Review - Lust for Life by Jeri-Smith Ready (WVMP Radio #4)

Lust for Life, by Jeri-Smith Ready, is the last book in the WVMP Radio series. The series has been a lot of fun to read about and I shall miss it now that it’s finished its run. The concept of having vampires stuck in the time frame from which they were turned is one of the main reasons I read this series from start to finish.

The other is the fact that the author gives the vampires OCD in which they all have slightly eclectic itches like Regina being forced to count things over and over again and Ciara’s inability to look at a word without trying to augment it into several different words at the same time.

I loved Ciara Griffin and enjoyed the challenges that JSR has exposed her to. She’s feisty; she sarcastic, she’s got the world’s strangest bloodline that JSR calls anti-holy blood which allows her to heal vampires who have been exposed to holy water. It was her idea to change the radio stations call letters to "WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll" and ended up saving it from a corporate takeover in 2008’s Wicked Game.

Ciara is on almost everyone’s wanted list, either to kill, or to use because of her unusual blood. She was exposed to chicken pox and survived (Bring on the Night) because another WVMP vampire DJ turned her. She was conned into working for “Control” or the International Agency for Control and Management of Undead Corporeal Entities along with her boyfriend/fiancé Shane McAlister.

Now, in Lust for Life, her fledgling vampire existence may be coming to an end because of her unique bloodline. JSR still has several challenges (including new vampires who are loyal to Jim) and surprises left that readers will either find interesting or not in how it leaves both Shane and Ciara. I absolutely love Shane and Ciara as a couple. I love how they’re been tried and tested and yet never fail to remain absolutely in love even in the light of Ciara not liking to be bitten.

“I’ll follow you into the dark again,” I tell him. “A million times.”
He swallows, the sound heavy near my ear. “And I’ll lead you out again, a million times.”

Our usual vamp suspects are back as well: Spencer, Monroe Jefferson, Regina, Noah and Jeremy who is the only human DJ on staff. Yes, we even have a brief Jim sighting which throws the story for a loop. We also have the continued presence of Dexter, the vampire dog who has become a part of Ciara and Shane’s life since being introduced in Bad to the Bone.
 
I know I’ve probably said this before, but, the most interesting aspect of this series has been the fact that vampires play the music of the generation for when they were changed. In Shane’s case it was the 1990’s and grunge alternative rock. I doubt you’ll read anything like this again now that the series is sailing off into the sunset. I’ve always loved that about this series. I like the different chapters being formulated around actual music and bands for which I’ve followed for many years.

In my opinion, you will get more out of the series if you read it in order. You will get to see how Ciara came to the station and her character changed over the course of 4 books. Her relationships with her best friend Lori also takes several twists and turns that you will miss out if you don’t at least read Let it Bleed. However, in lieu of that happening, JSR does a fair to midland job of reviewing what happened over the past few books.

The series as released:

1. Wicked Game May 13th 2008
2. Bad to the Bone May 16th 2009 by Gallery Books
3. Bring On The Night July 27th 2010 by Pocket Books
3.5 Let it Bleed June 26th 2012 Novella free on Author’s web page.
4. Lust for Life, November 27th 2012 by Pocket

Released for publication: November 27th 2012 by Pocket

Genre - Urban Fantasy
Author - Jeri-Smith Ready
Title - Lust for Life (WVMP Radio #4)
Publisher - Pocket Books