Title: Sucks & Blows
Author: Storm Grant
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Length: Short Story

Rating: 3.5

Cary Drewell is a dentist with a problem.  He has no patients and is deeply in debt to loan sharks out to foreclose on his business (or worse).  Not to mention that he is perpetually horny. He is thrilled when a handsome patient walks in, clutching Cary’s brochure where he jokingly touted his skills in vampire dentistry.  Cary agrees to check him out, and is shocked when he finds that the eye tooth he just extracted is actually a real fang!

Pierce Sharpe is starving and in pain.  He fangs are sore and he can’t eat and his weakness is affecting his place as leader of the local Bite Club.  Sadly, both fangs are infected and have to come out.  Fortunately they will grow back in a few weeks, but in the meantime he needs some other bodily fluids that can be sucked out in place of blood…

Sucks & Blows is a fun story told with a lot of humor and lightness.  Cary is full of dental puns. “The tooth will set you free!” And the story has a host of little gags, like the loan shark Gill Hammerhead from Shark Lending.  And tidbits like Pierce referring to vampires as “persons of pallor.” Plus a hot little scene where Pierce shows Cary how he gets satisfied when he can’t drink blood!  I liked how Pierce is sort of the straight man for Cary’s joking and I enjoyed Cary’s voice and internal monologue.

Just a sample of the humor…

Pierce nipped Cary’s earlobe, remaining teeth clicking against his tiny ruby stud. “And I know you want this.”

“So it’s true then. You can read my mind!” Cary squinted as he beamed thoughts of wild sex at Pierce as hard as he could.

“Yes, exactly. Because as you witnessed, I wasn’t at all surprisedwhen you yanked out my tooth without warning!”

“Oh, right. Sorry.”

I did feel like some things could be filled in a bit, however. I’d have liked a better understanding why Cary is in debt, or why he had to buy his equipment from Shark Dental Supplies in the first place.  Or a bit more world building to better explain the leadership problems Pierce is facing.  Even with a short story, I think a few more sentences here or there could have rounded it out a little more. And I felt like the addition of the second vampire during the fight scene added unnecessary confusion for me as I tried to figure out who she was and why she was there.

Despite these small issues, Sucks & Blows is a fun, upbeat read with a bit of silliness.  I recommend it for anyone looking for a quick pick-me-up.

Cover Review:  A
Loved the cover – attractive, original, and right to the point.

Sucks & Blows will be published on October 30th and is currently available for pre-order from Riptide Publishing.