a friend is letting me borrow this series - a friend who knew that i needed something light & easy to take me away from a very stressful work environment. this book pretty much fit the bill. besides, everyone at work is either reading these or watching hbo's "true blood," and this will keep me in the loop around the water cooler. the writing's pretty weak, but the story is fun and a nice escape from real life, particularly if you like vampires, louisiana, and sex. :)