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Once Bitten, Twice Shy (Jaz Parks #1)

3.75 of 5 stars 3.75 · rating details · 5,379 ratings · 482 reviews

I'm Jaz Parks. My boss is Vayl, born in Romania in 1744. Died there too, at the hand of his vampire wife, Liliana. But that's ancient history. For the moment Vayl works for the C.I.A. doing what he does best--assassination. And I help. You could say I'm an Assistant Assassin. But then I'd have to kick your ass.

Our current assignment seemed easy. Get close to a Miami plasti...more

Paperback, 308 pages

Published October 8th 2007 by Orbit

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Feb 26, 2011 Seth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: modernfantasy, sf-f-h

I read a lot of this subgenre (light, modern fantasy with a horror twist and usually a female protag). This book and series is getting a lot of press and a heavy and fast push to get more out, putting it in the more-mainstream and lighter-weight end of the spectrum. Combined with the garish cover, the horrible "Meet Jaz Parks in..." cover copy and the cover quotes clearly intended for non-genre readers, I expected a guilty pleasure at best.

It's better than that, fortunately, but not as much bett...more

18 likes · like · see review

Nov 14, 2007 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance

Before I started reading 'Once Bitten, Twice Shy' I had read several reviews that claimed that this was a good book, a great book even. But in no way was I prepared for how truly wonderful Once Bitten, Twice Shy turned out to be. I loved it, plain and simple as that.

The story kicks off with Jaz and Vayl working together in Miami. Vayl is a vampire assassin, one of the CIA’s best, and Jaz is his bodyguard/assistant assassin. Six months previously Vayl had requested that she be assigned to him, s...more Before I started reading 'Once Bitten, Twice Shy' I had read several reviews that claimed that this was a good book, a great book even. But in no way was I prepared for how truly wonderful Once Bitten, Twice Shy turned out to be. I loved it, plain and simple as that.

The story kicks off with Jaz and Vayl working together in Miami. Vayl is a vampire assassin, one of the CIA’s best, and Jaz is his bodyguard/assistant assassin. Six months previously Vayl had requested that she be assigned to him, since then the two have been dancing a fine line between working partners and something more.

When a routine assassination in Miami turns into a plot to infect the planet with a deadly virus, Vayl and Jaz find themselves in the middle of it. With a dirty senator on one side and a crazed fanatic on the other they must discover what links all the players together. Unsure of who they can trust or where they can turn Jaz and Vayl turn to each other.

Along the way we met a cast of supporting characters that are perfect; private investigator Cole, who just happens to find Jaz irresistible, to the irradiation of Vayl. Liliana, Vayl’s vampire ex-wife, who we love to hate; Cassandra, a psychic who helps Jaz tap into some of her extra ordinary gifts and Bergman, a freelance tech guy for the CIA, and one of Jaz’s oldest friends.

Jaz’s inner dialogue was fun, she’s a smart-ass and has a bit of temper but you just love her all the more for it. She does have an edge most of the time but underneath all that is a woman who has been to hell and back. Jaz loves her family, even if they get on her nerves; she loves her country, her job and will do whatever it takes to keep Vayl safe. This is a character that you fall in love with from the start. Who wouldn’t like a smart-mouth assassin with a penchant for nice cars?

Something else I loved about 'Once Bitten, Twice Shy' is that it starts out so simple. You think that you already know how the story will go and as you read on you realize that this is something completely new. Jennifer Rardin is a name to watch and if you haven’t yet picked up her debut then you should. I already can’t wait to read the second, 'Another One Bites the Dust.'(less)

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Sep 01, 2010 AH rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: zread-august-2010, urban-fantasy, vamps, book-challenge, first-in-series

3.5 stars

As I started reading this book, I felt a tinge of déjà vu. The main character is a kick-ass girl, and assassin. The main male character was a vampire. I then thought of the Night Huntress series and began comparing the two. Well that’s not very fair of me. The two series are very different, and I like each series on their own. So here begins my review.

