Las Vegas, Nevada - Present Day

Alexis Baldizzi is a ball-buster, and she’s ready to do what she does best -- bust some balls. Some high-end casino owner has kidnapped her sweet, naïve sister, and Alexis will stop at nothing to rescue Brittany, including barging in on said owner’s dinner party. After not hearing from her sister for three whole weeks, Alexis is convinced something is terribly wrong. Brittany doesn’t just run off with a man she barely knows no matter how good looking he is…and this guy is gorgeous.

Ethan Carrick is intrigued with the little spitfire Alexis. Just when he decides to settle down with a saccharinely biddable woman who will make the perfect politician’s wife, he meets passionately outspoken Alexis. She couldn’t be a more inappropriate mate during his bid for reelection as the President of the Vampire Nation, but never has a woman captivated him more than Alexis. How can he choose between the love affair of a human’s lifetime and his eternal lifelong career? However, something sinister is in the air in Las Vegas when menacing vampire Donatelli will battle anyone or anything to be the new president of the Vampire Nation, and nothing Ethan cares about is safe.

After a confusing beginning where the reader is left wondering just which sister really is the heroine of HIGH STAKES, Erin McCarthy quickly ups the ante and shows the readers why she’s one of the best new romance writers. While the acidic and aggressive wit of Alexis is somewhat off putting during her character’s introduction, I quickly warmed up to her protective and humorous nature. Alexis is the perfect foil for the newly reformed and politically correct Ethan. Their relationship is fun, spicy and erotic and represents exactly why Alexis and Ethan are ideal for each other (except for that whole human/vampire thing).

Charming and quirky secondary characters include Alexis’s sister Brittany, Ethan’s gruff political advisor Seamus, and outcast vampire, Corbin. An intriguing relationship develops between Brittany and Corbin that will leave readers anxious for a continuation of their story in Seamus’s novel, BIT THE JACKPOT, coming December 2006.

Erin McCarthy’s trademark humor and smoldering sexy couples keeps readers coming back for more. HIGH STAKES is erotic fun with a surprisingly darker edge not usually found in previous McCarthy works. HIGH STAKES is a fantastic start to a series that is sure to be a winner. Definitely worth the gamble -- pick up a copy of HIGH STAKES today.

Connie Ruebusch