Review: This book was a great read and I can't wait for the sequal. This was the 1st book I read by Shannon and I will be reading more including her regular historical romance. This was a very exciting Vampire read. I have been having dificulty finding good stories about vampires and romance, so if you like this kind of story with trips to the past and present then you will really love this book. {If you like Amanda Ashly you will love this, or when you are done with this and if you loved this then Read any of the 6 books by Amanda Ashly.} The way it moved from passed to the present was refresing, and understandable. I thought I might get confused when i 1st relised that it did that but to my suprise it worked great. All of the charaters in this book are captivating. There wasn't one that i didn't like or that wasn't nessasary. The story flowed wonderfully, no luls or dry spells. It did leave me with one question, What happened to the tainted ones?, When you read this and know please send me your thoughts.
Rating: 
Summary: Everything but the kitchen sink plot - not believable
Review: This book was categorized as romantic suspense, I'm guessing that is very different from a straight romance. This book sure was. I expect violence from vampire novels, but the opening was a real turn off, I was heartbroken over the death of Maggie's vampire lover who didn't deserve what happened to him, and did they have to do it while the two were in bed together? Tasteless I thought. Then there is the cop, the hero, who is a borderline rapist, can't take no for an answer, how hypocritical. Maggie decides she likes it once he gets started so now hey it's okay, just forced seduction. When she decides things are happening too fast for her, Sean acts like a total jerk. Sure some guys act that way, but then there wouldn't be a second date! Reincarnation becomes the excuse for his behavior. He is drawn to her because of his other life, can't seem to help himself. Ms. Drake gets carried away with the reincarnation theme, extending it to his partner and her's, then doesn't do anything with it. If anyone deserved to be reincarnated it is Maggie's original vampire lover. The Ripper plot is okay, the villian satisfyingly demented. I like the development of the vampire king he grows with time, gives vampires a good name. He seems to genuinely care for Maggie. The rules really got on my nerves though. Justice should be served even among preditors. The end was nice enough if you can wade through the rest to get to it. Not one of my favorites, I recommend Chris Feehan's "Dark Prince" as an alternative this month. ~Leslie Tramposch - PNR Reviews
Rating:
Summary: I loved this book!
Review: This book was great! I couldn't put it down. I love vampire stories and I'll be reading this one over and over. I can't wait for her next one to come out!
Rating:
Summary: YUMMY VAMPIRES!!!!
Review: THIS IS A GREAT VAMP. READ, PLUS IT HAS ROMANCE ,DANGER AND LUST ALL MIXED INTO ONE.... SHANNON DRAKE IS WONDERFULL.....
| 
