Title: Blood Bond
Author: Jacki Bentley
Publisher: New Concepts Publishing
Date: December, 2006
Format: E-book, 53 pages
ISBN-10: 1-58608-997-8

Jacki Bentley's Blood Bond is quite simply fifty-three pages of hot.

Bored with the centuries, vampire Thyre du Belvoir lives a quiet life, hidden away in a modernized mausoleum. He does his best to help the local earth-bound spirits, but otherwise he spends his nights alone. It has been years since he last sought out his own kind.

When vampire Julia Wergeles explodes out of the darkness one fateful autumn night, Thyre is instantly drawn to her through an ancient, powerful connection he can not explain. Now they must learn to trust each other if they are to survive the terrible evil that pursues them... and unravel the tantalizing mystery of the Blood Bond.

Despite its slim profile, Blood Bond is jam-packed with action, suspense, and some of the hottest love scenes I've ever read. The heroine is a modern dynamo, more than capable of standing up for herself. The hero is a legend in his own right, reluctant to take orders from anyone, but beguilingly smitten with his new lady love.

Rather than submitting to the classic "fight for dominance" cliché, Jacki Bentley weaves a tale of two smart, independent creatures who want to come together, who want to love one another—a direction I found marvelously refreshing.

But don't be fooled. The tension between these two is electrifying, and the sex scenes explode with desire. The unadulterated eroticism of Blood Bond puts both timidity and power plays to shame.

Ladies, make sure you have a solid hour or two before you start this one because you won't want to put it down. And gentlemen, I'm going to let you in on a secret: this novella is better than chocolate. At a modest $3.50 you won't find a more effective aphrodisiac.

Load it on her e-book reader and leave it on the bedside table. Better yet, read it out loud to her. Trust me, you'll love what happens next.

Read an excerpt at New Concepts Publishing.