REVIEW: Bring on the Night by Jeri Smith-Ready

Jeri Smith-Ready's BRING ON THE NIGHT

Recovering con artist Ciara Griffin seems to finally have it all. A steady job at WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll. A loving relationship with the idiosyncratic but eternally hot DJ Shane McAllister. A vampire dog who never needs shots or a pooper-scooper. And after nine years, it looks as if she might actually finish her bachelor's degree!

But fate has other plans for Ciara. First she must fulfill her Faustian bargain with the Control, the paranormal paramilitary agency that does its best to keep vampires in line. Turns out the Control wants her for something other than her (nonexistent) ability to kick undead ass. Her anti-holy blood, perhaps?

Ciara's suspicions are confirmed when she's assigned to a special-ops division known as the Immanence Corps, run by the Control's oldest vampire and filled with humans who claim to have special powers. To a confirmed skeptic like Ciara, it sounds like a freak fest. But when a mysterious, fatal virus spreads through Sherwood—and corpses begin to rise from their graves—Ciara will not only get a crash course in zombie-killing, but will be forced to put her faith, and her life itself, in the hands of magic.

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I have to admit that this book was not at all what I expected. I mean, wow, talk about your wild rides; just when you think you've got it figured out BAM! in goes the wrench and the whole thing gets tangled.

The story is set three years after the end of Bad to the Bone, the previous book, catching up to 2010. It picks up with a bunch of surprises. David, Ciara's friend and boss at the radio station, engaged to Ciara's bestest best friend ever, Lori. Ciara's is FINALLY just ONE class away from scoring her degree and graduating after like forever. Oh, and remember that pesky deal she made with the Control so that Shane, her vamp boyfriend, could keep in contact with his not-vamp family? Yeah, it's drawn time to pay up. Thus the second chapter picks up with Ciara's final day of training, orientation, initiation, whatever you want to call it.

She then proceeds to go home to Shane and her loyal Blood Hound (ha ha), Dexter, and OMG is there a twist right there. It's a perfect fairy tale moment. Naturally, such a happy, sunny, lovey dovey moment is followed by the Mutant Chicken Pox Virus From Hell breaking out, killing a friend and yep, it's a character you've met and likely already crushed on. About the time zombies start popping up like Pop Tarts, that's when the real twists start happening and it's not until you've gone completely pretzel that things just...explode.

It's intense. It's unbelievable. And the biggest SPLASH of all you just simply don't see coming.

And the most amazing thing of all? For the first time, there isn't a mad, Looney-Toon fanatical group that takes Ciara hostage.

Shock.

Definitely a recommended read, hands down. So what are you waiting for. Go. Fetch. Read. Enjoy. You won't regret it.