Whipped Cream Erotic Romance Reviews

Ruling Lacey by Cyan Bell
Changeling Press
Contemporary, Paranormal
Short Story, M/F
Review by Xeranth

Working in the dead letter department of the Brisbane office of Australia Post is Lacey Carter’s idea of the perfect job. Each and every article of mail is a little mystery to be solved, a piece of someone’s life that hasn’t managed to get to its destination.

When Lacey opens a package with an amber gem in it, her life is thrown into turmoil. Being able to see who wrote the letters, and what's in them, before opening them should be an asset in her line of work, but instead her newfound abilities will throw her into a dark, and intense world of vampires.

Reid Miller has been a broken man since he lost his wife in a horrific way when he turned her into a vampire. Moving to Brisbane from Brooklyn didn’t change the emptiness he feels without his wife. His first encounter with Lacey when he saves her life is enough to give him the will to fight again.

One piece of paper with the power to change a vampire hierarchy will be so sought after that people will be torn apart to get to it, and it holds a mystery that will prove destiny has a hand in all lives.

♥ ♥ ♥

Ruling Lacy is a fast paced, plot enriched romance with a truly nasty villain, and a wonderful hero and heroine you can root for.

Lacey is a woman thrust into vampire politics in a most unique and violent way. It starts off innocently enough but rockets towards a situation where Lacey must come to terms with who she is, what she’s to become and choices that affect the future of her and the man she comes to love.

Lacey is sweet and feisty, loyal and clever and she doesn’t suffer from boring angst and wringing of hands. She’s a modern woman who isn’t afraid to stand up for what’s right, even though there might be dire consequences.

Reid is a really nice guy who happens to be a vampire with a tortured past. He suffers from what he believes are his sins from choices he made long ago. He thinks he did something horrible to the woman he loved and is determined never to repeat that same deadly mistake. Thing is, there is something about Lacey which calls to him – like a memory from long ago. Even though Reid is tortured, he’s not mired in it, nor is he a martyr. Sure, his mistake changed the course his life was set on and he has not attempted to reclaim it but neither does he let it stop him from accepting the gifts that Lacey brings. I liked the presentation of a man who kept on despite the odds.

The villain is Vale and he’s such a snake. And that’s an insult to the snakes. It was very easy to believe in his vileness and treachery. When he gets his comeuppance, it’s in a truly clever and unexpected way. Typically, when you have a vampire as aggressive as he, you’d think the altercation that brings his demise would be bloody and spectacular. I thought it was very ironic and apropos -- a clever piece of writing.

I would recommend Ruling Lacey for vampire romance lovers everywhere who enjoy not only some fine bite scenes, but an intriguing plot and characters that are a joy for the mind. This is a short story that is able to condense the action in to an intensity that keeps you turning the pages for a satisfying summer read.