Oh my word… have I got a story for you! (and I’ve got a vlog too, click hereto see it)
I can’t say I’ve ever really been a huge vampire fan, but as y’all probably know by now, I’ve been a long-time romance fan! So, when my good Twitter Friends Lara Ann Dominick (@LaraAnnDominick) asked me to read/review her debut novel Oil and Water, I was pumped (hehe puns) to say the least.
So, this is a story split between two characters: Elsie, a human and Opal, a vampire, both living in/near Tampa, FL, approximately now. Elsie is a young woman who, like me, loves romance novels, specifically of the paranormal variety. I especially related to her in the opening chapter in which she’s just finishing up her latest novel and reveling in it!
Opal meanwhile is a powerful, reasonably young vampire who has way more (political) power than she wants and strangely, no memory of her human life. She’s essentially a cold, calculating killer, the classic femme fatal.
There is so much going on in this book, it’s a little bit hard to explain, especially with the split focalization, but I’ll do my best–
Elsie has a supportive friend group, a slightly kooky mom, distant sister, friendly father, and classic on-again off-again college boyfriend. Then along comes Cyrus, a mysterious, tall, dark, handsome stranger with eyes (I imagine) the color of the water on the book’s cover. But along with Cyrus comes drama and danger because wait for ittttttt–Cy is like so many of the male protagonists that Elsie dreams about while reading her books.
Meanwhile (sort of, because timelines are a little tricky), Opal is going about her normal vampire life–arguing with the antagonistic and powerful Zilpher, looking out for her one-vampire friend Amber who has apparently come back from the grave, and then is abducted and held prisoner by a mysterious, tall, dark, handsome stranger.
While they never technically meet face-to-face, both Elsie and Opal must face a common enemy–Amber. She’s hell-bent on revenge on both of them, and it all goes back to Cy. It’s one complicated love square that’s happening, that’s for sure!
Let me tell you, I devoured this book. Dominick’s writing is vivid and detailed, totally captivating the reader’s attention. Elsie is super relatable, especially for recently (or not so recently) graduated college students and Opal is kind of like the woman we all wish we could be… to a degree. Cy is the epitome of the ideal guy and the plot is captivating. There are so many questions in both women’s lives, especially Opal’s, that you have to keep reading to find out if she ever finds out about her past. You have to keep reading to find out if Elsie ever realizes the truth about Cy…and then after they “meet” and have to fight Amber, ooh boy, you really want to know what happens.
I definitely recommend this book! It’s very well written, fun, and engaging. The characters are developed and both relatable. Without a doubt, it’s a romance that you will be jealous of and an adventure you’d want to take part of. I can’t think of any reason why you wouldn’t like the book–there is some cursing and some sex and fighting scenes, but they aren’t so graphic that they’re uncomfortable. If you like romance and/or the paranormal, you should definitely give it a try.
That’s all I’ve got for this week. Be sure to look out for my next post on Sahreth Baphy Bowden’s (@Baphy1428) book To Hell and Back for You!
Happy Reading!
A Little Bit of Happiness 