Jasmine Parks or Jaz is an assassin for the CIA. Her claim to fame seems to be the amount of car wreckage she seems to leave behind in e...more

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Mar 26, 2008 Sayuri_x rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, 2008

Once Bitten, Twice Shy revolves around a smart, sassy, paranoid, crazy and dangerous to know in a ‘Lethal Weapon’ kind of way, female character Jasmine ‘Jaz’ Parks. She works for the CIA with her boss, Vayl, who is a 291 year old vampire. (played in this reader’s imagination by Gerard Bulter…gulp.) Vayl is one of the good guys. He has chosen to live in peaceful co-existence with humans. Working for the CIA as an assassin helps him channel his ‘agression’. In this first installment Jaz and Vayl a...more

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 24, 2008 Felicia rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: vampire fans

Shelves: urban-paranormal, vaginal-urban-fantasy

This book is not great. I say that off the top to anyone who picks it up after reading what I have to say, because I don't want any nagging or resentment. The characters are pretty cliche'd, they don't even act sensically from chapter to chapter. What this book does provide (along with the other 4 I've read in the series) is just a fun popcorn snack of cliches that I gobbled up and had a ton of fun reading. If you're into mindless action-adventure vampire stuff (think Anita blake meets James Bon...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Esme rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror-fantasy-scifi

Mein Name ist Parks.
Jaz Parks.
Ich jage Vampire...

CIA-Agentin Jaz Parks hat einen ganz besonderen Kollegen, den Vampir Vayl. Ihre Aufgabe ist nichts Geringeres als die Welt zu retten. Mit dem coolen Titel Ein Vampir ist nicht genug (OT: Once Bitten, Twice Shy) setzt der Heyne Verlag aufs richtige Pferd. Hier gibt es keine schönen, erotischen Vampire und keine schwülstige Romanze. Die Handlung konzentriert sich auf den Fall und enthält sehr viel Action. Sowohl Jaz als auch Vayl haben ein Trauma zu...more

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Sep 20, 2011 Katharine Blankenship rated it 4 of 5 stars

With all of the vampire books that have come out since the popularity of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight Saga, this story just seems to be yet another one to add to the collection. But, Rardin’s Jaz Parks series puts a unique spin on it. Yes, Jaz Parks is a vampire hunter, but she works for the CIA and her boss’s name is Vayl. He was born in Romania in 1744…and died there, too. Yes, Vayl is a vampire, but a good one. The two of them work together to bring down the bad vampires.

This series has its go...more

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Aug 01, 2011 Madame X rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: awful-do-not-read, vampires, paranormal-urban-fantasy

Wherever ONCE BITTEN TWICE SHY is shelved (I picked it up in the sci-fi/fantasy section), don't be deceived: it's really chick-lit. And the worst kind of chick-lit, where there's a whole lot of "defining the relationship" and not a lot of action or romance. The book starts six months after protagonist Jaz is partnered with vampire assassin Vayl, and their relationship is already completely unprofessional. We miss out on all the fun, getting-to-know-you, tension-building parts of their relationsh...more Wherever ONCE BITTEN TWICE SHY is shelved (I picked it up in the sci-fi/fantasy section), don't be deceived: it's really chick-lit. And the worst kind of chick-lit, where there's a whole lot of "defining the relationship" and not a lot of action or romance. The book starts six months after protagonist Jaz is partnered with vampire assassin Vayl, and their relationship is already completely unprofessional. We miss out on all the fun, getting-to-know-you, tension-building parts of their relationship and pick up when they start to trudge glumly through the Swamp of Complicated Emotions. Rardin tries to convince us that Vayl is an uber-alpha male, but he spends so much time talking about his feelings it's really hard to buy. He also lets Jaz push him around a lot...and not in that "I'm humoring her" sort of alpha-male way, more in a "I'm totally whipped" sort of way.

The fact that one of villains the duo have to face is Vayl's late wife (she's a vampire too) means that even when Jaz and Vayl head out to kick some ass, they always end up right back at that Swamp of Complicated Emotions. The super-villain plot is drenched in Eau de Catfight.

The urban fantasy/paranormal elements are poorly realized and confusing. The growth of Jaz's "Gifts" is pretty botched - each new development is greeted with less explanation than the last. I never got a clear handle on what it meant to be a vampire in Rardin's alternate reality. And Rardin was trying to do a techno-mystical fusion with her uber-villain plot, something to do with a cult of demon-worshippers and a biological WMD (these basic elements are revealed early on), but devoted very little time or effort to explaining either.

