

Title: The Scotsman and the Vamp
Author: Jennifer Ashley
In: The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2 (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Historical romance, Paranormal romance, Vampires
Dates read: 12th September 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: Promised to him since his birth.


The Roaring Twenties and the movie scene of LA make a beautiful backdrop to a short story about the turn of the century. A woman is running from her past, and her fiance, but when he finally catches up to her, will she realise that the scotsman might be her perfect forever partner?

There is something that has always seemed kind of fun about the Roaring Twenties. Maybe it’s just the clothes. I’m not really sure. But a short story based in this time period, in LA, with a woman who is just starting to embrace the new reality of feminism… well, I was sucked completely in from the first fun scene with a party and dancing, and a vampire bride on the run…
I liked the idea that the vampire in this was the woman. So many of the paranormal romances I read involve a male vampire, with a chosen female bride and then they ride off into their happily ever after. Most of this did happen, just with that nice little gender reversal that was really quite refreshing. Especially since she is running away from a man who would seem for all intents and purposes kind of dreamy – and incredibly sexy. All so that she can live her own life and have a modicum of freedom in her daily life.
I’m not big into stories which feature a damsel in distress who needs rescuing. It’s a little too cliché and not something that immediately tends to draw me in. However, this story does not fit that niche. Actually, that is the biggest hurdle in the relationship – that she doesn’t need him, and so why should he hang around? Rather, in the end, they both rescue each other. Which, for me, is just how it should be.
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