Fall for the Indie Book: Vampire for Hire Series

I know what you're thinking. "Come on, Meredith. Vampires? Really? Isn't everybody over vampires by now?" You have a point. I am 100% OVER teanaged, sparkly, oversexed, fairy-sniffing vampires. I didn't even read the last Sookie Stackhouse book, because I was so over vampires. But there is a special place in my heart for J. R. Rain's Vampire for Hire Series. 

Managing a family is challenging even in the best of circumstances, but Samantha Moon has the added complication of trying her best to manage a family while also being a vampire. She has a husband and two kids who she cares about deeply  and wants to do everything she can for them. She just has to do it while avoiding the sun and subsisting on blood. Like the savvy lady that she is she does her absolute best. Unfortunately, as in life sometimes our best just isn't enough to get the result that we want.

I'm not reviewing one book here. I'm talking about the whole series. I admit, I haven't had a chance to read the tenth book yet, but I have read the first nine. What sets these vampire books apart from all others is that it's not so much about being a vampire, as it's about dealing with a life changing trauma.  Samantha's condition could very easily be any chronic health condition, like the skin condition that she uses to explain her aversion to sunlight. 

The plot of each book is driven by Samantha's efforts to maintain the best possible family life for her children while hunting down a way to fix her situation and deal with whatever case she is working on. Her need to stay out of the sun means she has to leave her job as a police officer and start a new career as a private investigator. She also has to deal with the effects of her condition on her marriage. There are challenges at every turn, but she tries to deal with them with intelligence and heart. The key characters are very well-drawn especially, Samatha and her kids. They have to be to carry the reader through this many books. 

I definitely recommend this series and will be reading #10 as soon as I'm done with Cauldron.