The other main plot point is the slow reveal of Jaz's tortured past to the reader. We are informed a number of times that there is a HUGE TRAUMA in Jaz's past, and then we start to get hints about what it is, and eventually we learn the whole story. This just made me think, again, that this book starts after all the real action is over. I was also kind of annoyed by the way that the story came out - she blabs the whole thing in pieces to totally random people, and actually seems over-eager to talk about it, but when she's not in chatter mode she goes on about how her HUGE TRAUMA is too huge and traumatic to talk about, or even think about. It's exactly the kind of drama queen behavior that makes you wonder how this girl ever got a job in the CIA.(less)

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Apr 15, 2011 Books-treasureortrash rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

Book Review: 2 Treasure Boxes

Monster and vampire terrorists are trying to destroy the world and it is up to CIA agent Jaz Parks and her gorgeous vampire partner Vayl to save the day. This book introduces the characters and the world that this story takes place. It is similar to our world and occurs in modern times with the addition of supernatural beings including vampires, werewolves and witches. Jaz and Vayl are on a special assignment to find and stop the terrorists. This is a twist on contem...more Book Review: 2 Treasure Boxes

Monster and vampire terrorists are trying to destroy the world and it is up to CIA agent Jaz Parks and her gorgeous vampire partner Vayl to save the day. This book introduces the characters and the world that this story takes place. It is similar to our world and occurs in modern times with the addition of supernatural beings including vampires, werewolves and witches. Jaz and Vayl are on a special assignment to find and stop the terrorists. This is a twist on contemporary fantasy because she works for the CIA, has special powers and her boss is a vampire.

There are currently seven books in the Jaz Parks novels and the eighth and final book will be released June 2011. Unfortunately Jennifer Rardin passed away September 20, 2010. These books fall into the contemporary fantasy genre also known as urban fantasy. The story is told in the first person narrative from Jaz Parks point of view. She works for the CIA as an operative and the story revolves around her as she solves the current case she is working on.

Once Bitten, Twice Shy grabs our attention from the first page, alluding to some dark and dangerous event that occurred in Jaz's past. We are left wondering why does Jaz have blackouts? What is her history? What is she? It is fun to read the interactions between her and her partner Vayl, the sexy vampire assassin. Also, Jaz's internal dialogue is entertaining, I enjoyed reading her unique view on the world and her quirky analogies. In this book her powers are slowing being revealed and she slowly uncovers new and more interesting abilities. Among these she can smell vampires, she can feel magic and she is a sensitive.

I liked how the story was written and how the enigmatic past was slowly revealed. However, I did think that the final unveiling of the great event was done in a writing style that allowed an easy way out. It was revealed with a gimmick rather than through well developed story. But overall there was lots of action and the story built up to an exciting conclusion.

This is a stand alone book, and I am interested to see what Jaz is going to get up to next. For the first book in a series by a new author I feel there is plenty of potential and I recommend this as a good entertaining read. If you enjoy a contemporary fantasy with good and bad vampires, witches and a strong female lead then you should enjoy this book.

For more of my reviews go to: www.books-treasureortrash.com (less)

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Mar 06, 2011 Kt from A Book Obsession.. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: hardcopy

Meet Jaz Parks, a kick butt covert operations assassin that has been partnered with the agency's top assassin, who just happens to be a vampire. She's not sure why she's partnered with him as he really doesn't need the help, but like all good mysteries, there is a reason behind it all. Their latest assignment is a plastic surgeon, and it was supposed to be a simple job. Drag out all the intel they can from him, and then silence him forever. However, nothing is as it seems with this case, and the...more Meet Jaz Parks, a kick butt covert operations assassin that has been partnered with the agency's top assassin, who just happens to be a vampire. She's not sure why she's partnered with him as he really doesn't need the help, but like all good mysteries, there is a reason behind it all. Their latest assignment is a plastic surgeon, and it was supposed to be a simple job. Drag out all the intel they can from him, and then silence him forever. However, nothing is as it seems with this case, and they find themselves in the middle of a nefarious plot to destroy the world as they know it.

For a lot of this book, the reader is kept in the dark, both from the outside sources and from Jaz, the narrator, hiding thing as well. We know from the start that Jaz went through some kind of horrific trauma that has left her scarred, and that she is hiding things from her boss/partner. Yet we have no idea what those things are for most of the book. I'm used to books that keep both the narrator and the reader in the dark, but this one was a little excessive. This lack of information made me feel like I was a step behind and scrambling to keep up. I wish things on Jaz's end would have become a little more clear sooner, as that would have really let me relax a little and pay more attention to what was going on at the time rather then trying to figure out the past.

