Heavy on action but light on character development, Popp's second Night Slayer romance (following Out of the Night
) is entertaining but unmemorable. In Popp's world, vampires are bent on world domination—no surprise there. The twist comes in the form of half-vampire Night Slayers, men who have been bitten but not killed by the enigmatic Chupacabra, a rare creature from South America that has a vampiric bite. Dirk Adams is one of these half-vampire heroes, and his mission is to protect renowned biochemist Bethany Stavinoski, who has become the target of vampire kidnappers. Though engaged to her wealthy older boss, Bethany can't deny her attraction to Dirk (a self-proclaimed "real man"), and when they're thrown into close proximity by repeat vampire attacks, she realizes that her attraction is more than sexual. Readers may have trouble reaching the same conclusion, however, since dark-and-dangerous Dirk and damsel-in-distress Bethany never transcend their stock roles—and their dialogue and thoughts are often cliché ("Let's not read more into this than there is," indeed). Still, Popp spins a suspenseful yarn, and many will enjoy this take on vampire romance. (June)
