The Vampire Dimitri by Colleen Gleason

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Source: Free Ebook from NetGalley
Release Date: April 26, 2011


This is the second in the Regency Draculia series from Colleen Gleason who is also author of the Gardella Vampire series, which is still on my TBR-pile. In this series, Gleason's vampires have made a pact with Lucifer for eternal life, but they must feed on blood and sin. Restraining their baser urges causes a the mark they bear to become an agony, which is another trial for Dimitri as he's decided to lead a rather chaste life as penance. When Maia's brother disappears, it's up to Dimitri to chaperon her and her sisters until Maia's fiance, Alexander, returns from traveling.
It was a very disappointing start to what I thought would have been a unique story. Instead we spend the first quarter recounting the events that happened in the first book from the POV of Dimitri and Maia. Part of what can make a good romance is subtlety, which is what we saw in the burgeoning romance between them in the first book. Even though these books can be picked up out of order, I think it does a disservice to this couple to repeat the exact same story of the first book, just with a different POV. Once we moved to new ground it wasn't exactly thrilling anymore. I liked the give and take between the characters and I liked the influence of Beauty and the Beast, but in the end Dimitri and Maia felt like charted waters and I was already ready to move on. I can't say I recommend this installment of the series, but it's still better than some others out there. I won't be continuing with Narcise's story, which is released next.