I absolutely love the dynamic between Jaz and Vayl. While they both seem to be trying to maintain a professional relationship between them, it quickly became clear there was so much more going on beneath the surface. Although I'm not entirely sure what exactly that is, I have a feeling in the future things just might start to heat up between them. However, one thing did bother me about the book. The introduction showed Jaz getting the assignment to be partnered with Vayl, and then it fast forwarded six months, skipping all the awkwardness of figuring out how they will fit together, and then the progression into how they are today. I just wish we could have gotten to see a little bit of that foundation to help solidify things. I'm hoping in the next book things will continue to progress as they just seem to mesh well, making for a really great potential.

All in all this was a pretty good book, that definitely held my interest despite some annoyances. I'm looking forward to reading the next book to see where things are heading; both in Jaz and Vayl's relationship as well as Jaz's developing powers. The ending events of this book are sure to have some fallout and repercussions that must be dealt with. I would recommend this book to fans of the Urban Fantasy genre, and perhaps the Paranormal Romance ones as well. Just keep in mind that there isn't any real romance in this book, just a huge potential for the future.(less)

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Jan 11, 2011 Ithlilian rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

A kick butt assassin, a complex mystery, and a vampire love interest. Sounds good, but it wasn't. Jaz is not your typical tough chick main character. She is whiny, helpless, and a bit incompetent. Her comments belong in a chick lit book, not an assassin book. Can you imagine CIA operatives going around saying things are icky? Exactly. The beginning of the book kept my interest because I wanted to know why the main character was having blackouts. Also, there are numerous references to her past an...more

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Dec 30, 2010 Karissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the first book of the Jaz Parks series by Jennifer Rardin. So far there are 8 books planned for this series. The fifth one comes out Jan '09 and is called "One More Bite". This was a great book.

Describing this book as James Bond meets the supernatural community is definitely accurate. Jaz Parks works for the CIA. 6 months after she starts reporting to her new boss; the group's top assassin, Vayl, requests that Jaz join him as an assistant. What Jaz and Vayl thinks is a typical, kidnap an...more This is the first book of the Jaz Parks series by Jennifer Rardin. So far there are 8 books planned for this series. The fifth one comes out Jan '09 and is called "One More Bite". This was a great book.

Describing this book as James Bond meets the supernatural community is definitely accurate. Jaz Parks works for the CIA. 6 months after she starts reporting to her new boss; the group's top assassin, Vayl, requests that Jaz join him as an assistant. What Jaz and Vayl thinks is a typical, kidnap and question the terrorist, kind of gig gets complicated when they find out that the terrorist in question belongs to an underground organization that is aligning itself with the underbelly of the supernatural community in order to unleash a virus deadly to vampire-kind.

Jaz is an amazing character. She is tough, by uses common sense and recognizes her bounds. She accepts the changes in her life and tends not to whine and agonize over them. She is a get-it-done kind of girl, who loves her gadgets, and her hot cars. There is a lot Jaz has to discover about herself; as a Sensitive she doesn't quite know the bounds of her power. She is working on it though and makes leaps and bounds in discovering what she can do in this book.

Vayl is also awesome. He is tough and has some crazy cool vampiric abilities (he is a wraith for goodness sack!); yet he does make mistakes, and he does have that vulnerable side that a good male character needs. We find out some of Vayl's past in this book, but there is a lot more there to uncover.

The writing is very solid. I like the writing style a lot. It is fast-paced, full of awesome action scenes, and cool ideas. The gadgets that Jaz gets to work with are really neat, her gun Grief, is lots of deadly fun, and I just couldn't put this book down.

I bought books 2-4 used before I had read book 1. Now I am glad that I did. I am excited to read the next couple books. So far I think this is going to be an incredible series. I wanted to give it more like 4.5 stars because I think the second book will tell if this is an outstanding series or just another good series in the long line of good paranormal series that are out there.

In summary, I love Jaz, I love Vayl, I love the writing and I am so excited to read more of it! There wasn't a single thing about this book that I didn't love.(less)

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Dec 12, 2010 NovelReaction added it

Jasmine Parks is one the best vampire hunters in the CIA, but after the death of her entire team she is surprised when the best hunter in the agency requests her to be his partner, the legendary vampire Vayl. Once Bitten, Twice Shy by Jennifer Rardin follows Jaz and Vayl as they undertake what should have been a routine capture of a rogue vampire. As the two go undercover to stop the leader of the terrorists group ‘Sons of Paradise’ they discover a much more menacing threat to humanity and vampi...more Jasmine Parks is one the best vampire hunters in the CIA, but after the death of her entire team she is surprised when the best hunter in the agency requests her to be his partner, the legendary vampire Vayl. Once Bitten, Twice Shy by Jennifer Rardin follows Jaz and Vayl as they undertake what should have been a routine capture of a rogue vampire. As the two go undercover to stop the leader of the terrorists group ‘Sons of Paradise’ they discover a much more menacing threat to humanity and vampire kind alike.

Jasmine is a believable character, struggling to balance her job in the CIA which requires her to travel all the time, a non-existent love life and a diabetic father who continually ignores his doctor’s advice and routinely scares off nurses. Jasmine’s belief in doing what was right for her family, even when she admits that her family relationships are strained at best, is admirable but her approach to tackling them, both with anger and humor made me like her.

Vayl, the mysterious vampire, by the end of the novel you understand more of who he is and some of the things he has gone through but there is still alot that needs to be figured out, including his reasons for doing some of the things he did. There a few supporting characters that really contributed to the story, including Bergman a neurotic, paranoid computer genius. I loved his quirks and super cool techie toys.

This is the first book in a serious of seven (as of November 2010), the story line was left wide open with a lot more back story with each of the characters. I really liked it, there was no sex which seems so prevalent in the paranormal/urban fantasy genre, which is not to say there wasn’t sexual tension in the novel. I enjoyed Rardin’s fine line between the world as we know it with just a little of the paranormal thrown in. Rardin’s ability to introduce a slightly humorous quirk of a character and then incorporate it into a bigger issue later in the novel was incredibly well done and had me second guessing what I had thought earlier in the novel.(less)

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Nov 03, 2010 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Déjà longtemps que je me dis qu'il faut que je lise cette série et j'ai enfin commencé.
Au début, je me suis dis que Jaz était complétement tarée, puis ça avait l'air d'un roman axé espionnage, chose que je n'attendais pas du tout, mais finalement pas tant que ça...parce qu'il faut reconnaitre qu'elle a un gros problème dans sa petite tête quand même. MDR! Ok, ce n'est peut être pas totalement de sa faute, peut être qu'elle était "normale" 14 mois plus tôt.
Bref, pour un premier volume, c'est vrai...more

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Aug 18, 2010 Naoise Night rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: average-alright

"I'm Jaz Parks. My boss is Vayl, born in Romania in 1744. Died there too, at the hand of his vampire wife, Liliana. But that's ancient history. For the moment Vayl works for the C.I.A. doing what he does best--assassination. And I help. You could say I'm an assistant assassin. But then I'd have to kick your ass."

-from the back cover of Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Jaz and Vayl are aiming to take out a terrorist group with ties to some especially foul supernaturals in the first book of this series. The...more

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Aug 03, 2010 drey added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-reads, urban-fantasy

Once Bitten, Twice Shy was a spur-of-the-moment pick that I'm glad made it home with me. Jennifer Rardin's Jaz is a butt-kicking, gun-toting, smash-talking, vampire-smelling, car-crashing, highly-efficient assassin. Yup, you heard me. And, she's hilarious. Excerpt:

No doubt about it, I am the only item in this office under the age of fifty.

You wouldn't know it to look at my clothes, though. I'd come straight from an American Airlines flight during which an aviophobic widow had wadded various ha...more

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Jul 25, 2010 Yvette rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: tried-to-read

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I honestly don't know how this book got so many 5 stars. I had passed this book by so many times, and never picked it up because the title just didn't do it for me.

I read the reviews and I thought to myself, "okay, I'll give it a shot." It was a waste of time, really. I skipped a lot of it because it was just plain boring and rushed.

The character development sucked butt. I wanted to like Vayl, and I believe that I would have, if his character was more developed. I didn't want his whole 300 yea...more I honestly don't know how this book got so many 5 stars. I had passed this book by so many times, and never picked it up because the title just didn't do it for me.

I read the reviews and I thought to myself, "okay, I'll give it a shot." It was a waste of time, really. I skipped a lot of it because it was just plain boring and rushed.

The character development sucked butt. I wanted to like Vayl, and I believe that I would have, if his character was more developed. I didn't want his whole 300 years of life, but it would have been a great thing to add some details to his background, before dumping his 'late wife' into the story. His attraction to Jaz was out of the blue. Jasmines attraction to Cole, was weird and again, out of the blue (he kisses her while hiding in the ladies room because he wants to be like Bond, and she kisses him back for...hell I dont know why).

Jaz and Vayl's 'relationship' is never actually announced. How she became a 'Sensitive' was kind of described but not really well. The 'magic' or whatever that she received after Vayl feed from her wasn't really explained to the reader. It gave no description of why she was getting magic, what actually passed between them during that time (cause she blacks out). The black outs themselves I don't understand. She constantly repeats hereself. "the job, the job, the job..." annoying really. There were so many analogies in the book, that I started skipping a lot. The plot was rushed and none too exciting, in my opinion. Her relationship with her brother in pretty much described as non-existent, but he all of a sudden forgives her and understands how hard she had it in the past, when she warns him about a bomb. I honestly have so many complaints.

I quit reading read this book at page 134. It was just too annoying and rushed to me. I was tired of the lame bad guys 'taking over the world' bit, the late wife wanting some ring from Jaz, Jaz smart mouth (which is not really a bad thing but it gets old pretty fast).

I believe it could have been a good book, if it wasn't so rushed and gave a little more background info on the characters.(less)

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Jul 16, 2010 Amanda rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: bought-copy, series, urban-fantasy

In a genre that contains such heavy-hitters as Kelley Armstrong and Kim Harrison, Jennifer Rardin's debut novel is heralded as a fresh new take on the 'paranormal fantasy' (or whatever tag it is going by these days!) spectrum.

Indeed, the idea that the main character is a CIA operative is intriguing, and the vamp/supernatural elements of the story are dropped in without any painful info-dumps or unnecessary explanations.

In fact, the whole story invites you to cling onto a *very* bumpy ride and ei...more In a genre that contains such heavy-hitters as Kelley Armstrong and Kim Harrison, Jennifer Rardin's debut novel is heralded as a fresh new take on the 'paranormal fantasy' (or whatever tag it is going by these days!) spectrum.

Indeed, the idea that the main character is a CIA operative is intriguing, and the vamp/supernatural elements of the story are dropped in without any painful info-dumps or unnecessary explanations.

In fact, the whole story invites you to cling onto a *very* bumpy ride and either hold on or slide off. Unfortunately for Rardin, I've decided to quit this ride on the first book and here are my reasons.

The pace is frenetic - in fact, too much so. There is no breathing space, no time to effectively build the characters, no pause from the constant action to really get a feel for the world we're supposed to believe in here.

Supernatural elements are thrown in without a full consideration of world-building, and characters suddenly develop new tricks without any true reasons being given.
The book tries far too hard to be funny and misses on most occasions: "Oh boy. I'm in smart-ass mode and Vayl wants to break his ex's neck. If we don't play this right, they'll be scraping parts of us off the bumpers of these cars for days."

Jaz is heralded as a sassy, spunky CIA operative. However, she is also held up to be a delicate-looking, beautiful redhead who, it seems, would be incapable of extricating herself out of the many, many dangerous situations her smart mouth seems determined to place her in. She is a loose cannon, and it becomes tiring to see that her only answer to everything is a wiseass comment and the threat of violence. I was also disconcerted by the fact she kisses a person she has only just met - there was no reason for this given.

I struggled with the, at times, distinctly odd prose and similies. For instance: "In the silence, the banging of our bumper took centre stage like an American Idol loser" - this just makes very little sense. Add to that: "Vayl made a sound in the back of his throat, a primal distress signal, the kind you might hear from elephants as they mourn over the bones of lost brothers." This is a vampire we're talking about - a sleek, killing machine and the animal Rardin associates with him is an elephant? And which elephants actually do mourn over the bones of lost brothers? The writing stank, to be perfectly honest.

Altogether a hugely disappointing read.(less)

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Jul 09, 2010 Hope rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book has been sitting on my bookshelf for a while now, along with book two and three from this series. It took me forever to make myself pick up the first book and read. Now that I have I am kind of annoyed at myself for not doing it sooner. But usually I have to be in a certain mood to read books, I pick books from my reading pile according to my mood.

Jaz park’s series is awesome, I just love it. It had it all, action, vampires, crazy villains who want to rule the world, kick ass heroin,...more This book has been sitting on my bookshelf for a while now, along with book two and three from this series. It took me forever to make myself pick up the first book and read. Now that I have I am kind of annoyed at myself for not doing it sooner. But usually I have to be in a certain mood to read books, I pick books from my reading pile according to my mood.

Jaz park’s series is awesome, I just love it. It had it all, action, vampires, crazy villains who want to rule the world, kick ass heroin, and much more. I love the book and Jaz because she is such a strong character, also she is female and CIA assassin. I love that she is not weak and she does not rely on the male protagonist to save her from the bad guys. But rather she works with Vayl together and he does not threat her like a damsel in distress, but rather his equal.

Book was very well written, character are well developed and you see them grow throughout the book. The author gives you glimpses at characters and who they are , but does not reveal everything at once, but gives you bits and pieces throughput the book. I also hope that we get to see more of the other characters, Cole, Cassandra and Bergman they were fun characters to read about. I do have to say, I can not believe that Vayl was married to that woman, man she is evil, what the hell was he thinking, you will know what I am talking about when you read this book.

There was not much romance in the book, actually any. However there is potential for future romantic relationship development between Jaz and Vayl. There is chemistry between the two and it will be interesting were the author takes it.

I do not think that I have anything negative to say about this book. The only thing that bothered me was Jaz’s inner monolog. She would do this thing were she would repeat certain statement or word three times. Like for example “kill him, kill him, kill him”, it almost seems like she has OCD were she has to repeat everything three times. I just did not understand the point behind it. There was quite a few of these throughout the book.

Overall this book , series, seems to have a lot of potential and I am glad that I started reading it.

I give this book 4.5 STARS out of 5 STARS. (less)

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Feb 28, 2010 Nicola O. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Per the Official UF Style Guide, Jaz is a kick-ass, heavily armed, slightly neurotic red-head who tells her story in first person. However, Jaz's voicing of this story is outstanding. It's appealingly conversational and wise-cracky; perceptive and smart but fallible; layered and full of personality. Jaz has a complicated history but there's no info-dumping -- the tidbits about her character are handed out in the perfect balance between tantalizing and satisfying.

I really liked the political plot...more

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Feb 02, 2010 Samantha rated it 4 of 5 stars

In Once Bitten, Twice Shy, we meet Jaz Parks who is an assasin for the C.I.A. and is partnered up with a very powerful vampire named Vayl. Their newest assignment is to take out a plastic surgeon who has to ties to a dangerous group of terrorists. But Jaz and Vayl soon find out that their assignment is more complicated than they thought and before they know it they are up against an ancient evil.

Will someone please tell me how I have not heard more about this author before?? This book rocked and...more

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Aug 20, 2009 Tamora Pierce rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, fantasy, contemporary

Woot! Another vampire hunter, female, kicks major @ss, makes almost enough smart remarks to annoy (but not quite), now teamed up with a very hot vampire who came across in the 1700s. They are government operatives, he legendary, she big tough, who are partnered because he asked for her, which leaves her much confused. They hunt bad guys of all stripes for the CIA: evil vampires, terrorists, big nasty transdimensional things, and magic critters. She is the lone survivor of a strike team that was...more

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Aug 04, 2009 Tattered Cover Book Store added it · review of another edition

Shelves: jackie-recommends, indie-next-noteables, staff-recommends

Jackie says:

Fans of Laurel K. Hamilton,Charlaine Harris and Buffy the Vampire Slayer have a brand new series to sink their teeth into, and it's good to the last drop.

Author Jennifer Rardin introduces CIA "assistant assassin"(though don't call her that to her face) Jaz Parks and her 250 year old boss (and kinda, maybe, love interest) Vayl--in the first book of the series Once Bitten Twice Shy. In this first installment, Jaz and Vayl are just supposed to assassinate one vampire--all in a days work...more

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Jul 26, 2009 Christine Morehouse rated it 5 of 5 stars

Once Bitten Twice Shy
Jennifer Rardin
Orbit
Paranormal Romance
Print
Book Rating: ♥♥♥♥1/2
Heat Rating: MILD
Reviewed by: C.S. Morehouse

ABOUT THE BOOK:

I’m Jaz Parks. My boss is Vayl, born in Romania in 1744. Died there too, at the hand of his vampire wife, Liliana. But that’s ancient history. For the moment Vayl works for the C.I.A. doing what he does best–assassination. And I help. You could say I’m an Assistant Assassin. But then I’d have to kick your ass.

Our current assignment seemed easy....more

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May 29, 2012 Mello ❣ Illium ✮Harry✮ ☀Myrnin☀ Torin Ichimaru rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, mello-s-may-challenge, paranormal-romance, supernatural, assassins, vamps, hawt-heroes, psychics, sassy-heroines, urban-fantasy

This was interesting. An assassin who gets partnered with the CIA's top vamp assassin. Jaz and Vayl make a pretty good team. Although, they do have plenty of secrets between them. I'm glad that most of that came out before you get too deep into the series. Especially when we find out what happened to Jasmine on the night that completely changed her entire life.

I found myself really liking this book. Jasmine frustrated me at times, but what heroine doesn't make you feel that way? She sure is adep...more

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May 08, 2012 Nenia Campbell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: x-2007s, x-series-bk-1

remember when vampires used to be deadly sexy, and sexily dead with european accents, bad-ass clothing, and completely sparkle free?

then read this book!

while reading this, i fluctuated between giving this book 4.5 stars and the full monty but the ending cinched it for me - give me the next volume, already!

jaz parks is a vampire slayer who kills the dregs of the vamp population that the government deems unworthy to walk the earth - serial killers, sadists, corrupt public figures, you name it. she...more

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Dec 08, 2010 Jen rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was apretty good book - but I don't think I"m going to keep reading into the series .. at least not at this time.
I do have 6 of them from the library - but I didn't like the book as much as I thought I would.
I have a few other books I really WANT to read now - so these next 5 are going to be put on hold for a while.

What I liked about the book was her sence of humor - I loved it - she and Vayl have a great relationship - and I had to look up avhar to figure out exactly what it ment - what...more

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Dec 04, 2010 Sabina rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm not going to summarize the plot. It's a sexy old vampire and smart, talented yet traumatized young woman (always early twenties) who fight the villains. When you get past the fake Romanian names and language, it really gets you turning page after page after page.

If you're looking for "romance" you won't find it here. But I guess it'll come, sooner or later. There are some candidates for that. The two main heroes, the vampire Vayl and the human girl Jaz are quite interesting characters. What...more

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Dec 06, 2011 Danielle rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

This book was boring. I didn't even finish it. The idea of this book is good, with a female CIA agent who can kick your butt and her partner who is a a 300 year old vampire. The whole thing didn't keep my attention. It was lacking in many things, such as the character development, plot, description, and some of the sentences didn't seem to flow together.

Ok the characters didn't seem to feel real to me. You get some what of a background, but it wasn't entirely convincing. The description's in th...more

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Feb 08, 2011 Cookie Lopez rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, series, bloodsuckers

I love it when my kids recommend books and get me hooked on a series. The good news is that usually they're able to supply me with books in the series...but when they leave me, I'm forced to find the series on my own - AND have to remember which books I've already read. Thankfully, goodreads is helping me for books that I've remembered and have read recently...but those in the past? That's a different ball of wax.

1 like · like · see review

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About Jennifer Rardin

I’ve spent all my life in the Midwest, which has certainly shaped my perspective on all kinds of issues, from the question of whether or not we really have an accent, to the many and varied uses of corn.

I was born in Evansville, Indiana on April 28, 1965. Mom tells me almost every year what crappy weather it was that day. However I like to think of my birthday as the first frost-free date for my p...more

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Quotes from Once Bitten, Twice Shy

“I pictured Cupid sitting in a crappy little bar, drunk and depressed, while he moaned to the bartender, "That Jasmine Parks, gods, she pisses me off! Did you see what she just did? Totally blew off this immortal stud to play kiss-the-boo-boo with a fickle little rent-a-cop. Why? 'Cause she's the biggest chickenshit on the planet! I'm ready to toss my bow and pick up a bazooka!” — 70 people liked it

“Sometimes things would be so much simpler if you could just pull out your gun and shoot the bad guy. Reason number seventeen why Indiana Jones is my hero.” — 56 people liked it

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